Truth Prevails — Page 26
( 26 ) Dear Mr. Faruqi, I hope you will now perceive that on the basis of the report by Nawas bin Sam’an, the Holy Prophet Mohammad has called the Promised Messiah a Nabi , as many as four times. In the face of this fact, do you suppose you or anyone else, can be held justified in hinting that the Promised Messiah, under any contingency, can be taken as one of these 30 Dajjals ! If not, then your reference to this Hadith cannot be held wise or justified. No doubt, on the basis of the Hadith in ‘Sahih Muslim’, the Promised Messiah is a Nabi ; and he is an Ummati , on the basis of the Hadith ‘Imamokum Minkum ’ in Sahih Bukhari. So the advent of the Promised Messiah, as an Ummati Nabi , stands proved, as foretold by the Holy Prophet Mohammad in the Hadith. Moreover, in revelations to the Promised Messiah himself, he has been called by Allah a Nabi , and an Apostle; and we have also to bear in mind that nowhere in his revelations, has the application to him of the word Nabi been denied. In addition we find that in revelations descending on him, it has been said of him: “The enemy would say you are not an Apostle!” Here I find myself forced to pause, and ponder, if Mr. Faruqi would like that he, and his friends, should come to be included among the enemies of the Promised Messiah! Second Hadith The second Hadith quoted by Mr. Faruqi is: “The Holy Prophet said: ‘Indeed, you are from me in the same position as was Harun from Moses, except that there is no Nabi after me. ’” We all know that this remark was made by the Holy Prophet, in regard to Hazrat Ali, when the Prophet started on the expedition to Tabuk , leaving Hazrat Ali in command, in Madina. When Moses left Harun in command during the period of his own absence, since Harun, during this absence was a deputy for Moses, he was also a Prophet in his own personal capacity. When Hazrat Ali was left similarly in command, and the Holy Prophet was not in Madina, the misconception might have arisen that Ali too was a Prophet, as Harun had been during the absence of Moses. To root out any possibility of a misconception of the kind, the Holy Prophet said while Ali would deputise for him, it had to be remembered by all concerned that he would not be a Nabi , as Harun had been during the absence of Moses. Bearing this same sense and meaning, there is a similar report in Musnad Ahmad bin Hambal. The words in this case are: “Apart from the fact that you are not a Nabi. ” Evidently therefore, the intent of both reports is practically one and the same – a warning that Ali would deputise for the Holy Prophet during the time of his absence on an expedition; but he would not be a Nabi , as Harun had been when he deputised for Moses. Hazrat Waliullah Shah, Mohaddith of Delhi in his memorable work entitled Qurratul ‘Ainain fi Tafzilishaikhain , writes: