Islam - The Summit of Religious Evolution — Page 157
157 Hazrat Sayyad Abdul Karim Jilani has written: The coming of the Law bearing prophets, after the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings on him, has ceased as he has been exalted to be the "Khataman-Nabiyyeen" because he brought with him such a perfect Law as no prophet had brought before him. (Al-Insanul Kamil, Vol. 1, p-68, Egypt edition) The venerable Sheikh Abdul Qadir of Kurdistan says: The meanings of the Holy Prophet being the Khataman Nabiyyeen are that no one after him shall be appointed a prophet with a new Law. Hazrat Mohyiud Din Ibn Arabi has said: The Law-bearing prophethood and messengership has now ceased after the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings be on him. Therefore, there shall be no Law-bearing prophet after him. (Fususul Hakam, pp. 140-141. ) Hazrat Shah Waii Ullah says: There cannot appear an independent prophet after the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings be on him, who is not his follower and his adherent. (Al-Khairul Katheer, p. 111. ) The very renowned Sufi Hazrat Abu Abdullah Muhammad bin Ali Hussain Al Hakim of Tirmidhi (d. 308AH) has stated: How can the glory and superiority of Muhammad, peace and blessings on him, be manifested if we claim that he was the last, in time, to appear in the world? This is, no doubt, an interpretation of the foolish and the ignorant. (Kitab Khatantal A uliya, p. 34 1) Hazrat Abu Saeed Mubarak (d. 513AH), the grand preceptor of the Sufis, teacher of the saints, exemplar for those who tread the path of righteousness, a model for the pure souls and the chief of saints, was also the preceptor of Hazrat Sayyad Abdul Qadir Jilani. He said: Man is the most privileged of God's creatures. When he reaches the zenith of exaltedness he begins to manifest in himself all the above-mentioned qualities and their corollaries. He is then called a perfect man and the acme of all perfections. These attributes are found in the Holy Prophet in the highest abundance, peace and blessings be upon him. That is the reason why he is called "Khataman-Nabiyyeen". (Tohfa Mursalah Sharif, p. 51, translated) The learned Maulana says again: Prophets, as they are the message-bearers of God, are His vice-regents. It would, therefore, be necessary that they are endowed with Divine authority. From among the subordinate posts, the post of the governor or the minister is the highest and all other posts are subordinate to them and they can over-rule the decisions and rulings of their subordinates; similarly there is no position higher than the Khatam of the prophets. Every other prophet is undoubtedly subordinate to him. (Debate (Mubahitha) at Shahjahanpur,