The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) - Volume I — Page 339
X - A Glance at the Makkan Life 339 instruction to preach the truth was made. Even after the status of his prophethood and apostleship was expressed, the Holy Prophet sa only considered himself one prophet after another, and nothing more. No claim whatsoever was made as to his superiority, or with regards to Khatm-e-Nubuwwat , 1 rather, even after the migration, his state was such as when a companion, in the fervour of his devotion, declared the Holy Prophet sa superior to other prophets, the Holy Prophet sa sternly forbade him. As such, it is proven from authentic Aḥādīth that on one occasion in Madīnah, when a companion expressed the superiority of the Holy Prophet sa to Moses as before a Jew, the Holy Prophet sa was greatly displeased at this companion, and alluding to a greatness of Moses as , he consoled that Jew. 2 But then a time came, when the Holy Prophet sa , himself said: ْ لَو ْ كَان َ مُوْسٰی و َ عِیْسٰی حَیَّیْن ِ لَمَا وَسِعَھُمَا اِلَّا اتِّبَاعِی Meaning, “If Moses and Jesus (peace be upon them) were alive at this time, they would have had no choice but to follow me. ” 3 Furthermore, in his early era, when a companion addressed him with the title, Khairul-Bariyyah , meaning, ‘The best of creation’, the Holy Prophet sa stopped him and said, ُ ذَالِك َ اِبْرَاھِیْم , in other words, “The best of creation is Abraham. ” 4 Furthermore, he said, “Do not give me superiority over Jonah son of Matthew” , 5 but then himself stated, َ اَنَا سَیِّد ُ وُلْد ِ اٰدَم َ و َ لَا فَخْر , 6 meaning, “I am the chief of the children of Adam, but I do not feel arrogant on account of this. ” This was as if an evolution of knowledge, for the Holy Prophet sa was the greatest of prophets and the chief of the children of Adam from the start, but this was disclosed to the Holy Prophet sa gradually. Moreover, it is also correct that the Holy Prophet sa 1 Seal of Prophethood (Publishers) 2 Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhārī, Kitābu Aḥādīthil-Anbiyā’i, Bābu Qaulillāhi Ta‘ālā “Wa Inna Yūnusa laminal-Mursalīn” , Ḥadīth No. 3414 3 Tafsīrul-Qur’ānil-‘Aẓīm, By Abul-Fidā’ ‘Imād-ud-Dīn ibni Kathīr, Volume 2, p. 59, Under the verse: “Wa Idhā Akhadhallāhu Mīthāqan Nabiyyīn” , Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, First Edition (1998) 4 Musnad Imām Aḥmad bin Ḥanbal, Volume 4, Musnad Anas bin Mālik ra , Ḥadīth No. 12857, Beirut (1998) 5 Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhārī, Kitābu Aḥādīthil-Anbiyā’i, Bābu Qaulillāhi Ta‘ālā “Wa Inna Yūnusa Laminal-Mursalīn” , Ḥadīth No. 3414 6 * Sunan At- Tirmidhī, Kitābul-Manāqibi ‘an Rasūlillāhi sa , Bābu Mā Jā’a fī Faḍlin-Nabī sa , Ḥadīth No. 3615 * Sunan Ibni Mājah, Kitābuz-Zuhd, Bābu Dhikrish-Shafā‘ati, Ḥadīth No. 4308