Tabligh Guide — Page 20
(American Edition) 20 ِ ِِنِْ اہخِر ُ الَْنْبِيَاء ا “Verily, I am the last prophet. ” (Muslim, Kit ā bul- Ḥ ajj) But we find in the same sentence: ْ ِوَاِن َّ مَسْجِدِی اہخِر ُ الْمَسَاجِد “And this Mosque of mine (at Medina) is the last mosque. (Muslim, Kitābul - Ḥ ajj) If this tradition should mean that no prophets can appear after the Holy Prophet, it must also mean that no mosque should have been built after Masjid Nabaw ī (the mosque of the Holy Prophet in Mad ī nah). But it is well-known that Masjid Nabaw ī was in fact the first of thousands. So the Ḥadīth can only mean that no other mosque could ever be built that surpasses Masjid Nabaw ī in prestige and significance, just as no messenger can now appear who excels the Holy Prophet in beauty and importance. The early scholars of Islām explain the meaning of Khā tamun-Nabiyy ī n in the same way: Ḥ a ḍ rat Ā ’ishah, the Holy spouse o f the Holy Prophet, said: ٗ َِبَِّ بَعْدَہ قُوْلُوْا اِنَّہ ُ خَا َتَُ الَْنْبِيَآء ِ وَل َ تَقُوْلُوْا ل َ ن “Do proclaim that he (the Holy Prophet) was Khā tamun- Nabiyy ī n, but never say that there shall be no prophet after him. ” (Al-Durr Al- Manthūr , Vol. 5, p. 204) Ḥ a ḍ rat Mu ḥ yudd ī n Ibn ‘ Arab ī (d. 1240 A. D. ), the renowned and distinguished commentator of the Holy Qur’ān and a leader of the Ṣū f ī school of thought, said: ُّ ِ ِفِ الن َّ ِفِْ ھہذالُْمَّۃ ِ مَن ْ حلِقَت ْ دَرَجَتُہ ٗ دَرَجَۃ َ الَْنْبِيَاء َ قَطَعْنَا اَن ِ ِفِبُوَّۃ ِ عِنْد َ ہللا ِ ل َّْشِْیْح الت “From the study and contemplation of the Durūd (invoking Allāh’s blessings upon the Holy Prophet) we have arrived at the definite conclusion that there shall, from among the Muslims, certainly be persons whose status, in the matter of prophethood, shall advance to the level of prophets if Allāh pleases , but they shall not be given any book of law. ” (Futūhāt Makkiy yah, Vol. 1, p. 545) Ḥ a ḍ rat Mullā ‘Alī Q ā r ī said: َ وَرَد ’’ ْ َِبَِّ بَعْدِی ل َ ن ‘‘ ُ ٗ مَعْنَاہ ُ عِنْد َ الْع ُ َشَْعَہ َْشَْح ٍ یَنْسَخ َِبٍِِّ ب لَمَاء ِ ل َ َیَْدُث ُ ن