Truth about Khatm-e-Nabuwat — Page 94
prophets of whom 815 were law-givers (Musnad Ahmad). Factual evidence furnishes further confirm- ation. In history we find a large number of prophets without a new law: they were appointed to serve • the preceding law and reform the faith and practice of the people. Such prophets were David, Solomon, Zakaria and Yahya who were commission- ed after Moses. Even commonsense would confirm this view• since, after all the divine object in raising prophets is public reformation which is sought through either a new law or through regeneration of a previous law. In face of this conclusive evidence which has the cumulative support of Quran, tradition, history and reason, it is unthinkable that Imam Shirani or any other responsible authority could entertain the belief that all prophets must necessarily bring a new law. It is however probable that, in coineidence with our own terminology en•mcia- ted in the foregoing pages ( ~ ~I J'J. J ), the Imam Sahib shared the belief that in reality real prophethood comprised only the law-giving content, as truly every prophet. ic dispensation originates with it and other categories of prophelhood flow therefrom and follow it and not that other categories of Prophethood are not entitled to be termed as Prophethood in any sense of the word. In short, the tradition ( ~~ ~ 'j ) ''There is no prophet after me' is authentic and we accept it whole-heartedly. But it does not finally bolt the door of prophethood after the Holy Prophet. On the contr•ry it simply means that since the Holy Prophet's term extends to the Day of Judgment, therefore there shall not appear a prophet who will abrogate his law or who may not be from among his following : only such a prophet shall henceforth appear as comes through the way kept open by the verse ( i:,. =-;:ll~l. i. ) (according to the view of the Lady of Paradise our mother Hazrat