Truth about Khatm-e-Nabuwat — Page 144
corollary that the mass of Muslims have subscribed to the view that a prophet shall appear after the Holy Prophet ( Allah bless him). It is thus evident that not only the elect of Islam but even the mass of l\luslims testify to the fact that the door to prophethood is in a manner, still open after the appearance of our Holy Prophet ( Allah bless him ). Will our friends pause and reflect that when the Muslims believe that the coming l\Iessiah shall not be divested of his pro- phethood but that he bhall appear as a prophet, do not the twin beliefs add up to the conclusion that the l\luslhns as a whole do concede one pro- phet after the Holy Prophet (Allah bless him)? It may be said here that the Muslims do agree on the appearance of a Prophet after the Holy Propket (Allah bless him) who was exalted to prophethood six centuries before the advent of the Holy Prophet (Allah_ bless him) and that the appearance of such a prophet does not infringe the Khatm-e-Nabuwat, the finality of prophethood in the Holy Prophet Muhammad. (Allah bless him), while the advent of. a new prophet does amount to a breach. May God. guide our ill-advised brethren aright I The point of precedence or sub- sequence in adv en t is in no way relevant to the issue. It is a simple matter of appearing as a prophet and functioning as such after the Holy Prophet (Allah bless him) that forms the crux of the matter. The Messiah of Nazareth, though an earlier prophet, will, all -the same, accor• ding to the belief of Muslims, come to the world after the Holy Prophet ( Allah bless him ) and function as a prophet. If the door of prophethood is absolutely sealed, his appearance, in any case, constitutes a violation of the Seal Of prophethood (Khatm-e-Nabuwat ), only if you care to realize. In fact the appearance of such a prophet as ia