Meanings of Khaatam al Nabeyyeen

                           

In this article we would see and analyze what are meanings of words ‘khaatam al nabeyyeen’. Muslims say the meanings of these words are ‘last of Nabis’; whereas Qadyanis say the meanings are ‘Kamal e Nabuwwah. In this article we would see even if meanings ‘ Kamal e Nabuwwah’ are accepted, it would mean ‘last of Nabis’.  We have already seen in the article https://secondriseofislam.blogspot.com/2012/03/khatam-l-nabeyyeen-saw.html that

                                                   

Quran says:

“Muhammad (ﷺ) is not the father of [any] one of your men, but [he is] the Messenger of Allah and last of the 'Nabis'. And ever is Allah , of all things, Knowing” (al-ahzab-40).

In this verse two statements have been given; the first statement is that Muhammad (ﷺ) is father of no man, and the second statement is that he [Muhammad (ﷺ)] is the Messenger and last of the 'Nabis'. Apparently there seems to be no connection between these two statements. But actually there is a link between these two statements, and the link is that both statements contain predictions. Just ponder when this verse was revealed, many wives of Muhammad (ﷺ) were alive; any one of them could give birth to a male child and that male child might grow to become a 'rajul’/ man'. But if it happened so, this verse would have been proved to be wrong, because this verse states that our Nabi (ﷺ) is father of no man. So it was not to be happened so. Actually this verse contains a prediction that either no male child will be born to Muhammad's (ﷺ) wife, or if male child will be born, such child will not reach the age of puberty to become a man. We know this prediction turned out to be true. Similarly second statement also contains a prediction that after Muhammad (ﷺ) there will be no 'Nabi'. The verse also contains a third statement that “ Allah is knowing of all things; this third statement also suggests that the previous two statements are about Allah’s knowledge/information.

In the above quoted verse, word 'khaatama l nabeyyeen' means seal of the 'Nabis'. The word ‘khaatam’ is noun and its verb is  'khatam'; both in its noun and verb forms, it is is used in Quran in 'istilahi'/ idiomatic meaning (al-baqra-7; al-anam-46; al-jathiyah-23; Yasin-65). In its 'istilahi'/ idiomatic meaning, ‘khaatam’/seal means  closing something. In words, ‘khaatama l nabeyyeen’, word 'khaatam'/seal is noun and 'khaatam l Nabeyyeen' would mean ‘closing the chain of Nabis’.

Another 'istilahi'/ idiomatic meaning of word ‘khaatam’/ seal, in Arabic,  is 'validating/confirming'; but this meaning is less probable, in the above mentioned verse, for two reasons. First, for 'validating/confirming', Quran uses another word ‘musaddiq’ (e.g. al-baqra-89,101;al-imran-81); nowhere in Quran, word 'khaatam' or 'khatam' has been used for 'confirming'. Secondly, confirmation is a process in which identity/particulars of a person/thing is certified. Quran has certified identity of almost two dozen prophets, but this certification may not be called confirmation by Muhammad (ﷺ); it is confirmation by Quran. In other words, this confirmation is not something specific and confined to Muhammad (ﷺ); it means such confirmation may not warrant a title of 'Confirming the Nabeyyeen'.

Our Nabi (ﷺ) has also mentioned, in his sayings, about a few prophets which have not been mentioned in Quran; but such prophets are, most probably, not more than single digit in number. Taking into account total number of prophets which are more than one lac, confirmation of such a small number of prophets by Muhammad (ﷺ) may not warrant the title of 'Confirming the Prophets'.  In short, ‘khaatam l nabeyyeen’s more probable meaning is 'closing the chain of Nabis' and the least probable meaning is 'Confirming 'Nabis'. The meaning 'closing the chain of Nabis' has been verified by Muhammad (ﷺ) himself through many ahadith; therefore the meaning ‘closing the chain of Nabis’ is most authentic meaning. 

Qadyanis say the most probable meanings of 'Khaatam al nabeyyeen' are ‘the most perfect nabuwwah/ ‘kamal e nabuwwah’. Actually ‘kamal e nabuwwah’ may be meaning of words ‘ khatim ul nabeyyeen’, not words ‘khaatam al nabeyyeen’. Khaatam al nabeyyeen’ and ‘khatim ul nabeyyeen’ are two different words. In the verse mentioned above, word ‘khaatam al nabeyyeen’ has been used which do not mean ‘kamal e nabuwwah’; rather it means ‘seal of the Nabis’. Seal is used for two purposes- for closing something or for certifying something. As discussed above, the most probable meanings are closing something- closing the chain of Nabis.  Even if meanings ‘certifying something are taken, Nabuwwah of Mirza Qadyani is not proved because certifying/confirmation is a process in which identity/particulars of a person/thing is certified, and Muhammad ﷺ  has nowhere certified Mirza as a Nabi. 

 Though it is proved, as discussed above, khaatam al nabeyyeen does not mean ‘ kamal e nabuwwah’- kamal e nabuwwah is meaning adopted by qadyanis.  But even if it means 'kamal e nabuwwah', it means 'kamal e wahi'. No Nabi was partial or incomplete Nabi; every Nabi was complete Nabi. So ‘kamal e nabuwwah’ does not mean complete Nabi; rather ‘kamal e nubuwwah’ means ‘kamal e wahi’- a wahi which is complete in all aspects; which is complete guidance for humanity till Qiyamah, and after which there is no room for prophetic wahi. Therefore, 'khaatam al nabeyyen' means last Nabi ﷺ, even if we take its meaning as 'kamal e nabuwwah'.

Having said all that, it may be noted that Quran is 'Words of Allah' and as such Quranic words have multiple meanings; all such meanings of a Quranic word are to be accepted, if they are not contradictory to each other, and not contradictory to any other Quranic verse by apparent meaning or by inference. On the basis of this principle of interpretation of Quran, all three meanings ('closing the chain of Nabis' and 'Confirming Nabis', and 'Kamal e Nabuwwah') of 'Khaatama l Nabeyyeen' may be adopted; because all three meanings are not contradictory to each other, neither are they contradictory to any other Quranic verse.

We may conclude Mirza Ghulam Qadyani’s claim for nabuwwah cannot be justified in the light of analysis given above.