According to non-Ahmadi Muslims, the Prophet of Islam, Hadhrat Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was the last of Prophets, based on the verse of the Holy Quran elevating his status to
Ahmadi Muslims believe that the word "seal" is used to imply his being the greatest of all Prophets rather than "last". I present here forty references from Islamic/Arabic literature where the word "khatam" has been used to imply "the best" or "the greatest" and not "the last". "Last" in any of these cases makes no sense at all. It is a long list intended to quench the thirst of "hair splitters" on the net. Other (normal) people may want to read a few and then skip to the end, or to my next article in which I shall present evidence from the Sayings of the Prophet (pbuh) in favor of my thesis of the continuity of Prophethood. Some people were not satisfied with the four examples I gave earlier.
So I am giving ten times more examples with references.
1. |
KHATAM-USH-SHU'ARAA |
(seal of poets) was used for the poet Abu Tamam. (Wafiyatul A'yan, vol. 1, p. 123, Cairo) |
2. |
KHATAM-USH-SHU'ARAA |
again, used for Abul Tayyeb. (Muqaddama Deewanul Mutanabbi, Egyptian p. 4) |
3. |
KHATAM-USH-SHU'ARAA |
again, used for Abul 'Ala Alme'ry. (ibid, p.4, footnote) |
4. |
KHATAM-USH-SHU'ARAA |
used for Shaikh Ali Huzain in India. (Hayati Sa'di, p. 117) |
5. |
KHATAM-USH-SHU'ARAA |
used for Habeeb Shairaazi in Iran. (Hayati Sa'di, p. 87) Note here that all five people have been given the above title. How could it be interpreted as "last". They did not come and go at the exact same time. |
6. |
KHATAM-AL-AULIYAA |
(seal of saints) for Hazrat Ali (May God be pleased with him). (Tafsir Safi, Chapter AlAhzab) Can no other person now attain wilaayat, if "seal" meant last? |
7. |
KHATAM-AL-AULIYAA |
used for Imam Shaf'ee. (Al Tuhfatus Sunniyya, p. 45) |
8. |
KHATAM-AL-AULIYAA |
used for Shaikh Ibnul 'Arabee. (Fatoohati Makkiyyah, on title page) |
9. |
KHATAM-AL-KARAAM |
(seal of remedies) used for camphor. (Sharah Deewanul Mutanabbee, p. 304) Has no medicine been found or used after camphor, if "seal" means "last"? |
10. |
KHATAM-AL-A'IMMAH |
(seal of religious leaders) used for Imam Muhammad 'Abdah of Egypt. (Tafseer Alfatehah, p. 148) Don't we have leaders today? |
11. |
KHATAM-ATUL-MUJAHIDEEN |
(seal of crusaders) for AlSayyad Ahmad Sanosi. (Akhbar AlJami'atul Islamiyyah, Palestine, 27 Muharram, 1352 A.H.) |
12. |
KHATAM-ATUL-ULAMAA-ALMUHAQQIQEEN |
(seal of research scholars) used for Ahmad Bin Idrees. (Al'Aqadun Nafees) |
13. |
KHATAM-ATUL-MUHAQQIQEEN |
(seal of researchers) for Abul Fazl Aloosi. (on the title page of the CommentaryRoohul Ma'aanee) |
14. |
KHATAM-AL-MUHAQQIQEEN |
used for Shaikh AlAzhar Saleem Al Bashree. (Al Haraab, p. 372) |
15. |
KHATAM-ATUL-MUHAQQIQEEN |
used for Imam Siyotee. (Title page ofTafseerul Taqaan) |
16. |
KHATAM-AL-MUHADDITHEEN |
(seal of narrators) for Hazrat Shah Waliyyullah of Delhi. ('Ijaalah Naafi'ah, vol. 1) |
17. |
KHATAMAT-AL-HUFFAAZ |
(seal of custodians) for AlShaikh Shamsuddin. (AlTajreedul Sareeh Muqaddimah, p. 4) A "hafiz" is one who has memorised the full arabic text of the Holy Quran. Two of my cousins happen to belong to this category and more people will memorize it. |
18. |
KHATAM-AL-AULIA |
(seal of saints) used for the greatest saint. (Tazkiratul Auliyaa', p. 422) |
19. |
KHATAM-AL-AULIA |
used for a saint who completes stages of progress. (Fatoohul Ghaib, p. 43) |
20. |
KHATAM-ATUL-FUQAHAA |
(seal of jurists) used for Al Shaikh Najeet. (Akhbaar Siraatal Mustaqeem Yaafaa, 27 Rajab, 1354 A.H.) |
21. |
KHATAM-AL-MUFASSIREEN |
(seal of commentators or exegetes) for Shaikh Rasheed Raza. (Al Jaami'atul Islamia, 9 Jamadiy thaani, 1354 A.H.) |
22. |
KHATAM-ATUL-FUQAHAA |
used for Shaikh Abdul Haque. (Tafseerul Akleel, title page) |
23. |
KHATAM-ATUL-MUHAQQIQEEN |
(seal of researchers) for Al Shaikh Muhammad Najeet. (Al Islam Asr Shi'baan, 1354 A.H.) |
24. |
KHATAM-AL-WALAAYAT |
(seal of sainthood) for best saint. (Muqaddimah Ibne Khuldoon, p. 271) |
25. |
KHATAM-AL-MUHADDITHEEN WAL MUFASSIREEN |
(seal of narrators and commentators) used for Shah 'Abdul 'Azeez. (Hadiyyatul Shi'ah, p. 4) |
26. |
KHATAM-AL-MAKHLOOQAAT AL-JISMAANIYYAH |
(seal of bodily creatures) used for the human being. (Tafseer Kabeer, vol. 2, p. 22, published in Egypt) |
27. |
KHATAM-ATUL-HUFFAAZ |
used for Shaikh Muhammad Abdullah. (Al Rasaail Naadirah, p. 30) |
28. |
KHATAM-ATUL-MUHAQQIQEEN |
used for Allaama Sa'duddeen Taftaazaani. (Shara' Hadeethul Arba'een, p. 1) |
29. |
KHATAM-ATUL-HUFFAAZ |
used for Ibn Hajrul 'Asqalaani. (Tabqaatul Madlaseen, title page) |
30. |
KHATAM-AL-MUFASSIREEN |
(seal of commentators) used for Maulvi Muhammad Qaasim. (Israare Quraani, title page) |
31. |
KHATAM-AL-MUHADDITHEEN |
(seal of narrators) used for Imam Siyotee. (Hadiyyatul Shee'ah, p. 210) |
32. |
KHATAM-AL-HUKKAAM |
(seal of rulers) used for kings. (Hujjatul Islam, p. 35) |
33. |
KHATAM-AL-KAAMILEEN |
(seal of the perfect) used for the Holy Prophet (pbuh). (Hujjatul Islam, p. 35) |
34. |
KHATAM-AL-MARAATAB |
(seal of statuses) for status of humanity. ('Ilmul Kitaab, p. 140) We have the "highest, not "last" status. |
35. |
KHATAM-AL-KAMAALAAT |
(seal of miracles) for the Holy Prophet (pbuh). (ibid, p. 140) |
36. |
KHATAM-AL-ASFIYAA AL A'IMMAH |
(seal of mystics of the nation) for Jesus (peace be on him). (Baqiyyatul Mutaqaddimeen, p. 184) |
37. |
KHATAM-AL-AUSIYAA |
(seal of advisers) for Hazrat Ali (R.A.A.). (Minar Al Hudaa, p. 106) |
38. |
KHATAM-AL-MU'ALLIMEEN |
(seal of teachers/scholars) used for the Holy Prophet(pbuh). (Alsiraatul Sawee by Allama Muhammad Sabtain Now, I am a teacher myself, and you know that I still exist, AFTER the Holy Prophet (pbuh), but I am nowhere close to being able to teach as PERFECTLY as he could or did. How then could he be "last" of teachers? Seal means "best" here and not "last". |
39. |
KHATAM-AL-MUHADDITHEEN |
(seal of narrators) for Al Shaikhul Sadooq. (Kitaab Man Laa Yahdarahul Faqeeh) |
40. |
KHATAM-AL-MUHADDITHEEN |
used for Maulvi Anwar Shah of Kashmir. (Kitaab Raeesul Ahrar, p. 99) |
Please note that none of these books were written by Ahmadis. This list is by no means exhaustive, since I know there are many more instances where the arabic word "Khatam" has been used to commonly refer to the highest status in a quality. I have more references but forty is a decent round figure. The word has also been mentioned in books of Hadeeth (sayings of the Prophet, pbuh), but I may get into that at some other time.
