Many non-Ahmadi Muslims strongly believe that no prophet can come to the world now, since the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has appeared. Ahmadi Muslims believe, based on several points of evidence from Quran, that prophets can still appear after Hadhrat Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, among his followers. The restriction of no more prophets being for one who abrogates the existing Islamic Shariah or code of law, and brings a new one according to the verse 70 of Alnisa.
The verse non-Ahmadi Muslims most often present, is the following:
The verse non-Ahmadi Muslims most often present, is the following:
"Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but he is the Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets; and Allah has full knowledge of all things." – The Holy Quran (33:41)
This verse was revealed to Hadhrat Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, when his adversaries jeered at him for his being issueless, when God comforted him with this verse among others, indicating his greatness and superiority. The word "walaakin" ("but") in the verse indicates that his being issueless is of little or no significance when one looks at his great qualities mentioned in the next part of the verse. Nowhere in the verse is there mention of his being the "last" prophet. If "seal" is taken to mean "last" in the context, it does not make any logical sense, as that would have further aggravated the mockery -- what good is there in coming last of all anyway? It does not signify greatness. The "seal" should be taken to mean the seal of authority, under attestation of which one can attain prophethood and in no other way. This seems to make more sense as shown by subsequent verses in the article:
In the very first chapter of the Holy Quran (Al Fatehah), God says:
This verse was revealed to Hadhrat Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, when his adversaries jeered at him for his being issueless, when God comforted him with this verse among others, indicating his greatness and superiority. The word "walaakin" ("but") in the verse indicates that his being issueless is of little or no significance when one looks at his great qualities mentioned in the next part of the verse. Nowhere in the verse is there mention of his being the "last" prophet. If "seal" is taken to mean "last" in the context, it does not make any logical sense, as that would have further aggravated the mockery -- what good is there in coming last of all anyway? It does not signify greatness. The "seal" should be taken to mean the seal of authority, under attestation of which one can attain prophethood and in no other way. This seems to make more sense as shown by subsequent verses in the article:
In the very first chapter of the Holy Quran (Al Fatehah), God says:
[1:6] Guide us in the right path --
[1:7] The path of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy blessings, those who have not incurred Thy displeasure, and those who have not gone astray.
The chapter containing the above verse is supposed to be recited by every Muslim 30 or so, times in 24 hours, in which they ask for these blessings. As to who the recipients of these blessings are is defined in another verse of the Holy Quran:
[4:70] And whoso obeys Allah and this Messenger shall be among those on whom Allah has bestowed His blessings - the Prophets, the Truthful, the Martyrs, and the Righteous. And an excellent company are they.
[4:71] This grace is from Allah, and Allah suffices as One Who is All-Knowing.
So it is clear that by obeying Allah and Hadhrat Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, one can be included in the above categories, prophethood being the highest, of course. An objection is made to the (4:70) verse's translation that I presented above, that the word "Ma'a" in the verse does not mean "among", but "with", so one who fulfils obedience to Allah and this messenger would not himself/herself attain these ranks, but will simply be "with" those who have done so in the past. True; it does mean "with" in the literal sense, but this is very weak reasoning. We do not always have to take the literal meaning of words, for else, we would have to accept, for one pertinent instance, that Hadhrat Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was just a "seal" and not a human being -- quite gross! Taking a look at another verse of the Holy Quran, we pray to God:
[3:194] 'Our Lord, we have heard a Crier calling us unto faith, saying, 'Believe ye in your Lord,' and we have believed. Our Lord, forgive us, therefore, our sins and remit from us our evils and in death join us with the righteous;'
If we take literal meaning of "with" in this verse, it should follow from the verse, based on non-Ahmadi insistence in favor of literal vs. figurative meaning, that:
It is like praying to God: O God, please, please, whenever some righteous person is about to die, cause us to somehow stop breathing, put some embolus into our coronary arteries, or do something to somehow cause us to die EXACTLY AT THE SAME TIME when some righteous person in our neighborhood is about to die, for we want to "die with the righteous". I am sure even non-Ahmadi Muslims do not have this in mind when they say this prayer. What good would it do to a person to "die with" a righteous person. Several thieves, murderers, rapists, drug smugglers, "Jeffrey Dahmers", etc., may die synchronously with righteous people, but this does not make them good or do any good to them. The fact is, we pray to God to "MAKE US RIGHTEOUS" on the same pattern as other righteous people before us.
[4:146] The hypocrite shall surely be in the lowest depths of the Fire; and thou shalt find no helper for them,
[4:147] Except those who repent and amend and hold fast to Allah and are sincere in their obedience to Allah - these are with the believers. And Allah will soon bestow a great reward upon the believers.
In the above verse of the Quran. Allah has used the word "ma'a" for those hypocite who are repented and amended and holding fast to Allah and are sincere in their obedience to Allah, that they are "with" the believers. means "among" the believers.
What is the Covenant of the Prophets?
The Following verse speaks of covenant of the prophets. but important point is that the covenant is not mentioned which took from the prophets.
[33:8] And call to mind when We took from the Prophets their covenant, and from thee (Holy Prophet Muhammad), and from Noah and Abraham, and Moses and Jesus, son of Mary, and We indeed, took from them a solemn covenant;
[33:9] That Allah may question the truthful about their truthfulness. And for the disbelievers He has prepared a painful punishment.
The verse [33:9] only mentioning the cause of the covenant. but not the covenant which took from the prophets.
In the followong verse it is mentioned the covenant which took from the Prophets.
Covenant of the Prophets
[3:82] And remember the time when Allah took a covenant from the people through the Prophets, saying, 'Whatever I give you of the Book and Wisdom and then there comes to you a Messenger, fulfilling that which is with you, you shall believe in him and help him.' And He said, 'Do you agree, and do you accept the responsibility which I lay upon you in this matter?' They said, 'We agree.' He said, 'Then bear witness and I am with you among the witnesses.'
[3:83] Now whoso turns away after this, then, surely, those are the transgressors.
Disbeliever of a Prophet is Kafir
[4:151] Surely, those who disbelieve in Allah and His Messengers and seek to make a distinction between Allah and His Messengers, and say, 'We believe in some and disbelieve in others,' and seek to take a way between;
[4:152] These really are the disbelievers, and We have prepared for the disbelievers an humiliating punishment.
[4:153] And those who believe in Allah and in all his Messengers and make no distinction between any of them, to such He will soon give their rewards. And Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful.