'Nabi' and 'Rasul' in Islam

 

'Rasulan Nabiyan'  (Messenger & Prophet) 

The Messenger believes in what has been revealed to him from his Lord, and so do the believers. They believe in Allah, His angels, His Books, and His messengers. (They proclaim) “We make no distinction between any of His messengers.” And they say, “We hear and obey. (We seek) Your forgiveness, our Lord! And to You (alone) is the final return.” (Al-Baqara 2: 286)

Alhamdulillah, Summa Alhamdulillah, today I have chosen to talk about the messengers of Allah. First of all, when we talk about the Messengers of Allah, it is very important that we are aware that the Islamic conception regarding the role and function of the prophets is different from the conception of the Jews and Christians. In Islam, the word “Nabi” (prophet) or even “Rasul” (Messenger) is not reserved for only the Elects of Allah who have received divine revelations as divine laws to share with their peoples. When we talk about prophets before the coming of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh), we are talking about prophets whose message was limited to their own people, while Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) and all those who come and will come as his followers-prophets, will be prophets who cannot bring any new law, where they must base themselves only on the Holy Quran and the information of the Ghayb (Invisible) that Allah shows them.

 

And so, this brings us to the question, can a prophet come after Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh)? 

The Enduring Legacy of Prophet Muhammad

The Seal of Prophethood

In a Hadith recorded by Imam Bukhari and narrated by Hazrat Abu Huraira (ra), our Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) said, “My similitude in comparison with the other prophets before me, is that of a man who has built a house nicely and beautifully, except for a place of one brick in a corner. The people go about it and wonder at its beauty, but say: ‘Would that this brick be put in its place!’ So I am that brick, and I am the Seal of the Prophets.”

There is no doubt that the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is the last brick, perfecting the house of Deen (religion). He was indeed the one who perfected the construction by his advent (coming), for it is through Him that Allah has given us our religion, the final religion and perfected it for us by naming it ISLAM.

The Mission of Prophets and Divine Elects


This brings us to the meaning of a prophet. By way of meaning, a prophet is someone who receives news from the Unseen, i.e. from Allah through the Ruh’il Quddus. He does not see the future, but is informed about important things which shall happen in the future by the will of Allah. He cannot predict any future event without getting revelations from Allah informing him about it beforehand. Therefore, a prophet is one to make prophecies by Allah’s permission and he receives revelations from Allah. ‘Naba’ means news, true news of great importance. In the Arabic terminology, it is not used for any other normal news, like newspapers and media etc. It is used exclusively for such news which is of great importance, especially in the realm (field) of spirituality. And thus, ‘Nabi’ (i.e. prophet) means such a person who is truth-speaking who receives truthful news of great value from Allah (swt) and who conveys it to the people. Therefore, a prophet can bring with the command of Allah, law-bearing news and non-law-bearing ones. It is an appellation to qualify such person who receives from Allah revelations amidst the common people of his era, and who can attain to the proximity of Allah for the salvation of the Deen (religion).

'Wahyu': A Challenge to the 'Nizam-e-Jamaat'

The 'mainstream' Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya, in its institutionalized ‘Khilafat’-system, today represents only an empty 'shell' devoid of the 'kernel' of True Islam. Over the century after the death and departure of Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) of Qadian, the Ahmadiyya establishment or the 'Nizam-e-Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya' as it is known, has corroded the very idea and essence of ‘Ahmadiyyat’ as taught by the Promised Massih (as). For at the heart of the claims and teachings of the Holy Founder of the Jamaat-e- Ahmadiyya in the last century stands the continuity of Divine revelations in the Muslim Ummah till the Day of Judgement and the arrival of righteous servants as Elects of God who speak with the help of Roohul Qudus. Yet today, in an  age of wealth and affluence within the community; the Nizam-e-Jamaat is more concerned about ‘power’ and ‘authority’ over the mundane riches than with the profound spiritual questions pertaining to the continuity of Divine revelations and the appearance of Divine servants in a new century of Islam. 

Trappings of ‘power’ within the Nizam-e-Jamaat, the growing institutionalization and the consequent need for greater coherence and integration has meant that the role and status of the assembly-elected leader, the ‘Khalifatul Massih’, is carefully ‘calibrated’ so much so that the Caliph is equated to the ‘shadow of God on earth’. Foundational values and basic principles of the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya had been 'tweaked' and adjusted to suit the rulers that be- to the extent that the position of the Caliph is elevated to the Elects of God, even when he is not a recipient of Divine guidance. Thanks to the ongoing 'doctrinal' brainwashing by the Mullahs under the Nizam-e-Jamaat in their quest for the elusive 'victory' of Ahmadiyyat,  most Ahmadis today are critically unaware of their own community’s history and its spiritual moorings and are more or less become 'frogs in the well', as it were- completely  oblivious of their own ignorance of the oceans beyond. And the Nizam-e-Jamaat  and the Ahmadi Mullahs in India and elsewhere, in their vanity and false pride over the continuation of their man-elected ‘Khilafat' system, arrogantly and defiantly doubt and dispute the very descent of Divine revelations in this era outside of their 'charmed circle' and seek to negate the truth about the spiritual titles being vouchsafed to Divine servants in our times. 

It is against this dismal social and religious backdrop that one should view the ongoing ‘churning’ within the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya. Consider the Divine Manifestation in Mauritius: a born Ahmadi- soldier of Islam and a recipient of Divine revelations, Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius has been Divinely-blessed with almost all the spiritual titles that, throughout history, were vouchsafed to the great savants of Islam- the people whom devout Muslims over the millennium revere as no less than the spiritual heirs of the Holy Prophet (sa), Alhamdulillah, Soumma Alhamdulillah. If anyone today is truly interested in the sublime world of seeking proximity to the Lord Almighty through Islamic teachings and is on the quest for a Living Exemplar of that great spiritual path, s/he need not look further than the Sheikh-ul-Islam Hadhrat Muhyi-ud-Din Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius.

In his Friday Sermon of 29 June 2018 (14 Shawwal 1439 AH),  Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) provides a fascinating account of the Divine revelations recieved in the last couple of weeks, Alhamdulillah, Allah-u-Akbar. These Divine Messages are compulsory reading for all those who are interested in a Living  God who speaks to His blessed servant on  a range of issues and concerns pertaining to spiritual guidance on the true path. We also hope that the Divine messages and the Discourse in general would be of special interest to all Ahmadis- of every denominational group in existence today-, considering that the entire leadership of the Nizam-e-Jamaat- from the local Ahmadi Mullahs, Amirs in between,  down to the Caliph- stand challenged for a spiritual duel if they truly stand by their baseless assertions/ wild allegations on the nature and character of the present Divine Manifestation in Mauritius.  

Read the Extracts from the Friday Sermon Below: 

The Concept of 'Nabi' in Our Claims

Divine Revelations Today

Given the debate between the Ahmadi Muslims and Salafi Muslims as well as the other Muslim groups, I have decided today to devote my Friday Sermon on the subject of Nabuwwah (prophethood) and status of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) as the “Khatam-an-Nabiyyine”.

Just like for the Promised Messiah of the past century, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), the revelations I have been bestowed upon as a divine grace contain the words Nabi and Rassool, not once but several times. Messenger can also mean prophet. I have been addressed as Rassool by my Beloved Creator several times. 

A "Nabi" after Prophet Muhammad ?

However, if we agree on the fact that the Holy Prophet Muhammad is the seal of the prophets, and that no other prophet could come after him in the world, I would say that of course, any old or new prophet cannot come in the sense that my opponents as well as those of the Promised Messiah (as) seem to believe; for verily while slandering and accusing the Muhammadan prophets of Kufr (disbelief/ infidelity), but ironically at the same time they expect a prophet of an ancient Ummah (Community) to revive the perfect Ummah of Muhammad (pbuh).

They await the return of Jesus Christ – Isa (as); that is to say, in other words, they believe in the continuity of the latter’s prophethood of the latter and in the divine revelations received by him for a period of forty years, a period longer than that enjoyed by the Holy Prophet (pbuh) himself, and so such a belief is clearly wrong as it is disavowed by the verse of the Holy Quran:

“... He is the Messenger of God and the Seal of the Prophets.” (Al-Ahzab, 33: 41)

And also by the following tradition: “... La Nabi Ba’adi” (No prophet after me). 

And I totally agree with the Holy Quran. This Quranic verse of the Holy Quran contains a great prophecy that has escaped the attention of my opponents. It means that after the death of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) no member of any religion other than Islam will receive the gift of prophethood and no man, be him Hindu, Jewish, Christian or so-called Muslim (Muslim in name only) cannot justifiably be called Nabi.

Blessings of "Nubuwwah" within the Ummah

The only approach to accede to this high position is the path of the Siddiqeen (Truthful) or those who lose themselves in the love of the Holy Prophet (pbuh). Whoever takes this path may get the privilege as a “Zill” to wear coat of prophethood, that is to say, by being a perfect reproduction of the spiritual image of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), and loving the latter (pbuh) out of a sincere love, he is given to wear the mantle of prophethood of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) himself. A claimant of prophethood of this nature cannot be a rival of the Holy Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) because he gets all his strengths and favours through him; and therefore the spiritual position that he reaches is only for the glorification of the Holy Prophet Mohammad (pbuh).

Moreover he is known in heaven as Muhammad and Ahmad at the same time. Thus the greatness of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is not reached by any other person (even not his Zill), while his Zill (spiritual double/ reflection) still owes him a debt of gratitude.

Surah Al Fatiha on Divine Guidance

“Ihdinas Siratal Mustaqim” means: Guide us to the straight path, the path of Islam (total submission to the will of Allah), the path of Iman (faith), the path of Ihsan (where we worship Allah as if we see Him and if we cannot accede to that level then at least we realize that He sees us), the path of Taqwa (piety) as we strive to accomplish and be present in all that which Allah has commanded us to do and absent in what Allah has forbidden us to do with our mind, eyes, ears, mouth, feet, hands and every part of our body.

Allah teaches us to ask Him such a path so that we may be among those who are successful in this world and the next. And if, by the grace of God, someone comes occasionally from Him to show us the right path and guide us, and he happens to possess by God’s grace knowledge of the unknown, how do we call him, if not by the title of prophet of God?

Calling him a Muhaddath would be contrary to the dictionary meaning given to the word tahdith, word that forms the root of the word Muhaddath. Tahdith does not mean revelation of the unknown. On the contrary the word Nabuwwat has such meaning. The word Nabi is common to Arabic and Hebrew, and it is derived from the word Naba which means being endowed with divine revelation and the power of prophecy. To become an apostle of God it is not always necessary to be His Messenger or bearer of a new law coming from Him: One just needs to know the secrets of the unknown.