From: hakim@bigq.enet.dec.com (11-Nov-1992 0844)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.islam
Subject: Re: Question about Baha'i (2/5)
Date: 16 Nov 92 23:06:02 GMT


Continuation from part 1:

Let us now examine the opinions of various Muslim theologians, from
both Shi'ah and Sunni backgrounds, on the meaning of the term
Khatam'u-Nabieen. I will first focus on this, from a Shi'ah
perspective since, the individual who raised this question is a Shi'ah
Muslim, then I will discuss the Sunni view as well as some other
views:
 
Mulla Fatth-i-Kashani, who is one of the highly respected Shi'ah
scholars, in his commentary on Manhaj-ul-Sadegheen, addresses the
concept of Khatam'u-Nabieen as follows:
 
"Muhammad's fear became a reality, after He married Zei'nab. After
marriage, the idolaters, and His enemies started criticizing Him, and
accusing Him of hypocrisy. They'd say, Muhammad teaches His followers
that it is unlawful for a father to marry his son's divorced wife,
while He has married Zayd's wife.  [Zayd was purchased by Muhammad and
freed to live as a free man, and Muhammad had adopted him as His son.
Arabs of the time of Jahliah, considered one's adopted son as the real
son. This is why they started to accuse Muhammad of hypocrisy.]  As a
result of this criticism, God revealed to Muhammad, Peace be upon
Him!, as reflected in the Su'rih of the Confederates, that, Muhammad
is not the father of any man (i.e. any male offsprings) among you
(since, no surviving male offsprings remained after He passed away).
As a result, the law of not marrying the divorced wife of a son would
not apply to Muhammad.  Furthermore, God calls Muhammad an Apostle of
God, in that same verse, (suggesting that He was the spiritual father
of all Arabs, and Zayd was simply an Arab with no blood relationship
to Him). Moreover, the verse identifies Muhammad as the seal of the
prophets, that is to say, since He did not have any surviving male
offsprings to inherit prophethood from Him, thus, prophethood was
sealed with Him. That is to say, no prophets shall appear after Him...
All of Muhammad's male offsprings died in early childhood, prior to
Muhammad's own passing, thus, this verse of the Qur'an came into
fulfillment."
 
In the same book [i.e. his commentary on Manhaj-ul-Sadegheen], Mulla
Fatth-i- Kashani, offers a tradition attributed to Muhammad, where He
says:
 
"I am Muhammad, and I am Ahmad and I am that resurrector, through Whom
God shall resurrect His people. And I am the last, after Me there
shall be no other prophet."
 
Also, he offers another tradition, in the same book, where, Muhammad
the Messenger of God tells Ali, Peace be upon Him!:
 
"If it was allowed that after me there be another prophet, that would
have been you, and no one but you."
 
Allamih Jallal-u-Din Soivotti in Jami-ul-Saghir quotes Ayeshih (one of
the wives of Prophet Muhammad), who had quoted Muhammad saying:
 
"No prophet shall appear after Me, but Omar-ibn-Khattab." [For the
information of the non-Muslim readers, Omar was one of Muhammad's
son-in-laws, who agreed to become the 2nd Khalif after Abu-Bakr].
 
Clearly, the concept of no Nabi, or prophet, appearing after Muhammad
must have been associated with His immediate successorship, and had
nothing to do with coming of future Messengers from God. Otherwise,
why would Muhammad want to discuss Omar's -the second Khalif's- name
in this tradition.
 
Many of the Shi'ah commentators believe in a literal meaning of the
term Khatam-u-Nabieen (Seal of the Prophets, after Whom no other
Messengers of God shall come), however, there are other commentators
who believe differently:
 
Sheikh Sadoogh, another highly respected Shi'ah scholar/theologian
argues in his book, Ekmaal-al-Din vol I:
 
"All the Messengers of God who appeared prior to Muhammad, were
succeeded by a Nabi (i.e. a prophet). Adam was a Rasool (Messenger of
God), and His successor was Shais the Nabi (Seth the prophet). Noah
was a Messenger of God and His successor was Saam the Nabi (Shem the
prophet). Abraham, Moses, Jesus and David (peace be upon Them!), were
also God's Messengers, Whose successors were Isaac, Jashua, Simon (St.
Peter) and Solomon Who were all prophets. However, the successors of
Muhammad, Rasool-Allah (the Messenger of God), were not called Nabis
(prophets). They were referred to as Imams. Therefore, Ali was not a
Nabi, Hasan was not a Nabi, Hossein was not a Nabi, etc...., since,
with the Manifestation of Muhammad, the usage of the term Nabi was
abandoned (i.e. He was Khatam-u-Nabieen), and ended. As Muhammad was
greater than the previous Messengers, so were His appointed successors
(i.e.  Imams) were greater than Nabis (prophets)."
 
This commentary of Sheikh Sadoogh appears to clearly reason out the
inner significance of traditions such as: "Seal of the prophets",
"There will be no prophets after me....".
 
Among other Shi'ah sources there is a Hadith (tradition) recorded by
Ibn-i-Shahr Ashoob in his book, "Managhib". The very same Hadith can
also be found in vol IX of Bahar-ul-Anvar of Allamih Majlesi. This
Hadith is from Imam Ali, (Peace be upon Him!), where He discusses the
meaning of the term Khatam-u-Nabieen.  After describing the ascendancy
of His own station, Ali says:
 
"...Anyone who disagrees with me, has disagreed with God, and in
arrogance has surpassed all others. No prophet has achieved the
station of prophethood except through the Khatam of Nabovvat (i.e.
literally meaning prophethood) he received from Muhammad. And Khatam
is a ring. Only after receiving the Khatam (ring) of Nabovvat, one can
be called a prophet. This is why Muhammad has been called
Khatam'u-Nabieen in the Qur'an....." Then He says: "Muhammad is the
Seyyed (master) of the Nabieen (prophets), and I am the Seyyed and
master of the Vaseein (guardians and successors)."
 
Clearly Ali's explanation of "Khatam'u-Nabeein" is drastically
different than the meaning the literalist Muslims have given to it.
There does not appear to be any implications whatsoever about
cessation of revelation after Prophet Muhammad.
 
							Part 2 of 5