From: umnoor@ccu.umanitoba.ca (Nasir Ahmed Noor)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.pakistan
Subject: Re: A little fact I want you to know (Son of Woman)
Date: 7 Apr 92 15:12:36 GMT
Organization: University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada

In <7APR199200151712@zeus.tamu.edu> hbr6165@zeus.tamu.edu (harish) writes:
Also a few extracts from Dr. Jamal Mubarak's letter on same subject.

>>I am quite surprised.  All I ask anyone who wants to argue with
>>me on the subject is this.  Show me *one* dictionary of Arabic
>>or *one* lexicon of Arabic grammar which has the Ahmedi inter-
>>pretation of the word and I will believe that *one* meaning is
>>"best."  Am I being unreasonable?  To the contrary, Mr Noor has
>>been claiming all along the the word *never* means "last," in
>>spite of a plethora of easily verifiable dictionaries having
>>been referred to.

Mr. Mubarak, I guess you don't read my posts. I have long dropped a couple
arguments I used to present. Reason--I am learning too and I keep my
mind open to accept new facts and reasonable arguments.
     [1]. It was *my* MISTAKE to discuss the word Khatam alone. 
          Khatam-Nabiyyin is a compound phrase and should have been discussed
          as such.
     [2]. I no longer insist on meaning of Khatam not being Last. I not
          even agree on it but I give examples from arabic which actually
          demonstrate that Khatam could also mean Last.
    Please mind that I have limited knowledge and a worldy kind of guy.
    I got into this discussion to defend my faith and most importantly
    leearn about it and to check my beliefs myself. I could never be a 
    Muslim/Ahmadi because I was born as one. I had to satisfy myself. 
       So when you are sooooo inexperienced, Such mistakes are bound to
    follow and I am not ashamed or anything to admit em.

>>Can any of the three Ahmedis who have been arguing on the meaning
>>of this word even admit that *one* meaning of the word khatam is
>>"last"?

Again Mr. Mubarak, read above and following article. Your this statement
clearly convinces me that you didn't even read my article I am trying to
draw your attention to for weeks now.

{Following is from Harish's letter}

>	Well! Mr. Mubarak, I wish I had the copy of that article..
>I don't have one.. If only if Mr. Noor comes forward and reposts 
>his article on Khatam, I would appreciate his efforts..
>(I am contradicting myself.. In my previous article I had asked
>everybody to stop this discussion and Now! I am asking Mr. Noor
>to repost his article on Khatam.. Looks stupid.. eh..? 
                                  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
No it doesn't. It does show a person who is uterly fair!
Any way, Follwoing is the article you asked for and I pray
this time MR> MUBARAK COULD READ IT. 

====================================================================
Dear Mr. Jamal Mubarak, 
Instead of debating with help of these modern world dictionaries and
books which you are unable to reach to...how about discussing word Khatam in
light of *real* rules of Arabic language!

It is an established and unchangeable rule of Arabic language that when the
word "Khatam" is used in praise of a person along with a combining word 
(Muzaf-eleh) as a group of talented people, this does not mean and will never
mean that the person called Khatam is the last or final to appear in respect of
time. The user only means that such a person is perfect and supreme among the
group of the talented and achieved final exemplary grade.

Islamic literature abounds in such examples:
1. 'Khatam-Shura' does not mean final poet but means top most of poet.
2. 'Khatam-Muhadaseen' means best reporter and not the final reporter.
3. 'Khatam-aulyya'-friend of God and could not at all mean last friend of God.
4. 'Khatam-Mualameen' means best teacher and not the last or final teacher.

It should be noted, however, that when the word Khatam is used as a mere state-
ment of fact and not qualitatively it means last or the end in respect of 
time; for example:
      'Khatam-aulad' (khatam of sons) will mean last born because to be born
      is not a talent and the term is used not to praise that son but merely
      to express the fact that he is the youngest.

KHATAM-NABIYYIN
The word 'Khatamun Nabiyyin' when literally translated means 'seal of prophets'
and by that it is "murakabe Ezaffi", i.e. a compound phrase. It is combining
word and it is a common knowledge that when two words are coined together to 
to form a phrase, they do not usually or necessarily give their literall
meaning. e.g. 'Ibn' means son and 'Sabeel' means way. This cannot be literraly
translated to mean son of the way but grammatically it means a 'traveller'. 
The real sense of a phrase is determined by grammer, its usage in language
and context in which is used.

In this context, therefore, khatam mean 'Seal' which is defined as an 
instrument which leaves its impression on other things, i.e. official stamp
used in the office for identification or authority. Therefore 'The Seal of
Prophets' would mean a prophet who attests and verifies the prophethood of
other prophets and whose complete and perfect obedience could leave an
impression of 'prophethood' on his perfect and chosen followers. In fact, the
seal of an envelope does not necessarily close but attests to the closure.
Closure is always achieved by applying a gum. If the seal is not clear or
tampered with, the closure of the object may be rejected because the purpose
of attestation is not served in that case. So the real and primary purpose
of the word 'seal' remains to attest by creating its impression on other
objects.

Kepping the above mentioned rules of the Arabic language in mind, it will be
clear to evey truth seeking person that the term 'Khatamun-Nabiyyin' as used
used in the praise of the Holy Prophet, can only mean that he is the best,
perfect and the supreme Prophet who has attained hte last, final and the
highest reank in Prophethood. No prophet superior or greater than him can
appear after him but the  appearance of a Prophet, subordinate to him cannot
be contrary to this title. This is what the Holy Prophet as well as the 
scholars of Islam understood by this term.
     The Holy Prophet is reported to have said of Hazrat Ali: "O, Ali you are
     'Khatam-Auliyya' just as I am 'Khatamul-Nabiyyia'"
                                                    (Tafseer-Safi p 111)
Let us now study the title 'Khatamun-nabiyyin' with its context because it is
only in the light of th econtext that the real and exact sense of a word can be
ascertanied. God says in the Holy Quran: "Muhammad is not the father of any of
your men; But he is the Messenger of Allah and the Seal of Prophets, and Allah
knows everything". (33:30)

The use of the word 'But' in the verse is particularly noteworthy. 'But' is a
conjunction, used to join two sentences and it serves to remove any doubt or
objection that may possibly arise from the first sentence. Now if the term 
'Seal' of the prophets' is interpretted to mean 'the last prophet',as is
generally understood, then the information given by God in the verse can be 
briefed as follows:
   i) Muhammad is not the father of any man but he is last of all Prophets. Or
      that
  ii) Muhammad is at the end of his lineage. But his is at the end of the 
       line of prophets.  Or that
 iii) Muhammad has no son after him but he has no prophet after him.

Read the above sentences again and see that the use of word 'But' is
absolutely wrong (in these three sentences) because both parts of of each
sentence have something negative in them. The use of word 'But' demands that
if there is anything negative in the first statement, the other statement
should contain something positive or vice versa. It makes it necessary that if
a fact is denied in th efirst statement, this denial should be compensated by
acknowledging some similar fact in the other statement.

Let us now suppose that the 'seal of prophets' means supreme head, the top-most
and the 'Issuer' of the prophets and tead the same sentences again:

   i) Muhammad is not the father of any man by he is the father (head) of the
      prophets.  Or that
  ii) Muhammad is at the end of his lineage but he is at the top of line of
      prophets.  Or that
 iii) Muhammad has no sons as issues after him but he has prophets as 
      spiritiual issues after him.

The use of 'But' in the above mentioned sentences is absolutely correct because
the objection that arises by denying one fact in the first part of the
sentence si removed by acknowledgin some similar or even better fact in the
other part of the sentence. (It must be remembered that a prophet is the
'father' of his followers because the wives of prophets are declared as 
'mothers of the followers' in the Holy Quran, 33:7)

With these facts in mind, read the verse 33:30 once again and see that when
God said 'Muhamamd is not the father of any man'. God denied the 'physical
fatherhood' of the Holy Prophet, but He compensated this loss with a big 'But'
and added that he is the father of a nation as 'Messanger of Allah' and even
father of the prophets as 'Seal of the Prophets'. The 'Seal' mentioned in this
verse could never mean 'last or the end'. It could only mean the seal that
issued something because it is the physical issues of the Holy prophet that 
are denied in the irst part of the verse; and the second part, therefore, must
necessarily acknowledge the existance of 'Spiritual issues'. So what God really
wants to tell mankind is that, although Muhammad is not the physical father of
any man but he is the 'spiritual father' of a nation, and above all he is the
'father of prophets', thus having even prophets has his spiritual issues.

SUPPORTIVE EVIDENCE
The fact that the Holy Prophet (sal-lal-lahu alaihi wa salam), serves as a 
source of all kinds of spiritual blessings including prophethood, is supported
strongly by the verse 4:70 which reads:
      "And whoso obeys Allah and this Messenger, shall be among those on whom
       Allah has bestowed His blessings -- the Prophets, the Truthfuls, the
       Martyrs and the Righteous. And an excellent company are they".
It is clear from this verse that the above mentioned four spiritual ranks are
now attainable through the obedience of the Holy Prophet. The significance
of this verse becomes even more clear when we compare it with the verse 57:20
which reads:
      "And those who believe in Allah and His Messengers, they are the 
       Truthfuls and the Martyrs in the presence of their Lord".
(Note singular [Messenger] in the first Ayya and plural [Messengers] in
 the second one above)
By reading these two verses together, it can be easily inferred that, whereas
the followers of all 'the Messengers' in general could reach upto the ranks of
the Martyrs and the Truthfuls (Siddiqueen) and no higher, the followers of
the Holy Prophet (this Messenger) can go even higher and be blessed with the
prophethood if and when necessary.


Mr. Mubarak, I have tried my best not to bring in any reference that is
"inaccessible" to you. If you still don't agree----what can I say?

Regards
Nasir Ahmed Noor
umnoor@ccu.umanitoba.ca

(refernces: articles by Dr. A. R. Bhutta  &  Al Haj M.O. Abdus-Salam)