From: hakim@bigq.enet.dec.com (Kamran Hakim)
Subject: The Baha'i perspective on the term `Seal of the Prophets' (1)
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 1992 09:31:35 GMT


Several of the friends Zafar, Behnam and Farzin have referred to the
concept of prophethood after Muhammad, and have question the Baha'i 
approach to this issue. The following four postings is an attempt to
clarify any confusion by the Muslim friends about the Baha'i teachings
on this issue. 

The Baha'i Scriptures associate several meanings and implications with 
the terms Khatam'ul Nabi-een [Seal of the Prophets], and Khatam'ul Rosol-
een [Seal of the Apostles] which I will summarize a few of them below:

1- The question of "seal of prophethood" deals with the IMMEDIATE
   successorship of Prophet Muhammad. That is to say, after all the
   Messengers inspired by God, according to the Semitic tradition,
   from Adam to Jesus, the Messengers of God were followed by prophets
   who promulgated and reinforced the message of the religion within which 
   they had appeared. A close examination of the purpose behind the mission 
   of the prophets of Israel (i.e. Daniel, Jeremiah, Isaiah, etc....) who 
   appeared after Moses, suggests that the function of these highly esteemed 
   individuals was to strengthen the faith of the children of Israel in
   the Mosaic Covenant. None of them claimed to a new, or unique revelations 
   from God. They did not change or abrogate, even to the smallest extent, 
   any of the laws established by Moses. They just, promulgated the teachings 
   of Moses, and further elaborated on the application of those laws in the 
   life of the Jews. This continued until the robe of Revelation was granted 
   to Jesus, during Whose period (until the revelation of Muhammad) many 
   individuals also became the exponents of His law and Revelation.

   Through Muhammad's revelation the traditional office of prophethood 
   present in Jewish and Christian religions was2 ended. That is to say, 
   no other prophet such as that of Jewish or Christian prophets were to 
   appear. Instead Khalifs (according to Sunni terminology), and Imams 
   (according to Shi'ah usage) appeared.

2- The same argument which was applied to "seal of the prophets" applies 
   to the concept of "seal of the apostles". That is to say, no apostles
   were to appear after Prophet Muhammad. In a sense, such a commandment
   was revealed by Muhammad, in my opinion to place control over this 
   offices of prophethood or that of apostleship which thrived rather 
   wildly during Christian dispensation. A study of the Christian Scriptures 
   and the examination of arguments offered by Christian scholars might 
   clarify the reason behind behind sealing of these two offices In 
   I Corinthians 12:28 Paul says; 

   "And God hath set some in the church [i.e. the church of Christ or the 
   religion of Christ], first APOSTLES, secondly PROPHETS, thirdly teachers, 
   after that miracles, then gifts of  healings, helps, governments, 
   diversities of tongues."

   He, elaborates on this subject in Ephesians 4:7-12;

   4:7  "But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure 
   of the gift of Christ." And later on in verse 4:11-12, He says: "And 
   He gave some, APOSTLES; and some, PROPHETS; and some, evangelists; and 
   some, pastors and teachers. For the perfecting of the saints, FOR THE 
   WORK OF THE MINISTRY, for the edifying of the body of Christ. TILL WE 
   ALL COME IN THE UNITY OF THE FAITH, and of the knowledge of the Son of
   God..." 

   Here Paul is referring to various responsibilities and functions within 
   the Christian community, which is given to each and every individual
   according, "to the measure of the gift of Christ", received by that 
   person. In essence He established the foundation of the future Christian
   administrative order, by identifying various categories of responsibility
   and organizing the foundation of the early Church. 

   In I Corinthians 14:26 He says; 

   "How is it then brethren? when ye come together, every one of you  hath 
   a Psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an 
   interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying. If any man speak 
   in an unknown tongue, let it be  by two, or at most by three, and that 
   by course; and let one interpret. But if there be no interpreter, let 
   him keep silence in the church;  and let him speak to himself and to 
   God. Let the PROPHETS speak two or three, and let the other judge. If 
   any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold 
   his peace. For YE MAY ALL PROPHESY [i.e. to reveal by inspiration like 
   a prophet] one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted. 
   And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets...." Later 
   on in verse 37 He says: "IF ANY MAN THINK HIMSELF TO BE A PROPHET, or 
   spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you 
   are the commandments of the Lord." 

   Interestingly enough Miller in his book "The History of the Church of 
   Rome and Persia" (Persian translation page 105) refers to the same 
   concept, which I will translate myself (since I do not have an English 
   translation of this book handy). He describes the meaning of apostleship 
   and prophethood according to the early church terminology as follows: 

   "The term apostle has been used in two ways throughout the New Testament;
   In the majority of cases it has been used to identify the twelve pupils 
   of  Jesus Christ; as in Matthew 10:2, Acts 1:26 and Revelation 21:14. 
   This term has  also been used to identify the early teachers who were
   directly commissioned by  the church to go and spread the glad tidings 
   of the appearance of Jesus  throughout various countries; as is suggested 
   by Acts 14:14, Collosians 1:1 and 1:19. An example of this latter category 
   are Paul and Barnabas."

   "The term prophet was on the other hand used to indicate a form of
   responsibility within the church hierarchy. The function of the 
   prophets was  very similar to that of the apostles, but the main 
   difference was that while the function of the apostles was to teach 
   the newly born faith to the non-believers, the purpose of the prophets 
   was to deepen the believers in the  teachings of Christ." 

   Miller later on in his book mentions that, and I am paraphrasing here, 
   never had God raised SO MANY PROPHETS in the world as He did during the 
   first century of Christ's dispensation. He furthermore, suggests that, 
   as the prophets of Israel caused the establishment of Jews in their 
   faith and theology, by the same token, these Christian prophets deepened 
   the early believers and established them in their faith towards Jesus 
   and the theology promulgated by the Apostles.

   In page 189 of Millers history, the false prophets referred to in the 
   Gospels are identified with these early Christian prophets discussed 
   above. He suggests that among these early Christian prophets, there 
   were many false prophets or false teachers, some of whom not only 
   taught incorrect doctrines, [not in tune with the teachings of Christ 
   and the apostles] to the masses of the early believers, but also promoted
   and encouraged the people to commit seditious acts and unworthy behavior.

   In light of the problems which resulted from this specific usage of
   the term "prophet" and "apostle" during Christian dispensation,
   Prophet Muhammad, in His role as a Messenger of God and the Promised
   One of Christianity and a Warner of the people of the Book offered an
   inspired correction to this theological problem by SEALING once and 
   for all these two offices of PROPHETHOOD and APOSTLEHOOD through His
   own revelation. Thus, the saings of "Khatam-ur-rosoleen" and "Khatm-un-
   nabieen" (Seal of the Prophets and Seal of the Apostles)

3- As a direct result of the points raised in 1 and 2 the Messengers
   of God appearing after Prophet Muhammad WILL NOT be referred to as
   PROPHETS or APOSTLES, but as MANIFESTATIONS OF GOD.

4- As a direct result of the point raised in 1 and 2 will there appear 
   after these Manifestation minor prophets such as the Jewish Prophets, 
   or Christian prophets/apostles.

5- Prophet Muhammad was the last Messenger/prophet in the Adamic cycle.
   That is to say He ended the prophethood for the cycle of 6000 years
   (i.e. 6 days) of creation/revelation which was INAUGURATED by Prophet 
   Adam and SEALED by Prophet Muhammad. Baha'u'llah, like Adam is viewed 
   as the INAUGURATOR of a new cycle which is to last 500,000 years,
   within which Manifestations of God will appear approximately every
   1000 years.

6- "...the term Nabi (i.e. prophet) was given to the ones who prophesied 
   based on visions, or dreams. This usage was solidified during the Jewish 
   and Christians dispensations. However, after the appearance of Prophet 
   Muhammad (Khatam'ul-Anbia), the ender of the prophetic cycle, the era 
   of revelation from God "through the medium of dreams and visions" was 
   ended and a new era of "revelation through direct inspiration" was 
   started." 			Fara'id, A. Golpayegani

I hope that I have offered enough description above to serve as an
introduction toward understanding the Baha'i approach to this issue.

Regards,

Kamran Hakim
Newsgroups: talk.religion.misc