From: ahmed@dsg.cs.tcd.ie (Ahmed El-Habbash)
Subject: Re: The Finality of Allah's Apostle (SAW)
Organization: DSG, Dept. of Computer Science, Trinity College Dublin
Date: Sun, 22 Nov 1992 14:10:41 GMT

In <1992Nov20.173356.27837@bernina.ethz.ch> nadeem@igpho (Nadeem Malik) writes:

>merchant@davidsys.com (Rukhsana Merchant) writes:
>: 
>: 
>: 	The Finality of Allah's Apostle (SAW).
>: 
>: 
>: 	Abu Haraira report Allah's Messenger (SAW) as saying:
>: 	The similitude of mine and that of the Apostles
>: 	before me is that of a person who built a house
>        ^^^^^^
>: 	quite imposing and bueatiful, but for one
>: 	brick in one of its corners.   People would
>: 	go around it, appreciating the building, but
>: 	saying: Why has the brick not been fixed here?  He
>: 	said:  I am that brick and I am the last of the 
>: 	Apostles.
>: 
>: 		Sahih Muslim.
>: 

>Answer: Note the word "before". If the Holy Prophet (SAW) was absolutely
>the last prophet, then the inclusion of this word is illogical. Why not
>just say "The similitude of mine and the that of the Apostles is that ..
>.." ? Clearly there is a meaning in this conditional term "before".
>It is saying that sure enough Muhammad (SAW) has completed the pinnacle
>of Prophethood and none may come to advance it. But this says nothing
>against possible Messengers afterwards who may come to revive Muslims
>after decay. Sure, it dosn't actually say that such Messengers will
>actually come, but it leaves open the possibility that may they do so in
>the future. This is clear and logical I think.

Sorry, it is not logical. 

The Hadeeth says: the Prophets can be compared to a building. In that
building there is one missing brick, which is Mohammed(saw). The
building became complete and there is no room for any other bricks after
Mohammed (saw).

Reviving Muslims does not need prophets. The full message of Islam is
there. Only it needs people to carry that message and deliver it in its
clean and original form. 

The Hadeeth of the Prophet should not be taken as a mystry. It is a
simple talk from a prophet who wants to teach his simple, almost
illiterate companions. So when he says that there is no prophet after
him then he only means that, and when he refers to himself as the final
brick in the house of prophethood, then he means that. He means that the
house is complete now, and there is no place for other prophets.


>: --
>: 31. Say: If you love Allah, then follow me, Allah will love you
>: and forgive you your faults, and Allah is Forgiving, MercifuL
>: 
>: 32. Say: Obey Allah and the Apostle; but if they turn back, then
>: surely Allah does not love the unbelievers.
>: 
>: The Holy Quran: The Family of Imran.
>: 
>: --
>: 
>: May Allah (swt) guide us. Amin.
>: 
>: -Rukhsana Merchant

>Miss Rukhsana has on several occassions put great emphasis on sunna, and
>particularly on the need to look at *ALL* Sunna. It is obvious, therefore,
>that she cannot be aware of the many hadith which clearly talk about
>Messengers to come in the future. I am preparing a series of articles
>in response to one Raheel Khan's postings some time ago. Since I have
>prepared one on the importance of sunnat and hadith, I will am posting
>that one early because it is relevant to this item by Miss Rukhsana. 
>Fir the moment I will give just one hadith to ilustrate the point of
>looking at *ALL* hadith:

>On the death of Ibrahim, son of the Holy Prophet (SAW), he said:
>	"If Ibrahim had lived, he would have been a true Prophet."
>	(A very authentic hadith from Ibn-e-Majah, Kitabul Janaiz)

This what you say as Hadeeth contradicts with the Hadeeth that teaches
us how to behave; that we shouldn't say if so had happened then that would
have happened, because IFF opens the Door for Satan."
So how do you expect the prophet to say something in the way you
presented it?

>There are plenty other like this. So I request Miss Rukhsana, and
>others, to please look at *ALL* hadith before making a decision on
>such an important matter. Most of the hadith that apparently speak
>of termination of Prophethood can be quite well explained either
>as referring to a limited category of Prophets (like "before" in
>the hadith above quoted by Miss Rukhsana), or they contain some
>other reasonable meaning. These things I am preparing, so please
>watch out for them. Thank you.

Even what you consider as Hadeeth doesn't tell any thing. " If Ibrahim
had lived then he would have been a true Prophet "

It could mean that there will be false prophets, because the baby who
could be a true prophet had died.

It could mean also that Ibrahim has the qualities of Prophets, but he
died.


>By the way there are also about 4 or 5 verses of the Holy Quran
>that talk of future prophets ... that I am preparing also. These are,
>to say the least, totally decisiev on the issue.


>In the mean time, let us pray for Allah's guidence. Amen

>Nadeem Malik, nadeem@p.igp.ethz.ch
Ahmed

-- 
Ahmed I. El-Habbash, 
Department of Computer Science, Trinity College,
Dublin 2, Ireland.
Tel: office: +353-1-7021524