This argument stems from A Misconception Removed, by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, page 3, and in the book Truth About Ahmadiyya in the chapter “Finality of Prophethood” by B. A. Rafiq.
Ahmadi Argument:
Hypothetically, let us assume that خاتم does carry the meaning of last and that Muhammad is the final prophet, as Muslims say. There are a hadīth that states that ‘Esā bin Marīam will return towards the end of time. If Prophet Muhammad is the last prophet, then it is impossible for ‘Esā bin Marīam to return to this dunya because that would make ‘Esā the last prophet since he came after Muhammad. This is a contradiction in the belief of the Muslims and stands as logical proof that خاتم does not mean last.
Muslim Response:
Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم is the last prophet, and ‘Esā bin Marīam عليه السلام will return after him. These two statements do not contradict one another in any way.
The Ahmadi understanding is that the return of ‘Esā bin Marīam عليه السلام would effectively make him the new last prophet, thus contradicting Muhammad’s عليه الصلاة والسلام status as the last prophet. Prophet Muhammad عليه الصلاة والسلام was given prophethood after ‘Esā bin Marīam عليه السلام was given prophethood. ‘Esā bin Marīam’s عليه السلام return is after the death of the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم, but he was still made a prophet before Muhammad عليه الصلاة والسلام. Muhammad عليه الصلاة والسلام was the last person given this position of prophethood. After him, no one else is given the position of prophethood, not even ‘Esā bin Marīam عليه السلام, because he never lost his status as a prophet. Therefore, the return of ‘Esā bin Marīam عليه السلام does not contradict Prophet Muhammad’s position of being the last prophet in any way.
An example to further explain this is that of a mother who has three children: Ahmad, Yahya, and Fatimah, aged ten, seven, and four, respectively. If she was asked who her last child is, she would reply Fatimah, because Fatimah was the last to be born in the family. Likewise, Mūsā, ‘Esā, and Muhammad are all Prophets عليهم السلام. Muhammad عليه الصلاة والسلام was given the status of prophethood last. This would be equivalent to him being born last. Therefore, he is the last prophet.
Hadīth Specifying
Before and After
The Ahmadis argue that this would be a contradiction because ‘Esā bin Marīam عليه السلام comes after Prophet Muhammad, and he would be the new last prophet. The following narration from Ibn Abi Shaybah رضي الله عليه recorded in Al-Dur al-Manthoor explains how ‘Esā bin Marīam عليه السلام is both before and after Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم.
وأخرج
ابن أبي شيبة
عن الشعبي رضي
الله عنه قال:
قال رجل عند
المغيرة بن
أبي شعبة صلى
الله على محمد
خاتم
الأنبياء لا نبي
بعده فقال
المغيرة: حسبك
إذا قلت خاتم
الأنبياء،
فإنا كنا نحدث
أن عيسى عليه
السلام خارج،
فإن هو خرج
فقد كان قبله
وبعده
Ibn Abī Shaybah
reported that Al-Shabī, may Allah be pleased
with him, said,“A man at [the
company of] Al-Mughīrah
ibn Abī Shu'bah said, 'May Allah bless Muhammad, the Seal of the
Prophets, there is no prophet after him.’ So Al-Mughīrah
said, ‘It is enough for you to say 'the Seal of the Prophets', for we were told
that ‘Esā, peace be upon him, will be appearing.
So, when he appears, he [‘Esā] would be before him [the Prophet
Muhammad عليه الصلاة
والسلام] and after him”.
Al-Mughīrah رضي الله عليه said Isa is both a prophet before Muhammad and after him. He comes after him in the sense that after Muhammad dies صلى الله عليه و سلم, ‘Esā bin Marīam عليه السلام will return. Furthermore, ‘Esā عليه السلام is also a prophet before him in the sense that he was made a prophet after Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم. The Ahmadis chose the former understanding because it creates their desired contradiction. However, the latter understanding creates no contradiction and was indeed the comprehension of the earliest Muslims.
Only way to be a
contradiction
The only way that Muhammad عليه الصلاة والسلام could no longer be the last prophet is if one of two things were to occur:
The first occurrence would be if a new prophet came after Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم and claimed finality. Ahmadis will claim this has happened with the coming of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad. However, one cannot use the very issue in dispute as a premise in an argument.[1] That would be assuming the conclusion. Rather, it would have to be testified to in the Qur’ān and authentic ahadith of the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم.
The second situation would be if ‘Esā bin Marīam عليه السلام lost his status of prophethood after his ascension and thus, when he returns, he has to be reassigned this blessed status.[2] This way, he was made a prophet after Muhammad عليه الصلاة والسلام and would truly be the last prophet. However, as the Ahmadis say, ‘Esā bin Marīam عليه السلام was called a prophet in the Qur’ān, and no one has the authority to remove that status from him.
Questions to ask the Murabbis
1.
What did Al-Mughīrah
رضي
الله عليه mean when he said ‘Esā عليه السلام was before and
after Muhammad عليه
السلام?