Classical Lexicons and the word خاتم

 

The Ahmadis argue that one of the meanings of خاتم is best or most perfect. This is what Malik Ghulam Farid wrote in his Dictionary of the Holy Qur’ān, the official Ahmadi dictionary of the words of the Qur’ān. Under the Publisher's Note, it reads, “The whole project was based on standard dictionaries of the Arabic language, such as Lisan-ul-Arab (لسان العرب), Taj-ul-‘urus (تاج العروس), Almufradat Ligharibilquran of Imām Raghib of Isfahan (المفردات لغريب القرآن), Aqrabul Mawārid (أقرب الموارد), and Arabic-English Lexicon by E.W. Lane.” On pages 222-223, Farid writes:

 

خاتَمٌ also means the best and most perfect; embellishment or ornament; the hollow of the back of the neck: وَلَكِن رَّسُولَ اللَّهِ وَخَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّينَ But he is the Messenger of Allah and the seal of the prophets (33:41)

 

This work challenges the validity of this entry by Farid. خاتم has many meanings, but best is not one of them, nor can this meaning be directly implied by any classical lexicon Farid referenced.

Below are the entries of the same lexicons referenced by Farid[1] of the word khātam. To verify the meaning of the word, other supplementary lexicons are also provided. Notice that all of the lexicons understand خاتم to mean last or finish, and some even reference Sūrah Al-Ahzab verse 41 saying Muhammad عليه الصلاة والسلام is the last of the prophets. Finally, commentary is given at the end regarding the translation of seal.

 

Lisān al-‘Arab لسان العرب

 

(Khatama)

(خَتَمَ)

Khatama [v.] Khatman [n.] something: reached its ending

وخَتَمَ الشيءَ خَتْمًا بلغ آخرهُ

the Qur'ān and a book: read all of it and completed it.

والقرآن والكتاب قرأَهُ كلَّهُ وأَتَّمَّهُ

a document, or others: put on it a pattern of his seal so it would not be forged or edited

والصكَّ وغيرهُ وضع عليهِ نقش خاتمهِ حتى لا يجري عليهِ التزوير والتبديل

Khatama a job: finished it

وخَتَم العمل فرغ منهُ

a container: sealed it with mud, or so forth.

والإِنَاءَ سدَّهُ بالطين ونحوهِ

Also in Sürat AlMutaffifīn Qur'ān [83:25]

ومنهُ في سورة المطفّفين ((يُسْقَوْنَ مِنْ رَحِيقٍ مَخْتُومٍ خِتَامُهُ مِسْكٌ وَفِي ذَلِك فَلْيَتَنَافَسِ المُتَنَافَسُون))

Khātim, Khātam
Khātām, and the last of a group, pl. Khawātim

الخاتِم والخاتَم الخاتام وآخِر القوم ج خواتم

Khātimah, fem. of Khātim
Of anything: it's farthest limit, its completion, its end, and outcome

Such as a Khātimah of a book or so forth

and it is the opposite of Fātiĥah (opening/opener)

الخاتمة مؤَنَّث الخاتم. ومن كل شيءِ أقصاهُ وتمامهُ وعاقبتهُ وآخرتهُ كخاتمة الكتاب وغيرهِ وهي نقيض الفاتحة

 

Tāj al-‘Arūs تاج العروس

 

The Khātam

الخاتم

of anything is its conclusion and its end as Khātimatihi [its closing]

من كل شيء عاقبته وآخرته كخاتمته

and the Khātam is the last of a group

و الخاتم : آخر القوم كالخاتم

and of it is the saying of [Allah] ta’alā "wa-khātam al-nabīyīn" [and the Seal of Prophets], meaning their last

ومنه قوله تعالى وخاتم النبيين أي آخرهم

It was also recited as khatum with a damma on the ta'; and [the poet] al-'Ajjaj said

A blessing to the prophets, this khātam is!

وقد قرئ بضم التاء وقول العجاج
مبارك للأنبياء خاتم

 

Al-Mufridāt li-Gharīb al-Qur’ān المفردات لغريب القرآن

 

“and the Seal of the Prophets” [Qur’ān 33:40], because he is the seal of prophethood, that is: he completed it with his coming.

{وخاتم النبيين} ]الأحزاب/40]، لأنه ختم النبوة، أي: تممها بمجيئه.

 

Aqrab al-Mawārid أقرب الموارد

 

"Khattama": to wear the ring on one's finger (or place it on someone else's finger)

خَتَمَ: صاحبهُ تَخْتِيمًا: البيهُ الخاتم في اصبعهِ: الاساس

"Khitām" of a drink is its last drop ([from] Tāj [al-'Arūs])

خِتام كل شربٍ: آخرهُ: التاج

"Khitām" of a valley is its endpoint (end of the valley) "Khitām" of a people (qawm) is their last member

خِتام الوادي: افصا هُ و خِتام القوم آخرهم: التاج

"she was delivered in a wedding procession with her "Khātim" or "khitām" (meaning with her virginity intact)

زُفَّت اليهِ بخاتم ربّها و ختمها و خِتامها ايوهي في بكارتها: الاساس و التاج بلا تفسير

"al-Khatm" is another word (with same meaning) for Khātim, and the plural of that is khutoom

الخَتْم: بالفتح: لغة في الخاتم ج خُتُوم: التاج

"he gave me my Khatm": means my fill/sufficiency, in other words, the last of his desire."

اعطاني خَتْمِي: اي حسي لان حسب الرجل آخر طلبهِ: التاج

 

Lane’s English-Arabic Lexicon

 

† The last of a company of men; (Lb, TA ;) as also ختَمُ and ختِمُ: (K:) whence خَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّينَ † [The last of the prophets], in the Kur [xxxiii. 40]; accord. to one reading, خاتُم, with damm to the ت; (TA;) or الأَنبياء خاتِمُ, i.e. Mohammad; (S;) also called الخاتَمُ and الخاتِمُ.

 

 

The following lexicons were not referenced by Farid in his dictionary entry. These entries were provided to strengthen the position that the Ahmadi understanding of khātam is erroneous and has no basis whatsoever in the classical lexicons and dictionaries.

 

Al-Muĥīt المحيط

 

(Khatama)

خَتَمَ

Work: Finished it

العملَ: فرغ مِنْه

The Qur’ān or a book: Read it all

القُرآنَ أو الكتاب: قرأَه كُلَّهُ

Allah has concluded for him with what is good: completed his blessings on him, and gave him a fare outcome

اللهُ له بالخير: أتمّ عليه نعمته، وجعل له عاقبةً حسنة

of anything: it's end

من كلِّ شيءٍ : آخره

Qur'ān [33:40]

))وَلَكِن رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَخَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّينَ((

Muhammad knew the openings of goodness and its closings

إنَّ محمداً علّم فواتحَ الْخَيْر وخواتِمهُ

Issues are (judged) by their ends [an Arabic version of “All’s well, that ends well”]

الأمورُ بخواتمها

 

Muĥīt Al-Muĥīt محيط المحيط

 

Khatamahu

(خَتَمَهُ)

and Muhammad, peace be upon him, is the seal of prophets upon him and them be peace and blessing.

ومحمد صلي الله عليه و سلم, خاتِمُ الأَنبياء , عليه وعليهم الصلاة والسلام

Out of respect: Al-Khātim and Al-Khātam are among the names of the prophet

التهذيب : والخاتِم والخاتَم من أَسماء النبي

and in the Glorious Revelation: Qur'ān [33:40]
meaning their last
he says: and it was also read "wa Khātam";

وفي التنزيل العزيز

((مَا كَانَ مُحَمَّدٌ أَبَا أَحَدٍ مِنْ رِجَالِكُمْ وَلَكِنْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَخَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّينَ))

أَي آخرهم
قال : وقد قرئ وخاتَمَ

and the saying of Al-'Ajjāj:

“A blessing to the prophets, this khātam is!”

for he based it on the famous pronunciation [Qirā'āt], so he (ended it with or used) a Kasrah[2]

وقول العَجَّاج

مُبارَكٍ للأَنبياء خاتِمِ

إِنما حمله على القراءة المشهورة فكسر

and among his names is AlÀāqib also, and its meaning is the last of the prophets.

ومن أَسمائه العاقب أَيضاً ومعناه آخر الأَنبياء

 

Al-Ghanī الغني

 

(Khātim, Khātam)

(خاتِم، خاتَم)

Qur'ān [33:40]

((وَلَكِنْ رَسُولُ الله وَخَاتِمُ النَّبِيِّين))

(Qur'ān): the last of the prophets

(قرآن) آخِرُ الأنْبِيَاءِ

(Khatama)

(خَتَمَ)

Khatama his work: Ended it

خَتَمَ عَمَلَهُ : أنْهَاهُ

Khatama the book: completed reading it, completed it

خَتَمَ الْكِتابَ : أكْمَلَ قِرَاءتَهُ، أتَمَّه

The lad khatama the Noble Qur'ān: Completed memorizing and reading it.

خَتَمَ الصَّبِيُّ الْقُرْآنَ الْكَرِيمَ : أكْمَلَ حِفْظَهُ وَقِرَاءتَهُ

Allah khatama for him with goodness: made his ending happy.

خَتَمَ لَهُ اللهُ بِالْخَيرِ : جَعَلَ نِهَايَتَهُ سَعِيدَةً

 

Al-Wasīt الوسيط

 

(Khātam): Khātām... and - of anything: it's end.

(الخاتِمُ) الخاتامُ... و- من كل شيء: آخره.

And in the Glorious Revelation: Qur'ān [33:40]

وفي التنزيل العزيز ((مَا كَانَ مُحَمَّدٌ أَبَا أَحَدٍ مِنْ رِجَالِكُمْ وَلَكِنْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَخَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّينَ))

(Khātimah): of anything: its end, and last

(الخاتِمةُ) من كل شيء: عاقِبتهُ وآخره

 

Al-Qāmūs Al-Muĥīt القاموس المحيط

 

(Khatamahu)

(خَتَمَهُ)

(as Khātim, Khātām, Khaytām, Khïtam, Khatami) voweled (Khātyām) [pl.] Khawātïm, Khawātim

(كالخاتِم والخاتامِ والخَيْتامِ والخِيتام والخَتَمِ) محرَّكةً (والخاتِيامِ) ج [ج] خَواتِمُ وخَواتِيمُ

Has (Takhattama) with it -

And of anything, its outcome and its ending as. (Khātimatihi), and the last of a group

وقَد (تَخَتمَ) به ومن كلٌ شيءٍ عاقِبَتُه وآخِرَتُهُ (كخَاتِمتِه) وآخِرُ القَوْمِ

 

 

The first dictionaries listed above are the same dictionaries Farid referenced in his work. Not a single one of them agrees with the Ahmadi interpretation of khātam. The definitions best, most perfect, embellishment, or ornament simply have no basis whatsoever in any of the lexicons Farid claims to have referenced. This brings into question the intellectual integrity of his dictionary.

One can see above that the word خاتم has always held the meaning of end, final, seal, or conclusion. This is the linguistic meaning of the word and how it has always been traditionally understood. The definitions best, most perfect, embellishment, or ornament simply have no basis whatsoever in any of the lexicons Farid claims to have referenced.

 

Ahmadi Response

 

Yes, it is true that khātam carries the meaning of last, final, seal, or conclusion. But, this in no way adversely affects the Ahmadi belief in the continuation of prophethood. That is because the verse does not mean last prophet in time; it means last prophet in rank after whom there is no prophet who will achieve the same rank as Prophet Muhammad. In this sense, the verse means that he is the best of the prophets.

 

Muslim Response

 

            Many of the lexicons above say that a synonymn for khātam is ākhir. According to Lane’s Lexicon, page 255, the antonym of ākhir is qabal, which means last in time, not last in rank. This is evidence that the Ahmadi interpretation has no basis in the classical dictionaries of Islam.

            Additionally, if any ordinary layman understood khātam to mean last and read the definition last of the prophets, according to numerous dictionaries, he would understand it to mean last in the line of prophets, not last in the ranks of the prophets. The only way one could arrive at the Ahmadi conclusion is if he or she were predisposed to the radical interpretation that Ahmad was a prophet, read the verse, and attempted to reconcile the two.

 

Conclusion

 

The official Ahmadi dictionary of the Qur’ān gives a possible meaning of خاتم as best, most perfect, embellishment, or ornament, but not a single lexicon Farid, the author, referenced has any of these as possible meanings of the word khātam. Some explicitly translate khātam al-nabīyīn to mean last of the prophets, directly refuting the Ahmadi belief. Some argue that the definitions Farid provided are based on its usage in Arabic literature. This argument is refuted in the Chapter Examples of Khātam used in other contexts.

The Ahmadi definitions of khātam have no basis whatsoever in any classical Arabic lexicon. The meaning of khātam al-nabīyīn is last of the prophets. There are no prophets after Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم.

 

Questions for the Murabbis

1.      If all of these dictionaries define khātam al-nabīyīn to mean Last of the Prophets, why are we referring to other sources?

2.      Which dictionary did Malik Ghulam Farid use when he came up with the definitions of best, most perfect; embellishment or ornament?

 


[1]               All references can be independently verified at http://lexicons.sakhr.com, with the exceptions of Al-Mufridāt fi Gharīb al-Qur’ān, Lane’s English-Arabic Lexicon and Aqrab al-Mawārid. Mufridāt fi Gharīb al-Qur’ān is available online by its other name, Mufridāt al-Fādh al-Qur’ān at http://www.almeshkat.net/books/archive/books/1441.zip. Lane’s English-Arabic Lexicon is available at http://www.studyquran.co.uk/LLhome.htm. I obtained a copy of Aqrab al-Mawarid from the George Town University Library.

[2]               Muĥīt Al-Muĥīt makes reference to the other Qirā'āt of the Qur'ān which say khātim al-nabīyīn. This argument is covered in the chapter Alternative Qirā'āt of the Qur'ān and Khātim.