Statements of the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم

It is likely that the Ahmadis will find a creative, new way to reinterpret the clear meaning of the narrations listed below to support the belief that Mirza Ghulam Ahmad is a prophet of Allah, (i.e., last prophet becomes last law-bearing prophet). However, it is important for the reader to be aware of the sheer number of recorded statements of Prophet Muhammad that, if read without the pre-conceived Ahmadi bias, provide overwhelming evidence that indeed Muhammad is the last prophet.

حدثني محمد بن بشار حدثنا محمد بن جعفر حدثنا شعبة عن فرات القزاز قال سمعت أبا حازم قال قاعدت أبا هريرة خمس سنين فسمعته يحدث

عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال كانت بنو إسرائيل تسوسهم الأنبياء كلما هلك نبي خلفه نبي وإنه لا نبي بعدي وسيكون خلفاء فيكثرون قالوا فما تأمرنا قال فوا ببيعة الأول فالأول أعطوهم حقهم فإن الله سائلهم عما استرعاهم

Sahih Bukhārī, Volume 4, Book 56, Number 661[1]
Narrated Abū Huraira:

The Prophet said, "The Israelis used to be ruled and guided by prophets: Whenever a prophet died, another would take over his place. There will be no prophet after me, but there will be Caliphs who will increase in number." The people asked, "O Allah's Apostle! What do you order us (to do)?" He said, "Obey the one who will be given the pledge of allegiance first. Fulfill their (i.e. the Caliphs) rights, for Allah will ask them about (any shortcoming) in ruling those Allah has put under their guardianship."

حدثنا مسدد حدثنا يحيى عن شعبة عن الحكم عن مصعب بن سعد عن أبيه

أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم خرج إلى تبوك واستخلف عليا فقال أتخلفني في الصبيان والنساء قال ألا ترضى أن تكون مني بمنزلة هارون من موسى إلا أنه ليس نبي بعدي

Sahih Bukhārī, Volume 5, Book 59, Number 700

The Messenger of Allah went out for Tabūk, appointing 'Ali as his deputy (in Medina). 'Ali said, "Do you want to leave me with the children and women?" The Prophet said, "Will you not be pleased that you will be to me like Aaron to Moses? But there will be no prophet after me."

In “A Misunderstanding Removed - Ahmadis Do Believe in the Holy Prophet (saw) As Khataman nabīyeen”, under the section “The Traditions”, the author wrote:

The next hadith that is brought forward is: "I am 'Aqib and he is one after whom there is no prophet" (Tirmidhi). The authenticity of this hadith is very much questioned. Mulla Ali Qari, who is a recognized critic of hadith, definitely declares that the last portion of this hadith is spurious. He says it appears to be the interpretation put upon the word Aqib by some reporter (Mirqat, Vol. V, p. 367).

The Ahmadis are correct in the fact that Mullah Ali Qari was a recognized critic of hadīth. But, the criticism of the end of the narration applies to the phrase “he is one after whom there is no prophet”. Irrespective, the linguistic meaning of the word 'aqib is known to mean “end”. For example, in Sūrah Al-A'raf verse 129, Allah says وَالْعَاقِبَةُ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ which, according to the the official Ahmadi translation of the Qur'ān, means “...end is for the God-fearing”. Regardless of whether the end of the hadīth is superfluous, the meaning remains to mean “end”, showing that the messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه و سلم was the last [of the prophets].

Additionally, the criticism Qari gave was only of this one particular report in al-Tirmidhī. But, this same hadīth was authentically reported multiple times in many other collections of hadīth.

حدثني زهير بن حرب وإسحق بن إبراهيم وابن أبي عمر واللفظ لزهير قال إسحق أخبرنا و قال الآخران حدثنا سفيان بن عيينة عن الزهري سمع محمد بن جبير بن مطعم عن أبيه

أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال أنا محمد وأنا أحمد وأنا الماحي الذي يمحى بي الكفر وأنا الحاشر الذي يحشر الناس على عقبي وأنا العاقب والعاقب الذي ليس بعده نبي

Sahīh Muslim, Chapter 30, Chapter 31, Book 30, Number 5810:

Jubair ibn Mut'im reported on the authority of his father that he heard Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) saying, “I am Muhammad and I am Ahmad, and I am al-Mahi (the obliterator) by whom unbelief would be obliterated, and I am Hashir (the gatherer) at whose feet mankind will be gathered, and I am 'Aqib (the last to come) after whom there will be no Prophet.”

حدثني حرملة بن يحيى أخبرنا ابن وهب أخبرني يونس عن ابن شهاب عن محمد بن جبير بن مطعم عن أبيه

أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال إن لي أسماء أنا محمد وأنا أحمد وأنا الماحي الذي يمحو الله بي الكفر وأنا الحاشر الذي يحشر الناس على قدمي وأنا العاقب الذي ليس بعده أحد وقد سماه الله رءوفا رحيما

Sahīh Muslim, Chapter 30, Chapter 31, Book 30, Number 5811:

Jubair b. Mut'im reported on the authority of his father that he heard Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: I have many names: I am Muhammad, I am Ahmad, I am al-Mahi through whom Allah obliterates unbelief, and I am Hashir (the gatherer) at whose feet people will be gathered, and I am 'Aqib (after whom there would be none), and Allah has named him as compassionate and merciful.

و حدثنا إسحق بن إبراهيم الحنظلي أخبرنا جرير عن الأعمش عن عمرو بن مرة عن أبي عبيدة عن أبي موسى الأشعري قال

كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يسمي لنا نفسه أسماء فقال أنا محمد وأحمد والمقفي والحاشر ونبي التوبة ونبي الرحمة

Explaining the word 'Aqib, in the commentary of this narration, Sahīh Muslim reads:

حديث شعيب ومعمر سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وفي حديث عقيل قال قلت للزهري وما العاقب قال الذي ليس بعده نبي وفي حديث معمر وعقيل الكفرة وفي حديث شعيب الكفر

This hadīth has been transmitted on the authority of Ma'mar (and the words are): I said to Zuhri: What does (the word) al-'Aqib imply? He said: One after whom there is no Prophet, and in the hadīth transmitted on the authority of Ma'mar and 'Uqail there is a slight variation of wording.

Sahīh Muslim, Chapter 30, Chapter 31, Book 30, Number 5813:

Abu Mūsā Ash'ari reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) mentioned many names of his and said: I am Muhammad, Ahmad. Muqaffi (the last in succession), Hashir, the Prophet of repentance, and the Prophet of Mercy.

أخبرني أحمد بن محمد بن عمرو الأخمسي حدثنا الحسن بن حميد حدثنا موسى بن إسماعيل حدثنا حماد بن سلمة عن جعفر بن أبي وحشية عن نافع بن جبير بن مطعم عن أبيه قال سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول أنا محمد وأحمد والمقفى والحاشر والخاتم والعاقب

هذا حديث صحيح على شرط مسلم ولم يخرجاه

In the Mustadrak of al-Hākim, Volume 2, Hadīth number 4186:

From Nafi` ibn Jubair ibn Mut`am from his father, said, "I heard the Messanger of Allāh may Allāh bless him and give him peace say, 'I am Muhammad (The praised one), Ahmad (The praiseworthy), Al-Muqaffā (The last in succession), Al-hāshir (the gatherer), Al-Khātim (The Last), and Al-'Aqib (The last).[2]

وأخرج ابن مردويه عن ثوبان رضي الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إنه سيكون في أمتي كذابون ثلاثون كلهم يزعم أنه نبي، وأنا خاتم النبيين لا نبي بعدي

Ibn Mardawī narrated that Thawban, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and give him peace, said that there will be in my nation thirty arch-liars, each of them claims that he is a prophet, and I am the seal of the prophets; there is no prophet after me.”

أخرج أحمد عن حذيفة رضي الله عنه عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال في أمتي كذابون ودجالون سبعة وعشرون، منهم أربع نسوة وإني خاتم النبيين لا نبي بعدي

And Ahmad narrated that Hudhayfah, may Allah be pleased with him, said that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and give him peace, said, “In my nation, [there are] twenty-seven arch-liars and deceivers, among them are four women, and I am the seal of the prophets; there is no prophet after me.”

Questions to ask Murabbis

1. Why would the Prophet Muhammad عليه الصلاة والسلام make so many statements which, at least on the surface, seem to reject the continuation of prophets, if the Promised Messiah was to come?

2. If the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم was only the last “law-bearing” prophet, why did he never explicitly say “last law-bearing prophet”? For example, انا الاخر من النبين التشرعين (I am the last law-bearing prophet)?

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[1] Also reported in Sahih Muslim, Book 20, Number 4543

[2] The commentary of this narration says “هذا حديث صحيح على شرط مسلم ولم يخرجاه" meaning, “This hadīth is authentic upon the criteria of [Sahīh] Muslim, but both of them [Sahīh Bukhāri and Sahīh Muslim] did not narrate it.”