Al QURAN
مَا کَانَ مُحَمَّدٌ اَبَاۤ اَحَدٍ مِّنۡ رِّجَالِکُمۡ وَ لٰکِنۡ رَّسُوۡلَ اللّٰہِ وَ خَاتَمَ النَّبِیّٖنَ ؕ وَ کَانَ اللّٰہُ بِکُلِّ شَیۡءٍ عَلِیۡمًا ۔
Muhammad ﷺ is not the father of any of your men, but he is the Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets. And Allah is Knowing of all things. (Surat Al-Ahzab, Ayah No. 40)
The Reason for the Revelation (Asbāb al-Nuzūl) of the Ayah
In Arab society, there was an objectionable custom that they considered an adopted son as a real son, and treated him as such in all matters of rulings and social relations, including inheritance, lawful and unlawful matters (e.g., mahram relationships), and lineage. Just as a biological son’s divorced wife or widow is forbidden for the father to marry, similarly, they considered it forbidden for the father to marry the divorced or widow wife of an adopted son.
In this verse, Allah Almighty abolished this ugly custom.
Hazrat Zaid (رضی اللہ عنہ) was a servant of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ). The Prophet (ﷺ) freed him and adopted him as his son. The companions also began calling him Zaid bin Muhammad instead of Zaid bin Harithah.
Hazrat Zaid (رضی اللہ عنہ) divorced his wife, Hazrat Zainab (رضی اللہ عنہا).
Then Allah commanded the Prophet (ﷺ) to marry Hazrat Zainab (رضی اللہ عنہا) to completely end this objectionable custom.
When the Prophet (ﷺ) married Hazrat Zainab (رضی اللہ عنہا), the polytheists began to object, saying that he had married his son’s wife.
In response, Allah revealed this verse, which cuts off all the objections the opponents were making regarding the Prophet’s (ﷺ) marriage.
Their first objection was: “You married your daughter-in-law, whereas even your own Shariah forbids a father to marry his son’s wife.” The answer was: “Muhammad (ﷺ) is not the father of any man among you.” Meaning, the person whose divorced wife was married to the Prophet (ﷺ) was an adopted son, not a biological son. His divorced wife is not forbidden to the Prophet (ﷺ) as a biological son’s wife would be. They themselves knew that Muhammad (ﷺ) had no real son.
Their second objection was: “Okay, if he is not a biological son, still, marrying the divorced wife of an adopted son might be permissible, but was it really necessary to do so?” The answer was: “He is the Messenger of Allah,” meaning that as a Messenger, it was obligatory upon him to abolish all such social prejudices that had made lawful things unlawful. He had to remove all doubts and misconceptions about the permissibility of such matters.
Further emphasis was made by saying: “And he is the Seal of the Prophets (Khatam-un-Nabiyyin),” meaning that no prophet or messenger will come after him. Therefore, it was even more necessary that he himself completely abolish such pre-Islamic customs during his lifetime.
Lastly, it was said: “And Allah is All-Knowing of everything,” meaning Allah fully knew why it was necessary to abolish this pre-Islamic custom at the time of the Prophet (ﷺ). If this was not done by the last Prophet, then no one else would come after him to abolish it forever.
If later reformers tried to abolish it, they would not have the same authority, universal acceptance, or sanctity to ensure it would be followed by every nation and generation. No one else would have the status that just being a Sunnah (practice) of the Prophet (ﷺ) is sufficient to completely remove any feelings of aversion from people.
Interpretation of the Ayah “Khatam-un-Nabiyyin” (Seal of the Prophets) by the Quran through the Quran
The root “ختم” (khatam/ seal) appears in the Quran in seven places:
- خَتَمَ اللّٰہُ عَلٰی قُلُوۡبِہِمۡ وَ عَلٰی سَمۡعِہِمۡ ؕ وَ عَلٰی اَبۡصَارِہِمۡ غِشَاوَۃٌ ۫ وَّ لَہُمۡ عَذَابٌ عَظِیۡمٌ ۔
(Surah Al-Baqarah, Ayah 7)
Allah has set a seal upon their hearts and upon their hearing, and over their vision is a veil. And for them is a great punishment.
- قُلۡ اَرَءَیۡتُمۡ اِنۡ اَخَذَ اللّٰہُ سَمۡعَکُمۡ وَ اَبۡصَارَکُمۡ وَ خَتَمَ عَلٰی قُلُوۡبِکُمۡ مَّنۡ اِلٰہٌ غَیۡرُ اللّٰہِ یَاۡتِیۡکُمۡ بِہٖ ؕ اُنۡظُرۡ کَیۡفَ نُصَرِّفُ الۡاٰیٰتِ ثُمَّ ہُمۡ یَصۡدِفُوۡنَ
(Surah Al-A’raf, Ayah 46)
Say, “Have you considered: if Allah should take away your hearing and your sight and set a seal upon your hearts, who is an god besides Allah who could bring them back to you?” See how We diversify the verses; then they [still] turn away.
- اَفَرَءَیۡتَ مَنِ اتَّخَذَ اِلٰـہَہٗ ہَوٰىہُ وَ اَضَلَّہُ اللّٰہُ عَلٰی عِلۡمٍ وَّ خَتَمَ عَلٰی سَمۡعِہٖ وَ قَلۡبِہٖ وَ جَعَلَ عَلٰی بَصَرِہٖ غِشٰوَۃً ؕ فَمَنۡ یَّہۡدِیۡہِ مِنۡۢ بَعۡدِ اللّٰہِ ؕ اَفَلَا تَذَکَّرُوۡنَ ۔
(Surah Al-Jathiyah, Ayah 23)
Then have you seen the one who takes as his god his own desire, and Allah leaves him astray due to knowledge and seals his hearing and his heart and puts over his vision a veil? So who will guide him after Allah? Then will you not be reminded?
- اَلۡیَوۡمَ نَخۡتِمُ عَلٰۤی اَفۡوَاہِہِمۡ وَ تُکَلِّمُنَاۤ اَیۡدِیۡہِمۡ وَ تَشۡہَدُ اَرۡجُلُہُمۡ بِمَا کَانُوۡا یَکۡسِبُوۡنَ ۔
(Surah Ya-Sin, Ayah 65)
Today We will seal their mouths, and their hands will speak to Us, and their feet will testify about what they used to earn.
- اَمۡ یَقُوۡلُوۡنَ افۡتَرٰی عَلَی اللّٰہِ کَذِبًا ۚ فَاِنۡ یَّشَاِ اللّٰہُ یَخۡتِمۡ عَلٰی قَلۡبِکَ ؕ وَ یَمۡحُ اللّٰہُ الۡبَاطِلَ وَ یُحِقُّ الۡحَقَّ بِکَلِمٰتِہٖ ؕ اِنَّہٗ عَلِیۡمٌۢ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُوۡرِ
(Surah Ash-Shura, Ayah 24)
Or do they say, “He invented it”? Say, “If I have invented it, upon me is [the consequence of] my sin, but I am innocent of what you [others] are guilty of.” And Allah knows best what is within the breasts of all creatures.
- یُسۡقَوۡنَ مِنۡ رَّحِیۡقٍ مَّخۡتُوۡمٍ ۔
(Surah Al-Mutaffifin, Ayah 25)
They will be given to drink a sealed nectar.
- خِتٰمُہٗ مِسۡکٌ ؕ وَ فِیۡ ذٰلِکَ فَلۡیَتَنَافَسِ الۡمُتَنَافِسُوۡنَ ۔
(Surah Al-Mutaffifin, Ayah 26)
Its seal is musk, so for this let the competitors compete.
The common meaning in these seven places is that of sealing or closure so that nothing can enter or exit. For example, “ختم اللہ علی قلوبهم” means Allah has sealed the hearts of the disbelievers so that faith cannot enter their hearts, and disbelief cannot exit.
Similarly, in our verse under discussion, “خاتم النبیین” (Seal of the Prophets) means that the chain of prophethood is completed, no new prophet will come in the future, and no prophet has left the chain incomplete.
The summary of the Quranic interpretation is that with the arrival of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), the number of prophets has been completed, and no new prophet can come till the end of time.
Interpretation of “Khatam-un-Nabiyyin” in Hadith
Narrated Thawbān (رضی اللہ عنہ):
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
“Indeed, there will be thirty liars in my Ummah, each of whom will claim to be a prophet, but I am the Seal of the Prophets; there is no prophet after me.”
(Tirmidhi, Hadith No. 2219, Chapter: The Hour will not come until liars appear)
Another narration from Anas bin Malik (رضی اللہ عنہ):
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
“Indeed, prophethood and messengership have ended; there is no messenger or prophet after me.”
(Tirmidhi, Hadith No. 2272, Chapter: The end of Prophethood and glad tidings)
From these hadiths, it is clear that the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) himself explained “Khatam-un-Nabiyyin” as the completion and sealing of prophethood; no new prophet or messenger will come after him.
Interpretation of Khatam-un-Nabiyyin by the Companions
In Tafsir al-Munthur, Imam Ibn Jarir (رحمہ اللہ علیہ) narrated from Hazrat Abu Sa’id Khudri (رضی اللہ عنہ):
The Prophet (ﷺ) said:
“My example and that of the prophets is like a man who built a house, and completed it except for one brick. I am that brick, and I completed the house.”
(Tafsir al-Munthur, Vol 12, p. 63, Tafsir of Surah Al-Ahzab Ayah 40)
Also, from Hazrat Jabir (رضی اللہ عنہ), the Prophet (ﷺ) said:
“My example and the example of the prophets is like a man who built a house and perfected it, except for the place of one brick. Whoever enters the house sees it perfect except for that brick. I am that brick, and I am the Seal of the Prophets.”
(Tafsir al-Munthur, Vol 12, p. 63, Tafsir of Surah Al-Ahzab Ayah 40)
From the companions’ interpretations, it is evident that the number of prophets was completed with the advent of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ). No new prophet or messenger will come until the Day of Judgment.
Khatam-un-Nabiyyin and the Lexicographers
Imam Raghib al-Asfahani in his Mufradat al-Quran (Vocabulary of the Quran) — a book endorsed by Imam Al-Suyuti (رحمہ اللہ علیہ), who is regarded by some as a renewer by the Qadianis — wrote:
“He is called Khatam-un-Nabiyyin (Seal of the Prophets) because he completed prophethood with his coming.”
(Mufradat Raghib, p. 275, discussion on the word Khatam)
In the famous Arabic lexicon Lisan al-Arab, the meaning of Khatam al-Nabiyyin is described as:
“Seal of the prophets means the last of the prophets. Muhammad (ﷺ) is the Seal of the Prophets.”
(Lisan al-Arab)
This meaning is consistent across almost all classical Arabic dictionaries, establishing that “Khatam-un-Nabiyyin” means the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) is the final prophet, and prophethood was completed with him.
Mian Zaid