The Qadianis falsely argue, based on the following verse of the Holy Qur’an, that prophethood continues after the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and that new prophets and messengers can come until the Day of Judgment. Let us first look at the verse and its translation. Then we will explore the scholarly refutation of the Qadiani misinterpretation.
Verse 2:
وَ مَنۡ یُّطِعِ اللّٰہَ وَ الرَّسُوۡلَ فَاُولٰٓئِکَ مَعَ الَّذِیۡنَ اَنۡعَمَ اللّٰہُ عَلَیۡہِمۡ مِّنَ النَّبِیّٖنَ وَ الصِّدِّیۡقِیۡنَ وَ الشُّہَدَآءِ وَ الصّٰلِحِیۡنَ ۚ وَ حَسُنَ اُولٰٓئِکَ رَفِیۡقًا
“And whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger, they will be with those upon whom Allah has bestowed His favor — the prophets, the steadfast affirmers of truth, the martyrs, and the righteous. And excellent are those as companions.”
(Surah An-Nisa, Verse 69)
The Qadiani Misinterpretation
The Qadianis falsely argue from this verse that by obeying Allah and His Messenger, any person can attain one of these four ranks: prophet, truthful (Siddiq), martyr (Shaheed), and righteous (Saliheen). According to them, these are four spiritual levels that can be achieved through obedience. However, there are numerous scholarly responses to this false interpretation. Consider the following:
Response 1
Any rational and intelligent person who simply reads the translation of this verse can clearly see that there is absolutely no indication of the continuation of prophethood. Rather, this verse gives glad tidings to those who obey Allah and His Messenger ﷺ that they will be with the prophets, the truthful, the martyrs, and the righteous in the Hereafter.
This is evident from the last words of the verse:
وَ حَسُنَ اُولٰٓئِکَ رَفِیۡقًا
“And excellent are those as companions.”
Thus, it is clear that the verse is about companionship in the Hereafter, not about becoming a prophet.
Response 2
According to the Qadianis’ own accepted Mujaddid (reviver) of the 10th century, Imam Jalaluddin Suyuti (رحمه الله), the reason for the revelation (Shan-e-Nuzool) of this verse is as follows:
“Some of the Companions (رضي الله عنهم) said: ‘O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, you will be in the highest ranks of Paradise, and we will be in lower levels — how will we be able to see you there?’
In response, this verse was revealed:
مَنۡ یُّطِعِ اللّٰہَ وَ الرَّسُوۡلَ۔۔۔”
(Tafsir al-Jalalayn, Page 80)
Here, companionship refers to the companionship in Paradise. Though the Prophets will be in the highest chambers, the righteous believers and companions will still benefit from their presence and be able to see them.
This explanation is not unique to Suyuti — nearly all major tafsir works prior to Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani explain the verse in this way.
Even the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ clarified that the companionship mentioned here is companionship in Paradise.
Response 3
Sayyida Aisha (رضي الله عنها) narrates:
“I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say that every Prophet is given a choice at the time of death between remaining in this world or transitioning to the Hereafter.
During the illness in which the Prophet ﷺ passed away, he said:
مَعَ الَّذِیۡنَ اَنۡعَمَ اللّٰہُ عَلَیۡہِمۡ مِّنَ النَّبِیّٖنَ
(‘With those upon whom Allah has bestowed His favor — from among the Prophets…’)
From this, I understood that he was being given that choice.”
(Mishkat al-Masabih, Volume 2, Page 547)
This narration also confirms that the companionship refers to Paradise, not to anyone becoming a prophet.
Response 4
Here are two more hadiths that clarify that the companionship mentioned in the verse refers to the Hereafter, not a worldly status of prophethood.
Hadith 1:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“Whoever recites a thousand verses in the path of Allah, he will be recorded on the Day of Judgment with the prophets, the truthful, the martyrs, and the righteous.”
(Musnad Ahmad, Volume 1, Page 363)
Hadith 2:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“The honest and trustworthy merchant will be with the prophets, the truthful, and the martyrs.”
(Musnad Ahmad, Volume 2, Page 209)
Now Qadianis must ask themselves:
Can a truthful merchant or someone who recites a thousand verses daily become a prophet?
Certainly, they will agree that such people will be with the prophets in the Hereafter, not that they become prophets.
Similarly, those who obey Allah and His Messenger do not become prophets or messengers; they will simply be with the prophets, the truthful, the martyrs, and the righteous on the Day of Judgment.
Response 5
This verse mentions companionship on the Day of Judgment, not attainment of worldly ranks. The Qur’an contains other verses that mention people attaining ranks in this life through faith and good deeds — and none of them mention that prophethood is one of those attainable ranks.
For example, Allah says in Surah Al-‘Ankabut:
وَ الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا وَ عَمِلُوا الصّٰلِحٰتِ لَنُدۡخِلَنَّہُمۡ فِی الصّٰلِحِیۡنَ
“Those who believe and do righteous deeds — We will surely admit them among the righteous.”
(Surah Al-‘Ankabut, Verse 9)
And in another place:
وَ الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا بِاللّٰہِ وَ رُسُلِہٖۤ اُولٰٓئِکَ ہُمُ الصِّدِّیۡقُوۡنَ
“Those who believe in Allah and His Messengers — they are the truthful ones in the sight of Allah.”
(Surah Al-Hadid, Verse 19)
The people addressed in these verses are described as attaining the ranks of the righteous and the truthful — not of prophets.
And who could have stronger faith than the Companions (رضي الله عنهم)?
If even the noble Companions, with their perfect faith, could not attain prophethood, then how could anyone else in the Ummah be eligible for it — especially when Allah has closed the door of prophethood?
Mufti Mubashir Hussain Qadri