2.5 Prophets

The next article of faith in the Muslim catechism is belief in the prophets. The Arabic word for prophet is nabi, which is derived from naba’, meaning an announcement of great utility: imparting knowledge of a thing (R.). It is added by the same authority that the word naba’ is applied only to such information as is free from any liability to untruth. One lexicologist explains the word nabi as meaning an ambassador between God and rational beings from among His creatures (R.) According to another, a nabi is the man who gives information about God (Q.) A nabi is also called a rasul, which means an apostle or messenger. The two words nabi and rasul are used interchangeably in the Holy Qur’an, the same person being sometimes called nabi and sometimes rasul; while occasionally both names are combined. The reason seems to be that the prophet has two capacities, viz., he receives information from God, and he imparts the message to mankind. He is called a nabi in his first, and a rasul in his second capacity, but there is one difference. The word rasul has a wider significance, being applicable to every messenger in a literal sense; and the angels are called Divine “messengers”, because they are also bearers of Divine messages when complying with His Will.

It has already been stated that a faith in Divine revelation is one of the essentials of Islam, and since revelation must be communicated through a man, faith in the messenger is a natural sequence, and is mentioned in the Holy Qur’an along with faith in the revealed books. In fact there is a deeper significance underlying faith in the prophets, and hence the greater stress is laid upon this article of faith. The prophet is not only the bearer of the Divine message but he also shows how that message is to be interpreted in practical life; and therefore he is the model to be followed. It is the prophet’s example that inspires a living faith in the hearts of his followers and brings about a real transformation in their lives. That is why the Holy Qur’an lays special stress on the fact that the prophet must be a human being: “Had there been in the earth angels walking about secure, We would have sent down to them an angel from the heaven as a messenger” (17:95); “And We sent not before thee any but men to whom We sent revelation … Nor did We give them bodies not eating food.” (21:7, 8). If, then, even an angel cannot serve as a model for men, much less would God Himself serve that purpose, even if it were possible that he should come in the flesh. The doctrine of incarnation is, therefore, rejected, because God-incarnate would serve no purpose in the reformation of man; seeing that man has to face temptations at every step, but there is no temptation for God.

Prophethood is a free Divine gift to man, a mauhiba, according to the Holy Qur’an. Just as He has granted His gifts of physical sustenance to all men alike, so His spiritual gift of prophethood, through which a spiritual life is awakened in man, is also a free gift to all the nations of the world. It is not among the Israelites alone that prophets were raised as would appear from the Bible. According to the Holy Qur’an, there is not one nation in the world in which a prophet has not appeared: “There is not a people but a warner has gone among them” (35:24). And again: “For every nation there is a messenger” (10:47). We are further told that there have been prophets besides those mentioned in the Holy Qur’an: “And We sent messengers We have mentioned to thee before, and messengers We have not mentioned to thee” (4:164). It is, in fact, stated in a hadith that there have been 124,000 prophets, while the Holy Qur’an contains only about twenty-five names, among them being several non-Biblical prophets, Hud and Salih in Arabia, Luqman in Ethiopia, a contemporary of Moses (generally known as Khidzr) in Sudan, and Dhu-l-Qarnain (Darius I, who was also a king) in Persia; all of which is quite in accordance with the theory of the universality of prophethood. And as the Holy Book has plainly said that prophets have appeared in all nations and that it has not named all of them, which in fact was unnecessary, a Muslim may accept the great luminaries who are accepted by other nations as having brought light to them, as the prophets of those nations.

The Holy Qur’an, however, not only establishes the theory that prophets have appeared in all nations; it goes further and renders it necessary that a Muslim should believe in all those prophets. In the very beginning we are told that a Muslim must “believe in that which has been revealed to thee and that which was revealed before thee” (2:4); and a little further on: “We believe in Allah and in that which has been revealed to us and in that which was revealed to Abraham and Ishmael and Isac and Jacob and the tribes, and in that which was given to Moses and Jesus, and in that which was given to the prophets from their Lord; we do not make any distinction between any of them” (2:136), where the word prophets clearly refers to the prophets of other nations. And again, the Holy Qur’an speaks of Muslims as believing in all the prophets of God and not in Holy Prophet Muhammad alone: “Righteous is the one who believes in Allah and the Last Day, and the angels and the Book and the prophets” (2:177); “The Messenger believes in what has been revealed to him from his Lord, and so do the believers; they all believe in Allah and His angels and His Books and His messengers; we make no distinction between any of His messengers” (2:285). In fact, to believe in some prophets and reject others is condemned as unbelief (kufr); “Those who disbelieve in Allah and His messengers, and desire to make a distinction between Allah and His messengers and say: We believe in some and disbelieve in others, and desire to take a course in between — these are truly disbelievers” (4:150, 151). A belief in all the prophets of the world is thus an essential principle of the religion of Islam, and though the faith of Islam is summed up in two brief sentences, there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His apostle, yet the man who confesses belief in Holy Prophet Muhammad, in so doing, accepts all the prophets of the world, whether their names are mentioned in the Holy Qur’an or not. Islam claims a universality to which no other religion can aspire, and lays the foundation of a brotherhood as vast as humanity itself.

The Divine scheme whereby prophets were raised for the regeneration of the world, as disclosed in the Holy Qur’an, may be briefly summed up as follows. Prophets appeared in every nation, but their message was limited to that particular nation and in some cases to one or a few generations. All these prophets were, so to say, national prophets, and their work was limited to the moral upliftment and spiritual regeneration of one nation only. But while national growth was of necessity the first step, when each nation lived almost an exclusive life and the means of communication were wanting, the grand aim which the Divine scheme had in view was the upliftment and unification of the whole human race. Humanity could not remain for ever divided into water-tight compartments of nationality, formed on the basis of blood or geographical limitations. In fact these divisions had, through jealousy, become the means of discord and hatred among different nations, each looking upon itself as the only chosen nation, and despising the rest. Such views tended to extinguish any faint glimmerings of aspirations for the unity of the human race. The final step, therefore, in the institution of prophethood was the coming of one prophet for all the nations, so that the consciousness of being one whole might be brought to the human race. The day of the national prophet was ended; it had served the purpose for which it was meant, and the day of the world-prophet dawned upon humanity in the person of Holy Prophet Muhammad.

The idea of the world-prophet is not based on a solitary passage occurring in the Holy Qur’an, as to the extent of the mission of this or that prophet; but is a fully developed Divine scheme. When mentioning the earlier prophets, the Holy Qur’an says that Noah was sent “to his people”, and so Hud and Salih and Shu‘aib — every one of them was sent to his people. It speaks of Moses as being commanded to “bring forth thy people from darkness into light”, it speaks of Jesus as “a messenger to the children of Israel” but in speaking of Holy Prophet Muhammad it says in unequivocal words that “We have not sent thee but as a bearer of good news and as a warner to all mankind. On another occasion also, the universality of the Holy Prophet’s mission is thus stressed: “Say, O mankind, surely I am the Messenger of Allah to you all, of Him, Whose is the kingdom of the heavens and the earth” (7:158). One thing is sure that no other prophet is spoken of either in the Holy Qur’an or in any other scripture as having been sent to the whole of humanity or to all people or all nations; nor is Holy Prophet Muhammad ever spoken of in the Holy Qur’an as having been sent to his people only. The Holy Qur’an itself is repeatedly termed “a Reminder for the nations”. And the Holy Prophet is not only a warner to all the nations but a mercy to all of them as well: “And We have not sent thee but as a mercy to the nations” (21:107).

The idea that a world-prophet must follow the national prophets is further developed in the Holy Qur’an. It is in a Madinah revelation that the whole proposition, the appearance of a world prophet, the distinguishing feature of his religion and the necessity for believing in him is laid down in clear words. The complete passage is as follows: “And when Allah made a covenant through the prophets: Certainly what I have given you of Book and wisdom — then a messenger comes to you verifying that which is with you, you shall believe in him, and you shall aid him. He said: Do you affirm and accept My compact in this matter? They said: We do affirm. He said: Then bear witness, and I too am of the bearers of witness with you. Whoever then turns back after this, these are the transgressors. Seek they then other than Allah’s religion? And to Him submits whoever is in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly, and to Him they will be returned. Say: We believe in Allah and that which is revealed to us, and that which was revealed to Abraham, and Ishmael and Isac and Jacob and the tribes, and that which was given to Moses and Jesus and to the prophets from their Lord; we do not make any distinction between any of them, and to Him we submit. And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will not be accepted from him, and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers” (3:81-85).

That a world-prophet is spoken of here is evident from the fact that his acceptance — “you must believe in him and you must aid him” — is made obligatory on the followers of all the prophets that had passed away before him. As prophets had been sent, according to the teachings of the Holy Qur’an, to every nation, the conclusion is obvious that the followers of every prophet are required to believe in this, the final prophet. The distinguishing feature of the world-prophet as mentioned here is that he will “verify that which is with you,” in other words, that he will bear testimony to the truth of all the prophets of the world. One may turn the pages of all the sacred books and search the sacred history of every nation, and it would be found that there was but one prophet who verified the scriptures of all religions and bore testimony to the truth of the prophets of every nation. In fact, no one could aspire to the dignity of world-prophet who did not treat the whole of humanity as one; and Muhammad is the only man who did so by declaring that prophets of God had appeared in every nation and that every one who believed in him must also believe in all the prophets of the world. Hence it is that the verse requiring a belief in all the prophets of God — a belief in Abraham, in Ishmael, in Isac, in Jacob, in Moses, in Jesus, and finally and comprehensively in the prophets, — which occurs several times in the Holy Qur’an, is repeated here again, and followed by the clear statement that Islam, or belief in all the prophets of God, is the only religion with God, and whosoever desires a religion other than Islam — a belief only in one prophet while rejecting all others — it shall not be accepted from him, because belief in one prophet is, after all, only acceptance of partial truth, and tantamount to the rejection of the whole truth, to wit, that there have been prophets in every nation.

Muhammad (peace be on him), therefore, does not only claim to have been sent to the whole world, to be a warner to all peoples and a mercy to all nations but lays the foundations of a world-religion, by making a belief in the prophet of every nation the basic principle of his faith. It is the only principle on which the whole of humanity can agree, the only basis of equal treatment for all nations. The idea of a world-prophet is not a stray idea met with in the Holy Qur’an; it is not based simply on one or two passages, stating that he had been raised for the regeneration of all nations; but the idea is here developed at length, and all the principles which can form the basis of a world-religion are fully enunciated. The whole of humanity is declared to be one nation (2:213); God is said to be the Rabb (lit. the Nourisher unto perfection) of all nations (1:1); prophets are declared to have been raised in all the nations for their uplift (35:24); all prejudices of colour, race and language are demolished (30:22; 49:13); and a vast brotherhood, extending over all the world, has been established, every member of which is bound to accept the prophets of all nations, and to treat all nations equally. Thus not only is the Holy Prophet Muhammad a world-prophet who takes the place of the national prophets but he had also established a world-religion wherein the idea of nationality is superseded by the consciousness of the unity of the human race.

All prophets, being from God, are as it were brethren. This doctrine of the brotherhood of all prophets is not only taught in the interdiction against making distinctions between the prophets of God, as stated above, but is laid down in the plainest words in both the Holy Qur’an and Hadith. Thus, after speaking of various prophets in the chapter Prophets, we are told: “Surely this your community is a single community” (21:92). And again: “O ye messengers, eat of the good things and do good. Surely I am Knower of what you do. And surely this your community is one community and I am your Lord”. (23:51, 52). Hadith also tells us that all prophets are as brothers: “The prophets are, as it were, brothers on the mother’s side, their affair is one and their followers are different”. (Bu. 60:48). Every prophet may have some special characteristic of his own, but, generally, what is said of one in the Holy Qur’an, of his high morals or sublime character or noble teachings or trust in God, is true of all. Thus of Abraham we are told that he was a “a truthful man” (19:41); of Moses that he was “one purified” (19:51), or that he was “brought up before My eyes” (20:39); of Ishmael that he was “truthful in promise” or “one in whom his Lord was well pleased” (19:54, 55); of Noah, Hud, Salih, and Lot that they were “faithful” (26:107, 125, 143, 162); of Jesus that he was “worthy of regard in this world and the Hereafter, and one of those who are drawn nigh to Allah” (3:45); of John the Baptist that “We granted him wisdom … and kind-heartedness from Us and purity, and he was dutiful and kindly to his parents and he was not insolent, disobedient (19:12-14), or that he was “honourable and chaste” (3:39). It is the gravest mistake to think that the high qualities attributed to one prophet may be wanting in others. The prophets are all one community; they were all raised for one purpose; the teachings of all were essentially the same; they were all truthful, all faithful, all worthy of regard; all were made near to God, all were pure, all of them guarded against evil, all were honourable and chaste, and none of them was insolent or disobedient to God.

The prophets are raised for the uplift of humanity and for freeing men from the bondage of sin. It has been shown in the last chapter that Divine revelation was needed to enable man to subdue the devil, who would, otherwise, be a great hindrance in his moral and spiritual progress. Man was commanded to live in a spiritual paradise, but since he was unable to withstand the temptations of the devil, the Divine revelation came to his aid; and a rule for all time was laid down for the guidance of all men: “There will come to you a guidance from Me, then whoever follows My guidance, no fear shall come upon them, nor shall they grieve” (2:38). The negation of fear refers to the fear of the devil’s temptation, as a remedy against which Divine revelation was first granted to man. Again, every prophet brings the message of the Unity of God, and the significance underlying this message has already been shown (in ch.2) to be the all-round advancement of man, physical as well as spiritual and moral. And every prophet is called giver of good news (mubashshir) and warner (mundhir) (2:213); the good news relating to his advancement and elevation, the warning to the retarding of or interference with his progress. The four works entrusted to the Holy Prophet, as mentioned several times in the Holy Qur’an, are stated thus: “We have sent a Messenger to you from among you who recites to you Our messages and purifies you and teaches you the Book and the Wisdom” (2:151, etc). The Arabic word for purifying is yuzakki which is derived from zaka, originally meaning, according to Raghib, the progress attained by Divine blessing (i.e. by the development of the faculties placed by God within man), and relates to the affairs of this world as well as the Hereafter, that is to say, to man’s physical as well as spiritual advancement. The Holy Prophet’s message of purification, therefore, signifies not only purification from sin but also man’s setting forth on the road to physical and moral advancement. All these references to the Holy Book show that the object of sending prophets was no other than the uplift of man, to enable him to subjugate his animal passions, to inspire him with nobler and higher sentiments, and to imbue him with Divine morals.

The men who are commissioned for the high office of prophethood must themselves be free from the bondage of sin, and more than that be the possessors of high morals if they are to fulfil the mission entrusted to them. The doctrine of the sinlessness of prophets has therefore always been an admitted principle among Muslims. Christian writers on Islam, however, have laboured to show that this doctrine is opposed to the Holy Qur’an, but nothing could be further from the truth. The Holy Qur’an not only speaks of individual prophets in terms of the highest praise, but also lays down clearly in general terms that the prophets cannot go, either in word or in deed, against any commandment of God: “And We sent no messenger before thee but We revealed to him that there is no God but Me, so serve Me, And they say, The Beneficent God has taken to Himself a son. Glory be to Him! Nay, they are honoured servants; they speak not before He speaks and according to His command they act” (21:25-27). And elsewhere it is said: “It is not for a prophet to act dishonestly” (3:161). These two verses set out in general words the principle of the sinlessness of prophets, while it has already been shown how each individual prophet has been spoken of in terms of the highest praise; one is called a Siddiq (i.e., one who has never told a lie); another is said to have been purified by God’s hand and to have been brought up in the Divine presence; a third is described as being one in whom God was well pleased; a fourth is mentioned as having been granted purity and as one who guarded against evil and never disobeyed; a fifth is said to be worthy of regard and one of those who are near to God; and many of them, including the Holy Prophet Muhammad, are described as being amin, which means one who is completely faithful to God. The Quran, therefore leaves not the least doubt as to the sinlessness of the prophets.

There are, however, certain words which have been misunderstood by some critics, who have straightway rushed to the erroneous conclusion that the Holy Qur’an gives no support to the doctrine of the sinlessness of prophets. The most important of these words is istighfar which is generally taken as meaning asking for forgiveness of sins. It, however, carries a wide significance. Seeking of protection from sin is as much a meaning of istighfar as the seeking of protection from the punishment of sin. When it is established that, according to the teachings of the Holy Qur’an, the prophets are sinless, istighfar can, in their case, only be taken as meaning the seeking of protection from the sins to which man is liable, for it is through Divine protection alone that they can remain sinless. Hence the Holy Prophet is spoken of in a hadith as saying istighfar a hundred times a day; that is to say, he was every moment seeking the protection of God, and praying to Him, that he may not go against His will. Istighfar or the prayer for protection (ghafr) is in fact a prayer for Divine help in the advancement to higher and higher stages of spiritual perfection. Thus, even those who have been admitted into Paradise are described as praying to God for His ghafr: “Our Lord! make perfect for us our light and grant us protection (ghaffir); surely, Thou art possessor of power over all things” (66:8). The ordinary rendering is “forgive us”, but forgiveness, in the narrow sense of pardoning of sins, is meaningless here, because none can be admitted into Paradise unless his sins are pardoned. Ghafr or forgiveness, therefore, stands here for Divine help in the spiritual advancement of man, which will continue even after death. On another occasion, maghfirah, which is the same as ghafr, is described as a blessing of Paradise: “For them therein are all fruits and protection (maghfirat) from their Lord” (47:15). Maghfirat is therefore one of the blessings which the righteous shall enjoy in Paradise, and therefore a Divine help in the onward progress of man therein.

Another misunderstood word is dhanb which is generally translated as meaning sin; but dhanb also is a word with a very wide significance. It is as much applicable to sins due to perversity as to shortcomings resulting from inadvertence. In respect of the latter, there is a vast difference between the righteous man and the sinner. A righteous man, without in the least departing from the course of righteousness, would always feel that he had fallen short in doing some good to humanity or in doing his duty to God; and thus, even though he is engaged in doing good, he feels that there is something lacking in him. Between the shortcoming of such a one and that of the sinner is a world of difference. The sinner’s shortcoming or dhanb is that he has set himself against the will of God deliberately and done evil, while the righteous man’s shortcoming lies in the fact that he is not satisfied that he has done all the good that it was in his power to do.

Another word which requires to be explained in this connection is khat’a or khata’. This word too has a wide significance and covers all unintended actions and mistakes and errors of judgment. Its mention, therefore, in connection with a prophet, does not imply sinfulness.

Christian criticism of Islam has been particularly directed against the doctrine of the sinlessness of the prophets, and this, as already pointed out, is due to the Christian doctrine of Atonement which falls ipso facto the moment any one else is regarded as sharing with Jesus Christ the honour of sinlessness. This criticism is, however, based, not on any principle enunciated in the Holy Qur’an, for it is there stated in clear words that all prophets of God are faithful, both in word and deed, to the Divine commandments, but on certain cases of individual prophets. Most of this misdirected criticism is due to a wrong conception of the four words explained above, viz., ghafr, istighfar, dhanb and khata’. For example, it is said that Noah was a sinner because he prayed to God, saying: “My Lord! I seek refuge in Thee from asking Thee that of which I have no knowledge. And unless Thou forgive (taghfir) me and have mercy on me, I shall be of the losers” (11:47). The word used for forgiving is from ghafr, which, as shown above, also means the granting of protection and the prayer has not the remotest reference to any confession of sin on the part of Noah. Similarly, Abraham is looked upon as a sinner because he is spoken of as expressing the hope that God “will forgive me my mistake (khati’ati) on the Day of Judgement” (26:82). It is one thing to commit a mistake and quite a different thing to go against the Divine commandments, and no sensible critic could twist such words into a confession of sin.

The Holy Prophet Muhammad is said by these critics of Islam to be a sinner because he is commended to seek Divine protection (istaghfir) for his dhanb (40:55). Now to seek protection against sin does not mean that sin has been commited — he who seeks Divine protection rather guards himself against the commission of sin; and, moreover, the word used here is dhanb which means any human shortcoming. The following verses may, however, be discussed at greater length: “Surely We have granted thee a clear victory, that Allah may cover for thee thy (alleged) shortcomings in the past and those to come” (48:1, 2). The Arabic words used are dhanbi-ka. Even if the meaning thy dhanb or thy fault is adopted, there is no imputation of sin, but only of human shortcomings, for, as has been already shown, dhanb carries that wider significance. But as a matter of fact dhanbi-ka here means the dhanb attributed to thee not thy dhanb. The victory spoken of in the first sentence is, on the best authority, the Hudaibiyah truce. During a prolonged state of hostilities, between the Muslims and their opponents, the latter had had no opportunity for reflecting on the beauties of Islam, but had, in fact, contracted a certain hatred towards it. They did not come into contact with the Holy Prophet except as enemies on the field of battle, and hence they drew a dark picture of him as an enemy. The truce drawn up at Hudaibiyah was a victory for Islam, or, at any rate, a gain to the cause of Islam, since it put a stop to hostilities; and peace being established in the country, the non-Muslims freely mixed with the Muslims, and the good points of Islam together with the high morality of the Holy Prophet made their impression. Misunderstandings were removed, and people began to be attracted by the bright picture of Islam. It was in this sense that the Hudaibiyah truce, which is called a clear victory of Islam, became the means of protection (ghafr) to the Holy Prophet against the evil things which had been said concerning him. It was a victory over the hearts of men, and it changed their mental attitude towards Islam, while the number of Muslims increased by leaps and bounds. The reference in “those to come” is to the later carpings of the critics of Islam, and means that evil things will be said about the Holy Prophet at a later date as well, and that all such misrepresentations and misunderstandings will, in their turn, be swept away.

Moses is also said to have committed a sin by killing a Copt, but the Holy Qur’an makes it clear that he simply used his fist to ward off an attack against an Israelite who was being illtreated (28:15), and thus death was only accidental. No law would hold a man to be guilty under such circumstances. It is true that the word dzall is used of Moses in connection with this incident on another occasion (26:20), but dzalla means he was perplexed or confused (LL.), and it is in this sense that the word is used there. Dzall is also employed with reference to Holy Prophet Muhammad in 93:7 in almost the same sense, i.e., one unable, by himself, to find the way to prophethood (R.). This is not only made clear by the context but also by the history of the Holy Prophet’s life, which shows that from his very childhood he shunned not only idolatry but all the evil practices of Arab society. Living in the midst of such a society, he was not only free from its evils but was further anxious to find a way for its delivery from those evils. He saw around him the degraded condition of a fallen humanity but could not see the way to raise it up; it was God Who showed him that way, as the verse runs: “(Did He not) find thee groping, so He showed the way” (93:7).

Concerning Adam, it is undoubtedly said that “Adam disobeyed his Lord” (20:121), but even here there is no commission of sin, for as a preliminary to that incident, it is clearly stated: “And certainly We gave a commandment to Adam before, but he forgot; and We found in him no resolve (to disobey)” (20:115). There was no intention on the part of Adam to disobey the Divine commandment; it was simply forgetfulness that brought about the disobedience. In 2:36, where the same incident is related, the word used instead of disobedience is a derivation of zallat which means a slip or a mistake. Thus, individually, none of the prophets is spoken of in the Holy Qur’an as having committed a sin, and therefore the doctrine of the sinlessness of the prophets is unassailable.

The word employed in the Holy Qur’an for miracle is ayat, the primary meaning of which is an apparent sign or mark by which a thing is known (R). As there used, it generally carries one of two significations, an indication, evidence or proof, and a Divine message or communication. In the first sense, it includes the miracle in its meaning, and in the second, a verse of the Quran. The adoption of the same word to indicate a Divine message and its proof is noteworthy. It shows that the Divine message itself is first and foremost proof of its own truth, and hence it is that the Holy Qur’an has always been looked upon by all Muslims as the greatest miracle of the Holy Prophet. And it is indeed the greatest miracle ever vouchsafed to a prophet because it stands in need of no other evidence whatever, but is itself a living proof of its own truth for all time.

Christian writers on Islam are generally of opinion that though the Holy Qur’an records certain miracles of other prophets, it denies that any signs at all were vouchsafed to Holy Prophet Muhammad save and except the Holy Book itself. It is true that the Qur’anic conception of miracles is quite different from that of the Christian. In Christianity, miracles are all in all. Not only do they take the place of argument, but the central doctrine of the Christian religion is itself based on an alleged miracle. For what is the rising of Jesus from the dead but a miracle? And a miracle, too, without a shred of evidence. Yet if Jesus did not rise from the dead, the pillar on which the whole structure of Christianity rests crashes to the ground. The basic doctrine of Christianity thus being a miracle, it is not surprising that, in the Gospels, miracles take the place, not only of argument, but also of religious duties, moral teachings and spiritual awakening. The dead are made to rise from the graves, multitudes of the sick are healed, sight is restored to the blind, the lame are made to walk, the deaf to hear, water is turned into wine, devils are cast out and many other wonderful deeds are done. That these are only exaggerations or misunderstandings or even pure inventions is quite another matter; the impression one gains is that the great object before the reformer is not to bring about a transformation by implanting faith in God in the mind of man; and that conviction of the truth is sought, not by argument or appeal to the heart , but by overawing the mind by the miraculous. The conception of the miracle, as given by the Holy Qur’an, is quite different. Here the supreme object before the Holy Prophet is to effect a moral and spiritual transformation; the means adopted are an appeal to the reasoning faculty, an appeal to the heart of man to convince him that the Divine message is meant for his own uplift, and lessons drawn from previous history showing how the acceptance of truth has always benefited man, and its rejection has worked to his own undoing. The miracle has its own place in the Divine scheme; something great and beyond human power and comprehension is wrought now and again to show that the source of the great Message of Truth is supernatural, Divine. Thus the Holy Qur’an makes it clear that the bringing about of a transformation is the real object for which prophets are raised, that this object is attained by several means, each of which, therefore, has but a secondary value, and that among these evidences of the truth of the Holy Prophet, the miracle occupies not the highest place.

Thus it is that, while the Holy Qur’an is full of arguments, makes frequent appeals to human nature, and repeatedly refers to the histories of previous peoples, the mention of miracles in it is very rare. But still they are not denied: “And they swear their strongest oaths by Allah that if a sign came to them they would most certainly believe in it. Say, Signs are with Allah. And what should make you know that when they come they believe not” (6:109). The words “signs are only with Allah” clearly imply, as do those that follow, that extraordinary signs will be shown as an evidence of the Divine mission of the Holy Prophet. Strange it is that there are critics who see in this verse a denial of signs, only because it is said that signs are with God. It is true that the Holy Qur’an does not represent Holy Prophet Muhammad as a wonder-worker, as the Gospels represent Jesus Christ. Signs were shown, not when the Holy Prophet so desired, or when his opponents demanded, but when it was the will of God; hence, whenever an extraordinary sign of the Holy Prophet’s truth was demanded, the reply was that such a sign would come when God willed it.

Another much misunderstood verse of the Quran relating to the showing of signs is: “And nothing hindered Us from sending signs, but the ancients rejected them … and We send not signs, but to warn.”(17:59) These words do not signify that because the former people had rejected the signs, therefore God would send no more. Had this been their meaning, God would have ceased to send even Divine messages, because the ancients had already rejected such messages. But since the word ayat means both a sign and a communication, the argument of rejection applies to both equally well. The meaning of the words is quite clear. If anything could have been considered as hindering God from sending a new communication or a sign, it would surely have been the rejection of such by previous generations, but it never did. The Divine Being has been equally merciful to all generations, and rejection by former was no ground for depriving later generations of signs and Divine guidance.

As already stated, the greatest miracle of Islam is the Holy Qur’an . Nor is this an after-thought on the part of the Muslims, for the Holy Book itself claims to be a miracle and has challenged the world to produce its like: “If men and jinn should combine together to bring the like of this Qur’an, they could not bring the like of it, though some of them were aiders of others” (17:88). “Or, say they, He has forged it. Say: Then bring ten forged chapters like it, and call upon whom you can besides Allah, if you are truthful” (11:13). “Or, say they: He has forged it? Say: Then bring a chapter like it, and invite whom you can besides Allah, if you are truthful”(10:38). “And if you are in doubt as to that which We have revealed to Our servant, then produce a chapter like it, and call on your helpers besides Allah, if you are truthful” (2:23).

The proof of this claim lies in the result achieved—a miraculous transformation — which has been acknowledged alike by friends and critics of Islam. Some of the recent writers say: “It was the one miracle claimed by Mohammed—his ‘standing miracle’ he called it; and a miracle indeed it is”. “The Qoran is unapproachable as regards convincing power, eloquence and even composition … Never has a people been led more rapidly to civilization, such as it was, than were the Arabs through Islam”. “A more disunited people it would be hard to find, till suddenly, the miracle took place! A man arose who, by his personality and by his claim to direct Divine guidance, actually brought about the impossible — namely the union of all these warring factions.” “That the best of Arab writers has never succeeded in producing anything equal in merit to the Qur’an itself is not surprising”.

In short, the Holy Qur’an is a miracle because it brought about the greatest transformation that the world has ever witnessed—a transformation of the individual, of the family, of society, of the nation, of the country, an awakening material as well as moral, intellectual as well as spiritual. It produced an effect far greater than that of any other miracle recorded of any prophet; hence its claim to be the greatest of all miracles is incontestable and uncontested.

Of all miracles, the Holy Qur’an gives the first place to prophecy, and, in fact, prophecy does, in some respects, enjoy a distinction beyond that attributed to other miracles. Miracles generally are manifestation of the powers of God, and prophecy gives prominence to God’s infinite knowledge which comprehends the future as well as the past and present. But there is one great disadvantage attaching to all miracles which are merely manifestations of power. It is very difficult to secure reliable evidence for them under all circumstances. Certain men may have witnessed the performance of such a miracle and their evidence may satisfy their contemporaries, but, with the lapse of time, their testimony loses much of its value. Therefore a miracle stands in need of being proved up to the hilt before it may be used as evidence of a prophet’s claim, and in most cases it is very hard, if not impossible, to adduce any proof that the miracle ever actually took place. Another difficulty in the matter of miracles generally is to be found in the fact that, however wonderful a performance, it may be explained scientifically, and thus lose all value as a sign of the Divine mission of its worker. Take for instance the great miracles of Jesus Christ. The greatest of these is his raising the dead to life, and in one case, that of the ruler’s daughter, Jesus is reported as saying: “The maid is not dead, but sleepeth” (Mt.9:24). There was no doctor’s certificate at hand to show that the maid actually was dead, and, notwithstanding the impression of the relatives that such was the case, Jesus Christ himself knew that she was only sleeping or, perhaps, in a state of stupor. If then the disciples did not misunderstand his symbolical words—and Jesus used to talk much in figurative language—there is still the possibility that a person who was taken for dead was not actually dead. And this is exactly what happened in the case of Jesus himself who was taken for dead but was not actually dead, as is shown by facts recorded about him in the Gospels. Jesus’ miracles of healing are still more doubtful in view of the fact that similar miracles were also performed by his opponents, and that there was, as we have seen, a Pool of Healing in those days, which restored sight to the blind and cured all kinds of ailments. Such doubts, however, do not exist in the case of prophecy, which can stand the test of scientific investigation. Moreover, the evidence in such case rests on a firmer basis altogether, and its fulfilment generally comes to pass after a long time. A prophecy which proceeds from a Divine source must, of course, disclose some event which is beyond the scope of human knowledge and which cannot possibly be discovered by human foresight. It must also be connected with some deep Divine purpose in relation to the elevation of humanity, for prophecies are not meant merely to satisfy human curiosity. Lastly, it must have behind it the force of conviction, so that it is not only uttered with the utmost certainty but even in circumstances which apparently conflict with what is disclosed in the prophecy. A prophecy that fulfils these three conditions is one of the greatest miracles, a miracle which by an appeal to reason shows that there is a God Who reveals deep secrets to man and with Whom man can hold communion.

The prophecies mentioned in the Holy Qur’an and those uttered by the Holy Prophet, of which Hadith literature is full, cover so vast a ground and relate to a future so distant that they require separate treatment. But one example may be given in illustration of what has been said above. The Holy Qur’an gives prominence to the great prophecy of the triumph of Islam, and its earlier chapters are full of such prophecies uttered in various forms. Now these chapters were revealed, and these prophecies announced, at a time when the Holy Prophet was quite alone and helpless, beset on all sides by enemies plotting to put an end to his life. The few adherents to his cause had been forced by cruel persecution to leave their homes and to take shelter in a foreign land. There was not the remotest prospect of Islam ever making any headway against the mighty forces of polytheism and idolatry, the mass of superstition and evil of every kind ranged against it. All previous attempts at the regeneration of Arabia, those of the Jewish nation which had settled down in various parts of Arabia, of the Christian missionaries who had the backing of the powerful Roman empire on the north and of Abyssinia in the south and west, the indigenous Arab attempt known as Hanifism, had all proved utter failures, and thus the fate of each previous attempt was only a symbol of despair for any fresh reform movement. Yet under these adverse circumstances, amidst nothing but despair on every side, we find prophecy after prophecy announced in the surest and most certain terms to the effect that the great forces of opposition would be brought to naught, that the enemies of Islam would be put to shame and perish, that Islam would become the religion of the whole of Arabia, that the empire of Islam would be established and battles be fought in which the Muslims would be victorious and the enemy brought low, that Islam would spread to the farthest corners of the earth and that it would ultimately be triumphant over the religions of the world.

All this has been stated in the Holy Qur’an in plain words, and at a time when there was not the least prospect of Islam gaining ground, and all this was brought to fulfilment, against all expectation, in the lifetime of the Holy Prophet. No one who has the slightest acquaintance with the Holy Qur’an and the history of Islam can have any doubts on this score.

The value of prophecy, as a miracle of Islam, is, however, much more extensive. There are great and wonderful prophecies in the Book, and more still in Hadith, extending into the far future, many of which have been fulfilled in our own age, and almost every generation of Muslims sees with its own eyes the fulfilment of one or more of these great prophecies, and needs not to turn the pages of history to find out what miracles were performed by the Holy Prophet in a previous age. Another feature of this miracle is that it has been vouchsafed even to the righteous followers of the Holy Prophet in every age. Thus it is not only the Holy Prophet’s own prophecies that are witnessed in every age, for prophecy is also a heritage to his devout and faithful followers.

There is one more point on which light should be thrown in connection with the place of prophets in Islam, and that is the doctrine of intercession. The Arabic word for intercession is shafa‘at which signifies the joining of a man to another assisting him, especially, when a man who enjoys a high rank and honour joins himself to a man of a lower position (R.). In the Holy Qur’an, God is spoken of as the real Intercessor (Shafi‘): “There is no protector (waliyy) for them, nor any intercessor (Shafi‘) besides Him” (6:51,70). And on another occasion: “Allah’s is the intercession altogether” (39:44). It is sometimes spoken of in connection with the Divine control of things: “Allah is He Who created the heavens and the earth and what is between them in six periods, and He is established on the Throne of Power. You have not besides Him a guardian or an intercessor. Will you not then mind?” (32:4). Thus intercession, according to the Holy Qur’an, is really in the hands of God, just as the control of things is really in His hands, and hence the oft-repeated expression that none can intercede with God except with His permission (10:3; 2:255).

Intercession is denied in the case of those that are set up as gods: “And they will have no intercessors from among their associate gods” (30:13); “And they serve besides Allah that which can neither harm them nor profit them, and they say, These are our intercessors with Allah” (10:18).

Among those who can intercede with God with His permission, angels are mentioned. “And how many angels are in the heavens whose intercession avails not except after Allah gives permission to whom He pleases and chooses” (53:26). Prophets are also spoken of as intercessors: “And We sent no messenger before thee but We revealed to him that there is no God but Me, therefore serve Me. And they say, The Beneficent (God) has taken to Himself a son. Glory be to Him! Nay, they are honoured servants. They speak not before He speaks and according to His command they act. He knows what is before them and what is behind them, and they intercede not except for him whom He approves” (21:25-28). Believers are also spoken of as interceding: “And those whom they call upon besides Him control not intercession, but he who bears witness to the Truth and they know (him)” (43:86). Since every believer bears witness to the Truth, this verse may fairly be taken as referring to the intercession of believers. Another verse is as follows: “They have no power of intercession, save him who has made a covenant with the Beneficent (God)” (19:87), since every true believer may be said to have made a covenant with God, the verse apparently also speaks of the intercession of true believers. Hadith also speaks of the intercession of God, of angels, of prophets and of believers. Thus a report relating to shafa‘at, accepted by both Bukhari and Muslim, concludes with the words: “Then Allah will say, The angels have interceded and the prophets have interceded and the believers have interceded, and there remains the most Merciful of all merciful ones; then He will take a handful out of the fire and bring forth from it a people who have never done any good” (M. 1:72). It may be noted that the handful of God cannot leave anything behind.

As already shown, with reference to Arabic lexicons, the true meaning of shafa‘at is the rendering of assistance by one who holds a high position to one in a low position and standing in need of such help. The word has been used in exactly the same sense in the Holy Qur’an. The idea of mediation, which depicts a wrathful Being, on the one hand, determined to execute the sentence of punishment, and, on the other, a suppliant on behalf of a sinner, is not the Qur’anic sense of intercession or shafa‘at. For here the real intercessor or Shafi is God Himself, not the wrathful God Who is bound to punish the sinners for what they have or even for what they have not done, but the most Merciful of all merciful ones, Who is moved for humanity’s sake to such an extent that He takes out from the fire even those who have never done any good. The intercession (shafa‘at) of God is, therefore, the merciful Divine help which enables the sinners to escape from the evil consequences of what they have done, when all other means have failed.

The intercession of angels is thus spoken of in the Holy Qur’an: “Those who bear the Throne of power and those around it celebrate the praise of their Lord and believe in Him and ask protection for those who believe: Our Lord, Thou embracest all things in mercy and knowledge, so protect those who turn (to Thee) and follow Thy way, and save them from the chastisement of hell: Our Lord, make them enter the Gardens of perpetuity which Thou hast promised them and such of their fathers and their wives and their offspring as are good. Surely Thou art the Mighty, the Wise. And guard them from evil, and whom Thou guardest from evil this day, Thou hast indeed mercy on him, and that is the mighty achievement”(40:7-9). “The heavens may almost be rent asunder above them, while the angels celebrate the praise of their Lord and ask forgiveness for those on earth. Now surely Allah is the Forgiving, the Merciful” (42:5).

In the first of these passages, the angels are spoken of as asking for Divine protection and Divine mercy for the believers specially, though their fathers, wives and offspring are afterwards included; and in the second passage, the angels are spoken of as asking forgiveness for believers as well as unbelievers. The intercession of the angels is, therefore, common to both believers and unbelievers. The spiritual relation of the angel with man is one of prompting to noble and virtuous deeds, and hence the angels’ intercession is in connection with those who have done some sort of good, whether they be believers in a prophet or not. And this intercession takes the form of a prayer that mercy and forgiveness be shown by God to His creatures.

Divine mercy is also manifested through the prophets, and this is the intercession (shafa‘at) of the prophets. It is a mistake to suppose that it will be exercised only on the Day of Judgment; nor is it limited to the prayers of forgiveness for the dead. The prophet’s intercession is witnessed in the change he brings about in the life of a people, in delivering them from the bondage of evil, and setting them on the road to advancement. Thus it is stated that the Holy Prophet Muhammad was raised so that he might purify the people, and the miraculous purification of Arabia and its advancement, physical, intellectual, moral and spiritual, is the clearest evidence of the success of his intercession (shafa‘at). He prayed incessantly for the well-being of his followers, and his prayer is said to be “a relief ” to those for whom he prayed. He is also commanded to seek God’s protection for them, and this was clearly, as in the case of angels, intercession on their behalf.

The intercession of the believers is of a similar nature. The believers who are on a higher spiritual plane help those who are on a lower level, by their example and by their prayer. Intercession by example is clearly spoken of in the Quran: Whoever intercedes (yashfa ‘) in a good cause (shafa‘at-an hasanat-an) has a share of it” (4: 85). The original word used here is shafa‘at, and the meaning is that when a man sets a good example which others follow and benefit thereby, he is rewarded for it.

It is clear from the above that the doctrine of intercession (shafa‘at) in Islam is really meant to give expression to the boundless mercy of the Divine Being. This shafa‘at is exercised, in the first instance, in this life. There are the angels of God who prompt men to do good and pray to God that men may be saved from falling into evil, and that Divine blessings and mercy may be extended to them; there are the prophets of God who are commissioned with the express object of delivering men from the bondage of sin and setting them on the right course to advancement and who, by their example and by their prayers, lead men out of the darkness of evil into the light of the Divine mercy and blessings; and there are believers who have attained to perfection, and who, following in the footsteps of the great prophets of God, intercede for those who are left behind. But, according to the Holy Qur’an, the progress of man is not limited to this life. Far more extensive fields of activity are awaiting him in the life after death, and the Day of Resurrection is the great day when the consequences of all good and evil deeds shall be made fully manifest. The intercession (shafa‘at) of Holy Prophet Muhammad on that day is given precedence and the greatest prominence, according to a hadith. This is so because even in this life, the shafa‘at exercised by him transcends that of every other prophet. The material, moral and spiritual revolution brought about by Holy Prophet Muhammad has been so tremendous that by a consensus of opinion he is admitted to be the “most successful of all prophets and religious personalities.” God had been showering His blessings on mankind through angels and through prophets and their righteous followers, and the help which they have rendered to mankind is itself evidence that in the higher life they will render similar help; but, inasmuch as God’s mercy knows no bounds, even those who responded neither to the call of the angel in this life, nor to the call of the prophets of God, nor yet to the call of other righteous servants of God, those who, in the words of the hadith already referred to, have never done any good, shall be lifted up by Divine mercy, by the most Merciful of all merciful ones, and being delivered from the evil consequences of what they have wrought, shall be set up on the road to unlimited progress which the Resurrection shall open up for mankind.

In the Holy Qur’an, the Holy Prophet Muhammad is spoken of as the last of the prophets: “Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but he is the Messenger of Allah and the last of the prophets (khatam al-nabiyyin), and Allah is ever Knower of all things” (33:40.) The words khatam al-nabiyyin and khatim al-nabiyyin mean the last of the prophets, for both the words khatam and khatim mean the last portion of anything (LL.). The best Arabic lexicologists are agreed that khatam al-qaum means the last of a people (TA.). The doctrine of the finality of prophethood in Muhammad, therefore, rests on the clear words of the Holy Qur’an.

Hadith is even clearer on this point. The meaning of khatam al-nabiyyin was thus explained by the Holy Prophet himself: “My example and the example of the Prophets before me is the example of a man who built a house and he made it very good and very beautiful with the exception of a stone in the corner, so people began to go around it and to wonder at it and to say, Why has not this stone been placed? The Holy Prophet said, I am this stone and I am the last of the prophets” (Bu. 61:18). This hadith, in which the Holy Prophet speaks of himself as the corner-stone of prophethood and the last of the Prophets, is related by Muslim and Tirmidhi as well, and also by Ahmad in more than ten places. Another report in which the Holy Prophet speaks of himself as the last of the prophets is contained in the following words: “The Israelites were led by prophets; whenever a prophet died, another came after him; surely after me there is no prophet, but there will be successors” (Bu. 60:50). This is also narrated by Muslim and Ahmad in several places. According to another hadith, the Holy Prophet is reported to have said to ‘Ali, when on the occasion of the Tabuk expedition he left him in Madinah in his place: “Art thou not pleased that thou shouldst stand to me in the same relation as Aaron stood to Moses except that there is no prophet after me” (Bu. 62:9). Similar reports in which the Holy Prophet made it clear that no prophet would appear after him abound in other books of Hadith.

The idea that prophethood came to a close in the person of Holy Prophet Muhammad is not a stray idea. On the other hand, it is the natural conclusion of the universalization of the theory of revelation which is the basic principle of the religion of Islam. Revelation, according to the Holy Qur’an, is not the solitary experience of this or that nation but the spiritual experience of the whole of the human race. Allah is spoken of in the very opening verse as the Rabb of all the nations of the world, the Nourisher unto perfection, physically as well as spiritually, of the whole human race. Starting from that broad basis, the Holy Qur’an develops the theory that prophets were sent to every nation: “There is not a people but a warner has gone among them” (35:24); “And for every nation there is a messenger” (10:47). At the same time it is stated that every prophet was sent to a single nation and, therefore, though prophethood was in one sense a universal fact, it was more or less a national institution, the scope of the preaching of every prophet being limited to his own nation. The advent of the Holy Prophet Muhammad universalized the institution of prophethood in a real sense. The day of the national prophet was over, and one prophet was raised for the whole world, for all nations and for all ages: “Blessed is He Who sent down the Furqan upon His servant that he may be a warner to the nations” (25:1). “Say: O mankind, surely I am the Messenger of Allah to you all, of Him, Whose is the kingdom of the heavens and the earth” (7:158). “And We have not sent thee but as a bearer of good news and as a warner to all mankind, but most men know not” (34: 28).

The world-prophet therefore took the place of the national prophets, and the grand idea of unifying the whole human race, and gathering it together under one banner, was thus brought to perfection. All geographical limitations were swept away as were all bars of colour and race, and the basis of the unity of the human race was laid upon the grand principle that the whole human race was one, and that all men, wherever they maybe found, were a single nation (2:213). Such unity could not be accomplished unless the finality of prophethood was established, for if prophets continued to appear after the world-prophet, they would undoubtedly demand the allegiance of this or that section, and shatter the very foundations of the unity at which Islam aimed by giving a single prophet to the whole world.

It may, however, be further added that by bringing prophethood to a close, Islam has not deprived the world of a blessing which was available to previous generations. The object of sending a prophet to a people was to make known the Divine will, and point out the ways by walking in which men could hold communion with God. That object was also brought to perfection through the great World-Prophet, whose message was so perfect that it met the requirements not only of all contemporary nations but of all future generations as well. This is plainly claimed by the Holy Qur’an, a claim not put forward by any other heavenly book or any other religion: “This day have I perfected for you your religion and completed My favour to you and chosen for you Islam as a religion” (5:3). The perfection of religion and the completion of the blessing of prophethood thus go hand in hand, and the blessing of prophethood being made complete in the person of the Holy Prophet, it is a distortion of facts to say that, if no more prophets appeared, the Muslims would be without the blessing of prophethood, since they possess that blessing in its most complete form. Religion being made perfect, and prophethood being made complete, there remained no need for another religion after Islam or for another prophet after Holy Prophet Muhammad.

There is a prophecy in books of Hadith which states that the Messiah would appear among the Muslims. The words in Bukhari are: “How would you feel when the son of Mary makes his appearance among you, and he will be your Imam from among yourselves (imamu-kum minkum)” (Bu. 60:49). In Muslim instead of imamu-kum min-kum, the words are amma-kum min-kum (M. 1:67), the significance being exactly the same as that of Bukhari’s words. This prophecy has given rise to a more or less general misconception that the Israelite prophet Jesus Christ would appear among the Muslims, a misconception due to not giving proper attention to the doctrine of finality of prophethood, for if there is no need for a prophet, as clearly set forth in the Holy Qur’an, neither a new nor an old prophet can appear. In fact, the appearance of an old prophet would be as much subversive to the doctrine of the finality of prophethood, and as derogatory to the dignity of the last prophet of the world, as would the appearance of a new prophet. The words of the prophecy are so clear that, if due attention had been paid to them, there could never have been a misconception. The son of Mary spoken of in the prophecy is clearly called “your Imam from among yourselves,” and therefore the Israelite prophet Jesus Christ, who was from among the Israelites, could not be meant.

The prophecy relating to the appearance of the Messiah among the Muslims is on all fours with the prophecy relating to the second advent of Elias (Elijah) among the Israelites. In fact, there is a strange coincidence between the cases of Elijah and Jesus Christ. Of Elijah it is said in the Bible: “Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven” (II kings 2:11). On the strength of this inspired evidence, the Jews believed that Elijah was alive in heaven. Then there was the prophecy: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord” (Mal. 4:5), which showed that he would return to this earth before the Messiah appeared. Yet these hopes based on such strong evidence were not fulfilled. Jesus Christ was confronted with this difficulty: “And his disciples asked him saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come? (Mt. 17:10). Jesus’ reply is recorded in the following words: “Elias truly shall first come … But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed … Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist” (Mt. 17:11-13). And John the Baptist was called Elias in prophecy because it had been said of him: “And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias” (Lk. 1:17).

Now of Jesus Christ it is nowhere said in the Holy Qur’an that he went up into heaven. On the other hand, it is plainly stated that he died a natural death. Therefore there is not the least ground for supposing that Jesus Christ is alive in heaven. Again, the Bible states that Elijah will be sent, but the Hadith prophecy about the advent of the Messiah adds the clear words that “he will be your Imam from among yourselves.” Even if Jesus had been alive and the words quoted above had not made clear the true significance of the prophecy, the analogy of the prophecy of Elijah’s advent would have been sufficient to eradicate all misconceptions regarding the re-appearance of Jesus Christ. But in addition to all this, there is the clearly defined and strongly established fact of the finality of prophethood which bars the advent of any prophet, old or new, after Holy Prophet Muhammad.

It must however be borne in mind that, as shown in the last chapter, Divine revelation is granted to prophets as well as to those who are not prophets, and that, therefore, though prophethood, being no more needed, has been brought to a close , the gift of Divine revelation to the righteous servants of God is still granted as heretofore. Men do not stand in need of a new prophet because they have a perfect law in the Holy Qur’an, but they do stand in need of Divine blessings, and Divine revelation is the highest of all blessings. Moreover, speaking is an attribute of the Divine Being, just as hearing and seeing are His attributes also, and Divine attributes never cease to function. It has also been shown in the last chapter that, according to a most reliable hadith, a part of prophethood called mubashshirat (lit., good visions) remains after prophethood has ceased (Bu. 92:5), and according to another, God speaks to the righteous in this community (ummah) though they are not prophets (Bu.62:6). There is another report showing that mujaddids (reformers) will appear among the Muslim: “Surely Allah will raise for this community (of Muslims), at the commencement of every century, one who will reform their religion” (AD. 36:1). A mujaddid is a reformer commissioned to remove errors that have crept in among the Muslims, and to shed new light on the great religious truths of Islam in the new circumstances which the Muslim community will be called upon to face.