The Seal of Nubuwwah
Sayyidunā Muḥammad Rasūlullāh ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam was the last and final Messenger deputed by Allāh Ta’ālā. There is no Messenger after him. This was decreed by Allāh Ta’ālā in eternity and was written between the shoulders of the first man, i.e., Sayyidunā Ādam ‘alayhi as-salām. Study the following report,
Sayyidunā Jābir raḍiyallāhu
‘anhu reports that the following was written between the shoulders of Sayyidunā
Ādam ‘alayhi as-salām, ‘Muḥammad Rasūlullāh Khātam An-Nabiyyīn.’ [Ibn ‘Asākir,
Khaṣā’iṣ Kubrā vol.1 p.7, Tarjumān-us-Sunnah vol.1 p.392]
From the very
beginning, Allāh Ta’ālā had announced the special quality of the final
Messenger that was to be deputed, that he is the seal of the Messengers. When
Sayyidunā Ādam ‘alayhi as-salām was sent to this world, this sign of the
finality of Nubuwwah was specified with the name of Sayyidunā Muḥammad Rasūlullāh
ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam. This was the divine system set about in the world
so that every Messenger that was to come, he will easily recognise and
understand that Sayyidunā Muḥammad Rasūlullāh ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam is
the final Messenger.
Imām Qurṭubī raḥimahullāh writes in the commentary of Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim that the seal of Nubuwwah was called the seal of Nubuwwah because it was a sign of the Nubuwwah of Rasūlullāh ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam (together with the many other signs). It is for this reason that scholars of the previous scriptures, pious and saintly men, priests and rabbis knew about this sign. In search of the truth and guidance, Sayyidunā Salmān Al-Fārsī raḍiyallāhu ‘anhu was informed by the last priest that he stayed with, that when searching for the final Messenger, he should look out for the sign denoting the finality of Nubuwwah on his back.
After Sayyidunā
Salmān raḍiyallāhu ‘anhu had come to Madīnah Munawwarah and realised that
Sayyidunā Muḥammad Rasūlullāh ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam had arrived, his joy
knew no bounds. He tried in various ways to peek through the clothes of the
last and final messenger, seeking the sign. Sayyidunā Muḥammad Rasūlullāh ṣallallāhu
‘alayhi wa sallam understood what he was looking for, he lifted his garment and
there it was, right before the eyes of Sayyidunā Salmān raḍiyallāhu ‘anhu. Out
of his immense joy and in an outburst of ecstasy, he kissed the seal of
Nubuwwah and embraced Islām.
As a young boy, when
Sayyidunā Muḥammad Rasūlullāh ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam had travelled to
Syria, the monk, Baḥīra said that he recognized him as the final Messenger
because of the seal on him.
It is part of the
unique and great wisdom of Allāh Ta’ālā that he placed the seal of Nubuwwah on
the back of Sayyidunā Muḥammad Rasūlullāh ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam in the
same spot where the writing was found on the body of Sayyidunā Ādam ‘alayhi
as-salām.
Sayyidunā ‘Alī raḍiyallāhu
‘anhu reports in Shamā’il Tirmidhī that the seal of Nubuwwah was between the
shoulders of Rasūlullāh ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam. This was an apparent
indication to one and all. There was no doubt in it and there can never be any
doubt about it either. People saw and witnessed the physical sign of the
finality of the Nubuwwah on the back of Sayyidunā Muḥammad Rasūlullāh ṣallallāhu
‘alayhi wa sallam.
Various descriptions
have been reported of the seal of Nubuwwah:
1. Sayyidunā As-Sa’ib ibn Yazīd raḍiyallāhu ‘anhu said: ‘My maternal aunt took me to
Rasūlullāh ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi
wa sallam and she
said; “O Messenger of Allḥh, my sister’s son is in pain!” He therefore stroked
my head and supplicated for me. He performed wuḍū’. I drank from his wuḍū’
water and stood behind his back, whereupon I observed the Seal between his
shoulders, and lo and behold, it was like the button of the bridal canopy!”[1]
2. Sayyidunā Jābir Ibn
Samura said: “I saw the Seal between the shoulders of Rasūlullāh ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam as a red swelling like the egg
of the dove.”[2]
3. Sayyidunā Rumaitha
raḍiyallāhu ‘anhu said: “I heard Rasūlullāh ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam - and if I wished to kiss the
seal between his shoulders, I would do so because of his nearness— say to Sa’d
ibn Mu’adh on the day he passed away: “The Throne of the All-Merciful was
shaken on his account!””[3]
4. Sayyidunā Ibrāhīm Ibn
Muḥammad, one of the offspring of Sayyidunā ‘Alī ibn Abi Ṭālib raḍiyallāhu
‘anhu, told me: “When ‘Ali described Rasūlullāh ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam — then he related the tradition
in full—he said: ‘Between his shoulders was the Seal of Nubuwwah, for he is the
Seal of the Messengers’.””[4]
5. Sayyidunā Abū Zaid
‘Amr Ibn Akhtab al-Anṣārī told me: “Rasūlullāh ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said to me: ‘O Abu Zaid, come
close to me and stroke my back!’ I duly stroked his back, whereupon my fingers
touched the Seal. I said: ‘What is the Seal?’ He said; ‘Intertwined hairs.’”[5]
6. Sayyidunā Abu
Buraida raḍiyallāhu ‘anhu said: “Salman al-Farisi brought a table with ripe
dates upon it, and he placed it in front of Rasūlullāh ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam , so he said: ‘O Salmān, what
is this?’ He replied: A charitable gift for you and for your Companions’ ‘Take
it away,’ said Rasūlullāh ṣallallāhu
‘alayhi wa sallam, ‘for we will not eat a charitable gift.’ He therefore took it away.
Then he came the next day with the like of it, and placed it in front of
Rasūlullāh ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi
wa sallam, who
said: ‘What is this, O Salmān?’ He replied: ‘A present for you,’ so Rasūlullāh ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said to his Companions: ‘Spread
out!’ Then Salmān looked at the Seal on the back of Rasūlullāh ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam, so he believed in him.”[6]
7. Sayyidunā Abu
Nadra al-‘Awaqī raḍiyallāhu ‘anhu said: “I asked Abū Sa’id al-Khudrī raḍiyallāhu
‘anhu about the Seal of Rasūlullāh ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam, meaning the Seal of Nubuwwah, so he said: ‘It
was a protrusion of skin on his back.”[7]
8. Sayyidunā ‘Abdullah
ibn Sarjis [al-Muzanī] raḍiyallāhu ‘anhu said: “I came to Rasūlullāh ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam, while he was among a group of
his Companions, so I circled like this behind him. He understood what I wanted,
so he threw the cloak off his back. I thus saw the place of the Seal on his
shoulders, like a clenched fist surrounded by moles, as if they were warts. I
came around to face him, and I said: ‘May Allāh forgive you, O Messenger of Allāh!’
He said: ‘And you,’ so the people exclaimed: ‘Rasūlullāh ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam has asked forgiveness for you!’
He said: ‘Yes, and also for you!’ Then he recited this verse: ‘And ask
forgiveness for your sin, and for the believing men and the believing women
[was’tagh’fir li-dhanbika wa li’l mu’minīna wal-mu’mināt].” [47:19][8]
From these reports we gauge, understand,
realize, and are convinced of the seal of Nubuwwah on the back of Sayyidunā Muḥammad
Rasūlullāh ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam. The Qādiyānis have been at pains for
years already to try and change, reinterpret and deform the meaning of
Khatm-e-Nubuwwah and Khātam An-Nabiyyīn. All praise is for Allāh Ta’ālā, they
have failed hopelessly.
The physical sign of the finality of
Nubuwwah, which has been seen and touched by so many companions, cannot be
simply wished away by the deniers of the Khatm-e-Nubuwwah. This sign on the
body of Sayyidunā Muḥammad Rasūlullāh, the final Messenger of Allāh, the seal
of the Messengers, was a means of guidance for many people too. In essence, the
Messenger of Allāh, ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam was an embodiment of truth,
mercy and guidance.
There is no scope whatsoever to think or
even entertain the thought of a messenger after him. This would amount to
blasphemy. May Allāh Ta’ālā keep us all on the straight path and save us from
the blasphemy and filth of the deniers of the Khatm-e-Nubuwwah. Āmīn
