Yes, now this is a very interesting question. I have so many times explained it, but it’s a fundamental thing I’ll continue to explain as long as I’m asked this question anywhere. The fact is that one verse, particularly in Surah Nisa, speaks on this subject and opens up the possibility of subordinate prophets to come. And it does not put any limit to the number of the prophets which may possibly come. It discusses the possibility alone. It says, Whoever obeys Allah and Ar-Rasool, that is, this Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him, what will happen to them? Now this is the announcement, very dramatic and glaring announcement made.
Whoever now would obey Allah and this Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him, something is going to happen to them. What do you expect? Will they be punished? Or will they be rewarded? The natural answer any Muslim can think of is that a great reward is going to be explained later on. Now should that reward be a lesser reward than the followers of previous prophets? Or should it at least be equal to them? This is the second question. So anybody who believes in the supremacy of Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him would naturally say, there is no possibility but the reward must be at least equal if not more. And it is more, I will explain how it is greater. And then after making this declaration, this dramatic declaration, the Holy Quran continues, the same verse continues to say, Mayute Allah wa Rasoola fa ulaika ma allatheena annamallahu lahim.
Now these will be the only people who would be the recipients of Allah’s rewards and mercy and inam. That is, how else would you translate? Reward? And blessings were general terms but anyway, the word inam is very important because it is a term used by the Holy Quran and explained further. So the Holy Quran says they would be the recipients of Allah’s favours and rewards. Now what would be that reward or the nature of those favours? The same verse continues to throw more light on this. Mayute Allah wa Rasoola fa ulaika ma allatheena annamallahu lahim minan nabijiina. They would be among the prophets. Wa Siddiqina and among the Siddiqs, that is also a term. After the whole prophet, the second reward is Siddiq. And among the martyrs in the way of Allah. And the lowest of all the rewards is Saliheen, people who are counted righteous in the eyes of Allah.
So all these four rewards have been mentioned with one condition. That these rewards will be given only to those who obey Allah and the prophet of Islam and to none others. And secondly it says that whatever they receive now, that would be subject to their obedience to the Holy Prophet. So an obedient prophet can come, a subordinate one can come, but not a free one. Because the door which is open to the prophethood is not a general unqualified door. There is a prominent condition right before you step into that door is that Mayute Allah wa Rasoola. So without submitting to Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, you can’t be a prophet. That means only a subordinate prophet can come. Not only that, but you can’t reach the station of Siddiqiyat either. Unless you submit to Huzoor-e-Akram sallallahu alaihi wa sallam and Allah of course. So it goes on. So that verse shows that every reward is finished. Not only Nabuwat, not only the prophethood, but also Siddiqiyat and Shahadat and Salihiyat. But finished outside the realm of Islam, not within Islam. It is finished for those who do not obey Huzoor-e-Akram sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, but not to those who obey him. As the standard of obedience and submission to him rises higher, so would be the reward comparatively in correspondence to the standard of submission.
So this is how one begins with the first ladder, that is Salihiyat and can rise up to the ladder of prophethood. Now here is a very interesting question. This verse does not put any limit to the numbers. And also as I mentioned, a true believer expects the reward to be greater than the reward shown previously. How these questions are answered by this verse and by the traditions of the Holy Prophet? Now I will refer you to a tradition of the Holy Prophet which will explain the whole situation. How many prophets can come and what type of prophets can come in large numbers and what type of prophets cannot come in large numbers. All that has been explained by Huzoor-e-Akram sallallahu alaihi wa sallam himself. He says, The scholars of my ummah are equal to the prophets of Bani Israel, Israelites.
So that shows that such saintly people are to be born in large numbers from among the followers of Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa sallallahu alaihi wa sallam who will reach the status of the prophets of Israelites. We will not be less in any way in status to the prophets of Israelites, but still they will not be called prophets. Why give status and not call prophets? That is the most important question which has to be answered now. And you will understand it from the way Huzoor-e-Akram sallallahu alaihi wa sallam has prophesied. He says they would be like the prophets of Israel. Now the prophets of Israel were not for all times to come. They were limited in their approach, in their address to the people as well as to the regions they hailed from. So the concept of unlimited prophethood never appeared before the time of Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa sallallahu alaihi wa sallam. All the prophets which came before were of a limited nature, both in time and in space.
So if the prophethood was raised to the status of Huzoor-e-Akram sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, it has become a new term in fact. The term prophet never included a prophet of all times to come and a prophet of the entire space. So these are two different terms. But there in the verse which I have mentioned, the Holy Quran says So those Nabiyeen cover all prophets. So that shows that the prophets like Israelites can come in large numbers. So that verse will be fulfilled in large number. But a prophet like Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, who covers the entire space and time, long time to come, that will not be covered by this verse in the sense that unlimited number would come. For that Huzoor-e-Akram sallallahu alaihi wa sallam has prophesied just about one. And he says that Masih Ibn Maryam would be the prophet. And he doesn’t call him a prophet like the prophets of Israel. He says when he comes, he would be prophet. Four times in a tradition in Muslim, he repeats the word prophet.
So that is the difference between the two types of prophets which were promised by Huzoor-e-Akram sallallahu alaihi wa sallam and the Holy Quran. One type is the one very close in the meaning to Huzoor-e-Akram himself. And such prophets will not be in large number. Only one prophet has been prophesied. And those who are similar to Israelites, there are many and they may still come.
