Amin Ahsan Islahi: All Messengers of Allah have died

The Islamist thinker and ex-member of the Jama'at-e-Islami, Amin Ahsan Islahi (1904-1997), commenting on the Ayah of the Qur'an:

وَ مَا مُحَمَّدٌ اِلَّا رَسُوۡلٌ ۚ قَدۡ خَلَتۡ مِنۡ قَبۡلِہِ الرُّسُلُ ؕ اَفَا۠ئِنۡ مَّاتَ اَوۡ قُتِلَ انۡقَلَبۡتُمۡ عَلٰۤی اَعۡقَابِکُمۡ ؕ وَ مَنۡ یَّنۡقَلِبۡ عَلٰی عَقِبَیۡہِ فَلَنۡ یَّضُرَّ اللّٰہَ شَیۡئًا ؕ وَ سَیَجۡزِی اللّٰہُ الشّٰکِرِیۡنَ۞

And Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) is not but a Messenger. All the Messengers before him passed away. If he (too) dies or is slain will you turn back upon your heels? And he who turns upon his heels cannot harm Allah in the least. And Allah shall reward the grateful (3:144)

With respect to this verse of the Qur'an al-Karim, Amin Ahsan Islahi confirmed that every single Messenger (Rasul) before Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) has already died:

جس طرح تمام رسولوں کو موت کے مرحلہ سے گزرنا پڑا انہیں بھی ایک دن وفات پانا ہے۔

Translation: “Just like all of the Messengers went through the gate of death, he (the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him) must also die one day.”

 

Reference: Tadabbur-e-Qur'an; v.2 p.185