Hadith: "No Prophesy After Me Except the Mubashirat"

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

والصلاة والسلام على رسوله الكريم

The bigoted Ulama who raise the slogan of khatm an-Nubuwwa (finality of prophesy) do not realize how great a divine blessing the institution of prophesy really is. Their narrow interpretation of the matter is motivated by a fear of losing influence to charismatic, prophet-like figures. Prophet Muhammad (sall Allahu alayhi wa-aalihi wasallam) was informed that although he is the Seal of the Prophets and that the divine legislation and guidance was completed through him, a portion of prophesy shall remain within him Umma as a divine favor. He (sall Allahu alayhi wasallam) stated in a Hadith narrated by sayyidina Aba at-Tufail (radi Allahu anhu):

لَا نُبُوَّةَ بَعْدِي إِلَّا الْمُبَشِّرَاتِ

“There is no prophesy after me except the Mubashirat.”

(Musnad Ahmad b. Hanbal)

This is an authentic Hadith, as stated by the muhaddithin. Al-Haythami has mentioned the fact that all the narrators are trustworthy (Majma az-Zawaid v.7 p.173):

The muhaddith Shuayb Arnaut, in his checking of the Musnad of Imam Ahmad, has stated that all of the narrators are narrators of the Shaikhain (al-Bukhari and Muslim) with the exception of Uthman b. Ubaid ar-Rasibi, who was authenticated by Yahya b. Ma’in, Abu Hatim ar-Razi and Ibn Hibban (Musnad al-Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal: v.39, p.213, Hadith #23795):

Likewise, the muhaddith Hamza Ahmad az-Zayn declared this Hadith authentic in his checking of the Musnad of Imam Ahmad (v.17, pp.125-126, Hadith #23685):

There are supporting narrations, such as the narration of Hudaifa b. Asid that the Prophet (sall Allahu alayhi wasallam) said:

ذَهَبَتِ الْنُّبُوَّةُ فَلَا نُبُوَّةَ بَعْدِى إِلَّا الْمُبَشِّرَاتُ

“Prophesy has concluded, so there is no prophesy after me except the Mubashirat”

(Mujam al-Kabir: v.3, p.200, Hadith #3051):

Grammatically, the wording of the Hadith proves that the Mubashirat is a type of Nubuwwa which has been critically excepted from the general cessation of prophesy. Other, more well known versions of the Hadith state that “nothing remains of prophesy except the Mubashirat” and that the Mubashirat is one of the parts of prophesy, one of the forty-six parts of prophesy, etc. But the narration I have brought out from Aba at-Tufail and Hudaifa b. Asid has a particular wording which proves that the Mubashirat is a genus of prophesy in it of itself that remains within this Umma until Judgment Day. The use of the exceptive particle illa which is known as harf al-istithna indicates that the Mubashirat is the exception (mustathna) to the cessation to the antecedent of the exception (mustathna minh), which is Nubuwwa. Therefore, the Mubashirat is a category of Nubuwwa. Those who might argue that this is an example of al-istithna al-munqata and therefore the Mubashirat is not in the same genus as Nubuwwa or not a category of Nubuwwa are refuted by the fact that other Ahadith clearly state that the Mubashirat is a part of Nubuwwa, one of the forty-six parts of Nubuwwa, etc. Therefore, the wording of the Hadith is explicit in proving that prophesy has ceased generally, but the Mubashirat is a form of prophesy that has been excepted and continues among the Umma. As for the explanation of the Mubashirat to mean good visions, the Prophet (sall Allahu alayhi wasallam) reportedly said:

إِنَّ رُؤْيَا الْمُؤْمِنِ كَلَامٌ يُكَلِّمُ بِهِ الْعَبْدَ رَبُّهُ فِي الْمَنَامِ

“Verily, the vision of a believer is (divine) converse in which the slave converses with his Lord in sleep.”

(as-Sunna of Ibn Abi Asim; pp.213-214, Hadith #486 and #487)

Naturally, the believer who experiences the Mubashirat with greater frequency and intensity has that aspect of Nubuwwa within him at a higher degree and can be said to be a prophet at least partially, since he exhibits a portion of prophesy.