Deobandi (Qasim Nanautvi): "No Excellence in Prophet (A.S) being the First or Last chronologically"

Continuing from our previous entry; let us now see what Maulana Qasim Nanautawi – founder of Dar ul Ulum Deoband – commented about the common or general understanding of the significance of Khaatam an-Nabuwwah of the Muslim public. He writes:

سو عوام کے خیال میں تو رسول اللہ صلعم کا خاتم ہونا بایں معنے ہے کہ آپ کا زمانہ انبیاء سابق کے زمانہ کے بعد اور آپ سب میں آخر نبی ہیں۔ مگر اہل فہم پر روشن ہوگا کہ تقدم یا تاخیر زمانے میں بالذات کچھ فضیلت نہیں پھر مقام مدح میں ولكن رسول الله وخاتم النبيّين فرمانا اس صورت میں کیونکر صحیح ہوسکتا۔

Translation: “The public imagine that Rasulullah^SAWS being Khaatam literally means that his time is after the time of all the previous prophets, and he is the Last Prophet of all. However, the people of understanding will be enlightened as to the fact that there is no excellence or virtue, in essence, of being either the 'first' or 'last'. Then in what form is it correct to attribute a praiseworthy station of excellence in the verse “but he is the Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets” (33:40)?”

Reference: Tahdhir-un-Nas (Dar-ul-Isha'at); p.4-5