Maulana Abul Hasanaat
Abdul Hayy of Lucknow, Farangi Mahal (1848-1886) was an erudite and very well
known Hanafi scholar from India. He is particularly respected by the Deobandi
and Nadwi schools of thought.
He wrote the treatise Dafi’
ul-Waswas in order to defend the controversial Athar of Ibn Abbas
(R.A):
سَبْعَ
أَرْضِينَ ، فِي كُلِّ أَرْضٍ نَبِيٌّ كَنَبِيِّكُمْ ، وَآدَمُ كَآدَمَ ، وَنُوحٌ كَنُوحٍ
، وَإِبْرَاهِيمُ كَإِبْرَاهِيمَ ، وَعِيسَى كَعِيسَى
“There
are Seven Earths, in each Earth there is a Prophet like your Prophet
(Muhammad), an Adam like Adam, a Noah like Noah, an Abraham like Abraham, and a
Jesus like Jesus.”
Maulwi
Abdul Hayy, like Qasim Nanautawi (Founder of Deoband) staunchly defended this
saying attributed to Sayyidina Ibn Abbas (Allah be pleased with him) even
though Muhaditheen (scholars of Hadith) consider it as Shaadh (an oddity
in the terminology of Hadith science).
The
Deobandis in particular passionately defend this Athar and believe in its
contents whole-heartedly, while other sects reject it.
One
of the objections made against this Athar by those who deny it is that it
contradicts the Holy Qur’an’s pronouncement that the Prophet Muhammad
(Sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam) is the Khaatam an-Nabiyyeen (Seal of the
Prophets) so there can not be any prophet after him.
In
answering this objection to the Athar, Maulwi Abdul Hayy of Lucknow writes:
مولانا
ابوالحسنات عبدالحئی فرنگی محل
’بعد
آنحضرت ﷺ کے یا زمانے میں آنحضرت کے مجرد کسی نبی کا ہونا محال نہیں بلکہ صاحب شرع
جدید ہوناالبتہ ممتنع ہے ۔
دافع الوسواس
Translation:
“The advent of a mere prophet after the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allah be on him) or in his lifetime is not an impossibility. To introduce a new
law is indeed not permissible.”
Reference:
Dafi ul Waswas Fee Athar Ibn Abbas; p.12
In
conclusion, the position of Maulawi Abdul Hayy al-Hanafi of Farangi Mahal is
identical to the belief of the Ahmadiyya sect; There is the possibility of a
Prophet to appear after the Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam) provided
such a prophet is a follower of the Shari’ah of Muhammad and not bringing his
own Shari’ah (Law). As I have proven repeatedly with literally dozens of
references on this blog, the position of the real Ahlus Sunnati wal Jama’ah
concerning Khatam an-Nubuwwah, since time immemorial has been that after
Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam) the advent of law-bearing
Prophets is forever terminated and now impossible, but the advent of Prophets
who are in obedience and compliance with his Shari’ah has never been ruled out.
I must qualify the statement "the advent of Prophets who are in obedience and compliance with him Shari'ah has never been ruled out" to mean Prophets not in a real sense, but the Prophets in a linguistic sense, or figurative Prophets who may be referred to as prophets metaphorically because they exhibit some qualities of prophethood by way of reflecting the personality of Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم or some other ancient Prophet. This is the only kind of prophethood that the Sufis and other Muslim theologians have regarded as remaining within the Umma after Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم
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