Prophet Jonas عليه السلام was a Hebrew Israelite not Native to Nineveh

 

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

والصلاة والسلام على من لا نبي بعدى

In the Name of Allah, the Rahman, the Merciful

Prayers of blessings and peace upon the one after whom there is no prophet

One of the widespread misconceptions among the Muslims is that prior to the Holy Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم a Prophet was only sent to the same nation or people that he personally belonged to or originated from. This presents a difficulty with regard to the Prophet Jonas عليه السلام who despite being a Hebrew according to the Book of Jonah (ch.1, v.9) was sent to Prophesy to the people of Nineveh who were Assyrians and not Israelites like Jonas. Some Muslims may deny that Prophet Jonas عليه السلام was an Israelite or a Hebrew and claim that he was actually a native of Nineveh. They argue that Allah سبحانه وتعالى says:

ثُمَّ بَعَثۡنَا مِنۡۢ بَعۡدِہٖ رُسُلًا اِلٰی قَوۡمِہِمۡ

Then We sent, after him (Noah), Messengers to their respective peoples

(Surah 10, Ayah 74)

وَلَقَدۡ اَرۡسَلۡنَا مِنۡ قَبۡلِکَ رُسُلًا اِلٰی قَوۡمِہِمۡ

And We did send before you (O My beloved Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم) Messengers to their respective peoples

(Surah 30, Ayah 47)

وَمَاۤ اَرۡسَلۡنَا مِنۡ رَّسُوۡلٍ اِلَّا بِلِسَانِ قَوۡمِہٖ لِیُبَیِّنَ لَہُمۡ

And We did not send any Messenger except with the language of his people that he might make clear to them

(Surah 14, Ayah 4)

The Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

وَكَانَ النَّبِيُّ يُبْعَثُ إِلَى قَوْمِهِ خَاصَّةً، وَبُعِثْتُ إِلَى النَّاسِ ‌كَافَّةً

"The Prophet would be sent to his particular people but I have been sent to all mankind” (Sahih al-Bukhari)

The brief answer to this problem is that the people to whom a Prophet is sent become associated with him and are called the people of that Prophet, regardless of whether the Prophet is originally from them. So although Prophet Jonas عليه السلام was an Israelite Hebrew, the people of Nineveh became his qawm (people) and he had the ability to communicate the Message to them in their native language (Aramaic).

It is narrated that after the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم returned from Ta’if, having gone there to convey the Message of Allah but having suffered greatly at their hands and being wounded by them, he sought shelter at the shade of a wall of an orchard belonging to the brothers Utbah and Shaybah, sons of Rabi’ah. As they were from the same Quraish clan as the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم they felt pity for his condition and ordered a Christian slave of theirs named Addas to serve the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم with a plate of grapes. Before eating the grapes the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said باسم الله meaning “In the Name of Allah” which surprised Addas, who observed that the people of this land (Arabia) do not use such words. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم then asked him where he was from and what religion he belonged to, to which Addas replied that he was a Christian from Nineveh. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم then said:

مِنْ قَرْيَةِ الرَّجُلِ الصَّالِحِ يُونُسَ بْنِ مَتَّى

"From the town of the righteous man Jonas son of Amittai”

Addas was again surprised and asked how the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم knew about Jonas son of Amittai, to which the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم answered:

ذَاكَ أَخِي كَانَ نَبِيًّا وَأَنَا نَبِيٌّ

"That is my brother, he was a Prophet and I am (also) a Prophet”

Addas رضى الله عنه then immediately kissed the blessed head, hands and feet of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم

Observing all of this, the brothers Utbah and Shaybah rebuked Addas رضى الله عنه and asked him why he kissed the Prophet Muhammad’s head, hands and feet, to which Addas رضى الله عنه replied:

يَا سَيِّدِي، مَا فِي الْأَرْضِ شَيْءٌ خَيْرٌ مِنْ هَذَا، لَقَدْ أَخْبَرَنِي بِأَمْرِ مَا يَعْلَمُهُ إلَّا نَبِيٌّ

"O my master! There is none on the Earth better than him. He informed me of a matter that none could know except a Prophet” (Sirat Ibn Hisham; v.2, p.69)

While this affirms that Nineveh was the town of Prophet Jonas عليه السلام it simply means that Nineveh became associated with him because he was sent to it to Prophesy and convey the Message of God to it, although he was a Hebrew Israelite and not a native of Nineveh or an Assyrian. This is confirmed by the fact that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم in this and other Hadith mentioned the name of Jonas’s father Amittai which is a Hebrew word that means “truth” (Strong’s Concordance, H573).

Prostration to Other Than Allah

 

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

والصلاة والسلام على من لا نبي بعدى

In the Name of Allah, the Rahman, the Merciful

Prayers of blessings and peace upon the one after whom there is no prophet

One of the firmly established matters in the Shari’ah of Islam is that it is absolutely prohibited to offer Sajdah (prostration) to anyone other than Allah سبحانه وتعالى

Prostration is of two kinds; prostration of worship and prostration of respect. Prostration of worship to anyone other than Allah سبحانه وتعالى is Shirk and has been prohibited since the beginning of time. But the prostration of respect was not prohibited before the Shari’ah of Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم

Hence it is mentioned in the Holy Quran that the Angels prostrated to Adam عليه السلام in obedience to Allah’s order. Likewise, the family of Joseph عليه السلام prostrated to him. These were examples of prostration of respect and not worship. But today if anyone prostrates to someone or something other than Allah سبحانه وتعالى that is a strictly prohibited action. If such a prostration is done with intention of worship it is Shirk and Kufr. But if it is done with the intention of respect it is Haram and therefore sinful, although some scholastic authorities have declared that even the prostration of respect or prostration as a form of greeting if done today is Kufr and expels the doer from Islam.

Interestingly, when one reads the Holy Quran one doesn’t find a clear and absolute prohibition against prostrating to anyone or anything besides Allah سبحانه وتعالى

Indeed, the Holy Quran is filled with exhortations to prostrate to Allah, but there is no definitive Ayah which prohibits prostration to anyone or anything other than Allah. Yes, there is the Ayah:

لَا تَسۡجُدُوۡا لِلشَّمۡسِ وَلَا لِلۡقَمَرِ وَاسۡجُدُوۡا لِلّٰہِ الَّذِیۡ خَلَقَہُنَّ اِنۡ کُنۡتُمۡ اِیَّاہُ تَعۡبُدُوۡنَ

Do not prostrate to the Sun and to the Moon but prostrate to Allah Who created them both if it is Him Whom you truly worship

(Surah 41, Ayah 37)

Firstly, it is evident that this Ayah pertains to the prostration of worship and secondly it is merely conveying a prohibition against prostration to the sun and moon specifically, and not necessarily a prohibition against prostration to anyone or anything besides those two things.

When we turn to the Ahadith it is almost equally perplexing why there isn’t a clear prohibition against prostration to other than Allah in the primary books of Hadith like Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim. The prohibition to that effect may be found in the secondary Books of Hadith. In different narrations it is mentioned that the Sahabah رضى الله عنهم observed that a camel came and prostrated to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and then asked him that they observe animals and trees prostrating to him so should they do so too. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم replied:

اعْبُدُوا رَبَّكُمْ وَأَكْرِمُوا أَخَاكُمْ وَلَوْ كُنْتُ آمُرُ أَحَدًا أَنْ يَسْجُدَ لِأَحَدٍ لَأَمَرْتُ الْمَرْأَةَ أَنْ تَسْجُدَ لِزَوْجِهَا

Worship your Lord and honor your brother. If I were to command anyone to prostrate to anyone (else) I would have commanded the woman to prostrate to her husband (Musnad Ahmad; v.41, p.19, #24471)

Incidentally, in the same Hadith it is reported that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said that if a husband ordered his wife to move something from a yellow mountain to a black mountain or from a black mountain to a white mountain she would have to do so. This indicates that a wife must be completely subservient and subordinate to her husband in all matters except those in which he might order her with something that is contrary to the Shari’ah.

In another narration it is mentioned that when sayyidina Mu’adh bin Jabal رضى الله عنه returned from a journey to the Levant he prostrated to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and when he said, “What is this, O Mu’adh?” Mu’adh bin Jabal رضى الله عليه وسلم replied that when he went to the Levant he observed the Christians there prostrating to their bishops and patriarchs (their clergy) and decided that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was more worthy of that. But the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

فَلاَ تَفْعَلُوا فَإِنِّي لَوْ كُنْتُ آمِرًا أَحَدًا أَنْ يَسْجُدَ لِغَيْرِ اللَّهِ لأَمَرْتُ الْمَرْأَةَ أَنْ تَسْجُدَ لِزَوْجِهَا

Do not do that, for if I were to order anyone to prostrate to other than Allah I would have ordered the woman to prostrate to her husband.

In yet another narration it is mentioned that Qays bin Sa’d رضى الله عنه went to al-Hirah, in Mesopotamia or modern-day Iraq, and saw the Magians there prostrating to a satrap and so when he returned to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم he said that the Prophet is more worthy of being prostrated to. So the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم asked him

أَرَأَيْتَ لَوْ ‌مَرَرْتَ ‌بِقَبْرِي ‌أَكُنْتَ ‌تَسْجُدُ ‌لَهُ

If you were to pass by my grave would you prostrate to it?

Qays bin Sa’d replied in the negative, to which the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

فَلَا تَفْعَلُوا لَوْ كُنْتُ آمِرًا أَحَدًا أَنْ يَسْجُدَ لِأَحَدٍ لَأَمَرْتُ النِّسَاءَ أَنْ يَسْجُدْنَ لِأَزْوَاجِهِنَّ لِمَا جَعَلَ اللَّهُ لَهُمْ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِنَ الْحَقِّ

So do not do so. If I were to command anyone to prostrate to anyone I would command the women to prostrate to their husbands because of the right Allah gave them over them (Sunan Abi Dawud)

Incidentally, this Hadith establishes the gravity of the prohibition against prostrating to graves, something that is tragically practiced by certain ignorant so-called Muslims in the Indian Subcontinent. The apostate Mughal king Akbar instituted prostration to his person during his evil reign.

Now as for the difficulty that why such an important law in the Shari’ah as the prohibition against prostration to other than Allah عزّ وجلّ isn’t established in the Holy Quran explicitly or likewise in the two main books of Hadith (Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim) the answer is that the Shari’ah of Islam is not solely derived from the texts of the Quran and Hadith but also from the Ijma (consensus of the Ummah) and those oral teachings and practices that have been mass transmitted and passed down from generation to generation. In fact this latter source of the Shari’ah takes precedence and has more weight than individual reports, or Akhbar Ahad which may be compiled in books of Hadith. As for the practice of kissing the feet of one's parents, or a revered elder, or the Ulama or one's spiritual guide who is saintly out of love and respect, while the action may resemble prostration it is not prostration and therefore permissible. It is narrated that some of the Prophet's Companions kissed his feet and he did not reprimand them for it.

Prophet Zechariah عليه السلام Doing Wahi to His People

 

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

والصلاة والسلام على من لا نبي بعدى

In the Name of Allah, the Rahman, the Merciful

Prayers of blessings and peace upon the one after whom there is no prophet

All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of the worlds. One of the beautiful subjects in the holy Religion of Islam is Wahi. Wahi is a term that means divine inspiration or revelation. Additionally, in a linguistic sense, it may also mean to give a sign (to signal, to gesture), to whisper, to send a secret message (Arabic-English Dictionary of Quranic Usage; p.1016). In the meaning of Wahi is the sense of speed, so that the one who receives a Wahi receives it quickly into his heart. Allah سبحانه وتعالى says:

وَمَا کَانَ لِبَشَرٍ اَنۡ یُّکَلِّمَہُ اللّٰہُ اِلَّا وَحۡیًا اَوۡ مِنۡ وَّرَآیِٔ حِجَابٍ اَوۡ یُرۡسِلَ رَسُوۡلًا فَیُوۡحِیَ بِاِذۡنِہٖ مَا یَشَآءُ ؕ اِنَّہٗ عَلِیٌّ حَکِیۡمٌ

And it is not for a mortal human that Allah should speak to him except by Wahi, or from behind a veil or by sending a Messenger to do Wahi by His permission what He wants. Surely, He is High, Wise

(Surah 42, Ayah 51)

It is the third form of communication between Allah and humans (Allah sending a Messenger of His to do Wahi) that is the subject of discussion in this blog post. While many of the Mufassirin have interpreted the Messenger which Allah sends to do Wahi as a reference to the Archangel Gabriel عليه السلام or else another such Angel, others have explained that what is meant is a human Prophet. Hence, in the Tafsir of Imam al-Baidawi concerning Allah’s Saying “or He sends a Messenger to do Wahi by His permission of what He wants”:

أو يرسل إليه نبياً فيبلغ وحيه كما أمره

Or he sends to him a Prophet who conveys his Wahi as He commanded him (v.5 p.85)

Likewise, Zamakhshari has mentioned in his famous Tafsir al-Kashshaf in explanation of the portion of the Ayah “or He sends a Messenger...”:

أَوْ يُرْسِلَ رَسُولاً أي نبيناً كما كلم أمم الأنبياء على ألسنتهم

A Prophet like how He spoke to the nations of the Prophets in their tongues (p.983)

And this interpretation is strengthened by the example mentioned in the Quran of the holy Prophet Zechariah عليه السلام doing Wahi to his people:

فَخَرَجَ عَلٰی قَوۡمِہٖ مِنَ الۡمِحۡرَابِ فَاَوۡحٰۤی اِلَیۡہِمۡ اَنۡ سَبِّحُوۡا بُکۡرَۃً وَّعَشِیًّا

So he (Zechariah) came out to his people from the Altar and did Wahi to them that they should glorify (Allah) in the morning and in the evening

(Surah 19, Ayah 11)

This episode has been detailed in the Gospel, which says: “And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless” (Luke 1:22)

The Mufassirin have interpreted Zechariah عليه السلام doing Wahi to his people to mean he used gestures to communicate with them for his Sign was that he could not speak to the people for three nights (Surah 19, Ayah 10). This is confirmed elsewhere in the Quran:

قَالَ اٰیَتُکَ اَلَّا تُکَلِّمَ النَّاسَ ثَلٰثَۃَ اَیَّامٍ اِلَّا رَمۡزًا

He said, “Your Sign is that you will not speak to the people for three days except by gesture

(Surah 3, Ayah 41)

Nonverbal communication by means of signs and gestures is also associated with the Prophet Ezekiel عليه السلام

But I say it is also possible to understand Prophet Zechariah عليه السلام making Wahi to his people to mean that he was granted the ability to inspire into their hearts and minds, similar to how the Angels and the Holy Spirit inspire what Allah wants into the hearts of the Prophets, Saints and Believers. This kind of extrasensory perception is also affirmed for the Messiah Jesus عليه السلام

فَلَمَّاۤ اَحَسَّ عِیۡسٰی مِنۡہُمُ الۡکُفۡرَ

ِSo when Jesus sensed unbelief from them

(Surah 3, Ayah 52)

This is an instance of the Messiah عليه السلام having an extrasensory perception granted to him by Allah whereby he could sense unbelief from the hearts of the Children of Israel.

Ibn Arabi and Explanation of General Prophethood النبوّة العامة

 

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

والصلاة والسلام على من لا نبي بعدى

In the Name of Allah, the Rahman, the Merciful

Prayers of blessings and peace upon the one after whom there is no prophet

Many of the detractors of Shaikh Ibn Arabi accuse him of having introduced a concept of non-legislative and acquired Nubuwwah within the Ummah and therefore having opened the door for the Antichrist and False Prophet Mirza of Qadian. Therefore, I shall cite the relevant passage from Shaikh Ibn Arabi and thereafter analyze it’s contents to determine whether the allegation of the detractors is true. Shaikh Ibn Arabi wrote:

اعلم أيدنا الله وإياك بروح منه أن هذا الباب يتضمن أصناف الرجال الذين يحصرهم العدد والذين لا توقيت لهم ويتضمن المسائل التي لا يعلمها إلا الأكابر من عباد الله الذين هم في زمانهم بمنزلة الأنبياء في زمان النبوة وهي النبوة العامة فإن النبوة التي انقطعت بوجود رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إنما هي نبوة التشريع لا مقامها فلا شرع يكون ناسخا لشرعه صلى الله عليه وسلم ولا يزيد في حكمه شرعا آخر وهذا معنى قوله صلى الله عليه وسلم إن الرسالة والنبوة قد انقطعت فلا رسول بعدي ولا نبي أي لا نبي بعدي يكون على شرع يخالف شرعي بل إذا كان يكون تحت حكم شريعتي ولا رسول أي لا رسول بعدي إلى أحد من خلق الله بشرع يدعوهم إليه فهذا هو الذي انقطع وسد بابه لا مقام النبوة فإنه لا خلاف إن عيسى عليه السلام نبي ورسول وأنه لا خلاف أنه ينزل في آخر الزمان حكما مقسطا عدلا بشرعنا لا بشرع آخر ولا بشرعه الذي تعبد الله به بني إسرائيل من حيث ما نزل هو به بل ما ظهر من ذلك هو ما قرره شرع محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم ونبوة عيسى عليه السلام ثابتة له محققة فهذا نبي ورسول قد ظهر بعده صلى الله عليه وسلم وهو الصادق في قوله إنه لا نبي بعده فعلمنا قطعا أنه يريد التشريع خاصة وهو المعبر عنه عند أهل النظر بالاختصاص وهو المراد بقولهم إن النبوة غير مكتسبة وأما القائلون باكتساب النبوة فإنهم يريدون بذلك حصول المنزلة عند الله المختصة من غير تشريع لا في حق أنفسهم ولا في حق غيرهم فمن لم يعقل النبوة سوى عين الشرع ونصب الأحكام قال بالاختصاص ومنع الكسب فإذا وقفتم على كلام أحد من أهل الله أصحاب الكشف يشير بكلامه إلى الاكتساب كأبي حامد الغزالي وغيره فليس مرادهم سوى ما ذكرناه وقد بينا هذا في فصل الصلاة على النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم في آخر باب الصلاة من هذا الكتاب وهؤلاء هم المقربون الذين قال الله فيهم عينا يشرب بها المقربون وبه وصف الله نبيه عيسى عليه السلام فقال وجيها في الدنيا والآخرة ومن المقربين وبه وصف الملائكة فقال ولا الملائكة المقربون ومعلوم قطعا أن جبريل كان ينزل بالوحي على رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ولم يطلق عليه في الشرع اسم نبي مع أنه بهذه المثابة فالنبوة مقام عند الله يناله البشر وهو مختص بالأكابر من البشر يعطي للنبي المشرع ويعطي للتابع لهذا النبي المشرع الجاري على سنته قال تعالى ووهبنا له أخاه هارون نبيا فإذا نظر إلى هذا المقام بالنسبة إلى التابع وأنه باتباعه حصل له هذا المقام سمي مكتسبا والتعمل بهذا الاتباع اكتسابا ولم يأته شرع من ربه يختص به ولا شرع يوصله إلى غيره وكذلك كان هارون فسددنا باب إطلاق لفظ النبوة على هذا المقام مع تحققه لئلا يتخيل متخيل أن المطلق لهذا اللفظ يريد نبوة التشريع فيغلط كما اعتقده بعض الناس في الإمام أبي حامد فقال عنه إنه يقول باكتساب النبوة في كيمياء السعادة وغيره معاذ الله أن يريد أبو حامد غير ما ذكرناه وسأذكر إن شاء الله ما يختص به صاحب هذا المقام من الأسرار الخاصة به التي لا يعلمها إلا من حصله فإذا سمعتني أقول في هذا الباب ومما يختص بهذا المقام كذا فاعلم أن ذلك الذي أذكره هو من علوم أهل هذا المقام فلنذكر أولا شرح ما بوبنا عليه من المقابلة والانحراف

Know, may Allah support us and you with a spirit from Him, that this chapter includes the types of men who are limited in number and who have no time limit, and it includes the issues that are only known to the greatest of Allah’s servants who are in their time in the position of the prophets in the time of prophethood, which is the general prophethood. For the prophethood that was cut off with the presence of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, is only the prophethood of legislation, not its position. So there is no law that abrogates his law, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, nor does another law add to his ruling. This is the meaning of his saying, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, that the message and prophethood have been cut off, so there is no messenger after me and no prophet, meaning there is no prophet after me who will be on a law that contradicts my law. Rather, if he is under the rule of my law and no messenger, meaning there is no messenger after me to any of Allah’s creation with a law to which he calls them, then this is what was cut off and its door was closed, not the position of prophethood. For there is no disagreement that Jesus, peace be upon him, is a prophet and messenger, and there is no disagreement that he will descend at the end of time as a just and fair judge according to our law, not according to another law or according to his law with which the Children of Israel worshipped Allah, from the point of view that he descended. Rather, what appeared from that is what the law of Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace, has decided it, and the prophethood of Jesus, peace be upon him, is established and confirmed for him. This is a prophet and messenger who appeared after him, may God bless him and grant him peace, and he is the truthful one in his saying that there is no prophet after him. So we know with certainty that he means legislation specifically, which is what the people of insight express as exclusivity, and this is what is meant by their saying that prophethood is not acquired. As for those who say that prophethood is acquired, they mean by that the attainment of a special status with God without legislation, neither for themselves nor for others. So whoever does not understand prophethood except as the essence of the law and the establishment of rulings, says exclusivity and the prevention of acquisition. So if you come across the words of one of the people of God, the people of revelation, who refers in his words to acquisition, such as Abu Hamid al-Ghazali and others, then their intention is nothing but what we have mentioned. We have explained this in the chapter on prayers upon the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, at the end of the chapter on prayer in this book. These are the ones brought near, of whom God said, “A spring from which the ones brought near drink.” And with this God described His Prophet Jesus, peace be upon him, saying, “He is distinguished in this world and the Hereafter, and among the ones brought near.” And with this He described the angels, saying, “Nor are the angels brought near.” And it is known with certainty that Gabriel used to come down with revelation to… The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was not called a prophet in the Sharia, although he is of this status. Prophethood is a status with Allah that humans attain, and it is specific to the greatest of humans. It is given to the prophet who legislates and is given to the follower of this prophet who legislates and follows his Sunnah. Allah the Almighty said: “And We gave him his brother Aaron, a prophet.” So if we look at this status in relation to the follower and that by following him he attained this status, it is called acquired. And acting upon this following is acquired, and no law came to him from his Lord that is specific to him or a law that leads him to others. And so was Aaron. So we closed the door to applying the term prophethood to this status, even though it has been realized, so that no one would imagine that the one who issued this term means prophethood of legislation, and he would be mistaken, as some people believed about Imam Abu Hamid, who said about him that he says that prophethood is acquired in the Alchemy of Happiness and other things. Allah forbid that Abu Hamid would mean anything other than what we mentioned (al-Futuhat ul-Makkiyyah; v.3, pp.6-7)

Comments: It should be noted that Ibn Arabi has cited the example of the Messiah Jesus عليه السلام descending in the End Times but that his prophethood will not be legislative, rather he will judge according to and follow the Shari’ah of Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم In this Ibn Arabi has not stated anything controversial or innovative, rather he has concurred with the consensus of the scholastic authorities in mainstream Sunni Islam. Furthermore, Ibn Arabi is totally correct when he says:

ونبوة عيسى عليه السلام ثابتة له محققة فهذا نبي ورسول قد ظهر بعده صلى الله عليه وسلم

“The Prophethood of Jesus عليه السلام is established and confirmed for him. So this is a Prophet and an Apostle (Jesus) who appears after him (Muhammad) صلى الله عليه وسلم"

This statement by Ibn Arabi is true that despite there being no Prophet after Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم Jesus is an exception to this rule, but even then it is only because his Prophethood will not be legislative but rather in total accordance to the Law of Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم

Ibn Arabi also says:

فسددنا باب إطلاق لفظ النبوة على هذا المقام مع تحققه لئلا يتخيل متخيل أن المطلق لهذا اللفظ يريد نبوة التشريع فيغلط

“We have closed the door to the use of the term “prophethood” in this position, even though it is true, so that no one would imagine that the one who uses this term means the prophecy of legislation, and thus make a mistake.”

This statement of Ibn Arabi that the term Prophethood or the name Prophet is not allowed to be used for someone of this Ummah who has reached the status and rank of Prophethood is a strong repudiation of the Qadiani and other antichrists who may use the concept of النبوّة العامة "General Prophethood” as explained by Ibn Arabi as justification for them to claim the term Prophethood and word Prophet for their persons.

Now while any Muslim is free to disagree with Ibn Arabi’s concept of “General Prophethood” it becomes clear that this concept as explained by him is not heretical. I myself disagree with Ibn Arabi when he says:

فالنبوة مقام عند الله يناله البشر وهو مختص بالأكابر من البشر يعطي للنبي المشرع ويعطي للتابع لهذا النبي المشرع الجاري على سنته قال تعالى ووهبنا له أخاه هارون نبيا

“Prophethood is a position with God that humans attain, and it is reserved for the greatest of humans. It is given to the prophet who legislates and to the follower of this prophet who legislates and follows his Sunnah. God Almighty said: And We gave him his brother Aaron, a prophet.”

I do not agree that the Prophet Aaron عليه السلام merited the office of Prophethood through his following of and obedience to Moses عليه السلام. Like Moses, Aaron was also a Prophet in his own right, only that he had an additional function to serve as Moses’s minister and to obey him. Otherwise, the Prophethood of Aaron was also theoretically legislative as all Prophethood is, the only exception being the Prophethood of Jesus during his Second Advent.