Ismaili (Nizari) Belief: Ali Shared Prophethood with Muhammad عليه السلام

 بِسۡمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحۡمٰنِ الرَّحِیۡمِ 

In the Name of Allah, the Rahman, the Merciful

الصلاة والسلام عليك يا سيدي يا رسول الله

In 1974, the National Assembly of Pakistan amended the Constitution with an amendment to the effect that Ahmadis, also known as Qadianis—followers of the false prophet Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadiani—are not Muslims on the basis of their rejection of the doctrine of Khatm-un-Nubuwwah or the finality of Prophethood.

Thus, when most Muslims consider the heresy of the continuation of Prophethood after our Master, Muhammad, peace be upon him, they immediately associate it with the Ahmadiyyah or Qadiani movement. 

But this is, in fact, a very old heresy going back to the very early days of Islam. The false prophets Aswad al-Ansi and Musaylimah emerged in the final days of the Prophet Muhammad’s earthly life. Thereafter, many heretics, especially those associated with a gnostic and radical form of Shiism, either claimed that various Imams were also Prophets, or else claimed Prophethood for themselves, such as Bayan bin Saman, al-Mughirah bin Said, Abu Mansur al-Ijli, Abul-Khattab al-Asadi, etc.

When we consider the heresy of denial of Khatm-un-Nubuwwah, we must not restrict ourselves to reckoning with the Qadianis, but also we ought to include the various Shiite sects. The Twelvers, today the dominant branch of Shiism in the world, effectively believe that their Twelve Imams are Prophets, in fact, greater than Prophets! They say that the Imams are divinely appointed, infallible, receive divine revelation, and that it is an obligation upon all mankind to believe in them. Short of naming the Imams Prophets, the Twelver Shiites ascribe the exclusive characteristics and substance of Nubuwwah to the Twelve Imams, and are therefore just as guilty as the Qadianis, if not more, in denying Khatm-un-Nubuwwah.

But the topic of this post is the Ismaili sect and its rejection of Khatm-un-Nubuwwah. Like the Twelvers, many Ismailis believe their line of Imams are not only infallible but that they are superior to the Prophets. They go a step further than the Twelvers and teach that Amir ul-Muminin, Ali bin Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, shared Prophethood with our Master, Muhammad, peace be upon him:

بقول سیدنا ادریس مولانا علیؑ آنحضرتؐ کی زندگی تک آپ کے ساتھ رسالت میں بھی شریک تھے اور آپ درجۂ نبوت پر بھی فائز تھے

“According to sayyidina Idris, our master Ali was a partner with the Prophet Muhammad in Apostlehood during his lifetime, and held the rank of Prophethood.”

Quoting Hadith al-Manzilah:

على مني بمنزلة هارون من موسى الا انه لا نبي بعدى

“Ali is to me in the position Aaron was to Moses, except there is no prophet after me.”

Commenting on this, the Ismailis say:

مولانا علی آنحضرت کے ساتھ آپ کی زندگی تک نبوت میں بھی شریک تھے

“Our master Ali was a partner in the Prophethood of Prophet Muhammad during his lifetime.” (Hamare Ismaili Mazhab ki Haqiqat aur uska Nizam, p.73)

The notion that Amir ul-Muminin Ali bin Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, was a prophet and shared prophethood with Hadrat Muhammad, peace and blessing of Allah be upon him, but that prophethood was taken from him after the Prophet Muhammad passed away from this earthly life is clearly a violation of the Islamic belief in Khatm-un-Nubuwwah. It is among the worst of heresies.