Author: Mohajer Azizi
Sikhism; Its Origins and Fundamental Beliefs (Part 16)
C. Sikh belief in prophet hood and its rejection
1. Guru Nanak’s claim of revelation and prophecy
Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, indirectly claimed to have received divine revelation and a divine mission. He claims that he was transported to another world and appeared in the presence of God (Allah). There he received a message that he should preach in the name of God and invite people to follow his teachings; after this incident, Guru Nanak began to propagate his ideas and was able to gather many followers.
2. Criticism of this claim from the perspective of Islam
Guru Nanak’s claim of prophet hood is not a new phenomenon; rather, people have made such claims throughout history, both before and after him. These claimants, consciously or unconsciously, have tried to cast doubt on the Muslims’ belief in the prophet hood of Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa (peace be upon him), who is the last messenger of Allah.
Guru Nanak is considered one of the clear opponents of the true religion from the perspective of Islam; because by combining Islamic and Hindu teachings, he tried to create an eclectic school whose ultimate goal was to undermine the authenticity of Islam. However, these efforts are fruitless; because Islam is a divine, comprehensive religion that is in accordance with human nature and is preserved by Allah and will remain intact until the Day of Judgment.
Throughout history, honest scholars and prominent men have emerged in the Muslim community who have always stood against deviations and defended the boundaries of belief. These efforts have guaranteed the survival of the religion and illuminated the path of guidance for future generations.
It is obvious that the Prophet of Islam, Hazrat Muhammad (peace be upon him), is the last of the Prophets. Numerous evidence from the Holy Quran, the Prophetic Sunnah, and the consensus of the scholars of the Islamic Ummah indicate this fact. Therefore, any claim of prophet hood after him is rejected and invalid. Allah the Almighty says: “مَا كَانَ مُحَمَّدٌ أَبَا أَحَدٍ مِنْ رِجَالِكُمْ وَلَكِنْ رَسُولَ الله وَخَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّينَ” Translation: “Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, was not the father of any of your men, but he is the messenger of Allah and the last of the prophets.” [1]
Allamah Ibn Kathir, may Allah bless him, has said in the commentary of this verse: «وَقَدْ أَخْبَرَ تَعَالَى فِي كِتَابِهِ، وَرَسُولِهِ فِي السُّنَّةِ الْمُتَوَاتِرَةِ عَنْهُ: أَنَّهُ لَا نَبِيَّ بَعْدَهُ؛ لِيَعْلَمُوا أَنَّ كُلَّ مَنِ ادعى هذا المقام بعده فَهُوَ كَذَّابٌ أَفَّاكٌ، دَجَّالٌ ضَالٌّ مُضِلٌّ، وَلَوْ تَخَرَّقَ (1) وَشَعْبَذَ، وَأَتَى بِأَنْوَاعِ السِّحْرِ وَالطَّلَاسِمِ والنَيرجيَّات (2)، فَكُلُّهَا مُحَالٌ وَضَلَالٌ عِنْدَ أُولِي الْأَلْبَابِ، كَمَا أَجْرَى اللَّهُ، سبحانه وتعالى، عَلَى يَدِ الْأَسْوَدِ العَنْسي بِالْيَمَنِ، وَمُسَيْلِمَةَ الْكَذَّابِ بِالْيَمَامَةِ، مِنَ الْأَحْوَالِ الْفَاسِدَةِ وَالْأَقْوَالِ الْبَارِدَةِ، مَا عَلِمَ كُلُّ ذِي لُبٍّ وَفَهْمٍ وحِجى أَنَّهُمَا كَاذِبَانِ ضَالَّانِ، لَعَنَهُمَا اللَّهُ. وَكَذَلِكَ كُلُّ مُدَّعٍ لِذَلِكَ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ حَتَّى يُخْتَمُوا بِالْمَسِيحِ الدَّجَّالِ، فَكُلُّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْ هَؤُلَاءِ الْكَذَّابِينَ (3) يَخْلُقُ اللَّهُ مَعَهُ مِنَ الْأُمُورِ مَا يَشْهَدُ الْعُلَمَاءُ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ بِكَذِبِ مَنْ (4) جَاءَ بِهَا.» Translation: “And Allah, the Most High, in His Book and the Prophet have informed in Sunnah that there will be no prophet after him; So that people may know that whoever claims this position after him is a blatant liar, a Dajjal, a misleader, and a deceiver; even if he tears his clothes, plays tricks, and uses all kinds of magic, spells, and strange things (such as magic spells). All of this is falsehood and misguidance in the eyes of the wise. Just as Allah, the Exalted, created corrupt states and empty words at the hands of Aswad Al-Anasi in Yemen and Musaylamah the liar in Yamamah, to the point that every person of intellect, understanding, and wisdom became certain that they were liars and misguided. May Allah curse them both. And whoever claims this until the Day of Resurrection, until the end of all these pretenders is the Messiah Dajjal; “So each of these liars brings with them things that Allah creates, but the scholars and believers testify that the one who brings them is a liar”. [2]
Qazi Ayaz, a prominent scholar and author of the book “Al-Shifa’” defining the rights of the Prophet, explicitly states that any claim to prophet hood after the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is an infidel, a liar, and a denier of the Prophet of Islam, and this claim is in clear contradiction with the verses of the Holy Quran. He writes in this regard: «وأجمعت الأمة على حمل هذا الكلام على ظاهره، وأن مفهومه المراد به دون تأويل ولا تخصيص، فلا شك في كفر هؤلاء الطوائف كلها قطعًا، إجماعًا وسمعًا.» Translation: “The Islamic nation is unanimous that this statement [the verse regarding the end of prophet hood] is taken as its apparent meaning, and that its meaning is the same clear meaning without the need for interpretation or specialization. Therefore, there is no doubt that all groups who claim prophet hood after the Prophet or follow such claimants are infidels.” Rather, their disbelief has been proven definitively, based on the consensus of the Ummah and the narrated evidence (the Quran and Sunnah)”. [3]
Similarly, Allah, the Exalted, says in His firm verses: «الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الإِسْلاَمَ دِينًا» Translation: “Today I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favor upon you, and chosen for you Islam as your religion.” [4]
Qazi Ayaz, may Allah bless him, says under this verse: «تدل الآيـة على أن الله قد أكمل الدين، فلهذا لا حاجة للعالم إلى نبي جديد؛ لأن الرسول محمد صلىاللهعليهوسلم قد أتى بالشريعة الكاملة الشاملة الصالحـة لجميع الأمكنـة والأزمنـة مهما ردها ورفضها المجرمون» Translation: “This verse indicates that Allah has perfected the religion, so there is no need for the world to have a new prophet, because the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, came with a complete and comprehensive Sharia, a Sharia that is suitable and appropriate for all times and places, even if the criminals do not accept it and reject it.” [5]
Ibn Kathir, may Allah bless him, said in his interpretation of this verse: (هذه أكبر نعم الله –تعالى– على هذه الأمة حيث أكمل لهـم دينهم، فلا يحتاجون إلى دين غيره، ولا إلى نبي غير نبيهم -صلوات الله وسلامه عليه-، ولهذا جعله الله خاتم الأنبياء، وبعثه إلى الإنس والجن…) Translation: “This is the greatest blessing of Allah Almighty upon this nation, because He perfected their religion for them, so they have no need of any religion other than it, nor of any prophet other than their Prophet – peace and blessings be upon him – and for this reason, Allah made him the last of the prophets and sent him to mankind and the jinn…” [6]
The finality of Prophet hood is clear, because the Islamic law is suitable for all times and places. This law has general rulings, and the door of Ijtihad is also left open to respond to new issues. Therefore, there is no need for a new prophet, unlike the law of the previous prophets, which was revealed for a limited time and a specific nation; but the last Sharia that came with the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, is for all people, indeed for the entire world. [7]
Allah Almighty says: «وما أرسلناك إلا رحمة للعالمين» Translation: “And We have not sent you except as a mercy to the worlds”. [8]
And he said: «وما أرسلناك إلا كافة للناس بشيراً ونذيراً» Translation: “And We have not sent you except as a bearer of good news and a warner to all mankind.” [9]
The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, has stated the issue of the finality of the Prophet hood on various occasions and in various terms so clearly and unambiguously that there is no room for distortion, misinterpretation, or interpretation by opinion.
In a Hadith narrated in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim from Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: «مثلی و مثل الأنبیاء من قبلی كمثل رجل بنى بيتاً فأحسنه وأجمله إلا موضع لبنة من زاوية من زواياه، فجعل الناس يطوفون به ويعجبون له ويقولون: هلا وُضعت هذه اللبنة؟ قال: فأنا اللبنة، وأنا خاتم النبيين» Translation: “My example and that of the prophets before me is like a man who built a beautiful and perfect house, except that a brick was left empty in one corner. People would go around that house and marvel at its beauty and say: “If only this brick had been laid!” The Prophet said: “I am that brick, and I am the last of the Prophets”. [10]
This eloquent parable expresses that prophet hood is like a lofty and magnificent building whose pillars and components were formed by the divine prophets. Before the mission of the Prophet of Islam (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), this building had been built to perfection and only one brick remained to complete it. The Prophet, with his mission, filled this empty space and brought the building of prophet hood to perfection and completeness. There is no need for a new prophet or messenger because this structure is complete now, and if anyone claims that another form of prophet hood or mission is left for him, his claim has no place in this structure and is clearly rejected. Now there is no room for prophet hood or mission in the palace of prophet hood, If another form of prophet hood or mission is submitted, then there is no room for it in the palace of prophet hood.” [11]
وقال صلىاللهعليهوسلم: “إن لي أسماء: أنا محمد، وأنا أحمد، وأنا الماحي يمحو الله بي الكفر، وأنا الحاشر الذي يحشر الناس على قدمي، وأنا العاقب، والعاقب الذي ليس بعده نبي. Translation: The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “I have names: I am Muhammad, I am Ahmad, I am al-Mahi, through whom Allah will erase disbelief, I am al-Hashir, at whose feet people will be gathered, I am al-Aqib, and al-Aqib is the one after whom there will be no prophet.” [12]
وفي صحيح مسلم عن ثوبان: قال رسول الله صلىاللهعليهوسلم: «وإنه سيكون في أمتي كذابون ثلاثون، كلهم يزعم أنه نبي، وأنا خاتم النبيين، لا نبي بعدي.» Translation: In Sahih Muslim, it is narrated from Thowban that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “There will come in my nation thirty liars, each of whom will claim to be a prophet, while I am the last of the Prophets, and there will be no prophet after me”.[13]
Allamah Tahawi, may Allah bless him, the author of the reliable book “Aqeedah Tahawiyyah” says in refuting the claimants of prophet hood: «وَإِنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ الْمُصْطَفَى، وَنَبِيُّهُ الْمُجْتَبَى، وَرَسُولُهُ الْمُرْتَضَى، وَأَنَّهُ خَاتَمُ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ، وَإِمَامُ الْأَتْقِيَاءِ، وَسَيِّدُ الْمُرْسَلِينَ، وَحَبِيبُ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ، وَكُلُّ دَعْوَى النُّبُوَّةِ بَعْدَهُ فَغَيٌّ وَهَوًى.» Translation: “And we believe that Muhammad, peace be upon him, is the chosen servant, the chosen prophet, and the beloved messenger of Allah. He is the last of the prophets, the leader of the righteous, the master of the divine prophets, and the beloved of the Lord of the worlds. And any claim to prophet hood after him is misguidance and following the desires of the soul.” [14]
The last of the Prophet, peace be upon him, has been narrated from him with the utmost frequency and is the subject of consensus among all Muslims. Whoever claims to be a prophet after him is a disbeliever; whether he claims to be an independent prophet who brought a new Sharia, or whether he claims to be inspired to interpret or explain various issues of the law of the Prophet of Islam, peace be upon him.
Therefore, the claim of Guru Nanak and his followers, as well as the claim of some extremist sects that there is revelation or positions equivalent to revelation for some individuals and that the speaker does not err in matters of the Sharia of Allah, is undoubtedly blasphemy according to Muslim consensus. [15]
Continues…
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References:
1. Ahzab: 40.
2. Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Vol. 6, p. 431.
3. Qazi Ayaz, Al-Shifa’ bi-Ta’rif Huquq al-Mustafa, Vol. 2, p. 286.
4. Surah al-Ma’idah, Verse 3.
5. Qazi Ayaz, Al-Shifa’ bi-Ta’rif Huquq al-Mustafa, Vol. 2, p. 286.
6. Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Vol. 3, p. 26.
7. Bassam al-‘Amoush, The Sikh Sect and Islam’s Position Towards It, p. 151.
8. Surah al-Anbiya’: 107.
9. Surah Saba’, Verse 28.
10. Sahih al-Bukhari, No. 3342.
11. Tafsir Ma’rif al-Qur’an, vol. 6, p. 488.
12. Sahih Muslim, no. 2354.
13. Musnad Ahmad, vol. 37, p. 72.
14. The Tahawi Creed, pp. 29-31.
15. Explanation of the Tahawiyyah Creed, p. 5.
