Prophethood [nubuwwah] from the Shī‘ah viewpoint

Prophethood [nubuwwah] from the Shī‘ah viewpoint     

Following the Book (the Qur’an) and the Sunnah, and relying on the explicit traditions of the Prophet’s Ahl al-Bayt (‘a), the Shī‘ah not only consider Muḥammad ibn ‘Abd Allāh (ṣ) as a prophet in truth appointed by God as a universal messenger, but also regard him as the Seal of the Prophets [khātam al-anbiyā’] and the greatest divine envoy.

‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib (‘a), the great leader who is followed by the Shī‘ah testifies to this truth in these eloquent words:

محمّدًا أن أشهد و له لاشريك وحده الله إلاّ إله لا أن أشهد و”

“.العالمين على حجّةالله و النّبيّين خاتم رسوله، و عبده

And I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, the One and Only, Who has no partner, and I bear witness that Muḥammad is His servant and Messenger, the Seal of the Prophets and the Proof of Allah to the worlds.[1]

Imām aṣ-Ṣādiq (‘a) also says:

:أنبياء خمسة إلاّ العرب من عزّوجلّ الله يبعث لم”

“.(ص) النّبيّين خاتم محمّدًا و شعيبًا و إسماعيل و صالحًا و هودًا

 “From among the Arabs, God appointed only five prophets: Hūd, Ṣāliḥ, Ismā‘īl, Shu‘ayb, and Muḥammad as the Seal of the Prophets (ṣ).”[2]

This noble ḥadīth which proves the groundlessness of this repulsive accusation against the Shī‘ah refers to Hadrat[3] Muḥammad ibn ‘Abd Allāh (ṣ) as the last and final Prophet of God.[4]

Accordingly, the Shī‘ah all over the world think that Jibra’īl (‘a) was truthful and honest in conveying the message, Muḥammad ibn ‘Abd Allāh (ṣ) is the Prophet in truth and the last and final Messenger of Allah, and ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib (‘a) is the Prophet’s successor and executor of his will.

Here, it is appropriate to quote a tradition on whose authenticity all the Sunnīs and the Shī‘ah agree and which can be found in their reliable books. In this tradition known as the Ḥadīth al-Manzilah, after announcing his being the Seal of the Prophets, the Holy Prophet (‘a) introduces ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib (‘a) as his successor and the executor of his will when he says to him:

بعدي؟ لانبيّ أنّه إلاّ موسىٰ من هارون بمنزلة منّي تكون أن ترضىٰ أما

 “Are you not satisfied that you are to me as Hārūn (Aaron) is to Mūsā (Moses) except that there shall be no prophet after me?”[5]

This tradition whose chain of transmission is approved by great scholars of ḥadīth [muḥaddithūn]—both Sunnī and Shī‘ah—is a clear testimony to the soundness of the Shī‘ah’s view on the following:

1.      Muḥammad ibn ‘Abd Allāh (ṣ) is the most beloved prophet of God and the seal of the prophets who by the decree of God was sent as the final and universal messenger after whom no prophet will come.

‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib (‘a) is the Prophet’s successor and executor of his will, and the caliph of the Muslims after him