With-Love-to-Muhammad

Statements of Prophet Muhammad sa 97
As the story goes, the Holy Prophet sa was leaving
for an expedition and appointed Hazrat ‘Alī ra to act as
Amīr in Medina during his absence. Hazrat ‘Alī ra was
a great warrior and had accompanied the Holy
Prophet sa in all prior expeditions. For him to be left
behind was very painful. He felt he would be
deprived of the privilege of Jihād and that people
may think the Holy Prophet sa was displeased with
him. So Hazrat ‘Alī ra submitted to the Holy Prophet sa ,
“O Prophet of Allāh! Am I going to be left behind as
Amīr over women and children?” It was a subtle way
of evoking the Holy Prophet’s sa love for him.
Thereupon, the Holy Prophet sa answered: “O ‘Alī!
Why do you express this grief? This event has given
you the same position in relation to me, as Aaron
held in relation to Moses in his absence. You are to
me what Aaron was to Moses. The difference is that
you are not a prophet.” This hadīth has been reported
in different ways in Sahīh Bukhārī. The meaning is
essentially the same.
Now, the present day ‘Ulemā’ would insist that in
this hadīth the word ‘ba‘adī’ does not mean anything
but the fact that there is no prophet after the Holy
Prophet sa . It has no relevance to the temporary
absence of the Holy Prophet sa from Medina.
Hazrat Shāh Waliullāh Mohaddes Dehlavī,
universally acknowledged as the mujaddid (reformer)
of the 12th century and very well known to Muslims
of the sub-continent and who is held in high esteem
by these people, writes in Qurrat-ul-Ainīn Fī Tafsīl
Ash-Shaikhain, Page 602: