With-Love-to-Muhammad

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Meanings of Khātam in Dictionaries 11
Lisān-ul-‘Arab
َ
واخ تَمُ‏ aواخَ‏ اتِمُ‏ aواخَ‏ اتَمُ‏ aواخَ‏ اتَامُ‏ ‏ْتَامُ‏ aنَ‏
‏ُر
aaبابa aثمَّ‏ aث
ّ اولaو‏َ‏ ۃً‏ aخُ‏ تمَ‏ aبہaدخَ‏ لَ‏
ذک
ٰ
‏َّہaٗ‎
‏ُہaٗ‎
َ
a‏َا ْ
ِ aاحُ‏
ا َ تِ‎ ْ اa ْ َ
aواخِ‏
َ ابع
“All these words – khatamu, khātimu, khātamo,
khātāmu, khītāmu– are used to refer to jewellery. It is
such [as if to indicate] that an impression [or stamp]
was created with it the first time ever. Hence, it came
into the grammatical form of Tābi’. In this meaning, it
was used extensively.”
This quotation from Lisān-ul-‘Arab (under the word
Khatama) further supports the meanings already provided by
Mufridāt and tells us that the essential and first meaning of
khātam or khātim is the impression of a stamp. That is the primary
and fundamental meaning, whereas all other meanings are
derived, used in a figurative sense when the context demands it.
The fact remains that the words Khātam-an-Nabiyyīn have
been applied to the Holy Prophet sa in 33:41 as praise. The
context shows that Allāh, the Exalted, is praising the Holy
Prophet sa in that verse which prevents us from applying the
meaning of ‘last,’ as being the ‘last’ of anything is not a
praiseworthy trait. Hence, we apply the first or fundamental
meaning of Khātam, that is, seal.