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276 With Love to Muhammad sa the Khātam-un-Nabiyyīn
them then the people should not oppose him but
support him and assist him and believe in him. The
prophets are being placed under obligation to enjoin
their people not to reject a claimant to prophethood
in the future who meets these criteria. What a
remarkable covenant! Having said this, the Holy
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allāh be on him) is
addressed directly in this verse: “And remember
when we took from the prophets their covenant, and
from thee…” 274
That is to say the Holy Prophet sa was pointedly
charged with the responsibility to place his ummah
under obligation to believe in the prophet appearing
after him with the condition that this prophet would
support the Book and Wisdom previously bestowed
on the people and would devote himself to the
service of the Faith. This covenant was taken from the
Holy Prophet sa even when the teaching and
prophethood had achieved perfection.
Commenting on this verse, Allāma Fakhr-ud-Dīn
Rāzī says in At-Tafsīr-ul-Kabīr, Volume 8, Page 114
(published in Tehran): “The only meaning of this
verse is to clearly state that Allāh had made it
incumbent on all prophets (and their followers) to
believe in every prophet who comes ‘fulfilling that
which is with them’.”
Allāma Rāzī has made a very subtle point. It means
that as long as a Divine Dispensation remains
operative and it is not abrogated by God, a false
prophet would not come and work towards the
274
Ibid.