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Examples of Khātam used in other contexts 55
the Khātam-ul-Awliyā’ [Seal of the Saints]. There is no walī after
me except one who is from my followers and upon my
covenant]) 40 . These quotations show that Hazrat Mirzā Ghulām
Ahmad as believed that there would be Awliyā’ and Khulafā’ after
him and he could not have called himself the Last of the Khulafā’
or the Last of the Awliyā’. Moreover, this holds true from a
historical point of view. Hazrat ‘Īsā as was indeed the last
prophet for the Israelites or the Khātam-ul-Anbiyā’ for them but
the system of Khilāfah continued after him. In this sense, Hazrat
‘Īsā as cannot possibly be called the Last of the Khulafā’. Instead,
Hazrat Mirzā Ghulām Ahmad as calls him the Best of the Khulafā’
for those who came after him. As a result, both Hazrat ‘Īsā as and
Hazrat Mirzā Ghulām Ahmad as share the title of Khātam ul-
Khulafā’ as they are the best of the Khulafā’ among those Khulafā’
coming after them.
Questions for Farhan Khan:
1. If the word khātam did not idiomatically mean “best” at
the time of the Holy Prophet Muhammad sa , why did he
repeatedly use it in this sense in his statements?
2. What does he think about the fact that Hazrat Imām Razī
translated Khātam-an-Nabiyyīn as “Best of the prophets”
while knowing full well what the Usūl-ut-Tafsīr are?
40
Khutba Ilhāmiyya, Page 35