Monthly Archives: November 2008

The meaning of خاتم (Khaatam) in Lexicons/Dictionaries

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The Ahmadis compiled their own dictionary of the words of the Qur’an titled Dictionary of the Holy Qur’an. Written by Malik Ghulam Farid, under the Publisher’s Note (page 5 on the pdf), it claims to be entirely based off of Lisan al-’Arab, Taaj al-’Aroos, al-Mufridaat fi Ghareeb al-Qur’an, Arabic-English Lexicon by E.W. Lane and Aqrab al-Mawarid.

On pages 222-223, regarding the word خاتم, Farid wrote:

خاتَمٌ also means the best and most perfect; embellishment or ornament; the hollow of the back of the neck: وَلَكِن رَّسُولَ اللَّهِ وَخَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّينَ But he is the Messenger of Allah and the seal of the Prophets (33:41)

I openly challenge the validity of this entry by Farid.  خاتم has many meanings, but ‘best’, ”most perfect’,’ embellishment’ or ‘ornament’ are not amongst them, nor can they be directly implied by any classical lexicon Farid referenced.  All of the referenced lexicons say خاتم means ‘last’ in some form or another, and some specifically give the example of Surah Ahzab verse 40 (41) as listed above to mean Last of the Prophets.  Below are the original Arabic texts and English translations of these dictionaries/lexicons.  Notice that none of them, without exception, say خاتم means ‘best’, ‘most perfect’, ‘embellishment’ or ‘ornament’.

Lisaan al-‘Arab لسان العرب

(خَتَمَ)
وخَتَمَ الشيءَ خَتْمًا بلغ آخرهُ
والقرآن والكتاب قرأَهُ كلَّهُ وأَتَّمَّهُ
والصكَّ وغيرهُ وضع عليهِ نقش خاتمهِ حتى لا يجري عليهِ التزوير والتبديل
وخَتَم العمل فرغ منهُ
والإِنَاءَ سدَّهُ بالطين ونحوهِ
ومنهُ في سورة المطفّفين يُسْقَوْنَ مِنْ رَحِيقٍ مَخْتُومٍ خِتَامُهُ مِسْكٌ وَفِي ذَلِك فَلْيَتَنَافَسِ المُتَنَافَسُون 
الخاتِم والخاتَم الخاتام وآخِر القوم ج خواتم
الخاتمة مؤَنَّث الخاتم. ومن كل شيءِ أقصاهُ وتمامهُ وعاقبتهُ وآخرتهُ كخاتمة الكتاب وغيرهِ وهي نقيض الفاتحة

(Khatama)
Khatama [v.] Khatman [n.] something: reached its ending
the Qur’än and a book: read all of it and comleted it.
a document, or others: put on it a pattern of his seal so it would not be forged or edited
Khatama a job: finished it
a container: sealed it with mud, or so forth.
Also in Sürat AlMuṭaffifïn Qur’än [83:25] 
Khätim, Khätam, Khätäm, and the last of a group, pl. Khawätïm
Khätimah, fem. of Khätim
Of anything: it’s farthest limit, its completion, its end, and outcome
Such as a Khätimah of a book or so forth
and it is the opposite of Fätiħah (opening/opener)

Taaj al-‘Aroos تاج العروس

الخاتم 
من كل شيء عاقبته وآخرته كخاتمته 
و الخاتم : آخر القوم كالخاتم
ومنه قوله تعالى وخاتم النبيين أي آخرهم 
وقد قرئ بضم التاء وقول العجاج
مبارك للأنبياء خاتم

The Khätam
of any thing is its conclusion and its end as Khätimatihi [its closing]
and the Khätam is the last of a group
and of it is the saying of [Allāh] ta`älä “wa-khätama n-nabiyyïn” [and the Seal of Prophets], meaning their last
It was also recited as khatum with a damma on the ta’; and [the poet] al-’Ajjaj said
A blessing to the prophets, this khatam is!

Al-Mufridaat fee Ghareeb al-Qur’an المفردات لغريب القرآن

وخاتم النبيين: الأحزاب/40، لأنه ختم النبوة، أي: تممها بمجيئه

“and the Seal of the Prophets” [Quran Ahzab:40], because he is the seal of prophet hood, that is: he completed it with his coming.

Arabic-English Lexicon by E.W Lane

† The last of a company of men; (Lb, TA ; ) as also ختَمُ and ختِمُ: (K:) whence خَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّينَ † [The last of the prophets], in the Kur [xxxiii. 40]; accord. to one reading, خاتُم, with damm to the ت; (TA;) or الأَنبياء خاتِمُ, i.e. Mohammad; (S;) also called الخاتَمُ and الخاتِمُ.

Aqrab al-Mawarid أقرب الموارد

خَتَمَ: صاحبهُ تَخْتِيمًا: البيهُ الخاتم في اصبعهِ: الاساس
خِتام كل شربٍ: آخرهُ: التاج
خِتام الوادي: افصا هُ و خِتام القوم آخرهم: التاج
زُفَّت اليهِ بخاتم ربّها و ختمها و خِتامها ايوهي في بكارتها: الاساس و التاج بلا تفسير
الخَتْم: بالفتح: لغة في الخاتم ج خُتُوم: التاج
اعطاني خَتْمِي: اي حسي لان حسب الرجل آخر طلبهِ: التاج

“Khattama”: to wear the ring on one’s finger (or place it on someone else’s finger)
“Khitaam” of a drink is its last drop
“Khitaam” of a valley is its endpoint (end of the valley) “Khitaam” of a people (qawm) is their last member
“she was delivered in a wedding procession with her “khaatim” or “khitaam” – (meaning with her virginity intact)
“al-Khatm” is another word (with same meaning) for Khaatim, and the plural of that is khutoom
“he gave me my Khatm”: means my fill/sufficiency, in other words, the last of his desire.”

The following dictionaries were not referenced by Farid.  But, I am providing them only to show that indeed, all classical lexicons completely reject with the Ahmadi invention of the meaning of ‘best’, ‘most perfect’, ‘embellishment’ or ‘ornament’.

Al-Muħït المحيط

خَتَمَ
العملَ: فرغ مِنْه
القُرآنَ أو الكتاب: قرأَه كُلَّهُ
اللهُ له بالخير: أتمّ عليه نعمته، وجعل له عاقبةً حسنة
من كلِّ شيءٍ : آخره
وَلَكِن رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَخَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّينَ
إنَّ محمداً علّم فواتحَ الْخَيْر وخواتِمهُ
الأمورُ بخواتمها
Khatama
Work: Finished it
The Qur’än or a book: Read it all
Allāh has concluded for him with what is good: completed his blessings on him, and gave him a fare outcome
of anything: it’s end 
Qur’än [33:40]
Muħammad knew the openings of goodness and its closings
Issues are (judged) by their ends [an Arabic version of “All’s well, that ends well”]

Muħït Al-Muħït محيط المحيط

خَتَمَهُ 
ومحمد صلي الله عليه و سلم, خاتِمُ الأَنبياء , عليه وعليهم الصلاة والسلام
التهذيب : والخاتِم والخاتَم من أَسماء النبي
وفي التنزيل العزيز
مَا كَانَ مُحَمَّدٌ أَبَا أَحَدٍ مِنْ رِجَالِكُمْ وَلَكِنْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَخَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّينَ
أَي آخرهم
قال : وقد قرئ وخاتَمَ
وقول العَجَّاج
مُبارَكٍ للأَنبياء خاتِمِ
إِنما حمله على القراءة المشهورة فكسر
ومن أَسمائه العاقب أَيضاً ومعناه آخر الأَنبياء

Khatamahu
and Muħammad PBUH, is the seal of prophets upon him and them be peace and blessing.
Out of respect: AlKhätim and AlKhätam are among the names of the prophet PBUH
and in the Glorious Revelation: Qur’än [33:40]
meaning their last
he says: and it was also read “wa-Khätam”;
and the saying of Al-Àjjäj:
“A blessing to the prophets, this khatam is!”
for he based it on the famous pronunciation [Qirä'ah], so he (ended it with or used) a Kasrah
and among his names is AlÀäqib also, and its meaning is the last of the prophets.

Al-Ghani الغني

خاتِم، خاتَم 
وَلَكِنْ رَسُولُ الله وَخَاتِمُ النَّبِيِّين 
قرآن) آخِرُ الأنْبِيَاءِ
خَتَمَ
خَتَمَ عَمَلَهُ : أنْهَاهُ
خَتَمَ الْكِتابَ : أكْمَلَ قِرَاءتَهُ، أتَمَّه
خَتَمَ الصَّبِيُّ الْقُرْآنَ الْكَرِيمَ : أكْمَلَ حِفْظَهُ وَقِرَاءتَهُ
خَتَمَ لَهُ اللهُ بِالْخَيرِ : جَعَلَ نِهَايَتَهُ سَعِيدَةً

(Khätim, Khätam)
Qur’än [33:40] 
(Qur’än): the last of the prophets
(Khatama)
Khatama his work: Ended it
Khatama the book: completed reading it, completed it
The lad khatama the Noble Qur’än: Completed memorizing and reading it.
Allāh khatama for him with goodness: made his ending happy.

AlWasït الوسيط

الخاتِمُ الخاتامُ… و- من كل شيء: آخره
وفي التنزيل العزيز :مَا كَانَ مُحَمَّدٌ أَبَا أَحَدٍ مِنْ رِجَالِكُمْ وَلَكِنْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَخَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّينَ
الخاتِمةُ: من كل شيء: عاقِبتهُ وآخره

(Khätam): Khätäm… and – of anything: it’s end.
And in the Glorious Revelation: Qur’än [33:40]
(Khätimah): of anything: its end, and last

AlQämüs AlMuħït القاموس المحيط

خَتَمَهُ
كالخاتِم والخاتامِ والخَيْتامِ والخِيتام والخَتَمِ: محرَّكةً (والخاتِيامِ) ج [ج] خَواتِمُ وخَواتِيمُ
وقَد (تَخَتمَ) به ومن كلٌ شيءٍ عاقِبَتُه وآخِرَتُهُ (كخَاتِمتِه) وآخِرُ القَوْمِ

Khatamahu 
(as Khätim, Khätäm, Khaytäm, Khïtam, Khatami) voweled (Khätyäm) [pl.] Khawätïm, Khawätim
Has (Takhattama) with it -
And of anything, its outcome and its ending as. (Khätimatihi), and the last of a group

As you can see, not a single one of the lexicons Farid referenced provide the alternative definition the Ahmadis insist on.  This begs the question, where did he get this definition from?  Did he just make it up?

My initial thought is that he fabricated this entry so that in the future, when Ahmadis reference his work to double-check Surah Ahzab verse 40 (41), they conclude that this verse has nothing to do with the Finality of Prophethood.

In reality, All of the classical interpretators of the Qur’an have concluded that Khaatam an-Nabieen means Last of the Prophets, there are no prophets after Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم.

If you wish to double-check my work, most are available here: http://lexicons.sakhr.com/idrisidic_1.asp?Sub=%ce%ca%e3
Here is a scanned copy of Aqrab al-Mawarid made:  http://profile.imageshack.us/user/farhan00/images/detail/#175/aqrabredoht4.jpg
Here is Lane’s Lexicon, page 339: http://www.studyquran.org/LaneLexicon/Volume2/00000339.pdf

May Allah guide the Ahmadis to Islam.

Was Mirza Persian?

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Narrated in Sahih Bukhari, Book 31, Hadith 6177

“Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: If the din were at the Pleiades, even then a person from Persia would have taken hold of it, or one amongst the Persian descent would have surely found it.“

The Ahmadis often argue that this hadith refers to Mirza Ghulam Ahmad.  How, you ask?  Because he revived Islam and was of Persian ancestry.  So, does this hadith refer to him?  Lets analyze.

Historically, the Persian people carried the banner of Islam for hundreds of years.  Many of the great scholars of Islam, in its various sciences from Fiqh (codified law), to ‘aqidah (theology), to Arabic grammar, to spirituality were Persian.  For example, Imam al-Ghazali, Al-Zamakhshari (The great scholar of the Arabic language) and many many others.

Now, they argue, that another Persian man has come to revive Islam.  Whether or not he really revived Islam aside, was Mirza Persian?  …was he really?  Lets analyze.

According to the modern definition of nationality, the Ahmadis might have a valid argument.  If they can show that his ancestry hailed from Persia, then he is Persian.  But, this understanding of race and nationality is not in accordance with the Islamic understanding.  It is based off of the nationalistic European understanding of race and ethnicity that crept into the collectively Muslim psyche during the periods of colonization.  But, this is not how Muslims historically understand nationality.

Traditionally, nationality was based on where someone lived, not where their ancestry hailed. For example, the great companion Suhayb ar-Rumi’s background was Arab from the village of al-Thani.  At a young age, he was captured and sold as a slave into the Byzantine empire and lived amongst them, but eventually returned to Arabia.  Even though he was ethnically Arab, he was called a Roman.  Likewise, Ahmad ibn Ibrahim “Ibn Nuhaas” the author of Kitab al-Jihad [not of the pen!], was called Al-Dimashqi (the Syrian) because he was originally from Syria and when he relocated to Egypt, he was called al-Dumyati (a city in Egypt).  His nationality changed based on his area of residence.

Were people cognizant of their ancestory?  Yes, of course.  But, that was less important, more of a minute- a trivial detail.  Nationality was based on your place of birth and/or your place of residence (depending on who you asked).  If your great great grandparents were from Samarqand (modernday Uzbekistan), but you were born and raised in Iraq, you were Iraqi.  If you moved to Al-Andulus (Spain) and settled there, you were Aundulusi.  At most, your ancestry mattered two to three generations back.

How does Mirza measure up to this standard?  Mirza never left India for any significant amount of time [not even to perform Hajj].  He lived and died in India.  His father Mirza Ghulam Murtaza, grandfather Mirza Ata Muhammad and great grandfather Mirza Gul Muhammad were all from India.  He even referred to himself as ” Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani“  Based on this classical understanding, Mirza was 100% Hindi (Indian), not Persian. Therefore, the narrations about the Persian people and how they will revive Islam have nothing to do with him.

And we put our trust in Allah that He made guide the Ahmadis to Islam.

Rejecting the Prophets: Lessons from the Past

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One of the common arguments by the Ahmadi religious establishment and echoed by Syed Sulaiman Adnan in his blog replies is that the previous nations rejected their Prophets.  He calls us to learn from their mistakes and accept Mirza Ghulam Ahmad.  To me, this is very unsophisticated argument, but deserves a sophisticated response.

The previous peoples rejected their prophets.  That’s true and testified to in the Qur’an.  Lets analyze by juxtaposing the rejection of ‘Esa bin Maryam عليه صلاة و سلام, the rejection of the Prophet Muhammad عليه صلاة و سلام by the Quraysh and the rejection of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad by the Muslims.

In Surah Nisaa, verse 158 Allah says:

And for their saying, ‘We did slay the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah;’ whereas they slew him not, nor did they bring about his death upon the cross, but he was made to appear to them like one crucified; and those who differ therein are certainly in a state of doubt about it; they have no certain knowledge thereof, but only pursue a conjecture; and they did not arrive at a certainty concerning it.
- The official Ahmadi translation of the Qur’an by Muhammad ‘Ali

They openly admitted that ‘Esa bin Maryam عليه صلاة و سلام was al-Maseeh, the Messenger of Allah.  But, their kufr (in this case, rejection) stemmed out of their desire to maintain political and social control over the masses of Bani Isra’eel.  So, they rejected ‘Esa bin Maryam عليه صلاة و سلام even though they knew he was truly from Allah.

Now lets move to the Quraysh.  On the day of the Battle of Badr, Abu Jahl was asked if Muhammad عليه صلاة و سلام was known to be truthful or was a liar.  He said, “Woe to you! By Allah, he is truthful. He never told a lie in his life. But if the Family of Qusay enjoyed the privileges of leadership, guardianship of the Sacred House, the honor of providing pilgrims with water and the honor of Prophethood, what would be left for the rest of Quraysh to be proud of?” He knew the Prophet Muhammad عليه صلاة و سلام was truthful, but he rejected him out of tribalism and arrogance.

Now lets compare the Muslims and the rejection of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad.  I can talk about myself personally.  I have nothing to gain or lose from rejecting MGA.  I live in America; no one cares what I believe in or don’t believe in.  I do not reject him out of arrogance, I do so out of conviction.  We believe in our hearts that he was a false prophet, an open enemy of Allah.  Debate with us as they may, we have evidence to support us.  Having said that, the argument of “you reject him just as the previous nations do” fails, because the motivations for rejecting him are completely different than the past nations.  One is out of arrogance, the other is out of conviction.  In fact, we reply by calling the Ahmadis to embrace Islam!

This is also a weak argument because it is reactionary and lacks insight.  Just because previous nations rejected their prophets, should we blindly accept all claimants to prophethood?  Or al-Maseeh?  Or al-Mahdi?  That’s irresponsible.  The soul is not a game to play like that.  Use the ‘aql (intellect) Allah has given us.

Ahmadis will argue that he fulfilled the signs of al-Mahdi, so we should use our intellect to objectively analyze his claims and realize his truthfulness.  I don’t want to get into a tangent on why Ahmadis cannot conveniently make everything that disagrees with them into a metaphor, so lets analyze the signs of al-Mahdi that cannot be interpreted as metaphors.  Just to name a few:

  • Al-Mahdi will be named Muhammad ibn Abdullah
  • Will come from the Tribe of Qahtaan (which still exists to this day)
  • Will flee Madinah to Makkah and will seek refuge in the Ka’aba
  • Will take the Bay’ah (pledge) between the Rukun and the Maqam of Ibrahim at the Ka’aba
  • Will never claim to be al-Mahdi, but will be recognized by others as such.  Traditionally, the scholars understood that if someone openly claimed to be al-Mahdi, he was not al-Mahdi.

For more signs, perhaps Ahmadis would be interested in the perspective of al-Mahdi by the Muslims in this scholarly and gripping lecture series by Shaykh Yasir Qadhi, The Mahdi: Between Fact and Fiction.

http://www.islamicgoodsdirect.co.uk/the-mahdi-between-fact-and-fiction-yasir-qadhi-cd.html
[I support copyright laws, but under the fair-use policy, but I am willing to provide Ahmadis with excerpts of this lecture series, specifically about the signs of al-Mahdi, upon request.  Leave your e-mail address below and I will reply to you, in sha Allah]

May Allah guide our Ahmadi friends to Islam
All Muslims, say Ameen!