# Baha'i Reflections on the Seal of the Prophets

*Exported from [Holy-Writings.com](https://www.holy-writings.com/) on 2026-06-18 — 1 clipping.*

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> Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: Christopher Buck, Baha'i Reflections on the Seal of the Prophets, bahai-library.com.
> ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
> 
> Unsealing the “Seal of the
> Prophets”
> Christopher Buck • Oct 1, 2013 • 7 Comments
> 
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> TEACHINGS                         BAHA'I QUOTES THAT CHANGED MY
> PART 7 IN SERIES:   LIFE
> 
> The views expressed in our content reflect individual perspectives and do not represent the official views of the Baha'i Faith.
> 
> Even as the Lord of being hath in His unerring Book [the Qur’an], after speaking of the “Seal” in His exalted
> utterance: “Muhammad is the Apostle of God and the Seal of the Prophets,” hath revealed unto all people the
> promise of “attainment unto the divine Presence.” …
> 
> Nothing more exalted or more explicit than “attainment unto the divine Presence” hath been revealed in the
> Qur’an. …
> 
> And yet, through the mystery of the former verse, they have turned away from the grace promised by the latter,
> despite the fact that “attainment unto the divine Presence” in the “Day of Resurrection” is explicitly stated in the
> Book.
> 
> Baha’u’llah, The Book of Certitude, Paragraphs 181–182.
> 
> This quote changed my life, challenged my thinking, gave me insight. Here’s how:
> Calgary, 1991. Bone-chilling winter. Freezing cold outside. Not so cold inside. Colder in the basement, though. Way past
> midnight. Wife, two young sons, fast asleep. Freeze-dried coffee. Stay awake. Keep typing. Finish my Master’s thesis.
> 
> Read above passage again. Again and again. Something puzzles me. Got to figure this out: What’s the “latter” verse that
> Baha’u’llah refers to? Must be important: “Nothing more exalted … hath been revealed in the Qur’an.”
> 
> Okay. “Seal of the Prophets” is verse 33:40 in the Qur’an. (The world’s 1.6 billion Muslims revere Q. 33:40.) Definitely the
> “former verse” Baha’u’llah refers to.
> 
> But where’s the “latter” verse? No citation. No footnote. First clue: “Latter” means “later.” After the “Seal of the Prophets”
> verse, what should I look for? (Baha’u’llah’s next clue: “Day of Resurrection.”)
> 
> How many times have I read this text? Lost count. Must study the text again. Drink more Taster’s Choice. Get up. Walk
> around. Stretch. Sit down. Read again. Concentrate! Q. 33:40. Verses right after. Here’s what they say:
> 
> Muhammad is not the father of any one of your men, but the Messenger of God, and the Seal of the Prophets;
> God has knowledge of everything.
> 
> O believers, remember God oft, and give Him glory at the dawn and in the evening. It is He who blesses you, and
> His angels, to bring you forth from the shadows into the light. He is All-compassionate to the believers.
> 
> Their greeting, on the day when they shall meet Him, will be ‘Peace!’
> 
> Qur’an 33:40–44. [Arberry’s translation.]
> 
> I think I got it! Sudden insight? Did I just discover the “latter” verse that Baha’u’llah refers to? Maybe. The verse qualifies.
> For sure, Q. 33:44 has “revealed unto all people the promise of ‘attainment unto the divine Presence’.” Okay. Now I found
> the “latter” verse. Do I understand Q. 33:44? Sort of. (Not quite!)
> 
> Some of Q. 33:40–44 is clear: “To bring you forth from the shadows into the light” refers to the Day of Resurrection.
> “Shadows” suggests death. “Light” implies life. “Meet Him” means “meet God.”
> 
> Problem : If God can’t be seen, then what does “meet God” mean?
> 
> Note to self : Prophetic code. Got to decode.
> 
> Think! Getting close. Thoughts ablaze. Spirit on fire. So I write:
> 
> This one single verse, Qur’an 33:40, is at the heart of Muslim theology. Carved in exegetical stone, the sense of
> ultimacy behind the “Seal of the Prophets” cannot be overruled. At most, it can only be reinterpreted. Baha’u’llah
> does just that.
> 
> His exegesis is dramatic: he points his finger just four verses further to Qur’an 33:44, a relatively overlooked
> verse. Suddenly, the reader is transported from the Last Prophet to the Last Day, from the end of prophecy to
> the end of time. Within a few lines of revealed Arabic, the vision of Muhammad dissolves into the vision of God. …
> 
> The interpretation of “Seal of the Prophets” has traditionally meant the “last of the prophets.” The “presence of
> God,” in Baha’u’llah’s exegesis, signifies, in effect, the “prophet of the Last Day.”
> 
> God cannot be seen. The “Presence of God” must be “seen” in the absence of a visible God. The “Presence” is
> visible; God is not. The “Presence of God” is not God in person but rather the “Person of God.” The Bab is such a
> “Presence.” Correspondingly, Qur’an 33:40 is Muhammad; Qur’an 33:44 is the Bab. Exegetically, Qur’an 33:44 is
> therefore the most crucial of all the verses in Baha’u’llah’s argument. – Symbol and Secret, pp. 194–195.
> 
> All Muslims believe that Muhammad is the “Seal [Last] of the Prophets,” precluding any further Prophets. Yet this Baha’i
> interpretation of the “Seal of the Prophets” and the “Meeting God” references in the Qur’an shows that divine revelation
> continues, always providing humanity with new guidance and hope.
> The Seal of the Prophets: Meeting God on the Last
> Day
> Christopher Buck • Feb 12, 2016 • 1 Comment
> 
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> 
> RELIGION     PART 8 IN SERIES:   FIGURING OUT PROPHECY
> 
> The views expressed in our content reflect individual perspectives and do not represent the official views of the Baha'i Faith.
> 
> Growing up as a Christian, many times I would hear this expression: “The Bible says.” Then the speaker would cite
> chapter and verse.
> 
> The listener would often respond: “Yes, but the Bible also says,” offering a counter-verse as proof of a contrary position.
> It’s as if the sacred text was arguing with itself!
> 
> Particularly interesting in all sacred texts—and problematic in most—are the prophecies about the Last Day, the Day of
> Judgment, etc. Why? Because they’re hard to figure out. They read easily, but they’re puzzling—true of the Bible, and true
> of the Qur’an.
> 
> So let’s now consider prophecies of the last days in the Qur’an. Yes, radical Islam is in the news each and every day. That’s
> a shame, really, because it tarnishes the good name of Islam.
> 
> But let’s think about traditional Islam, mainstream Islam, where the majority of Muslims are everyday people, like you
> and I, who want nothing more than to live in peace and prosperity, and who derive much inspiration and guidance from
> their Faith.
> 
> Probably most every Muslim (there are an estimated 2 billion Muslims in the world today) would agree that the Prophet
> Muhammad is the “Seal of the Prophets.”
> 
> This comes from a very important verse in the Qur’an: 33:40. Many regard this verse as the single most important verse
> in the Qur’an, doctrinally speaking.
> 
> With the possible exception of the Ahmadiyya (a new religious movement primarily centered in Pakistan), this means that
> Muslims consider Muhammad the last prophet. Period. Case closed. End of discussion.
> 
> Baha’is agree. Baha’u’llah, in fact, honors Muhammad in the following way, which goes somewhat above and beyond
> Qur’an 33:40:
> 
> Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! I beseech Thee by Thy Chosen Ones, and by the Bearers of Thy Trust, and by
> Him Whom Thou hast ordained to be the Seal of Thy Prophets and of Thy Messengers, to let Thy remembrance
> be my companion, and Thy love my aim, and Thy face my goal, and Thy name my lamp, and Thy wish my desire,
> and Thy pleasure my delight. — Baha’u’llah, Baha’i Prayers, p. 74.
> 
> Now consider: Prophets prophesy. They foretell. According to Baha’i belief, Muhammad was the last of the Prophets, i.e.
> the last of those who prophesy. In other words, Muhammad was the last Prophet in the “Cycle of Prophecy,” which began
> with Adam.
> 
> Okay. Muhammad is the last Prophet. The last to prophesy. What comes next? Who comes next?
> 
> Prophecy ends when fulfillment begins. After the “Cycle of Prophecy” comes the “Cycle of Fulfillment.”
> 
> What does this mean, you ask?
> 
> It’s simple: Prophecies foretell the future. When prophecies come true, then they are fulfilled. Prophecy becomes
> fulfillment. That’s the way it works.
> 
> Around one-third of the Qur’an foretells the Last Day. The Last Day is a good example of what Baha’is mean by the “Cycle
> of Fulfillment.”
> 
> Even though prophets prophesy, their prophecies are not always clear, and often require interpretation. The first choice
> in interpreting any prophecy means asking this fundamental question: “Is this prophecy literal or figurative?”
> 
> So let’s take the very first prophecy after Qur’an 33:40. This occurs just four verses later at Qur’an 33:44:
> 
> On the day when they will be brought into the presence of their Lord, their greeting to each other will be, “Peace
> be with you.” God has prepared an honorable reward for them. – Qur’an 33:44, translated by Muhammad Sarwar.
> 
> Here’s another translation of the very same verse:
> 
> Their greeting, on the day when they shall meet Him, will be ’Peace!’ And He has prepared for them a generous
> wage. – Qur’an 33:44, translated by A.J. Arberry.
> 
> Arberry’s translation (“meet Him”) is literal. Sardar’s translation (“brought into the presence of their Lord”) is figurative.
> This is more in line with the Baha’i understanding.
> 
> Now let’s use our four-step key to understanding prophecy:
> 
> Step 1: If impossible, then not literal. Why is the literal reading not possible here? Here’s why: Because it is impossible to
> meet God directly, face-to-face. The Qur’an itself says so: “No mortal eyes can see Him, but He can see all eyes. He is All-
> kind and All-aware.” – Q. 6:103, translated by Muhammad Sarwar.
> Step 2: If not literal, then figurative. What is the comparison or analogy expressed here? What compares to “meeting
> God”? Let’s agree on this: To “meet God” is literal. That’s impossible. What is possible is to be “brought into the presence
> of their Lord,” as Sarwar translates.
> 
> Step 3: If figurative, then symbolic. What qualities does this symbol represent? What does “meet God” symbolize? Whatever
> “presence of their Lord” means, it is surely an event in which the will of God is clearly communicated and made known. If
> we cannot meet God directly, then the next best thing is meeting God’s ambassador, God’s messenger, or what Baha’is
> call the “Manifestation of God,” who expresses “God” in nature, but not in essence.
> 
> Step 4: If symbolic, then spiritual and social. Who (or what) represents those qualities? According to the Baha’i teachings,
> when God sends humanity a messenger, that messenger comes from the presence of God and therefore represents
> God. Whoever has the bounty and blessings of meeting the messenger of God, in a figurative and symbolic way of
> understanding, has succeeded in “meeting God” by being “brought into the presence of their Lord.”
> 
> Think of the “presence of God” as divine charisma, an aura of holiness, the nimbus of the sacred, the halo effect. You may
> be surprised to know that “charisma” is actually a scientific term used in academia: sociologists of religion talk about the
> founders of the great world religions as having “charisma.”
> 
> I’ve tried my best to simplify the Baha’i understanding of these two key verses of the Qur’an which, in the larger picture,
> represent the two cycles: the Cycle of Prophecy, which is followed by the Cycle of Fulfillment. Baha’u’llah makes it clear in
> this important paragraph from his Book of Certitude, addressed to the Islamic world:
> 
> And yet, through the mystery of the former verse [Qur’an 33:40], they have turned away from the grace
> promised by the latter [Qur’an 33:44], despite the fact that “attainment unto the divine Presence” in the “Day of
> Resurrection” is explicitly stated in the Book. It hath been demonstrated and definitely established, through clear
> evidences, that by “Resurrection” is meant the rise of the Manifestation of God to proclaim His Cause, and by
> “attainment unto the divine Presence” is meant attainment unto the presence of His Beauty in the person of His
> Manifestation. For verily, “No vision taketh in Him, but He taketh in all vision.” [Qur’an 6:103.] Notwithstanding all
> these indubitable facts and lucid statements, they have foolishly clung to the term “seal,” and remained utterly
> deprived of the recognition of Him Who is the Revealer of both the Seal and the Beginning, in the day of His
> presence [Baha’u’llah]. – Baha’u’llah, The Book of Certitude, pp. 169-170. (Qur’an citations added in brackets).
> 
> WRITTEN BY
> 
> Christopher Buck (PhD, JD) attorney and independent scholar, is the author of several books, including: God & Apple Pie (2015), with
> an introduction by J. Gordon Melton (Distinguished Professor of American Religious History, Baylor... READ MORE
> 
> IN SERIES: FIGURING OUT PROPHECY
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> A Key Islamic Prophecy, Fulfilled by a New Faith
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> Muhammad: the Last
> Prophet?
> Christopher Buck • May 15, 2017 • 10 Comments
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> RELIGION     PART 10 IN SERIES:   FIGURING OUT PROPHECY
> 
> The views expressed in our content reflect individual perspectives and do not represent the official views of the Baha'i Faith.
> 
> Most Muslims agree: since Muhammad is the “Seal of the Prophets” (Quran 33:40), therefore Muhammad is the last
> prophet, end of story, case closed.
> 
> But what if Muhammad is also the gateway for future messengers of God, and not the last of the prophets? Such a
> possibility would come as a complete surprise to many if not most Muslims. So let’s look at a surprising Muslim tradition,
> which Baha’u’llah himself actually refers to in the Baha’i writings.
> 
> In Baha’u’llah’s Sura of Patience—revealed on April 22, 1863 in Baghdad on Ridvan, the first day of the Baha’i Festival of
> Paradise—he wrote:
> 
> Recite then unto them that which the celestial Dove of the Spirit hath warbled in the holy Riḍván of the Beloved,
> that perchance they may examine that which hath been elucidated concerning “sealing” by the tongue of him he
> who is well-grounded in knowledge in the prayer of visitation for the name of God, ‘Alí [Imam ‘Alī]. He hath said—
> and his word is the truth!—:
> 
> “[He (Muḥammad) is] the seal of what came before Him and the harbinger of what will appear after Him.”
> 
> In such wise hath the meaning of “sealing” been mentioned by the tongue of inaccessible holiness. Thus hath
> God designated His Friend [Muhammad] to be a seal for the Prophets who preceded Him and a harbinger of the
> Messengers who will appear after Him. – Baha’u’llah, the Sura of Patience, provisional translation by Omid
> Ghaemmaghami.
> 
> Here, Baha’u’llah quotes from a prayer for Ali, Muhammad’s first male follower. Ali later became the prophet’s son-in-law
> when he married Muhammad’s beloved daughter Fatima. In Islamic history, Ali served as the fourth “rightly guided”
> Caliph, the head of the Faith. Shia Muslims consider Ali as the rightful successor to Muhammad himself. Sunni Muslims
> disagree—but all Muslims agree that the Prophet Muhammad dearly loved Ali, and that Ali was one of the most revered
> Muslims of all time.
> 
> In a recent book on Baha’u’llah’s Sura of Patience (called Sayrī dar Būstān-i Madīnatu’ṣ-Ṣabr in Persian)—Dr. Foad Seddigh
> has pinpointed the exact reference for the prayer which Baha’u’llah originally quoted, which contains this startling line:
> “[He (Muhammad) is] the seal of what came before Him and the harbinger of what will appear after Him.”
> 
> Dr. Seddigh has located and validated this prayer in several authoritative sources. He states that one of its earliest
> publications is found in a book called Kāmilu’z-Ziyārāt, a well-known Muslim collection of prayers of visitation, or prayers
> meant to be read at the graves of the Prophet Muhammad, the Shia Imams, and other Shia figures. Kāmilu’z-Ziyārāt was
> probably compiled by the Shia scholar Ibn Qūlūya (d. 978 or 979 CE). The eleventh chapter of Ibn Qūlūya’s book of
> prayers begins on page 92. This chapter is entitled: “Visiting the grave of the Commander of the Faithful [Imam ‘Alī], how
> the grave should be visited, and what to pray at the grave.”
> 
> You can find the statement Baha’u’llah refers to on p. 97—it is the second “ ḥadīth” (tradition) cited. This same statement
> is also found in prayers of visitation for the shrine of Imam Husayn and in a prayer to be said at the shrines of all of the
> Imams. The visitation prayer for Imam Ali’s shrine has the exact words Baha’u’llah revealed—verbatim. This prayer,
> universally recognized and used by Shia Muslims, is variously ascribed to the Sixth and Tenth Imams. (References
> courtesy of Omid Ghaemmaghami and Dr. Foad Seddigh.)
> 
> Baha’u’llah’s understanding of this tradition differs from the traditional understanding by Shia scholars. Dr. Seddigh
> points out this fact. On page 97 of the Kāmilu’z-Ziyārāt, one Shia scholar (whom Dr. Seddigh quotes) paraphrases the
> tradition as follows:
> 
> “That is to say, [Muḥammad] is the seal of the Prophets who appeared before Him or their religious communities,
> or the knowledge and mysteries that preceded Him, and the harbinger of the Proofs (i.e., the Shī‘ī Imams) who
> will follow Him or the knowledge, sciences, and wisdom that will appear after Him.” (Reference and translation
> from the original Arabic, courtesy of Omid Ghaemmaghami.)
> 
> So who is right? The Shia scholars? Or Baha’u’llah? This much is certain: Shia scholars and Baha’i scholars agree that
> Muhammad is “the harbinger of what will appear after Him. ”
> 
> So now we come full circle. All Muslims agree that the prophet Muhammad foretold the coming of the “Mahdi” in the
> future. Sunni and Shia Muslims also agree that Jesus will return at the culmination of history:
> 
> It was narrated … that the Prophet said: “The Hour will not begin until ‘Eisa bin Maryam [Jesus, son of Mary]
> comes down as a just judge and a just ruler. – Sunan Ibn Mājah 4078.
> 
> Both of these two traditions are classified by Sunni scholars as “sound” that is, fully authentic, and are recognized by Shia
> Muslims as well. And so it can truthfully be said that Muhammad is the “harbinger of what will appear after Him,” and
> that this tradition refers to the Mahdi and Jesus, who will appear on the Day of Judgment.
> 
> Baha’is believe that these two end-time saviors—the Mahdi and Jesus—have already appeared.
> 
> The Bab, the forerunner and herald of Baha’u’llah, was none other than the expected Mahdi, foretold by the prophet
> Muhammad. The Bab himself proclaimed:
> 
> The divine Revelation associated with the advent of Him Who is your promised Mihdí [the Mahdī] hath proved far
> more wondrous than the Revelation wherewith Muḥammad, the Apostle of God, was invested. Would that ye
> might ponder. – Selections From the Writings of the Bab , p. 146.
> 
> “To Sunni Islam,” Shoghi Effendi wrote in God Passes By, Baha’u’llah was “the descent of the “Spirit of God” (Jesus
> Christ)” – p. 94.
> 
> So how do Baha’is understand the Muslim visitation prayer cited above? Muhammad, the “Seal of the Prophets,” was “a
> seal for the Prophets who preceded Him and a harbinger of the Messengers who will appear after Him,” meaning the
> Bab, Baha’u’llah, and future messengers of God.
> 
> WRITTEN BY
> 
> Christopher Buck (PhD, JD) attorney and independent scholar, is the author of several books, including: God & Apple Pie (2015), with
> an introduction by J. Gordon Melton (Distinguished Professor of American Religious History, Baylor... READ MORE
>
> — *Baha'i Reflections on the Seal of the Prophets (Used by permission of the curator)*