Muhammad a Prophet For all Humanity
14. The Termination of Prophethood
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14. THE TERMINATION OF
PROPHETHOOD
In the early years of the Prophet Muhammad’s
mission, a man who had come to Makkah on a
pilgrimage was asked on his return to his country
what was new in Makkah. “Muhammad has
claimed prophethood,” he answered, but the only
person of any distinction who has become a
follower of his is the son of Abu Qahafah (Abu
Bakr). From this answer one can tell what people
thought of the Prophet in A.D. 6I0, when he
commenced his mission. In those days, his
opponents used to refer to him as if he were a
village lad, calling him Ibn Abi Kabshah, i.e. the son
of his village foster parents, simply in order to
deride him. Those who preferred to be more polite
would call him “a youth from the Quraysh.”
This was how the Prophet was referred to in his
own lifetime. Now, centuries later, things have
changed. The prophethood of Muhammad is no
longer a controversial matter; it has become an
established fact. Now, when one thinks of the
Prophet Muhammad, it is a great historical
