The Role and Contributions of Syed Abul Aʻalā Maudūdī in the Khatm-e-Nabuwwat Movement: A Historical Analysis

سیدابوالاعلیٰ مودودیؒ کا تحریک ختمِ نبوت میں کردار اور خدمات: ایک تاریخی جائزہ

Abstract

The Allāh Almighty appointed the Holy Prophet Muḥammad (ﷺ) as the final Messenger and the foremost Leader of all Prophets, granting him the ultimate Sharīʿah and Dīn, thereby concluding the prophetic tradition. The belief in the finality of prophethood (Khatm-e-Nabuwwat) is a core tenet of Islamic faith, firmly established from the time of the Prophet Muḥammad (ﷺ). Over the past 1,400 years, numerous false prophets and impostors have appeared, including Mirzā Ghulām Aḥmad Qādiyānī in the Indian subcontinent, who falsely claimed prophethood. Despite his followers' continued disputes over the finality of Muḥammad’s (ﷺ) prophethood, the ʿUlamāʾ of the subcontinent have rigorously contested these claims. Maulānā Maudūdī played a pivotal role in the 1974 Taḥrīk Khatm-e-Nabuwwat (Movement for the Finality of Prophethood). This article highlights Maulānā’s efforts against the Qādiyānīs. His sustained efforts significantly contributed to the 1974 amendment of Pakistan's Constitution, which decisively rejected the Qādiyānī claim as false and declared its adherents as non-Muslims, securing unanimous approval in the legislative body.