Asking a False Claimant of Prophethood for Proof?

Sayyidunā Abū Manṣūr al-Māturīdīرَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه  writes: "If a person makes a false claim of prophethood after the Holy Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, no proof should be demanded from him. Instead, his claim should simply be denied."^[1] This is because the Beloved Prophet of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, has already stated: لَا نَبِیَّ بَعْدِی   (There is no Prophet after me).^[2]

The summary of the statement of Imam Aḥmad Raza Khanرَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه  is that there is no harm in asking a false claimant of prophethood to show a miracle with the intention that since he is a liar, he will not be able to show a miracle and will thus be disgraced and humiliated. However, if a person asks for a miracle to verify the claim with the intention of seeing whether he can show a miracle or not, he will immediately become a disbeliever.^[3]

Allah’s refuge is sought!

Evidence for the Belief in the Finality of Prophethood

The Finality of Prophethood and the Preserved Tablet

It is stated in the famous book of hadith, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: The Final Prophet of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said: "Allah wrote the destiny of creation 50,000 years before the creation of the heavens and the earth, and among what was written on the Preserved Tablet (Lawḥ Maḥfūẓ) at that time was: اَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا خَاتَمُ النَّبِیٖن  (Indeed, Muhammadصَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم  is the Final Prophet)."^[4]