Quran 33:39 · Al-Ahzab

After the above-mentioned incident, there was as expected, a great deal of propaganda against the Prophet Muhammad. It was alleged that the Prophet had married his own daughter-in-law and such a marriage was illegal. To counter this, it was clarified that, in Muhammad’s case, the fact was that he had only daughters—no sons. Zayd, son of Harithah, was only his adopted son and not his real son. So how could a woman, married to and divorced by him, be illegal for one who was not his real father? Why is it that the Prophet had to face so many ups and downs, in spite of being the Prophet? The reason is that though the Prophet received divine revelation, he had to lead his life as a common man. In the world of trial, he faced the same circumstances as others had to face. Had it not been so, the Prophet’s life would not have been an example for the common people. That is why prophetic guidance is given within the framework of realistic events, rather than under unrealistic or artificial conditions. The Prophet Muhammad was the seal of the prophets. The word ‘khatam’ is used for ‘seal’, i.e. the final act. To seal an envelop means closing it finally, after which nothing can either be extracted or inserted into it. That is why in Arabic, the ‘khatam’ of a community means the last person of that community. The announcement that the Prophet Muhammad was the ‘khatemun-Nabiyyin’ means that no prophet was going to come after him and, as such, it was necessary that all godly matters be revealed through him.