What Is The Seal Of The Prophets?

The Quran says that Muhammad is the “Seal of the Prophets.” (33:40)
By this, Muslims take it to mean that, he is the last of the prophets.

Impressive.

So I was very interested to learn more from the Hadith and other Islamic sources to find out what the SEAL really meant. I finally discovered what it was and I still can’t stop laughing!

Sahih Al-Bukhari explains it:

He (Muhammad) then performed ablution and I drank of the remaining water of his ablution and then stood behind his back and saw “Khatam An-Nubuwwa” (The Seal of Prophethood) between his shoulders like a button of a tent. (Vol 7, Bk 70:574)

I stood behind him (Muhammad) and saw the seal of Prophethood between his shoulders, and it was like the “Zir-al-Hijla” (means the button of a small tent, but some say ‘egg of a partridge.’ etc.) (Vol 1, 4:189)

The seal was actually something that could be seen, something physical, shaped like a button or an egg, on Muhammad’s back!

 

This is confirmed in Sahih Muslim:
Jabir b. Samura reported: I saw the seal on his back as if it were a pigeon’s egg. (Book 030, 5790)

I then went after him and saw the Seal of Prophethood between his shoulders on the left side of his shoulder having spots on it like moles. (Book 030, 5793)

So now we learn that the seal was actually a mole with spots on his back!

 

Narrated Qurrah ibn Iyas al-Muzani:
I came to the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) with a company of Muzaynah and we swore allegiance to him. The buttons of his shirt were open. I swore allegiance to him and I put my hand inside the collar of his shirt and felt the seal… (Book 32, 4071, Sunan Abu Dawud)

It was something that could be felt to the touch! Probably a benign or malignant raised mole!

 

Question: What is the SEAL OF THE PROPHET spoken of in Sura 33:40?

Answer: An egg-shaped mole with spots, on Muhammad’s back, between his shoulders.  The SEAL of the prophet has nothing to do with being the last prophet. It was simply physical evidence on his body that he was a prophet. Obviously, Muhammad used this ugly mole on his back as evidence of prophethood.

seal

For Further Reading:

In the History of al-Tabari:
… When Bahira saw this, he descended from his cell and sent the caravan a message inviting them all… Finally he looked at Muhammad’s back, and saw the seal of prophethood between his shoulders… He replied, … “I also recognize him by the seal of prophethood which is below the cartilage of his shoulders and which is like an apple.” … (The History of al-Tabari: Muhammad at Mecca, translated and annotated by W. Montgomery Watt and M. V. McDonald [State University of New York Press (SUNY), Albany 1988], Volume VI, pp. 45, 46)

Al-Harith – Muhammad b. Sa‘d – Muhammad b. ‘Umar – ‘Ali b. ‘Isa al-Hakami – his father – ‘Amir b. Rabi‘ah: I heard Zayd b. ‘Amr b. Nufayl saying … “He is a man who is neither short nor tall, whose hair is neither abundant nor sparse, whose eyes are always red, and who has the seal of prophethood between his shoulders. His name is Ahmad…” (p. 64)

Ahmad b. Sinan al-Qattan al-Wasiti – Abu Mu‘awiyah – A‘mash – Abu Zibyan – Ibn ‘Abbas: A man of the Banu ‘Amir came to the Prophet and said, “Show me the seal which is between your shoulders, and if you lie under any enchantment I will cure you, for I am the best enchanter of the Arabs.” “Do you wish me to show you a sign?” asked the Prophet. “Yes,” said the man, “summon that cluster of dates.” So the Prophet looked at a cluster of dates hanging from a date palm and summoned it, and began to snap his finger until it stood before him. Then the man said, “Tell it to go back,” and it went back. The Amiri said, “O Banu Amir, I have never seen a greater magician than I have seen today.” (Pp. 66-67)

“Then one said to the other, ‘Open his breast.’ He opened my heart, and took out from it the pollution of Satan and the clot of blood, and threw them away. Then one said to the other, ‘Wash his breast as you would a receptacle– or, wash his heart as you would a covering.’ Then he summoned the sakinah, which looked like the face of a white cat, and it was placed in my heart. Then one of them said to the other, ‘Sew up his breast.’ So they sewed up my breast and placed the seal between my shoulders…” (p. 75)

Thanks to Sam Shamoun.

 

WHO HAS THE REAL SEAL OF GOD?

“For on him (Jesus Christ), God the Father has set His seal.” John 6:27

And this seal was not a mole!

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