there is no lawgiving. He, may God bless him and grant him peace, said of someone who memorizes the Quran, “Prophethood has been enfolded between his sides,” or words to that effect, may God bless him and grant him peace. He said of glad tidings that they are a part of prophethood. He thus described some of his community as having attained the station, although they follow no law differing from his.
We know from what he, may God bless him and grant him peace, told us that Jesus, peace be upon him, descends among us as an equitable and just judge, breaking the cross and killing the swine. We have no doubt whatever that he is God’s messenger and prophet when he descends. He, peace be upon him, undoubtedly has the rank of prophethood with God, while at his descent he has no rank of lawgiving.
We therefore know that his saying, may God bless him and grant him peace, “There is no prophet or messenger after me,” and the statement that prophethood and messengerhood have ceased refer to lawgiving.
Prophethood is the noblest and most complete rank attained by those God chooses among His servants. We know that lawgiving is incidental to prophethood, since Jesus, peace be upon him, descends among us as a judge without bringing a law and is unquestionably a prophet. The rank of prophethood has thus become hidden among creatures through the cessation of lawgiving.
It is known that Abraham’s folk among the prophets and messengers were those who came after him, such as Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and the prophets and messengers descended from them, with manifest laws indicating that they had the rank of prophethood
