First let us read a statement of the Promised Messiah(as) explaining his prophethood:
“Allah the Almighty made the Holy Prophet(saw) the possessor of a seal, that is to say that He granted him a seal for the dissemination of excellence which was not given to any other prophet at all. It is for this reason that he was named Khataman Nabiyyin. In other words, obedience to the Holy Prophet(saw) endows a person the excellences of prophethood and his spiritual influence fashions prophets as it were (Haqiqatul Wahi Page 28)
He(as) also states:“If it is asked that the Holy Prophet (saw) him being Khatamun Nabiyyeen, how can any other prophet arise after him? The answer is that without a doubt, no new or old prophet can come after the Holy Prophet as you believe that Jesus, being a prophet, would come in the latter days. Your doctrine is that for 40 years Jesus would continue to be a prophet and a recipient of divine revelation, a period that by far exceeds the period of the Prophethood of the Holy Prophet. Such a doctrine is, no doubt, sinful and its falsity is borne witness to by the Hadith: ‘There will be no prophet after me’.
I am utterly opposed to all such doctrines and I have firm belief in the verse:‘But he is the Messenger of Allah and Khatamun Nabiyyeen’ (33:41).
This verse contains a prophecy of which our opponents are not aware, and that prophecy is that after the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, all doors of prophecy have been closed and that it is not possible now that a Hindu or a Jew or a Christian or a merely formal Muslim, should be able to establish the applicability of the word prophet to himself.
All windows of Prophethood are now closed except the window of complete obedience to the Holy Prophet.Therefore, he who approaches God through this window is reflectively clothed with the same cloak of Prophethood which is the cloak of the Muhammadi Prophethood. The Prophethood of such a one is not apart and distinct from the Prophethood of the Holy Prophet, inasmuch as he does not claim it in his own right but receives everything from the fountain of the Holy Prophet, not for himself but for his glory….
Therefore the concept of Khatamun Nabiyyeen has not been contravened by my advent, but it would certainly be contravened by the advent of Jesus a second time.”( Ek Ghalti Ka Izalah ‘A Misconception Removed’)
Here are some scholars who have agreed with the concept of prophethood of Ahmadi Muslims:
Hazrat Imam Mohyuddin Ibn Arabi(ra):
“From the study and contemplation of the Darud we have arrived at the definite conclusion that there shall, from among the Muslims, certainly be persons whose status, in the matter of prophethood, shall advance to the level of prophets, if Allah pleases. But they shall not be given any book of law”…“It is the height of excellence in the Holy Prophet (saw) that through the prayer in ‘Darud Sharif’ he placed his progeny at par with the prophets, and his surpassing eminence over Hazrat Ibrahim lies in the fact that his Sharia can never be repealed (Fatuhati Makiyyah Volume 1, Chapter 73, Page 545)
In fine, we have learnt for certain (from Darud Sharif) that this ‘Ummah’ is destined to have amongst it such personages as would be ranked with the prophets in the eyes of Allah, but they shall not be law-bearers((Fatuhati Makiyyah Volume 1, Chapter 73, Page 545)
“Jesus (as) shall descend amongst the Muslim Ummah as an arbitrator without a new law. Most surely, he will be a prophet. There is no doubt about it.”(Fatuhati Makiyyah Volume 1, Chapter 73, Page 570)
“It is known that ‘Ahle Ibrahim’ are the prophets and messengers, and they are the people who came after Abraham like Isaac, Jacob, Joseph and those prophets and messengers from their progeny manifest Laws. This signifies the fact that in the sight of God they had prophethood. The Holy Prophet (saw) intended that followers who are from among those who followed him should achieve the rank of prophethood, though they would not be law-bearing. But he kept for them a type of Sharia from his own Sharia. Therefore he said, ‘O Allah exalt Muhammad and his Ahl by bestowing mercy upon them as Thou conferred prophethood upon the Ahl of Ibrahim thus exalting Ibrahim. Consequently, they had prophethood with Shariah. And Thou has decreed that there would be no Shariah after me. Hence, shower Mercy upon me and upon my Ahl – i.e. confer upon them the rank of prophethood from Thyself, notwithstanding that they would not bring any Sharia. The height of Muhammad’s exaltedness is expressed by the fact that through invoking prayers for him he raised his own progeny to the level of prophets and he was granted the superiority over Hazrat Ibrahim through the fact that the Law he brought should never be abrogated.”(Fatuhati Makiyyah Volume 1, Chapter 73, Page 177-178)
Hazrat Sheikh Ahmad Farooqi:
The rising of prophets after the Khatamar Rasul Hazrat Muhammad, the Chosen One (saw) from among his own followers and as a heritage, does not in any way run counter to his status asthe Khatamar Rasul. Therefore, O reader, do not be among those who doubt” (Maktubat Imam Rabani Vol 1)
The Founder of the school of Dar-ul-Uloom, Hazrat Maulana Muhammad Qasim Nanotwi:
“According to a common man the Holy Prophet (saw) is the Khataman Nabiyyin in the sense that he happens to be the last of the prophets in point of time – but it must be evident to every intelligent person that the mere fact that a prophet comes last in point of time does not bestow any sort of superiority on anyone. How could therefore, the words of the Holy Quran … mean to glorify him? But I know very well that none from among the Muslims would be prepared to agree with the common men … The title of Khataman Nabiyyin conferred on the Holy Prophet (saw) is indicative of his surpassing eminence over all other prophets and this alone is the correct interpretation. Khatamiyyat is not in any way rejected or denied if a prophet appears after the Holy Prophet (saw). But if Khatamiyyat is only taken to mean the last prophet, this would be a disparaging interpretation. Such an interpretation would not be acceptable to followers of Islam.”(Sharh-i-Fusus-ul-Hika Page 35)
Hazrat Maulana Abul Hasanat Abdul Hayee Brehlvi:
After the demise of the Holy Prophet (saw) or even during his own lifetime, it is not an impossibility for someone to be exalted to the position of a simple prophet. But a prophet with a new Law is, indeed, forbidden(IAsr Ibn Abbas Fi Dafail Waswas page 16)
Hazrat Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani:
The coming of the Law bearing prophets, after the Holy Prophet (saw) has ceased as he has been exalted to be the Khataman Nabiyyin because he brought with him such a perfect law as no other prophet had brought before him(Al Isanul Kamil, Vol 1, Chapter 36, Page 68-69)
Hazrat Abdul Wahab Sha’rani:
Bear in mind that prophethood in general has not been suspended, what has been put an and to is ‘Nabuwwat-i-Tashriyyee (Al Yawakit Wal Jawahar Volume 2 page 43-44)
“Surely, prophets and messengers have gone before and shall continue to appear in this world in future, but essentially they will be under the Sharia of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw). But most men are ignorant of this truth(Page 27)
The Messiah of the Latter Days shall make his advent as a Wali with the qualities of a prophet, and the Sharia of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) shall be unfolded unto him through revelation from Allah and he shall have a complete grasp of its meaning(Page 27)
Remember that prophethood has not disappeared. Prophets can appear. The prophethood that has ceased to exist is only that which brings with it a new law(Page 35)
Hazrat Maulana Jalal Ud Din Rumi (ra):
Make such plans to perform righteousness in the way of God that you attain prophethood within the Ummah(Masnawi, Daftar I, Page 53, Vol V page 42)
The Holy Prophet (saw) was declared ‘Khatam’ because he excelled in munificence and in perpetuating the spiritual blessings to his followers. When a master excels all others in his art, don’t you use the word ‘Khatam’ to convey the idea that he has excelled all others in his domain?”(Page 18-19 1917 edition)
“The Holy Prophet (saw) was the Khatam because no one had ever been like him before, nor shall there be one after him. When an artist excels others in art, you do not say ‘The art has ended with you”(Vol XIII page 98, 152)
Stive hard in the path of virtue in a manner so that you may be blessed with prophethood while you are still a follower(Talkhisul Bayaan Fi Majazatul Quran, page 191)
Hazrat Imam Ibn e Sirin:
A Khalifa is to be raised in this Ummah who would surpass Abu Bakr and Umar in rank.’ Somebody asked him in surprise: ‘Will he really surpass both of them?’ He replied, ‘Yes, he would rather surpass some of the prophets too.”(Hujaj Ul Karamah page 386)
Hazrat Shah Walliullah(ra):
“The meaning of the Holy Prophet being the Khataman Nabiyyin is that there shall not now appear a person whom God may appoint with a new Law for mankind, that is to say, there shall be no prophet who shall come with a new Law(Tafhimate Ilahiyya Volume II, page 53, 72-73)
The people generally believe that when he (Messiah) would descend on earth, he would only be an ‘Ummati.’ Certainly, it is not correct. He would be an embodiment of the spirit which enkindled the soul of the Holy Prophet (saw) would be his faithful replica”… “There cannot be an independent prophet after the Holy Prophet (saw) who is not his follower and his adherent” … “The end of prophethood with the Holy Prophet (saw) only means that there can be no law bearing prophet or a prophet from outside the Ummah(Al Khairul Kathir, page 111)
Hazrat Imam Ibn Arabi states:
“The prophethood has terminated with the person of the Prophet of Allah(saw), and his blessings, was no other than the law-bearing prophethood not prophethood itself and this is the meaning of his “verily apostleship and prophethood ceased with me therefore there shall be after me neither an apostle nor a prophet i.e there shall not be after me a prophet with a law other than mine but that he shall be subject to my law”(Al Fatuhat ul Makiyya Volume 2 page 3)
Hazrat Abu Abdullah Muhammad Bin Ali Hussain Al Hakim of Tirmidhi Says: “According to us, it means that prophethood manifested itself in its full and complete manner in the Holy Prophet(saw).His heart became a vessel for the complete perfection of prophethood and then his heart was sealed. How can the glory and superiority of Muhammad(saw) be manifested if we claim that he was the last to appear in the world. This is no bout an interpretation of the foolish and the ignorant (Kitab Khatm Ul Auliya page 341)