Our opponents put forth another hadith, which, according to them, conclusively debars the advent of any Prophet. Great emphasis is laid on the hadith and it is asserted that it debars the coming of any ummati Nabi [follower Prophet]. The hadith runs as follows:
Abu Hurairah(ra) reports: ‘The Messenger of Allah(sa) said: ‘The previous Prophets and myself are like a palace exquisitely built except for a missing brick in its wall. People would wonder why such a blemish was not attended to. I am that brick that completed and perfected the edifice of the palace. Another version of the hadith says: I am that brick and I am Khatamun-Nabiyyin. (see Sahih al-Bukhari Kitabul Manaqib, Sahih al-Muslim Kitabul-Fada’il, At-Tirmidhi Kitabul Manaqib and Masnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Kanzul- ‘Ummal Tatimmatul Ikmal min fada’il motafarriqa-tan...)
They have mentioned with great pride that this hadith is from Sahih al-Bukhari, but have very conveniently failed to mention the commentator and his interpretation of the hadith. ‘Allama Ibn-e-Hajar ‘Asqalani explains this hadith as following:
The completion of the edifice means that the shari‘ah of Islam is more perfect in rank than the excellent laws that were revealed earlier. (Fat’hul-Bari Commentary Sahih al-Bukhari by Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalani Kitabul Manaqib, Chapter Khatamun-Nabiyyin)
He is not included in their list of commentators. A commentator who is included in their list is ‘Allama Ibn-e- Khaldun. Let us see what he has said about this hadith:
People interpret the meaning of Khatamun-Nabiyyin with reference to the brick that completed the mansion. However, it really means the Prophet with whose advent prophethood was perfected. (al-Muqaddimah ibn-e-Khaldun, p. 300)