There is a hadith which sheds more light on the word ba‘d. The book Al-Futuhatul-Makkiyyah also contains a commentary on this hadith. The hadith reads:
Hazrat Jabir bin Samrah reports: ‘The Holy Prophet(sa) said when this Caesar will die, there will be no Caesar after him. When this Chosroes will die, there will be no Chosroes after him.’ (Sahih al-Bukhari Kitabul-Iman Wan-Nudhur)
That is to say, their pomp and glory will be destroyed by the Muslims.
In this hadith the Holy Prophet(sa), in his unique wisdom, has clearly explained the meaning of expression word ‘Fala ba‘adahu’ by saying ‘Fala Qaisara ba‘adahu’ and ‘Fala Kisra ba‘adahu’ [That is, there would be no Caesar after him (after this Caesar) and there would be no Chosroes after him (after this Chosroes)]. He makes it clear that ‘la’ used in this context does not signify the exclusion of an entire genus. Rather, it is used to emphasize that there would be no one who would attain their power and grandeur.
Accordingly, we had Caesar succeeding a Caesar and Chosroes succeeding a Chosroes for a thousand years after the Holy Prophet(sa). Obviously, the words of the Holy Prophet(sa) cannot be false. Hazrat Muhy-ud-Din Ibn-e-Arabi(rh), elaborating on this hadith, says:
Prophethood has not been totally abolished. That is why I had said that only prophethood bringing a new Shari‘ah. has come to an end. This is the meaning of words La Nabiyya ba‘di… The study of the hadith about Caesar and Chosroes has led me to understand that, by saying La Nabiyya ba‘di, the Holy Prophet(sa) is employing the same kind of expression as there would be no Caesar after this Caesar and there would be no Chosroes after this Chosroes. (Al-Futuhatul- Makkiyyah, vol. 3, p. 103)