Brother Armughal's indirect question is to the claims of the Promised Messiah. And it is indeed true, he first laid claim to being the Mujaddid of the 14th century, and then to being the Mahdi, Isa, the reformer of the age- but there is no reference for him claiming to be God. Neither is it something we believe. But it is a concoted tail that ahmadis believe Hazrat Ahmad (as) to be God, just to spread hate.
Firstly, let it be noted, that these are not on the different lines. They build upon each other. It is said about Jesus:
*[19:31] Jesus said, 'I am a servant of Allah. He has given me the Book, and has made me a Prophet;
[19:32] 'And He has made me blessed wheresoever I may be, and has enjoined upon me Prayer and almsgiving so long as I live; *
Which means he spoke before revelation, just has the Holy Prophet (saw) had spoken before revelation until it was bestowed upon him at the age of 40. In the same way, his views may have differed before and after revelation.
In a similar way, a Mujaddid is the reformer of the century and there has been no claimant for the 15th century, which means that it has ended. All of the Muslims universally accept the coming of a Mujaddid ever century, but have no answer as to one of this century.
Laila Mahdi ila Isa ibne Maryam from Ibn Majah means "there is no Mahdi other than Isa son of Mary," which shows that they can be the same person.
Regarding the issue of Khatamei Nabuwwat, there is a distinct difference between what is khatam and khatim. The difference is the "i" and the "a." Zakiahmad has shown how Khatam means the highest.
We believe that the Holy Prophet is the highest ranking prophet. But this does not mean that he would not have been a prophet after him.
*Hazrat lmam Fakhruddin Razi (544 A.H.), in his book Tafseer Kabeer Razi vol. 6 pg. 31, writes:
“Fal Aqal Khatum… Khatamun Nabbiyeen Kana Afzalul Anbiyya.” Meaning intellect is the culmination of all human faculties. The culminating point is the pinnacle. Do you not see that prophethood reached its zenith when the Holy Prophet (peace and blessing of Allah be on him) was declared ‘Khatamun Nabbiyeen’: *
Hazrat Abu Saeed Mubarak lbne Ali Makhrumi (died 513 A.H.) the patron saint of no less a person than Hazrat Syed Abdul Qadir Gilani (may Allah have mercy on him) says “Wal Ahkhara.....Wa
Sallama Khatamun Nabbiyeen” - man holds the highest position in the Universe. When he soars high all the noble qualities in all their magnitude mentioned above find their manifestation in him and he is called The Perfect Man. Boundless, indeed, are the noblest qualities that found their perfection in our Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) and that is why the highest title of “Khatamun Nabbiyeen” was conferred upon him.” (Tohfah Mursala Sharif pg. 51)
Hazrat Maulana Rum (may Allah have mercy on him) (died 672 A.H.) says, “Behre Een Khatim Shud Ast.....Khatum Sanat Bar Too Ast.” The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) was declared ‘Khatim’ because he excelled in munificence and in perpetuating the spiritual blessings to his followers. When a craftsman excels and achieves perfection, don’t we say that
craftsmanship has come to an end with him. (Masnavi Maulana Rum ch. 6 pg. 18-19)
Maulana Muhammad Qasim Naunotawi, chief of Deobandi sect(the sect which today is in the forefront of those distorting the meaning of ‘Khatamun-Nabbiyeen’) writes: “Charged with the duty
of delivering Divine Commandments to the people, prophets may be likened to governors. They are God’s vicegerents on earth. They therefore hold a position of authority. The office of a governor or
minister is considered the highest in a chain of subordinate officers. A governor or a minister has the authority to set aside the orders or directives of his subordinates. Their orders, on the other hand, cannot be set aside by the subordinate officers. The final authority rests with the governor. Similarly, the one in whom prophethood found its perfection was declared The Seal of The Prophets - ‘Khatamun-Nabbiyeen’, as there is no rank higher than his. (Mobahesa Shahjahanpur pg.24- 25).
In the 6th century, Hijra, Hazrat Mohayuddin Ibn Arabi, the world renowned muslim scholar and commentator (died 638 A.H.), proclaimed in Fatoohat- i-Makkiyya (vol. I, pg. 545): “We know this
with certainty that in the Muslim Ummah there will be individuals whose status, according to Allah, will be of prophets but such prophethood will be without any new law or shariah.” He further writes: “Prophethood will continue in mankind till the Day of Resurrection although prophethood bearing a new shariah or law has come to an end. It must be realized, however, thatbringing a new law is one of the many duties of prophethood.” (Fatoohat- i-Makkiyya vol. 2, ch. 23,
pg- 100).
Again, in the same book (vol. 2, ch. 73, pg. 3) Hazrat Ibn Arabi states: “The prophethood which came to an end with the advent of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) was
Tashri’ee Nubuwat - a prophet with a new book and new law. There is no room for suc h prophethood after the Holy Quran. This is the correct meaning of the Hadith, which contains the Holy Prophet’s saying that there is to be no prophet after him. The Hadith only conveys that after the Holy Prophet, there can be no prophet who will replace his Sharia with another one.
Henceforth, whenever any prophet comes, he will be subordinate to him and his Shariah.” How can anyone close his eyes to such a clear exposition of this subject of prophethood after the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him). Our opponents continue to deny this. They do not fear God.
*Similarly, Sheikh Bali Afandi (died 960 A.H.) wrote in Fusus Alhakam pg. 56: “Khatamur-Rosul is one after whom no law-bearing prophet can come.” *
The well-known Sufi in the Islamic world, Hazrat lmam Abdul Wahab Shairani, who died in 1568 A.H., categorically states in his book Al-Yawaqeet-0-Wal-Jawahir vol. III pg. 35: “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.”
The famous saint, Hazrat Syed Abdul Karim Gilani (died 767 A-H.) wrote: ‘With the advent of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) prophethood bearing a new law came to an end. The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) was called ‘Khatamun-Nabbiyeen’ because with his advent, The Law was completed and perfected.“ (Al-lnsan-ul-Kamil vol. I chapter
36 pg. 69 edition I 1316 A.H.).
Hazrat Sheikh Abdul Qadir Al-Kurdistani wrote: “The title ‘Khatamun-Nabbiyeen’ conferred on the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) means that after him a law-bearing
prophet will not come.” (Taqreed Almaram vol. 2 pg. 233).
Closer to our own period, there is the proclamation of the founder of Madrasatul Uloom, Deoband, Hazrat Maulvi Muhammad Qasim Naunotawi (who died in 1889). He says in Tahzeer Alnas page 3: “The general public may conceive that ‘Khatamun Nabbiyeen’ means that the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) was the last of the prophets but people of knowledge and understanding know it very well that being the first or last does not necessarily connote excellence. The words “Wala Kin Rasool Lallahe Wa Khatamun Nabbiyeen” are designed to convey the Holy Prophet’s (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) exalted and unequalled status and this alone is the correct interpretation. Khatamiyyat is not in any way rejected or denied if a prophet appears after the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him). 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.” Here the founder of the Deoband Movement clearly states that calling the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) the last prophet is a disparaging remark. Yet his followers now claim this to be their fundamental belief.
From a brelvi leader, Maulavi Abu Al Hasnat Abdul Haye of Farangimahal, Lucknow, expounding his view on ‘Khatame- Nabbuwat’ writes: “The advent of a mere prophet after the
Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) or in his lifetime is not an impossibility. To introduce a new law is indeed not permissible.” (Dafiul-Waswas 2nd edition page 16). The Maulana further asserts that it is not only his view but “Ulema Ahle-Sunnat also subscribe to the view that following the advent of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) no law-bearing prophet can come. The prophethood of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) is wide in scope. Any prophet who would now come would be from the Ummah and follow his Shariah.” (Majmuah Fatwa Maulvi Abdul Haye vol. 1 pg. 17)
Above are some of the most important and most widely followed scholars in Islam, try teaching Khatam means finished to them. These are muslims too and it wasn't difficult for them to believe that there can be another prophet.