What Scholars Inherit
The hadith specifies: prophets did not leave gold or silver. They left ‘ilm (knowledge). The scholar who inherits this knowledge inherits the prophetic function of:
1. Tabyeen (clarification): Making Allah’s guidance clear to the people — as the Prophet explained the Quran through his Sunnah, scholars explain both through ijtihad and teaching
2. Preservation: Transmitting knowledge from generation to generation without corruption — the isnad system is the mechanism of this prophetic inheritance
3. Guidance: Answering the questions of the age — as each prophet was sent with guidance relevant to his community, scholars guide their communities
4. Protection: Defending the community from misguidance — as prophets warned against false paths, scholars defend against bid’a (harmful innovation) and deviance
The Chain of Transmission
The concept of warasat al-anbiya’ is embodied in the isnad chain: when a scholar transmits a hadith with full isnad, they are connecting themselves to an unbroken chain going back to the Prophet. This chain is the material form of prophetic inheritance.
The ijaza system — authorization to transmit specific texts — is the formal documentation of this inheritance. A scholar who holds an ijaza for Sahih al-Bukhari, for example, holds a certified connection to Imam Bukhari and through him to the companions and the Prophet.
The Ismaili Parallel: Dai as Warith al-Nabi
In Ismaili theology, the concept of warasat al-anbiya’ is significantly modified. The Imam is the haqiqi (real) heir of the Prophet — not through scholarly transmission but through nass and the prophetic light (Nur Muhammadi) passing through the Imamic line.
The Da’i al-Mutlaq is then the “heir of the Imam” — delegated to represent the Imam’s authority and transmit his ‘ilm during the period of satr. The hierarchical da’wa structure (Imam → Da’i → Mazun → Mukasir → Mu’allim) is the Ismaili form of the knowledge transmission chain, functionally parallel to the isnad/ijaza system but with the Imam as its living source rather than historical text-chains alone.
See also: Fadl Al Ilm, Ijaza, Isnad, Hadith Sciences, Prophets In Islam, Dai Al Mutlaq Institution, Noor Muhammadi