khatam

Khatam, خَتَم, is an Arabic and Persian term meaning seal, stamp, or completion. The root kh-t-m conveys the sense of closing or finalizing, and the word is used both literally for sealing objects and metaphorically for finality or culmination. In Islamic contexts, the phrase khātam an-nabiyyīn (Seal of the Prophets) identifies Muhammad as the last prophet in the line of messengers. This designation is associated with the Qur’anic verse traditionally cited in this regard (Qur’an 33:40) and is widely accepted in Sunni and Shia thought, though exegetes discuss nuances in the interpretation of prophethood after him.

Beyond scripture, khatam can denote completion or finalization of a process, the sealing of a document, or the end of a matter in everyday language. In Muslim-majority societies, the term also appears in personal and religious naming, and in titles that emphasize the completion of a spiritual or doctrinal act, such as references to the seal of divine revelation.

In modern usage, khatam retains its core meaning while functioning as a common lexical item across Arabic, Persian, Urdu, and other languages in South Asia and the Middle East. It is important to distinguish khatam from similarly spelled terms in other linguistic contexts and to understand its cultural and theological connotations when encountered in texts.