1. The position of Islam
- Believing in the prophets and messengers is a most important part of iman.
- The position of Islam is that Muhammad ﷺ is the last, and no prophet will come after him.
- Rejecting this is kufr.
2. Evidence from the Quran
(1) 33:40 – al-Ahzab
- "He is the Messenger of Allah and the last of the prophets (khatam an-nabiyyin)."
- If there is no prophet after him, then it is even more certain that there is no messenger after him.
The relationship between nabi (prophet) and rasul (messenger)
- The rank of messenger is more special than the rank of prophet.
- Every messenger is a prophet; but not every prophet is a messenger.
(2) 61:6 – as-Saff
- 'Isa (AS) (meaning): "...and bringing good news of a messenger who will come after me, whose name is Ahmad."
- This is the message 'Isa (AS) gave his people about Muhammad ﷺ. Many other prophets also foretold this.
(3) 5:3 – al-Ma'idah
- (meaning) "...Today I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and approved Islam as your religion."
- It was revealed a few days before the Prophet's ﷺ death.
- Imam Ibn Kathir (RH) (meaning): "This is the greatest favour Allah has done for this community. He has perfected the religion for them, so they will need no other religion and no other messenger, because Allah sent Muhammad ﷺ as the last prophet and as the prophet for both humans and jinn."
3. Evidence from the hadith
(1) The parable of the building (Bukhari, Muslim)
(meaning) "My example and that of the other prophets is like a man who built a house and completed it. People admired it but pointed to one small gap left unfinished. I am the one who has come to fill that gap (in the building of Islam). With me the line of prophets has come to an end."
(2) Six special favours (Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah)
(meaning) "I have been favoured over the other prophets with six things."
| No. | Favour |
|---|---|
| 1 | The eloquence of "jawami' al-kalim" (saying much in few words) |
| 2 | I have been helped by awe (ru'b) |
| 3 | War booty (ghanimah) has been made lawful for me |
| 4 | The whole earth has been made a mosque and pure for me |
| 5 | I have been sent as a prophet to the whole world |
| 6 | The coming of prophets has been ended with me |
(3) The Prophet's names (Bukhari, Muslim)
(meaning) "I have several names."
| Name | Arabic | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Muhammad | محمد | (The praised one) |
| Ahmad | أحمد | (The one who praises most) |
| Al-Mahi | الماحي | The eraser – through me Allah will erase kufr |
| Al-Hashir | الحاشر | The gatherer – people will be gathered (in the Hereafter) around me |
| Al-'Aqib | العاقب | The last – so there is no prophet after me |
(4) Thirty liars (Abu Dawud)
(meaning) "Thirty liars will appear in my ummah, each claiming to be a prophet. But I am the last of the prophets; there is no prophet after me."
4. Rational evidence
The reasons for sending prophets:
- There must be a community to which no prophet has been sent, or to which the message of a prophet sent to another people has not reached.
- The teaching of the previous prophet must have been lost or distorted.
- The teaching of the previous prophet must have been incomplete.
- A prophet must have needed the help of another prophet.
After Muhammad ﷺ, none of these reasons applies. So there is no need at all for another prophet. The Companions, the Tabi'un and the Tabi' al-Tabi'in all agreed unanimously on this.
Imam Abu Hanifah (RH)
- In his time a false prophet said: "Give me a chance to show the signs of my prophethood."
- The Imam said (meaning): "Even the one who asks him to show those signs becomes a kafir, because there is no prophet at all after Muhammad ﷺ."
5. False prophets who appeared in history
- Because of weak iman and ignorance, some people accepted false prophets → the danger of people going astray and society splitting.
- The scholars and rulers of each time defeated the campaigns of false prophethood.
| False prophet | Region | Time | End |
|---|---|---|---|
| Al-Aswad al-'Ansi | Yemen | The Prophet's ﷺ time | Killed by a Companion named Fayruz ad-Daylami |
| Musaylimah | Najd | The Prophet's ﷺ time | Killed in Abu Bakr's (RA) time at the Battle of Yamamah by a Companion named Wahshi ibn Harb |
| Sajah (a woman) | — | — | Tried to march against Madinah; when that failed she married Musaylimah; after he was killed she accepted Islam |
| Tulayhah | — | Accepted Islam in 630 CE; claimed prophethood in 631 | In 632, after his forces were defeated at the Battle of Butaha* by Khalid ibn al-Walid's army, he re-entered Islam; he admitted his wrong, fought in many battles, and finally died a martyr at the Battle of Nahawand |
*The textbook names this battle "Butaha" (بطاحة). Historical sources usually name the battle in which Khalid ibn al-Walid defeated Tulayhah as Buzakhah (بزاخة) – confirm with the teacher.
6. Campaigns against it today
There are people even today who campaign against the finality of prophethood. Their methods:
- Giving wrong interpretations of the Quran and the hadith
- Making fabricated hadiths
- Creating doubts about the foundations of Islam
Islamic scholars have answered these clearly. Doubting the finality of prophethood can destroy iman itself; so it is essential for all Muslims to be clear and alert.
Quick revision
- Khatam an-nabiyyin (33:40); rejecting the finality of prophethood is kufr.
- Every messenger is a prophet; not every prophet is a messenger.
- 61:6 – 'Isa (AS) gave good news of "Ahmad"; 5:3 – the religion perfected (explained by Ibn Kathir).
- Hadiths: the gap in the building (Bukhari, Muslim); 6 favours (Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah); al-Mahi, al-Hashir, al-'Aqib (Bukhari, Muslim); 30 liars (Abu Dawud).
- Reason: none of the 4 reasons applies after the Prophet ﷺ.
- Imam Abu Hanifah – even one who asks for signs becomes a kafir.
- False prophets: al-Aswad al-'Ansi (Yemen – Fayruz ad-Daylami), Musaylimah (Najd – Yamamah – Wahshi), Sajah, Tulayhah (defeated by Khalid; martyred at Nahawand).