(1) مَّا كَانَ مُحَمَّدٌ أَبَآ أَحَدٍ مِّن رِّجَالِكُمْ وَلَٰكِن رَّسُولَ ٱللَّهِ وَخَاتَمَ ٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَلِيمًا
Muhammad (ﷺ) is not the father of any of your men, but he is the Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets (the last of the prophets), and Allah has full knowledge of all things.
(2) ٱلْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِى وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ ٱلْإِسْلَٰمَ دِينًا
Today I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and approved Islam as your religion.
The religion of Islam from Allah is complete and His favour has been fulfilled. Therefore, the religion brought by him ﷺ is the most perfect, abrogates the previous religions, and is complete in every respect. Now, until the Day of Resurrection, there is no need for any religion or any prophet.
Imam Ibn Kathir may Allah have mercy on him also derived the finality of prophethood from this verse.
(3) وَلَا يَأْمُرَكُمْ أَن تَتَّخِذُوا۟ ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةَ وَٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ أَرْبَابًا أَيَأْمُرُكُم بِٱلْكُفْرِ بَعْدَ إِذْ أَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ ﴿٨٠﴾ وَإِذْ أَخَذَ ٱللَّهُ مِيثَٰقَ ٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ لَمَآ ءَاتَيْتُكُم مِّن كِتَٰبٍ وَحِكْمَةٍ ثُمَّ جَآءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ مُّصَدِّقٌ لِّمَا مَعَكُمْ لَتُؤْمِنُنَّ بِهِۦ وَلَتَنصُرُنَّهُۥ قَالَ ءَأَقْرَرْتُمْ وَأَخَذْتُمْ عَلَىٰ ذَٰلِكُمْ إِصْرِى قَالُوٓا۟ أَقْرَرْنَا قَالَ فَٱشْهَدُوا۟ وَأَنَا۠ مَعَكُم مِّنَ ٱلشَّٰهِدِينَ
And when Allah took a covenant from all the prophets: “When I give you the Book and wisdom, and then there comes to you a Messenger confirming what is with you, you must believe in him and help him.” Allah said, “Do you affirm this and accept My covenant on that condition?” They said, “We affirm it.” He said, “Then bear witness, and I am with you among the witnesses.” Then whoever turns away after this, those are the defiantly disobedient.
This verse describes the covenant that Allah took from all the prophets concerning Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, who will come last and after all of them. After him no messenger or prophet will come.
(4) هُوَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَرْسَلَ رَسُولَهُۥ بِٱلْهُدَىٰ وَدِينِ ٱلْحَقِّ لِيُظْهِرَهُۥ عَلَى ٱلدِّينِ كُلِّهِۦ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ ٱلْمُشْرِكُونَ
It is Allah who sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth, so that He may make it prevail over all religion, even if the polytheists dislike it.
(5) هُوَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَرْسَلَ رَسُولَهُۥ بِٱلْهُدَىٰ وَدِينِ ٱلْحَقِّ لِيُظْهِرَهُۥ عَلَى ٱلدِّينِ كُلِّهِۦ وَكَفَىٰ بِٱللَّهِ شَهِيدًا
It is Allah who sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth, that He may make it prevail over all religions, and Allah is sufficient as a witness.
(6) هُوَ الَّذِي أَرْسَلَ رَسُولَهُ بِالْهُدَىٰ وَدِينِ الْحَقِّ لِيُظْهِرَهُ عَلَى الدِّينِ كُلِّهِ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ الْمُشْرِكُونَ
It is He who sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth, so that He may make it prevail over all religion, even if the polytheists dislike it.
From these three verses it is clear that this religion came last among all religions, to prevail over them all as their abrogator. After it, no other religion or law will come.
(7) عَنْ أَن هُرَيْرَةَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ: إِنَّ مَثَلَى وَ مَثَلُ بِيَاء قَبَلْ كَمَثَلِ رَجُلٍ بَلَى بينا نأحْسَنَهُ وَ أجمله إلا موضع لبنة من زاوية فَجَعَلَ النَّاسُ يَطُوفُونَ بِهِ وَ يَعْجَبُونَ لَهُ ويوازن هَلا وضعت هذه اللينَةُ ؟ قَالَ: فَأَنا اللينةُ وَ أَنَا خَالَمُ النَّبِيْنِي
It is narrated from Sayyidna Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: The example of me and the prophets before me is like a man who built a very beautiful and handsome house but left one brick’s place empty in a corner. People went around the house, admiring it, and wondering why this brick was not placed there. He ﷺ said: I am that brick, and I am the last of the prophets.
(8) عَنْ أَبِي حَازِمٍ قَالَ: قَاعَدْتُ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةً خمس سنين ، فَسَمِعْتُه يُحدث عن البيان قال: كانت بنو إسرائیل تسوسُهُمُ الأَنْببِاُ كُلَّمَا هَلك نبئ خلفه نبی وانه لا نبی بعدی –
Abu Hazim says: I sat in the company of Abu Hurairah for five years, and I heard him narrating from the Prophet ﷺ, who said: The prophets used to lead the Children of Israel; whenever one prophet died, another prophet would succeed him, but there will be no prophet after me.
(9) عَن أبي هريرة قال: قَالَ رَسُولُ الله الا : فإني أخرُ الأَنْبِيَاء وَإِنَّ مَسْجِدِي آخر المساجد
Sayyidna Abu Hurairah narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: I am the last prophet, and my mosque is the last mosque (built by any prophet).
(10) عَن أَبي سَلَمَةَ بنِ عبدِ الرَّحْمَنِ وَ أن عبد الله الآخر مَوْلَى الْجُهَنِهِيْنِ وَكَانَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ أبي هريرةَ الهُمَا سَمِعَا أَبَا هُرَيْرَة يَقولُ: صَلوةٌ في مَسْجِدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَفْضَلُ مِنْ أَلْفِ صَلوةِ فيمَا سِرَاء مِنَ الْمَسَاجِدِ إِلَّا المَسْجِدَ الحَرَامَ فَإِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ لا آخِرُ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ وَإِنَّ مَسْجِدَهِ آخِرُ المساجد ۔
Abu Salamah ibn Abd al-Rahman and Abu Abdullah al-Aghar, mawla of al-Juhaniyyin, who was among the companions of Abu Hurairah, both heard Abu Hurairah say: A prayer in the Mosque of the Messenger of Allah (i.e., the Prophet’s Mosque) is better than a thousand prayers in other mosques except al-Masjid al-Haram. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ is the last prophet, and his mosque is the last mosque (built by any prophet).
(11) حَدَّثَنَا اسمعيل كُلك لا بن أبي أوفى : رَأَيْتَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ ابْنَ النَّبِي ؟ قَالَ: مَاتَ صَغِيرًا وَلَوْ قُضِيَ أَن تَكُونَ بَعْدَ مُحَمَّد اني عاشق ابنه ولكن لا نبي بَعْدَه
Isma’il narrated to us that I asked Ibn Abi Awfa (may Allah be pleased with him): Did you see the son of the Prophet ﷺ, Ibrahim? He said: He died while still young. Had there been a prophet after Muhammad ﷺ, his son would have lived. But there is no prophet after him.
(12) عن أبي أمامة الباهلي قال خطينَا رَسُولُ الله لا —— وَقَالَ —– وَإِنَّ الله لَمْ يَبْعَثُ نَبِيًّا الأحَذَتَ أنتَه الدَّجَالَ وَأَنَا آخِرُ الأَنْبِياني وأنكُمْ آخر الأمر
Sayyidina Abu Umamah al-Bahili (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ delivered a sermon to us, and in the sermon he said: Every prophet of Allah warned his nation about the Dajjal (and his trial). I am the last prophet and you are the last nation.
Also in the same hadith:
(13) إِنَّهُ يَبْدَأُ فَيَقُولُ: أنانبي ، ولا نبی بعدى
That the Dajjal, at the beginning of his trial, will claim that he is a prophet, whereas there is no prophet after me.
(14) عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ مَسْعُورٍ قَالَ: إِذا صَلَّيْتمْ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ وَأَحْسنوا الصَّلوة عليه. فَإِنَّكُمْ لاتدرُونَ لَعَلَّ ذَالِكَ يُعْرَض عليه – قَالَ: فَقَالُوا لَهُ تَعَلَّمُنَا، قَالَ: قُولُوا: اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْ صلوتك ورحمتك وَبَرَكَاتِكَ عَلَى سَهدِ الْمُرْسَلِينَ، وَإمَامِ المُتَّقِينَ وَخَاتَمِ النَّبِيِّينَ مُحَمَّدٍ عَبْدِكَ وَ رشولك، إمام الخير وقائد الخثير ورسول الرحمة – اللَّهُمَّ ابْعَثهُ مَقَامًا تَحَمُوْدًا يَعبطُه بِهِ الْأَوَلَّوْنَ والأخرُونَ . اللهمَّ صَلِّ عَلى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ عَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ إنك حميد مجيد اللهم بارك على محمد و على آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ كَمَا بَارَكْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَى آلِ إبراهيم انك حميد مجيد
Sayyidina Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: O people! When you send salutations upon the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, send them in the best words, for you do not know that this deed of yours is presented to him. The people said to him: Teach us. He said: Say: O Allah! Send Your blessings, Your mercy and Your blessings upon the leader of the messengers, the imam of the God-fearing, the seal of the prophets, Muhammad, Your servant and Your messenger, the leader of good, the commander of goodness and the messenger of mercy. O Allah! Raise him to a praiseworthy station, which the first and the last will envy him for. O Allah! Send blessings upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad, as You sent blessings upon Ibrahim and upon the family of Ibrahim; indeed You are Praiseworthy and Glorious. O Allah! Send blessings upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad, as You sent blessings upon Ibrahim and upon the family of Ibrahim; indeed You are Praiseworthy and Honoured.
(15) عَنْ مُصْعَبِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ عَنْ أَبِيْهِ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ما خَرَجَ إِلَى تَبُوكَ وَاسْتَخْلَفَ عَلِياً فقال: أتقلقى في الصبيانِ وَالنِّسَانِ؟ قَالَ: أَلا تَرْضى أَن تَكُونَ مِلَي يَمَثْرِ لَةٍ هَارُوْنَ مِنْ مُوسَى إِلَّا أنه ليس توی بعدی
Mus’ab ibn Sa’d narrates from his father Sa’d (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ set out for Tabuk and appointed Ali as his deputy. Ali said: Are you leaving me among the children and women? He said: Are you not pleased that your position with me is like the position of Harun (peace be upon him) with Musa (peace be upon him), except that there is no prophet after me. In another narration in Muslim it is: Are you not pleased that your position with me is like the position of Harun (peace be upon him) with Musa (peace be upon him), except that the line of prophethood ends after me.
(16) عَنْ أَنَسٍ قَالَ: قَالَ أَبو بَكْرٍ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ بَعْدَ وَفَاةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ الله العُمَرَ العَلَقَ بِنَا إِلَى أَمْ أَيمن نرويها كَمَا كَانَ رَسُولُ الله ناويها ، فلما انتهيْنَا إِلَيْهَا بَكَتْ، فَقَالَ لها : مَالِيكِيكِ؟ مَا عِندَ الله غير لو سُولهِ – فَقَالَتْ مَا الكَى أَن لا أَكُونَ أَعْلَمُ مَا عِندَ اللَّهِ خَيْرُ الرَسُولِهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَلَكِن الكي أن الوحي قد التقطعَ مِنَ السَّمَانِ فَهَا حَتَهُمَا عَلَى الثماني و بعلا تبكيان معھا ۔
Sayyidina Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: After the death of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said to Umar: Come, let us visit Umm Ayman, as the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to visit her. When we reached her, she began to weep. They said to her: Why do you weep? What Allah has with His Messenger is better. She said: I do not weep because I do not know that what Allah has is better for His Messenger, but I weep because revelation from the heavens has ceased. By saying this she made them weep too, and they began to weep along with her.
(17) عَنْ أَمْ كَرْزِ الْكَعْبِيَّةِ قَالَتْ: سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ لا يَقُولُ: ذَهَبَتِ النُّبُوهُ وَبَقِيَتِ البقرات
Umm Kurz al-Ka’biyyah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: Prophethood has ended, and only mubashshirat (glad tidings) remain.
(18) عن أن لهزيرَةَ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ الله الله يَقُولُ: لَمْ بَيْنَ مِنَ النَّبوَتِ إِلَّا الْبَقِرَاتُ قَالُوا : وَما المبشرات ؟ قال: الرؤيا الصالحة
Sayyidina Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: Of prophethood, only mubashshirat remain. The Companions asked: What are the mubashshirat? He ﷺ said: Good dreams.
(19) عن جبیر بن مطعم أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ: أَنَا مُحَمَّد وَأَنَا أَحْمَدُ وَأَنَا النامي الذي تملي بي الكفر وأنا الخاشِيرُ الَّذِي يُحْشَرُ النَّاسُ عَلَى عَقِي وَأَنَا الغائب، والعاقب الذى ليسَ بَعْدَهُ نَى –
Sayyidina Jubayr ibn Mut’im (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet ﷺ said: “I have the name ‘Muhammad’, and I have the name ‘Ahmad’, and I have the name ‘Mahi’ (the Eraser), through me Kufr will be erased. And I have the name ‘Hashir’ (the Gatherer), that people will be gathered after me (from their graves). And I have the name ‘Aqib’ (the Last). ‘Aqib’ means one after whom there will be no Prophet.”
(20) عن جابر عن النبي الله قال : مقلى ، مثل الأنْبِيَانِي كَمَثَلِ رَجُلٍ بَنى دار أنا عمَّهَا وَ أَكْمَلَها إِلَّا مَوْضِعُ لَبِدَةٍ فَجَعَلَ النَّاسُ يَدْخُلُونَهَا وَيَتَعَجَّبُونَ مِنْهَا وَيَقُولُونَ لَوْلَا مَوْضِعُ اللَّبِنَةِ؟ قَالَ رَسُولُ الله : فَأَنَا مَوْضِعُ الكينةِ جِئْتُ فَتَمَمْتُ الانْبِتائی۔
Sayyidina Jabir narrates that the Prophet ﷺ said: “The example of me and the previous Prophets is like a man who built a house and completed it in every respect, except for the place of one brick. People entered it and marvelled at it and said, ‘Why was the place of this one brick not completed?’ The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘I am the place of that brick. I have come and completed the chain of Prophets.'”
(21) عَنْ أَبی هُرَيْرَةَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ الله لا قال: فقلتُ عَلَى الأَنْبِيَاءِ بِسِتْ: أَعْطِيتُ جَوَامِعَ العلم ونصرت بالرعب وأحلت لى الغنائم و جعلت لى الأرض ظهوراً و مَسْجِداً وَأُرْسِلْتُ إلى الالي كَانَةٌ وَحيمَ في النَّبِيُّونَ۔
Sayyidina Abu Hurayrah narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “I have been given preference over the other Prophets in six things:
(1) I have been given comprehensive words (jawami’ al-kalim).
(2) I have been helped through awe (cast) upon the enemy.
(3) Spoils of war have been made lawful for me.
(4) The whole earth has been made for me purifying (i.e., serving for tayammum) and a place of prostration (mosque), meaning that wherever I am, I may pray, except in a few forbidden places.
(5) I have been sent to all of mankind. (Whereas previous Prophets were sent only to a particular people or region.)
(6) The chain of Prophets has been completed through me.”
(22) عَنْ بهْرِ بْنِ حَكِيمٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ جَدّ وقَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ لا تَكْمِلُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ سَبْعِينَ أُمَّةٌ نَحْنُ آخِرُهَا و غيرها –
Bahz ibn Hakim narrates from his father, and his father from his grandfather, who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “On the Day of Resurrection we will complete the number of seventy (great) nations. We are the last of them, and we are the best of them.”
(23) عَن ابْنِ عَبَّاس أَنَّ النبی قال: لعن آخرُ الأُمَمِ وَأَوَّلُ مَنْ يُناسب يُقَالُ: أَيْنَ الأمة الأميةُ وَ نَبِها ؟ نحن الآخِرُونَ الأولون
Sayyidina Ibn Abbas narrates that the Prophet ﷺ said: “We are the last of all nations, and we will be the first to be judged. It will be said: ‘Where is the unlettered Ummah and its Prophet?’ We are the last to come and we will be the first (in rank).”
(24) عَنْ أَبی هُرَيْرَةَ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ رَسُول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ: لَحْنُ الْآخِرُونَ السَّابِقُونَ يَوْمَ العامة بين أنهم أولوا الكتاب من قبلنا ۔
Sayyidina Abu Hurayrah narrates that he heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: “We are the last (to come into the world), and we will be the foremost on the Day of Resurrection. The only difference is that those people were given the Book before us.”
(25) عَنْ ثَوْبَانَ رضي الله عنه قال قَالَ رَسُول اللہ ۔۔۔۔ فی حدیث طویل ۔۔۔۔۔ – وَإِنَّهُ سَيَكُون في أُمَّن كَذَّابُونَ ثَلَاثُونَ كُلُّهُمْ يَدْعَمُ أَنَّهُ نَي وَأَنَا عَالم النَّبِيِّينَ لا لينَ بَعْدِي –
Sayyidina Thawban (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Thirty liars will appear in my Ummah. Each of them will claim that he is a Prophet, whereas I am the last of the Prophets, and there is no Prophet after me.”
(26) عَنْ عُقْبَةَ بْنِ عَامِرٍ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ الله لم لَوْ كَانَ نَبِي بَعْدِي لَكَانَ عُمَر بن الخطاب
Sayyidina Uqbah ibn Amir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “If there were to be a Prophet after me, it would be Umar ibn al-Khattab.”
