Consensus of the Ummah
Below are presented testimonies regarding the consensus of the Ummah on the finality of Prophethood, so that this issue becomes very clear and no room for doubt remains.
Just understand this much that in the pages of history, there is not a single Muslim who holds the belief that after the Holy Prophet ﷺ there is any possibility or scope for another prophet.
This is the last Shariah, its Prophet is the last Prophet, there is no Shariah after this, nor any Prophet after you ﷺ. After this is the Day of Judgment, after this the resurrection will take place.
However, before that, thirty liars will come who will claim prophethood and say: O people! Come, follow us. And Muslims will recognize their falsehood; there will be no need to ask for proof because obvious truths are not proven by argument, they reveal themselves. The belief in the finality of prophethood has been ingrained in the nature and senses of a Muslim. Even if a Muslim has no proof, he cannot imagine accepting anyone as a prophet after Muhammad ﷺ.
I have asked everything from God by asking for you
My hands do not rise after this prayer
But here there are heaps of proofs, mountains of texts, and the luminous, shining stars of the consensus of the Ummah constantly glittering and shining that
لَا نَبِيَّ بَعْدَ مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، لَا أُمَّةَ بَعْدَ أُمَّةِ مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ
Allama Taftazani (793 AH) says:
مَا اتَّفَقَ عَلَيْهِ الْمُجْتَهِدُونَ مِنْ أُمَّةِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ فِي عَصْرٍ عَلى أَمْرٍ فَهَذَا مِنْ خَوَاصٌ أُمَّةِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ، فَإِنَّهُ خَاتَمُ النَّبِيِّينَ فَلَا وَحْيَ بَعْدَهُ.
“The consensus of the Mujtahids of the Ummah on any matter at any time is a characteristic of the Ummah of Muhammad ﷺ. The Noble Prophet ﷺ is the Seal of the Prophets; after him, revelation has ceased.”
❀ Allama Abu Hamid Ghazali (505 AH) writes:
إِنَّ الأُمَّةَ فَهِمَتْ بِالْإِجْمَاعِ مِنْ هَذَا اللَّفْظِ وَمِنْ قَرَائِنِ أَحْوَالِهِ أَنَّهُ أَفْهَمَ عَدَمَ نَبِي بَعْدَهُ أَبَدًا وَّعَدَمَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ أَبَدًا وَأَنَّهُ لَيْسَ فِيهِ تَأْوِيلٌ وَلَا تَحْصِيص، فَمُنْكِرُ هَذَا لَا يَكُونُ إِلَّا مُنْكِرَ الْإِجْمَاعِ.
“The consensus of the Ummah has understood from the word لَا نَبِيَّ بَعْدِي and other indications that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ has completely negated the possibility of prophethood or messengership in any era after him. No interpretation or specification can be made in this regard; denying this is denying the consensus.”
❀ The commentator Ibn Atiyyah (542 AH) writes:
هذِهِ الْأَلْفَاظُ عِنْدَ جَمَاعَةِ عُلَمَاءِ الْأُمَّةِ خَلَفًا وَسَلَفًا مُّتَلَقَّاةٌ عَلَى الْعُمُومِ التّامَ مُقْتَضِيَةٌ نَصًا أَنَّهُ لَا نَبِيَّ بَعْدَهُ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ.
“According to the scholars of the Ummah, both predecessors and successors, these words are general and definitive texts that there is no prophet after the Noble Prophet ﷺ.”
❀ Qadi Iyaz (544 AH) states:
نُزُولُ عِيسَى الْمَسِيحِ وَقَتْلُهُ الدَّجَّالَ حَقٌّ صَحِيحٌ عِنْدَ أَهْلِ السُّنَّةِ؛ لِصَحِيحِ الْآثَارِ الْوَارِدَةِ فِي ذَلِكَ، وَلِأَنَّهُ لَمْ يَرِدْ مَا يُبْطِلُهُ وَيُضَعِفُهُ، خِلَافًا لِبَعْضِ الْمُعْتَزِلَةِ وَالجَهْمِيَةِ، وَمَنْ رَأَى رَأْيَهُمْ مِنْ إِنْكَارِ ذَلِكَ، وَزَعْمِهِمْ أَنَّ قَوْلَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى عَنْ مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَخَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّينَ»، وَقَوْلَهُ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : لَا نَبِيَّ بَعْدِي، وَإِجْمَاعَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ عَلَى ذلِكَ وَعَلَى أَنَّ شَرِيعَةَ الْإِسْلَامِ بَاقِيَّةٌ غَيْرُ مَنْسُوحَةٍ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ يَرُدُّ هَذِهِ الْأَحَادِيثَ، وَلَيْسَ كَمَا زَعَمُوهُ؛ فَإِنَّهُ لَمْ يَرِدْ فِي هَذِهِ الْأَحَادِيثِ أَنَّهُ يَأْتِي بِنَسْخِ شَرِيعَةٍ وَّلَا تَجْدِيدِ أَمْرِ نُبُوَّةِ وَرِسَالَةٍ، بَلْ جَاءَتْ بأَنَّهُ حَكَمٌ مُّقْسِطُ، يَجِيءُ بِمَا يُجَدِّدُ مَا تَغَيَّرَ مِنَ الْإِسْلَامِ، وَبِصَلَاحِ الْأُمُورِ وَالْعَدْلِ، وَكَسْرِ الصَّلِيبِ، وَقَتْلِ الْخَنْزِيرِ ، أَنَّ إِمَامَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ مِنْهُمْ كَمَا قَالَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ.
“The descent of Sayyiduna Isa (Jesus) and his killing of the Dajjal is established by Shariah texts, and this is the belief of Ahl al-Sunnah. There is no evidence that it is weak or false. The Jahmiyyah and some Mu’tazilah say that the hadiths about the descent of Sayyiduna Isa contradict the Quranic verse, the belief in the finality of prophethood, and the consensus on the perpetuity of the Muhammadan Shariah, and they also contradict the hadith of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, who said: ‘There is no prophet after me.’ But these objections of the Jahmiyyah are false, because Sayyiduna Isa will not come as an abrogator of the Shariah or as a new prophet, rather he will come as a ruler and just leader, and he will rectify those matters of Islam which have been changed, he will break the cross and kill the pig, and the Imam of the Muslims will be from among them, as the Prophet ﷺ has said.”
❀ The commentator Al-Qurtubi (671 AH) writes:
رُوِيَ مِنْ طَرِيقِ التَّوَاتُرِ مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ يَحْتَمِلَ تَأْوِيلًا بِإِجْمَاعِ الْأُمَّةِ قَوْلُهُ عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ : لَا نَبِي بَعْدِي.
“The prophetic command: ‘There is no prophet after me.’ is mutawatir (conveyed through numerous reliable chains) and the consensus of the Ummah is upon this; there is no possibility of any interpretation otherwise.”
❀ Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (728 AH) states:
مُحَمَّدٌ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ خَاتَمُ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ لَا نَبِي بَعْدَهُ فَعَصَمَ اللهُ أُمَّتَهُ أَن تَجْتَمِعَ عَلى ضَلَالَةٍ.
“Muhammad ﷺ is the Seal of the Prophets, there is no prophet after him. Allah has protected the Ummah of Muhammad ﷺ from agreeing upon misguidance.”
Further writes:
إِنَّهُ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ خَاتَمُ النَّبِيِّينَ وَلَا نَبِي بَعْدَهُ وَقَدْ جَمَعَ اللهُ فِي شَرِيعَتِهِ مَا فَرَّقَهُ شَرَائِعُ مَنْ قَبْلَهُ مِنَ الْكَمَالِ؛ إِذْ لَيْسَ بَعْدَهُ نَبِيٌّ فَكَمُلَ بِهِ الْأَمْرُ كَمَا كَمُلَ بِهِ الدِّينُ فَكِتَابُهُ أَفْضَلُ الْكُتُبِ وَشَرْعُهُ أَفْضَلُ الشَّرَائِعِ وَمِنْهَاجُهُ أَفْضَلُ الْمَنَاهِج وَأُمَّتُهُ خَيْرُ الْأُمَمِ وَقَدْ عَصَمَهَا اللهُ عَلَى لِسَانِهِ فَلَا تَجْتَمِعُ عَلى ضَلَالَةٍ وَلكِنْ يَكُونُ عِنْدَ بَعْضِهَا مِنَ الْعِلْمِ وَالْفَهْمِ مَا لَيْسَ عِنْدَ بَعْضٍ.
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ is the Seal of the Prophets; there is no prophet after him. In your Shariah, Allah has gathered all the perfect qualities that were scattered in the earlier Shariahs, because after you ﷺ there is no prophet. With your coming, the religion was completed, and the prophethood was also completed. Your ﷺ book is superior to all books, your Shariah is superior to all Shariahs, and your methodology is superior to all methodologies. Likewise, your ﷺ Ummah is better than all Ummahs. Allah Almighty has made your ﷺ Ummah infallible in this regard, so that it will never collectively go astray. Some people of this Ummah will have knowledge and understanding that others will not have.”
❀ Allama Ibn al-Wazir (840 AH) writes:
إِنَّ الأُمَّةَ أَجْمَعَتْ عَلَى انْقِطَاعِ الْوَحْيِ بَعْدَ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهِ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَأَنَّهُ لَا طَرِيقَ لِأَحَدٍ مِّنْ بَعْدِهِ إِلَى مُعَارَضَةِ مَا جَاءَ بِهِ فَمَنِ ادَّعَى ذَلِكَ وَجَوَّزَ تَغْيِيرَ شَيْءٍ مِّنَ الشَّرِيعَةِ بِذلِكَ ، فَكَافِرٌ بِالْإِجْمَاعِ.
“The consensus of the Ummah is that after the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, the chain of revelation has been cut off, and there is no room left to oppose the Shariah of the Prophet ﷺ. Whoever claims otherwise or speaks of any change or alteration in any part of the Shariah is undoubtedly a disbeliever.”
❀ Allama Tahtawi (1231 AH) writes:
وَيُشْتَرَطُ لِصِحَّةِ الإِيْمَان بِه صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَعْرِفَةٌ اسْمِه إِذْ لَا تَتِمُّ الْمَعْرِفَةُ إِلَّا بِهِ وَكَوْنِهِ بَشَرًا مِّنَ الْعَرَبِ وَكَوْنِهِ خَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّينَ اتِّفَاقًا لِوُرُودِ ذَلِكَ الْقَوَاطِحِ الْمُتَوَاتِرَةِ.
“Based on mutawatir and definitive texts, it is a condition for the correctness of faith to know the noble name of the Prophet ﷺ, because without the name, recognition is impossible. It is also a condition to know that he ﷺ was a human being, that he belonged to the Arabs, and that he is unanimously the Seal of the Prophets.”
❀ Allama Ibn Ashur (1393 AH) writes:
آلآيَةُ نَصِّ فِي أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ خَاتَمُ النَّبِيِّينَ وَأَنَّهُ لَا نَبِيَّ بَعْدَهُ فِي البَشَرِ، لأنَّ النَّبِيِّينَ عَامٍ، فَخَاتَمُ النَّبِيِّينَ هُوَ خَاتَمُهُمْ فِي صِفَةِ النُّبُوءَةِ، وَلَا يُعَكِرُ عَلَى نَصِيَّةِ الْآيَةِ أَنَّ الْعُمُومَ دَلَالَتُهُ عَلَى الْأَفْرَادِ ظَنِّيَّةٌ لِأَنَّ ذَلِكَ لِاحْتِمَالِ وُجُودِ مُخَصَّص، وَقَدْ تَحَقَّقْنَا عَدَمَ الْمُخَصَّصِ بِالِاسْتِقْرَاءِ . وَقَدْ أَجْمَعَ الصَّحَابَةُ عَلَى أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ خَاتَمُ الرُّسُلِ وَالْأَنْبِيَاءِ وَعُرِفَ ذَلِكَ وَتَوَاتَرَ بَيْنَهُمْ وَفِي الْأَجْيَالِ مِنْ بَّعْدِهِمْ وَلِذلِكَ لَمْ يَتَرَدَّدُوا فِي تَكْفِيرِ مُسَيْلِمَةَ وَالْأَسْوَدِ الْعَنْسِي فَصَارَ مَعْلُومًا مِّنَ الدِّينِ بِالضَّرُورَةِ فَمَنْ أَنْكَرَهُ، فَهُوَ كَافِرٌ خَارِجٌ عَنِ الْإِسْلَامِ وَلَوْ كَانَ مُعْتَرِفًا بِأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ رَسُولُ اللهِ لِلنَّاسِ كُلِّهِمْ . وَهَذَا النَّوْعُ مِنَ الْإِجْمَاعِ مُوجِبُ العِلم الضَّرُورِي كَمَا أَشَارَ إِلَيْهِ جَمِيعُ عُلَمَاءِ نَا.
“This verse is a clear proof of the finality of Prophethood of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ; there is no prophet after you ﷺ. The word ‘Anbiya’ (prophets) is used for all prophets, and ‘Khatam’ means the one who seals the attribute of Prophethood. Although the general term usually has a doubtful indication towards its individuals, it is completely wrong to try to confuse this belief. The general indication applies to all its individuals unless specified otherwise. From the texts of Shariah, it is known by induction that no specification has been made in this matter. There is consensus among the Companions that Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, is the Seal of the Messengers and Prophets; this has been established with mutawatir (continuous) evidence in that time and afterwards. Therefore, the Companions did not hesitate even for a moment in declaring Musaylimah and Aswad Ansi as disbelievers; this is a necessity of the religion. Whoever denies this will be a disbeliever, even if he considers Muhammad ﷺ as the prophet of all mankind. This type of consensus provides certain knowledge, as all our scholars have explained.”
❀ Allama Ameer San’ani (1182 AH) writes:
إِنَّهُ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ خَاتَمُ الرُّسُلِ وَالْأَنْبِيَاءِ وَشَرِيعَتُهُ بَاقِيَةٌ إِلَى آخِرِ الدُّنْيَا وَهذَا أَمْرٌ مُّجْمَعٌ عَلَيْهِ وَأَمَّا نُزُولُ عِيسَى صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ آخِرَ الزَّمَانِ، فَهُوَ يَنْزِلُ مُتَّبِعًا لِشَرِيْعَتِهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ غَيْرَ مَبْعُوثٍ.
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ is the Seal of the Messengers and Prophets, and His Shariah will remain until the end of the world; there is consensus on this. Sayyiduna Isa (Jesus) ﷺ will descend following the Shariah of the Noble Prophet ﷺ, not as a new messenger.”
❀ Allama Ibn Baz (1420 AH) says:
لَمَّا كَانَ عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ خَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّينَ وَكَانَ رَسُولًا عَامَّا إِلَى جَمِيعِ الثَّقَلَينِ اقْتَضَتْ حِكْمَةُ اللَّهِ سُبْحَانَهُ أَن تَكُونَ شَرِيعَتُهُ أَوْفَى الشَّرَائِعِ وَأَكْمَلَهَا وَأَتَمَّهَا انْتِطَامًا لِّمَصَالِحِ الْعِبَادِ فِي الْمَعَاشِ وَالْمَعَادِ، فَهُوَ عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ خَاتَمُ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ وَالْمُرْسَلِينَ، كَمَا قَالَ تَعَالَى: ﴿مَا كَانَ مُحَمَّدٌ أَبَا أَحَدٍ مِنْ رِجَالِكُمْ وَلكِن رَّسُولَ اللهِ وَخَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّينَ﴾ وَتَوَاتَرَتِ الْأَحَادِيثُ عَنْ رَّسُولِ اللهِ عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ بِأَنَّهُ خَاتَمُ النَّبِيِّينَ، وَهَذَا أَمْرٌ بِحَمْدِ اللهِ مُجْمَعٌ عَلَيْهِ وَمَعْلُومٌ بالضَّرُورَةِ مِنْ دِينِ الْإِسْلَامِ، وَقَدْ أَجْمَعَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ عَلَى أَنَّ شود مَنِ ادَّعَى النُّبُوَّةَ بَعْدَهُ فَهُوَ كَافِرُ كَاذِبٌ يُسْتَتَابُ، فَإِنْ تَابَ وَإِلَّا قُتِلَ كَافِرًا.
“Since the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is the Seal of the Prophets and a messenger to all jinn and humans, the divine wisdom requires that your ﷺ Shariah be the most perfect among all laws in organizing the economic and social interests of humans. Muhammad ﷺ is the Seal of the Prophets. Allah says: مَا كَانَ مُحَمَّدٌ أَبَا أَحَدٍ مِنْ رِجَالِكُمْ وَلَكِن رَّسُولَ اللهِ وَخَاتَمَ النَّبيين ‘Muhammad ﷺ is not the father of any man among you, but he is the Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets.’ Similarly, your being the Seal of the Prophets is proven by mutawatir hadiths, الحمداللہ this is a matter of consensus and one of the necessities of religion. The consensus of Muslims is that anyone who claims prophethood after the Noble Prophet ﷺ is a disbeliever and a liar; they will be made to repent, and if they repent, it is accepted, otherwise that disbeliever will be killed.”
Revelation has ceased! :
In the discussion of the finality of prophethood, it becomes evident that when prophethood itself ceases, then where will revelation remain? The chain of revelation also ends after prophethood. That is why Sayyiduna Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA) said:
أَلَا وَإِنَّ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَدِ انْطَلَقَ وَقَدِ انْقَطَعَ الوحي.
“Beware! The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ has departed from this world and the chain of revelation has been cut off.”
He further said:
إِنَّ الْوَحْيَ قَدِ انْقَطَعَ
“The revelation has ceased.”
When Sayyida Umm Ayman (RA) was asked why she was crying, she replied that she was crying because the chain of revelation from the heavens had been cut off.
❀ Allama Ibn Hazm (456 AH) writes:
اِتَّفَقُوا أَنَّهُ مُدْ مَاتَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَقَدِ انْقَطَعَ الْوَحْيُ وَكَمُلَ الدِّينُ وَاسْتَقَرَّ وَأَنَّهُ لَا يَحِلُّ لِأَحَدٍ أَن يَزِيدَ شَيْئًا مِنْ رَأْيِهِ بِغَيْرِ اسْتِدْلَالٍ مِّنْهُ وَلَا أَنْ يَنْقُصَ مِنْهُ شَيْئًا، وَلَا أَن يُبْدِلَ شَيْئًا مَكَانَ شَيْءٍ وَلَا أَنْ تُحْدِثَ شَرِيعَةٌ وَأَنَّ مَنْ فَعَلَ ذلِك كَافِرُ.
“It is the consensus of the Muslims that after the death of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, the chain of revelation has been cut off, the religion has been completed, and after that, it is not permissible for anyone to make additions or subtractions in the religion according to their own opinion, to change any ruling, or to establish a new Shariah. Whoever does so is a disbeliever.”
Further writes:
إِذْ قَدِ انْقَطَعَ الْوَحْيُ بِمَوْتِهِ وَمَنْ أَجَازَ ذَلِكَ، فَقَدْ أَجَازَ كَوْنَ النُّبُوَّةِ بَعْدَهُ وَمَنْ أَجَازَ ذَلِكَ فَقَدْ كَفَرَ وَحَلَّ دَمُهُ وَمَالُهُ.
“After the death of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, the chain of revelation has been cut off. Whoever believes in the possibility of revelation, believes in the possibility of prophethood, and whoever believes in the possibility of prophethood is a disbeliever; his blood and wealth are lawful.”
At one place, it is explicitly stated that after the Shariah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, all other Shariahs have been abrogated:
نَسَخَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ بِمِلَّتِهِ كُلَّ مِلَّةٍ وَأَلْزَمَ أَهْلَ الْأَرْضِ جِنَّهُمْ وَإِنْسَهُمْ اِتِّبَاعَ شَرِيعَتِهِ الَّتِي بَعَثَهُ بِهَا وَلَا يَقْبَلُ مِنْ أَحَدٍ سِوَاهَا، وَأَنَّهُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ خَاتَمُ النَّبِيِّينَ لَا نَبِيَّ بَعْدَهُ.
“Allah has abrogated all nations with the nation of the Noble Prophet ﷺ, and it is obligatory upon jinn and humans to follow the Shariah upon which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was sent. Allah does not accept any Shariah other than this Shariah. Muhammad ﷺ is the last Prophet, and there is no prophet after him.”
They also write:
إِنَّ الْوَحْيَ قَدِ انْقَطَعَ مُذ مَاتَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بُرْهَانُ ذَلِكَ أَنَّ الوَحْيَ لَا يَكُونُ إِلَّا إِلى نَبِي، وَقَدْ قَالَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ : ﴿مَا كَانَ مُحَمَّدٌ أَبَا أَحَدٍ مِنْ رِجَالِكُمْ وَلَكِن رَّسُولَ اللهِ وَخَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّين﴾
“After the death of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, the chain of revelation has been cut off; the evidence for this is that revelation only comes to a Prophet.” The command of Allah Almighty is:
﴿مَا كَانَ مُحَمَّدٌ أَبَا أَحَدٍ مِنْ رِجَالِكُمْ وَلَكِن رَّسُولَ اللهِ وَخَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّين﴾
“Muhammad ﷺ is not the father of any man among you, but he is the Messenger of Allah and the last Prophet.”
Elsewhere they state:
اَلنُّبُوَّةُ هِيَ الْوَحْيُ مِنَ اللهِ تَعَالَى بِأَنْ يَعْلَمَ الْمُوحَى إِلَيْهِ بِأَمْرِ مَّا يَعْلَمُهُ لَمْ يَكُنْ يَعْلَمُهُ قَبْلُ، وَالرِّسَالَةُ هِيَ النُّبُوَّةُ وَزِيَادَةٌ، وَهِيَ بَعْثَتُهُ إِلى خَلْقٍ مَّا بِأَمْرٍ مَّا، هذَا مَا لَا خِلَافَ فِيهِ وَالْخَضِرُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ نَبِيٍّ قَدْ مَاتَ، وَمُحَمَّدٌ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَا نَبِيَّ بَعْدَهُ، قَالَ اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ حَاكِبًا عَنِ الْخَضِرِ ﴿وَمَا فَعَلْتُهُ عَنْ أَمْرِى﴾
فَصَحْتُ نُبُوَّتُهُ، وَقَالَ تَعَالَى: ﴿وَلكِن رَّسُولَ اللهِ وَخَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّينَ﴾
“Prophethood is the name of that revelation which Allah sends to His servant to inform him of something he did not know before. Messengership is a name for an additional attribute beyond prophethood; this additional attribute is that a Messenger brings a new Shariah. There is no disagreement on this. Khidr (عليه السلام) was a Prophet and has passed away; after Muhammad ﷺ there is no Prophet. Allah, the Lord of Glory, has narrated the story of Khidr (عليه السلام) and quoted Khidr’s statement that ‘I did not do this of my own accord.’ This proves his prophethood. Allah’s command is: Muhammad ﷺ is the Messenger and the last Prophet.”
Allama Mawardi (450 AH) writes:
إِنَّهُ خُصَّ بِانْتِهَاءِ الوَحْيِ وَخَتمِ النُّبُوَّةِ حَتَّى لَا يَنْزِلَ بَعْدَهُ وَحَي وَلَا يُبْعَثَ بَعْدَهُ نَبِيٌّ فَصَارَ خَاتَمَا لِلنُّبُوَّةِ مَبْعُونًا إِلَى الْخَلْقِ كَافَّةٌ حَتَّى بُعِثَ إِلَى الْإِنْسِ وَالْجِنِّ.
“The special characteristic of the Holy Prophet ﷺ is that after him, revelation and prophethood ended; after him, no revelation will descend. You are the Seal of the Prophets and all creatures, including the jinn and mankind, to whom you were sent.”
O Ummah of Muhammad! Beware, do not fall into the deception of any deceiver, do not allow any betrayal, any smooth talk, or any false flattering interpretation to imprint an ugly stain of doubt in your hearts. Every child of the universe is born with the nature that if given the power of speech and asked مَنْ نَبِيُّكَ, then on his tongue will be this slogan: لَا نَبِيَّ بَعْدَ محمد ﷺ.
