Question:
What is the ruling if someone claims to receive revelation after the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ?
Answer:
The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, is the last Prophet and Messenger. His Shariah is the final Shariah, the book taught by him is the last book, his Ummah is the last Ummah, among the mosques built by the noble Prophets, his mosque is the last mosque. With the death of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, the chain of revelation has been cut off; no revelation will come regarding religion now. Whoever claims revelation is a liar and fabricator. No evidence will be accepted for his falsehood.
❀ Allah Almighty says:
وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ افْتَرَىٰ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ كَذِبًا أَوْ قَالَ أُوحِيَ إِلَيَّ وَلَمْ يُوحَ إِلَيْهِ شَيْءٌ
Who can be more unjust than one who invents a lie against Allah or says, “I have received revelation,” while no revelation has come to him?
❀ Imam Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari, may Allah have mercy on him
, says:
أولى الأقوال فى ذلك عندي بالصواب، أن يقال: إن الله قال: ومن أظلم ممن افترىٰ على ٱلله كذبا أو قال أوحي إلى ولم يوح إليه شيء، ولا تمانع بين علماء الأمة أن ابن أبى سرح كان ممن قال: إني قد قلت مثل ما قال محمد، وأنه ارتد عن إسلامه ولحق بالمشركين، فكان لا شك بذلك من قيله مفتريا كذبا، وكذلك لا خلاف بين الجميع أن مسيلمة والعنسي الكذابين ادعيا على الله كذبا أنه بعثهما نبيين، وقال كل واحد منهما: إن الله أوحى إليه، وهو كاذب فى قيله، فإذ كان ذلك كذلك، فقد دخل فى هذه الآية كل من كان مختلفا على الله كذبا، وقائلا فى ذلك الزمان وفي غيره أوحى الله إليه، وهو فى قيله كاذب لم يوح الله إليه شيئا، فأما التنزيل فإنه جائز أن يكون نزل بسبب بعضهم، وجائز أن يكون نزل بسبب جميعهم، وجائز أن يكون عني به جميع المشركين من العرب، إذ كان قائلو ذلك منهم فلم يغيروه، فعيرهم الله بذلك وتوعدهم بالعقوبة على تركهم نكير ذلك، ومع تركهم نكيره، هم بنبيه محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم مكذبون، ولنبوته جاحدون، ولآيات كتاب الله وتنزيله دافعون، فقال لهم جل ثناؤه: ومن أظلم ممن ادعى على النبوة كاذبا وقال: أوحي إلى ولم يوح إليه شيء ومع ذلك يقول: ما أنزل الله علىٰ بشر من شيء
The most correct interpretation of this verse in my view is that Allah Almighty says: Who can be more unjust than one who invents a lie against Allah or says, “I have received revelation,” while no revelation has come to him? There is no disagreement among the scholars of the Ummah that Ibn Abi Sarh also said that he spoke in the same way as Muhammad, peace be upon him. He apostatized from Islam and joined the polytheists; indeed, he was a liar and fabricator in his statement. Similarly, there is no disagreement that Musaylimah and Aswad Ansi, both liars, claimed falsely that Allah had sent them. Each of them said that Allah revealed to him, while they were lying in their claim. When this is the case, this verse includes every person who fabricates lies against Allah and claims in this era or any era that Allah has revealed to him, while he is lying in his statement and Allah has not revealed anything to him. It is possible that the revelation of this verse was due to a particular person. It is also possible that the cause of revelation was all the liars, or it may refer to all the Arab polytheists, because those who claimed revelation were among the Arab polytheists. However, they did not reject the claimant of revelation, so Allah disgraced them and punished them for not rejecting him. Not only did they not reject him, but they also denied Allah’s Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, and rejected his prophethood and Allah’s Book and revelation. Regarding them, Allah said: Who can be more unjust than one who falsely claims prophethood and says, “I receive revelation,” while no revelation has been sent to him? Furthermore, Allah Almighty says: مَا أَنْزَلَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ بَشَرٍ مِّن شَيْءٍ Allah has not sent down anything to any human. Thus, Allah refuted this (liar) through His command, denied him with the truth, and negated what he had asserted, because when any wise and intelligent person reflects on this, he will realize that he is foolish and insane.
❀ Allama Ja’far ibn Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him
, says:
أجمعوا على أن شريعة نبينا محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم باقية إلى يوم القيامة، لقوله تعالى: ولٰكن رسول ٱلله وخاتم ٱلنبيين
There is consensus among the scholars that the Shariah of our Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, will remain until the Day of Judgment, because Allah Almighty says: but he is the Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets.
❀ In the interpretation of the mentioned verse, Allama Abdul Rahman bin Nasir Sa’di, may Allah have mercy on him
, says:
لا أحد أعظم ظلما، ولا أكبر جرما، ممن كذب على الله بأن نسب إلى الله قولا أو حكما وهو تعالى بريء منه، وإنما كان هذا أظلم الخلق، لأن فيه من الكذب، وتغيير الأديان أصولها، وفروعها، ونسبة ذلك إلى الله ما هو من أكبر المفاسد، ويدخل فى ذلك ادعاء النبوة، وأن الله يوحي إليه، وهو كاذب فى ذلك، فإنه مع كذبه على الله، وجرأته على عظمته وسلطانه يوجب على الخلق أن يتبعوه، ويجاهدهم على ذلك، ويستحل دماء من خالفه وأموالهم، ويدخل فى هذه الآية كل من ادعى النبوة، كمسيلمة الكذاب والأسود العنسي والمختار، وغيرهم ممن اتصف بهذا الوصف
There is no greater oppressor and criminal than one who fabricates lies against Allah by attributing to Him something from which He is free. This person is the greatest oppressor in the universe because he has lied and altered the principles and branches of religions, then attributed this act to Allah Almighty, which is the greatest corruption. This lie also includes anyone who claims prophethood and says that Allah has revealed to him, while he is lying in this matter, because he has firstly lied against Allah and dared to challenge His greatness and sovereignty, and secondly, he has made it obligatory for people to follow him, forced them in this regard, and declared the wealth and lives of his opponents lawful. Also, this verse includes every person who has made a false claim of prophethood, such as Musaylimah the Liar, Aswad Ansi, and Mukhtar Thaqafi, etc.
