The Belief in the Finality of Prophethood in the Light of the Quran
Allah Almighty had promised to send prophets, and He has fulfilled it. Muhammad ﷺ is the last prophet, and your prophethood is until the Day of Judgment. After you, no hidden or apparent prophet can come.
Hafiz Ibn Kathir (774 AH) writes:
إِنَّهُ قَدْ أَرْسَلَ إِلَيْهِمْ رَسُولَهُ مُحَمَّدًا خَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّينَ الَّذِي لَا نَبِيَّ بَعْدَهُ وَلَا رَسُولَ بَلْ هُوَ الْمُعَقِّبُ لِجَمِيعِهِمْ .
“Allah sent His Messenger Muhammad ﷺ to the people as the Seal of the Prophets; after you, there is neither a prophet nor a messenger. You have come at the end of all the prophets.”
Allama Ibn Abi Al-Izz Hanafi (792 AH) writes:
فَالْوَاجِبُ اتِّبَاعُ الْمُرْسَلِينَ، وَاتَّبَاعُ مَا أَنْزَلَهُ اللهُ عَلَيْهِمْ، وَ قَدْ خَتَمَهُمُ اللهُ بِمُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَجَعَلَهُ آخِرَ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ، وَجَعَلَ كِتَابَهُ مُهَيْمِنًا عَلَى مَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ مِنْ كُتُبِ السَّمَاءِ، وَأَنْزَلَ عَلَيْهِ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ، وَجَعَلَ دَعْوَتَهُ عَامَّةٌ لجَمِيعِ الثَّقَلَيْنِ : الْجِنِّ وَالْإِنْسِ، بَاقِيَةً إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ، وَانْقَطَعَتْ حُجَّةُ الْعِبَادِ عَلَى اللهِ، وَقَدْ بَيَّنَ اللهُ بِهِ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ .
“Following the messengers and the books revealed to them is obligatory. Allah has ended the series of messengers with Muhammad ﷺ and made you ﷺ the last prophet. Your ﷺ book is made a witness over other divine books. The revelation of the Book and wisdom was sent down upon you ﷺ, and your ﷺ invitation has been made general for all jinn and mankind until the Day of Judgment. Through you ﷺ, Allah has completed the proof for His servants, which was due upon Allah, and through you ﷺ everything has been explained.”
The Holy Quran and Finality of Prophethood:
Allah Almighty says:
(وَ مَاۤ اَرْسَلْنٰكَ اِلَّا كَآفَّةً لِّلنَّاسِ بَشِیْرًا وَّ نَذِیْرًا وَّ لٰكِنَّ اَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا یَعْلَمُوْنَ)
“We have sent you as a bringer of good tidings and a warner to all mankind, but most people do not know.”
Qadi Iyad (544 AH) says:
إِنَّهُ أُرْسِلَ كَافَّةً لِلنَّاسِ وَأَجْمَعَتِ الْأُمَّةُ عَلى حَمْلٍ هَذَا الْكَلَامِ عَلَى ظَاهِرِه .
“Undoubtedly, the Noble Prophet ﷺ was sent to all mankind. The consensus of the Muslim Ummah is that this statement is to be taken at its apparent meaning.”
It is a principle that the Holy Prophet ﷺ was sent to all humanity until the Day of Judgment, which clearly means that you ﷺ are the last Prophet.
Imam Tabari Danish (310 AH) says in the interpretation of this verse:
يَقُولُ تَعَالَى ذِكْرُهُ : وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ، يَا مُحَمَّدُ ، إِلى هَؤُلَاءِ الْمُشْرِكِينَ بِاللهِ مِنْ قَوْمِكَ خَاصَّةٌ، وَلكِنَّا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ كَافَّةٌ لِلنَّاسِ أَجْمَعِينَ ؛ العَرَبِ مِنْهُمْ وَالعَجَمِ، وَالأَحْمَرِ وَالْأَسْوَدِ، بَشِيرًا مَّنْ أَطَاعَكَ، وَنَذِيرًا مِّنْ كَذَّبَكَ، وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّ اللهَ أَرْسَلَكَ كَذَلِكَ إِلَى جَمِيعِ الْبَشَرِ .
“The command of Allah Almighty is that O Muhammad (ﷺ)! We have sent you not only to the polytheists of Quraysh, but to Arabs and non-Arabs, whites, blacks, and all of humanity. Give glad tidings to those who obey you and warn those who reject, but most people do not know that Allah has sent you to all humans.”
Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (728 AH) says:
لَمَّا كَانَ مُحَمَّدٌ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ رَسُولًا إِلَى جَمِيع الثَّقَلَيْنِ جِيْهِمْ وَإِنْسِهِمْ ، عَرَبِهِمْ وَعَجَمِهِمْ، وَهُوَ خَاتَمُ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ، لَا نَبِيَّ بَعْدَهُ، كَانَ مِنْ نِعْمَةِ اللهِ عَلَى عِبَادِهِ، وَمِنْ تَمَامِ حُجَّتِهِ عَلى خَلْقِهِ أَن تَكُونَ آيَاتُ نُبُوَّتِهِ وَبَرَاهِينُ رِسَالَتِهِ مَعْلُومَةً لِكُلِّ الْخَلْقِ الَّذِينَ بُعِثَ إِلَيْهِمْ .
Muhammad ﷺ has come as a Messenger and the Seal of the Prophets for both jinn and humans, Arabs and non-Arabs. After you ﷺ, there is no Prophet; this is a favor of Allah upon His servants. He has explained the proofs and evidences of your prophethood and has completed the argument for all creation.
He also says:
لَا بُدَّ فِي الْإِيمَان مِنْ أَن تُؤْمِنَ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ خَاتَمُ النَّبِيِّينَ ، لَا نَبِيَّ بَعْدَهُ، وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ أَرْسَلَهُ إِلَى جَمِيعِ الثَّقَلَيْنِ الْجِنِّ وَالْإِنْسِ، خَلْقِهِ، فِي تَبْلِيغِ أَمْرِهِ وَنَهْيِهِ، وَوَعْدِم وَوَعِيدِهِ، وَحَلَالِهِ وَحَرَامِهِ، فَالحَلَالُ مَا أَجَلَهُ اللهُ وَرَسُولُهُ، وَالْحَرَامُ مَا حَرَّمَهُ اللهُ وَرَسُولُهُ، وَالدِّينُ مَا شَرَعَهُ اللهُ وَرَسُولُهُ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَمَنِ اعْتَقَدَ أَنَّ لِأَحَدٍ مِّنَ الْأَوْلِيَاءِ طَرِيقًا إِلَى اللَّهِ مِنْ غَيْرِ مُتَابَعَةِ مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ؛ فَهُوَ كَافِرٌ مِّنْ أَوْلِيَاءِ الشَّيْطَان.
“To be a believer, it is also necessary that you hold the belief that Muhammad ﷺ is the Seal of the Prophets; there is no prophet after you ﷺ. Allah Almighty has sent you to all jinn and humans so that His commands and prohibitions, promises and warnings, and what is lawful and unlawful reach them. Thus, that which Allah and His Messenger ﷺ have declared lawful is lawful, and that which Allah and His Messenger ﷺ have declared unlawful is unlawful, and the religion is that which Allah and His Messenger ﷺ have ordained. Whoever holds the belief that there is a way to reach Allah Almighty without obeying Muhammad ﷺ through any saint, he is a disbeliever and a friend of Satan.”
The Divine Command is:
(قُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنِّي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ إِلَيْكُمْ جَمِيعًا)
“(O Prophet!) Say, ‘I am the Messenger of Allah to all of you.’”
Hafiz Ibn Kathir (774 AH) writes:
يَقُولُ تَعَالَى لِنَبِيه وَرَسُولِهِ مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : قُلْ يَا مُحَمَّدُ : يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ ، وَهَذَا خِطَابٌ لِلْأَحْمَرِ وَالْأَسْوَدِ، وَالْعَرَبِي وَالْعَجَمِي إِلَى رَسُولُ اللهِ إِلَيْكُمْ جَمِيعًا ، أَي جَمِيعُكُمْ، وَهُذَا مِنْ شَرَفِهِ وَعَظَمَتِهِ أَنَّهُ خَاتَمُ النَّبِيِّينَ، وَأَنَّهُ مَبْعُوثُ إِلَى النَّاسِ كَافَّةٌ .
“Allah Almighty says to His Prophet and Messenger Muhammad ﷺ:
Muhammad (ﷺ)! Say, O people! I have come to you as the Messenger of Allah. This address is for both the red and the black, and for Arabs and non-Arabs alike. It is your honor and greatness that you are the Seal of the Prophets and have been sent to all people.”
Allah Almighty said:
(مَا كَانَ مُحَمَّدٌ اَبَاۤ اَحَدٍ مِّنْ رِّجَالِكُمْ وَ لٰـكِنْ رَّسُوْلَ اللّٰهِ وَ خَاتَمَ النَّبِیّٖنَؕ-وَ كَانَ اللّٰهُ بِكُلِّ شَیْءٍ عَلِیْمًا)
“Muhammad (ﷺ) is not the father of any man among you, but he is the Messenger of Allah and the last of the prophets. And Allah is ever, of all things, Knowing.”
The commentator Ibn Atiyyah (541 AH) says:
هذِهِ الْأَلْفَاظُ عِنْدَ جَمَاعَةِ عُلَمَاءِ الْأُمَّةِ خَلَفًا وَسَلَفًا مُتَلَقَاةٌ عَلَى الْعُمُومِ النَّامِ مُقتَضِيَةٌ نَصًا أَنَّهُ لَا نَبِيَّ بَعْدَهُ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ.
“According to the scholars of the Salaf and Khalaf, these words are general and clear texts that there is no prophet after you ﷺ.”
Imam Ibn Jarir al-Tabari (310 AH) writes:
خَاتَمُ النَّبِيِّينَ الَّذِي خَتَمَ النُّبُوَّةَ فَطُبعَ عَلَيْهَا ، فَلَا تُفْتَحُ لأحَدٍ بَّعْدَهُ إِلَى قِيَامِ السَّاعَةِ .
“The Noble Prophet ﷺ is the Seal of the Prophets; you have sealed prophethood, and a seal has been placed on it, so it will not be opened for anyone until the Day of Resurrection.”
Hafiz Ibn Kathir (774 AH) writes:
قَوْلُهُ : وَلَكِن رَّسُولَ اللهِ وَخَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّينَ وَكَانَ اللهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيما كَقَوْلِهِ : اللهُ أَعْلَمُ حَيْثُ يَجْعَلُ رِسَالَتَهُ
(Al-An’am: 124)
فَهَذِهِ الْآيَةُ نَصِّ فِي أَنَّهُ لَا نَبِيَّ بَعْدَهُ، وَإِذَا كَانَ لَا نَبِيَّ بَعْدَهُ فَلَا رَسُولَ بَعْدَهُ بِطَرِيقِ الأَوْلى وَالْأَحْرَى؛ لأنَّ مَقَامَ الرِّسَالَةِ أَخَصُّ مِنْ مَّقَامِ النُّبُوَّةِ، فَإِنَّ كُلَّ رَسُولٍ نَّبِي، وَلَا يَنْعَكِسُ، وَبِذلِكَ وَرَدَتِ الْأَحَادِيثُ المُتَوَاتِرَةُ عَنْ رَّسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مِنْ حَدِيثِ جَمَاعَةٍ مِنَ الصَّحَابَةِ .
The command of the Almighty Allah:
(وَ لٰـكِنْ رَّسُوْلَ اللّٰهِ وَ خَاتَمَ النَّبِیّٖنَؕ وَ كَانَ اللّٰهُ بِكُلِّ شَیْءٍ عَلِیْمًا)
“But you are the Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets; Allah is fully aware of everything.” Also, Allah’s statement:
(الله أَعْلَمُ حَيْثُ يَجْعَلُ رِسَالَتَه)
“Allah knows best what the messengership is?” is similar. This verse is a clear text that after Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, there is no prophet. When there is no prophet after you ﷺ, then how can there be any messenger after you? The status of prophethood and the status of messengership is absolute in general and specific; every messenger is a prophet, but not every prophet is a messenger. Regarding the issue of the finality of prophethood, there are mutawatir hadiths from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, which have been narrated by a group of the Companions.
The prophethood and messengership of Muhammad ﷺ is universal, your religion is comprehensive, easily understandable, and protected from all kinds of alterations, you ﷺ have been sent as the Seal of the Prophets, after whom no prophet can come. In this noble verse, Allah has mentioned His attribute of knowledge, and there is a subtle point in it. Allah wants to convey that all the knowledge needed for revelation until the Day of Judgment is with us, and its explanation has been revealed explicitly and with reasoning to Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
The word “Seal” (خاتم) is read in two ways:
One with a kasra under the letter “ta,” which has two possible meanings:
➊ If it is an active participle, then “Seal” means: “The one who seals” or “The one who ends.”
➋ If it is an instrumental noun by analogy, its meaning would be: “The instrument of sealing,” i.e., the chain of prophets has been sealed with you.
Imam Ibn Jarir (310 AH) writes:
بِكَسْرِ التَّاءِ خَاتِمُ النَّبِيِّينَ، بِمَعْنَى أَنَّهُ خَتَمَ النَّبِيِّينَ.
“The meaning of Seal of the Prophets with a kasra under the ta is that you ﷺ have ended the chain of prophets.”
If the word Khatam is read with a fatḥa on the letter tā, it will mean an instrument noun, then it will have two meanings:
➊ The last, meaning the final prophet, the one who comes last.
➋ You ﷺ are like a seal. Now the prophethood has been sealed.
Whether the meaning of Khatam is seal, last, or one who ends, in every case its implication is that after the Holy Prophet ﷺ no one can receive prophethood. There is no specification in this regarding prophethood being true or apparent, legislative or non-legislative. Even if non-legislative prophethood exists, it is also ended. If it does not exist at all, then it was already nonexistent, so its ending has no meaning. Authentic hadiths and the consensus of the Ummah support this meaning.
If someone says that in “Khatam al-Nabiyyin” the “Alif Lam” is not for generalization, but it is like the “Alif Lam” in (وَيَقْتُلُونَ النَّبِيِّينَ). This “Alif Lam” is not for generalization because not all prophets were killed.
So it is stated that if “Alif Lam” comes on a masculine plural, then it is actually for all individuals, like “Rabb al-‘Alamin” means: the Lord of all worlds.
If there is a context, then some individuals can be intended from it. In verse (وَيَقْتُلُونَ النبيين), there are three contexts that specify the word “النبیین“:
The word “qatl” (killing), because the Quran mentions the killing of some prophets, as Allah’s command is:
(وَفَرِيقًا تَقْتُلُونَ)
“You used to kill one party.”
The reality is also that some prophets were killed. This context is sensory and the first is literal.
The Jews being the doers, because only those prophets who were sent among them could be killed by the Jews.
The mention of some prophets not being killed.
These three indications suggest that here some prophets are meant, whereas in “Khatam an-Nabiyyin” there is no possibility of meaning some prophets; here all prophets are meant.
It is established that after Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, no prophet will be born. Now, whoever claims prophethood or considers it possible for a prophet to be born after Muhammad ﷺ, is undoubtedly a disbeliever.
Allama Ibn Hazm (456 AH) writes:
أَمَّا مَنْ قَالَ : إِنَّ اللهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ هُوَ فُلَانٌ لِإِنْسَانِ بِعَيْنِهِ أَوْ إِنَّ الله تَعَالى يَحِلُّ فِي جِسْمِ مِنْ أَجْسَامٍ خَلْقِهِ أَوْ إِنَّ بَعْدَ مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ نَبِيًّا غَيْرَ عِيسَى بْنِ مَرْيَمَ فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَخْتَلِفُ اثْنَانِ فِي تَكْفِيرِهِ لِصِحَّةِ قِيَامِ الْحُجَّةِ بِكُلِّ هَذَا عَلَى كُلّ أَحَدٍ .
“Whoever says that Allah is in the form of such and such a person, or says that Allah Almighty incarnates in the body of His creation, or says that after Muhammad ﷺ another prophet besides Sayyidna Isa ibn Maryam (Jesus, son of Mary) can come, then there is no disagreement among two people among the Muslims about his disbelief, because the proof of all these beliefs has been established upon every person.”
Qadi Iyad (544 AH) writes:
كَذلِك مَنِ ادَّعَى نُبُوَّةَ أَحَدٍ مَّعَ نَبِيِّنَا صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم أَوْ بَعْدَهُ كَالْعِيْسَوِيَّةِ مِنَ الْيَهُودِ الْقَائِلِينَ بِتَخْصِيصِ رِسَالَتِهِ إِلَى الْعَرَبِ وَكَالْخُرَّمِيَّةِ الْقَائِلِينَ بِتَوَاتُرِ الرُّسُلِ وَكَأَكْثَرِ الرَّافِضَةِ الْقَائِلِينَ بِمُشَارَكَةِ عَلِي فِي الرِّسَالَةِ لِلنَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَبَعْدَهُ فَكَذلِكَ كُلُّ إِمَامٍ عِنْدَ هَؤُلَاءِ يَقُومُ مَقَامَهُ فِي النُّبُوَّةِ وَالْحُجَّةِ وَكَالْبَزِيْغِيَّةِ وَالْبَيَانِيَّةِ مِنْهُمُ الْقَائِلِينَ بِنُبُوَّة بِزِيعٍ وَبَيَانِ وَأَشْبَاءِ هَؤُلَاءِ أَوْ مَنِ ادَّعَى النُّبُوَّةَ لِنَفْسِهِ أَوْ جَوَّزَ اكْتِسَابَهَا وَالْبُلُوعَ بِصَفَاءِ الْقَلْبِ إِلَى مَرْتَبَتِهَا كَالْفَلَاسِفَةِ وَغُلَاةِ المُتَصَوّفَةِ وَكَذَلِكَ مَن ادَّعَى مِنْهُم أَنَّهُ يُوحَى إِلَيْهِ وَإِن لَّمْ يَدَّعِ النُّبُوَّةَ أَوْ أَنَّهُ يَصْعَدُ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ وَيَدْخُلُ الْجَنَّةَ وَيَأْكُلُ مِنْ ثِمَارِهَا وَيُعَانِقُ الْحُورَ الْعَيْنِ فَهَؤُلَاءِ كُلُّهُم كُفَّارٌ مُّكَذِّبُونَ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لِأَنَّهُ أَخْبَرَ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّهُ خَاتَمُ النَّبِيِّينَ لَا نَبِيَّ بَعْدَهُ وَأَخْبَرَ عَنِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى أَنَّهُ خَاتَمُ النَّبِيِّينَ وَأَنَّهُ أُرْسِلَ كَافَّةٌ لِلنَّاسِ وَأَجْمَعَتِ الْأُمَّةُ عَلَى حَمْلِ هَذَا الْكَلَامِ عَلى ظَاهِرِهِ وَأَنَّ مَفْهُومَهُ الْمُرَادَ بِهِ دُونَ تَأْوِيلٍ وَلَا تَحْصِيصِ فَلَا شَكٍّ فِي كُفْرِ هَؤُلَاءِ الطَّوَائِفِ كُلِّهَا قطعًا إِجْمَاعًا وَسَمْعًا.
“Similarly, whoever associates anyone with prophethood during the blessed era of the Prophet ﷺ or after it, is a disbeliever. The Jewish Christian sect says that the prophethood of the Prophet ﷺ is specific to the Arabian Peninsula. The Khurmiya sect says that prophets will continue to come repeatedly. The majority of the Rawafid say that after the Prophet ﷺ, Sayyiduna Ali رضي الله عنه shares in his prophethood, and similarly, according to them, every one of their Imams is a substitute for the Prophet ﷺ in prophethood and authority. The Bazighiya and Bayaniya sects believe in the prophethood of persons named Bazigh and Bayan; all these people are disbelievers. Similarly, whoever claims prophethood for himself or, like philosophers and extremist Sufis, considers it permissible to acquire prophethood through purification of the heart and to reach the rank of prophethood, is also outside the fold of Islam. Whoever does not deny prophethood but claims revelation upon himself, or says that he ascends to the heavens, enters Paradise, eats its fruits, and embraces the Houris, all such people are disbelievers and deny the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. It is stated in the Hadith that you ﷺ are the Seal of the Prophets. You are sent to all of humanity. This statement is to be understood in its apparent meaning, and there is consensus of the Ummah on this. There is no room for interpretation or specification in this. Therefore, there is no doubt or suspicion about the disbelief of the aforementioned sects. By consensus and the evidence of the Qur’an and Sunnah, these people are certainly outside the fold of Islam.”
Allama Alusi Hanafi (1270 AH) writes:
كَوْنُهُ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ خَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّينَ مِمَّا نَطَقَ بِهِ الْكِتَابُ وَصَدَعَتْ بِهِ السُّنَّةُ وَأَجْمَعَتْ عَلَيْهِ الْأُمَّةُ، فَيُكَفَّرُ مُدَّعِي خِلَافِه وَيُقْتَلُ إِنْ أَصَر .
“The status of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ as the Seal of the Prophets is among the beliefs which the Quran has explicitly stated, the Sunnah has clearly explained, and the Ummah has unanimously agreed upon. Therefore, anyone who claims otherwise should be declared an infidel, and if he insists on this claim, he should be killed.”
Note:
A detailed discussion on the word ‘Seal’ will be written in the upcoming pages.
