This excerpt is taken from Sheikh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amanpuri's book Khatm-e-Nubuwwat.
The Belief in the Finality of Prophethood in the Light of the Quran
Allah Almighty had promised to send prophets, and He has fulfilled that promise. Muhammad, peace be upon him, is the last prophet, and his prophethood is for all times until the Day of Judgment. After him, no shadow or visible prophet can come.
Hafiz Ibn Kathir, may Allah have mercy on him (774 AH), writes:
إنه قد أرسل إليهم رسوله محمدا خاتم النبيين الذى لا نبي بعده ولا رسول بل هو المعقب لجميعهم .
"Allah sent His Messenger Muhammad, peace be upon him, to mankind as the Seal of the Prophets; after him, there is neither a prophet nor a messenger. You have come at the end of all the prophets."
Reference: (Tafsir Ibn Kathir: 70/3)
Allama Ibn Abi Al-Izz Hanafi, may Allah have mercy on him (792 AH), writes:
فالواجب اتباع المرسلين، واتباع ما أنزله الله عليهم، و قد ختمهم الله بمحمد صلى الله عليه وسلم، فجعله آخر الأنبياء، وجعل كتابة مهيمنا على ما بين يديه من كتب السماء، وأنزل عليه الكتاب والحكمة، وجعل دعوته عامة لجميع الثقلين : الجن والإنس، باقية إلى يوم القيامة، وانقطعت به حجة العباد على الله، وقد بين الله به كل شيء .
"Following the messengers and the revealed books upon them is obligatory. Allah has ended the series of messengers with Muhammad, peace be upon him, and made him the last prophet. He has made your book a witness over the other heavenly books. Upon you, peace be upon him, the revelation of the Book and wisdom was sent down. Your invitation has been made general for all jinn and mankind until the Day of Judgment. Through you, Allah has completed the proof over His servants, which was incumbent upon Allah, and through you, everything has been explained."
Reference: (Sharh al-Aqeedah al-Tahawiyyah: p. 73)
The Holy Quran and the Finality of Prophethood:
Allah Almighty says:
وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا كَافَّةً لِّلنَّاسِ بَشِيرًا وَنَذِيرًا وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
"We have sent you as a bringer of good tidings and a warner to all mankind, but most people do not know."
Reference: (Saba: 28)
Qadi Iyad, may Allah have mercy on him (544 AH), says:
إنه أرسل كافة للناس وأجمعت الأمة على حمل هذا الكلام على ظاهره .
"Indeed, the Noble Prophet, peace be upon him, was sent to all mankind. The consensus of the Muslim Ummah is that this statement is to be taken at its apparent meaning."
Reference: (Ash-Shifa: 271/2)
It is a general principle that the Noble Prophet, peace be upon him, was sent to all humanity until the Day of Judgment, which clearly means that he, peace be upon him, is the last Prophet.
Imam Tabari, may Allah have mercy on him (310 AH), in his exegesis of this verse says:
يقول تعالى ذكره : وما أرسلناك يا محمد ، إلى هؤلاء المشركين بالله من قومك خاصة، ولكنا أرسلناك كافة للناس أجمعين العرب منهم والعجم، والأحمر والأسود، بشيرا من أطاعك، ونذيرا من كذبك، ولكن أكثر الناس لا يعلمون أن الله أرسلك كذلك إلى جميع البشر .
"The command of the Lord is: O Muhammad, peace be upon him! We have sent you not only to the polytheists of Quraysh, but to Arabs and non-Arabs, whites and blacks, and all of humanity. Give glad tidings to those who obey and warn those who reject, but most people do not know that Allah has sent you to all mankind."
Reference: Tafsir al-Tabari: 288/19, Dar Hijr
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him (728 AH), says:
لما كان محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم رسولا إلى جميع الثقلين جيهم وإنسهم، عربهم وعجمهم، وهو خاتم الأنبياء ، لا نبي بعده، كان من نعمة الله على عباده، ومن تمام حجته على خلقه أن تكون آيات نبوته وبراهين رسالته معلومة لكل الخلق الذين بعث إليهم .
"Muhammad, peace be upon him, came as a Messenger and the Seal of the Prophets for both jinn and humans, Arabs and non-Arabs. After him, there is no Prophet; this is a favor from Allah upon His servants. He has established the proofs and evidences of your prophethood and made the argument complete for all creation."
Reference: (Al-Jawab as-Sahih: 405/5)
He also says:
لا بد فى الإيمان من أن تؤمن أن محمدا صلى الله عليه وسلم خاتم النبيين ، لا نبي بعده، وأن الله أرسله إلى جميع الثقلين الجن والإنس، خلقه، فى تبليغ أمره ونهيه، ووعده ووعيده، وحلاله وحرامه، فالحلال ما أجله الله ورسوله، والحرام ما حرمه الله ورسوله، والدين ما شرعه الله ورسوله صلى الله عليه وسلم، فمن اعتقد أن لأحد من الأولياء طريقا إلى الله من غير متابعة محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم؛ فهو كافر من أولياء الشيطان .
"To be a believer, it is also necessary to hold the belief that Muhammad, peace be upon him, is the Seal of the Prophets; there is no Prophet after him. Allah Almighty sent you to all jinn and humans so that His commands and prohibitions, promises and threats, and lawful and unlawful matters reach them. Thus, what Allah and His Messenger have declared lawful is lawful, and what they have declared unlawful is unlawful, and the religion is that which Allah and His Messenger have legislated. Whoever holds the belief that there is a way to reach Allah without obeying Muhammad, peace be upon him, through any saint, is a disbeliever and a friend of Satan."
Reference: (Al-Furqan Bayna Awliya ar-Rahman wa Awliya ash-Shaytan, p. 21)
The Divine command is:
قُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنِّي رَسُولُ اللهِ إِلَيْكُمْ جَمِيعًا
"O Prophet, say: I am the Messenger of Allah to you all."
Reference: (Al-A'raf: 158)
Hafiz Ibn Kathir, may Allah have mercy on him (774 AH), writes:
يقول تعالى لنبيه ورسوله محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم : قل يا محمد : يا أيها الناس ، وهذا خطاب للأحمر والأسود، والعربي والعجمي، إني رسول الله إليكم جميعا، أى جميعكم، وهذا من شرفه وعظمته أنه خاتم النبيين، وأنه مبعوث إلى الناس كافة .
"Allah Almighty commands His Prophet and Messenger Muhammad, peace be upon him: O Muhammad, say to the people: I have come to you all as the Messenger of Allah. This address is for both the red and the black, Arabs and non-Arabs. It is your honor and greatness that you are the Seal of the Prophets and sent to all people."
Reference: (Tafsir Ibn Kathir: 489/3, T. Salamah)
Allah Almighty said:
مَا كَانَ مُحَمَّدٌ أَبَا أَحَدٍ مِّن رِّجَالِكُمْ وَلَٰكِن رَّسُولَ اللَّهِ وَخَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّينَ ۗ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمًا
"Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but he is the Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets. And Allah is ever, of all things, Knowing."
Reference: (Al-Ahzab: 40)
Mufassir Ibn Atiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him (541 AH), says:
هذه الألفاظ عند جماعة علماء الأمة خلفا وسلفا متلقاة على العموم التام مقتضية نصا أنه لا نبي بعده صلى الله عليه وسلم .
"According to the scholars of the Salaf and Khalaf, these words are general and clear texts that there is no Prophet after you, peace be upon him."
Reference: (Tafsir Ibn Atiyyah: 388/4)
Imam Ibn Jarir Tabari, may Allah have mercy on him (310 AH), writes:
خاتم النبيين الذى ختم النبوة فطبع عليها ، فلا تفتح لأحد بعده إلى قيام الساعة .
"The Noble Prophet, peace be upon him, is the Seal of the Prophets; he ended prophethood, sealed it, and it will not be opened for anyone until the Day of Judgment."
Reference: (Tafsir al-Tabari: 121/19)
Hafiz Ibn Kathir, may Allah have mercy on him (774 AH), writes:
قوله : وَلٰكِن رَّسُولَ اللهِ وَخَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّينَ وَكَانَ اللهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمًا كقوله : اللهُ أَعْلَمُ حَيْثُ يَجْعَلُ رِسَالَتَهُ (الأنعام : 124) فهذه الآية نص فى أنه لا نبي بعده، وإذا كان لا نبي بعده فلا رسول بعده بطريق الأولى والأحرى؛ لأن مقام الرسالة أخص من مقام النبوة، فإن كل رسول نبي، ولا ينعكس، وبذلك وردت الأحاديث المتواترة عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم من حديث جماعة من الصحابة .
"The command of Allah Almighty: وَلٰكِن رَّسُولَ اللهِ وَخَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّينَ وَكَانَ اللهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمًا but you are the Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets. Allah is ever, of all things, Knowing." Also, Allah Almighty's command اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ حَيْثُ يَجْعَلُ رِسَالَتَهُ Allah knows well to whom to entrust prophethood. This verse is a clear text that after Muhammad, peace be upon him, there is no Prophet. When there is no Prophet after you, how can there be a Messenger after you? The terms prophethood and messengership have absolute generality and specificity; every Messenger is a Prophet, but not every Prophet is a Messenger. There are mutawatir hadiths about the finality of prophethood from the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, narrated by a group of companions."
Reference: (Tafsir Ibn Kathir: 428/6)
The prophethood and messengership of Muhammad, peace be upon him, is universal; his religion is comprehensive, clear, and protected from all kinds of alteration. He was sent as the Seal of the Prophets, after whom no Prophet can come. In this noble verse, Allah mentions His attribute of knowledge, which contains a subtle point: Allah intends to convey that all the revelation needed until the Day of Judgment is known to Him, and He has revealed its explanation and specification in the person of Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him.
The word "Khatam" (Seal) is read in two ways:
One with a kasra under the letter "ta," which has two possible meanings:
1. It is an active participle, meaning "the one who seals" or "the one who ends."
2. It is an instrumental noun by analogy, meaning "the instrument of sealing," i.e., the chain of Prophets has been sealed with you.
Imam Ibn Jarir, may Allah have mercy on him (310 AH), says:
بكسر التاء خاتم النبيين، بمعنى أنه ختم النبيين .
"The meaning of Khatam an-Nabiyyin with a kasra under the ta is that you, peace be upon him, have ended the chain of Prophets."
Reference: (Tafsir al-Tabari: 12/22, 13)
If the word "Khatam" is read with a fatha on the ta, it is an instrumental noun, and then it has two meanings:
1. The last, meaning the final Prophet, the one who comes last.
2. You, peace be upon him, are like a seal; now the prophethood has been sealed.
Whether the meaning of Khatam is a seal, the last, or the one who ends, in every case, its implication is that no one can receive prophethood after the Noble Prophet, peace be upon him. There is no specification in this prophethood whether it is original or shadowy, legislative or non-legislative. Even if non-legislative prophethood existed, it is also ended. If it does not exist at all, then it was nonexistent from the beginning, so its ending has no meaning. Authentic hadiths and the consensus of the Ummah support this meaning.
Reference: (Khatm an-Nubuwwah by Muhaddith Gondalvi, pp. 17-18)
If someone says that the phrase "Khatam an-Nabiyyin" does not have the definite article "Al" for exclusivity, but it is like the "Al" in وَيَقْتُلُونَ النَّبِيِّينَ, which is not an exclusive "Al" because not all Prophets were killed,
then it is to be said that when the definite article "Al" comes on a masculine sound plural, it actually refers to all individuals, like "Rabb al-'Alamin" means the Lord of all worlds.
If there is a context, then some individuals can be meant. In the verse وَيَقْتُلُونَ النَّبِيِّينَ, there are three contexts that specify the word النَّبِيِّينَ: the word "killed," because the Qur'an mentions the killing of some Prophets, as Allah says:
وَفَرِيقًا تَقْتُلُونَ
"You used to kill a party among them."
Reference: (Al-Baqarah: 87)
The reality is that some Prophets were killed. This is a sensory context and the first literal one.
The Jews being the doers, because only the Jews could kill those Prophets who were sent among them.
The mention of some Prophets not being killed.
These three contexts indicate that some Prophets are meant here, whereas in "Khatam an-Nabiyyin" there is no context to mean some Prophets; here all Prophets are meant.
It is established that no Prophet will arise after Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him. Whoever claims prophethood or considers the coming of a Prophet after Muhammad, peace be upon him, possible, is unanimously a disbeliever.
Allama Ibn Hazm, may Allah have mercy on him (456 AH), writes:
أما من قال : إن الله عز وجل هو فلان لإنسان بعينه أو إن الله تعالى يحل فى جسم من أجسام خلقه أو إن بعد محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم نبيا غير عيسى بن مريم فإنه لا يختلف اثنان فى تكفيره لصحة قيام الحجة بكل هذا على كل أحد .
"Whoever says that Allah is in the form of a certain person, or says that Allah Almighty incarnates in the body of His creation, or says that after Muhammad, peace be upon him, another Prophet besides Sayyiduna Isa ibn Maryam, peace be upon him, can come, there is no disagreement about his disbelief among the people of Islam, because the proof of all these beliefs has been established upon every person."
Reference: "Al-Fasl fi al-Milal wa al-Ahwa' wa al-Nihal: 139/3"
Qadi Iyad, may Allah have mercy on him (544 AH), writes:
كذلك من ادعى نبوة أحد مع نبينا صلى الله عليه وسلم أو بعده كالعيسوية من اليهود القائلين بتخصيص رسالته إلى العرب وكالحرمية القائلين بتواتر الرسل وكأكثر الرافضة القائلين بمشاركة على فى الرسالة للنبي صلى الله عليه وسلم وبعده فكذلك كل إمام عند هؤلاء يقوم مقامه فى النبوة والحجة وكالبزيغية والبيانية منهم القائلين بنبوة بزيغ وبيان وأشباء هؤلاء أو من ادعى النبوة لنفسه أو جوز اكتسابها والبلوغ بصفاء القلب إلى مرتبتها كالفلاسفة وغلاة المتصوفة وكذلك من ادعى منهم أنه يوحى إليه وإن لم يدع النبوة أو أنه يصعد إلى السماء ويدخل الجنة ويأكل من ثمارها ويعانق الحور العين فهؤلاء كلهم كفار مكذبون للنبي صلى الله عليه وسلم لأنه أخبر صلى الله عليه وسلم أنه خاتم النبيين لا نبي بعده وأخبر عن الله تعالى أنه خاتم النبيين وأنه أرسل كافة للناس وأجمعت الأمة على حمل هذا الكلام على ظاهره وأن مفهومه المراد به دون تأويل ولا تخصيص فلا شك فى كفر هؤلاء الطوائف كلها قطعا إجماعا وسمعا .
"Similarly, whoever associates anyone in prophethood during or after the blessed era of the Noble Prophet, peace be upon him, is a disbeliever. The Jewish and Christian sects say that the prophethood of the Noble Prophet, peace be upon him, is specific to the Arabian region. The Khurmiya sect says that Messengers will continue to come. The majority of the Rawafid say that after the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, Sayyiduna Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, shares in his messengership, and similarly, according to them, every Imam is a substitute for the Noble Prophet in prophethood and proof. The Buzighiya and Bayaniya sects believe in the prophethood of persons named Buzigh and Bayan. All these people are disbelievers. Similarly, whoever claims prophethood himself or, like the philosophers and extremist Sufis, considers it permissible to acquire prophethood through purity of heart and to reach the rank of prophethood, is also outside the fold of Islam. Whoever does not claim prophethood but claims revelation descends upon him, 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, peace be upon him. The hadith states that you, peace be upon him, are the Seal of the Prophets. You are sent to all humanity. This statement is to be taken at its apparent meaning, and there is consensus of the Ummah on it. There is no room for any interpretation or specification. Therefore, there is no doubt about the disbelief of the aforementioned sects. By consensus and the proofs of Qur'an and Sunnah, these people are certainly outside the fold of Islam."
Reference: (Ash-Shifa bi Ta'rif Huquq al-Mustafa: 285/2, 286)
Allama Alusi Hanafi, may Allah have mercy on him (1270 AH), writes:
كونه صلى الله عليه وسلم خاتم النبيين مما نطق به الكتاب وصدعت به السنة وأجمعت عليه الأمة، فيكفر مدعي خلافه ويقتل إن أصر .
"The fact that Muhammad, peace be upon him, is the Seal of the Prophets is among the beliefs that the Qur'an has explicitly stated, the Sunnah has clearly explained, and the Ummah has unanimously agreed upon. Therefore, whoever claims otherwise will be declared a disbeliever, and if he persists in this claim, he will be killed."
Reference: (Ruh al-Ma'ani: 32/22, 39)
