The Last Prophet, The Last Mosque, and The Last Migration: Response to Doubts Raised on the Finality of Prophethood

This excerpt is taken from Sheikh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amanpuri's book Khatm-e-Nubuwwat.

The Seal of the Prophets​

Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه narrates that the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said:
إني آخر الأنبياء ، وإن مسجدي آخر المساجد .
"I am the last Prophet and my mosque (the Prophet's Mosque) is the last mosque."

Reference: (Sahih Muslim: 1394/507)

This hadith states that the mosque of the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم is the last mosque. The objection is that mosques have been built after this one, so how is it the last?
Imam Ibn Hibban رحمه الله (354 AH) writes:
قوله صلى الله عليه وسلم : إنه آخر المساجد، يريد به آخر المساجد للأنبياء ، لا أن مسجد المدينة آخر مسجد بني فى هذه الدنيا .
"The last mosque means the last mosque of the Prophets, not the last mosque built in the world."

Reference: (Sahih Ibn Hibban: 502/4)

Allama Sindhi Hanafi رحمه الله (1138 AH) writes:
آخر المساجد أى آخر المساجد الثلاثة المشهود لها بالفضل أو آخر مساجد الأنبياء أو أنه يبقى آخر المساجد ويتأخر عن المساجد الآخر فى الفناء أى فكما أنه تعالى شرف آخر الأنبياء شرف كذلك مسجده الذى هو آخر المساجد بأن جعل الصلاة فيه كألف صلاة فيما سواه إلا المسجد الحرام، والله تعالى أعلم .
"The last mosque means the last mosque among the three mosques of virtue, or it means the last mosque of the Prophets, or it means that this mosque will not cease to exist until all other mosques cease to exist. Just as Allah honored the last Prophet, similarly He honored the mosque of the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم, which is the last mosque. The reward of one prayer in it is equal to a thousand prayers in other mosques, except for Masjid al-Haram."

Reference: (Hashiyah al-Sindi ala al-Nasa'i: 35/2)

Allama Zamakhshari رحمه الله (538 AH) writes:
معنى كونه آخر الأنبياء أنه لا ينبأ أحد بعده، وعيسى ممن نبئ قبله، وحين ينزل ينزل عاملا على شريعة محمد، مصليا إلى قبلته، كأنه بعض أمته .
"The meaning of the Prophet Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم being the last Prophet is that no one will receive prophethood after him, whereas Prophet Isa عليه السلام had already received prophethood before him. When Prophet Isa عليه السلام descends, he will come following the Shariah of Muhammad, will pray facing the Qiblah of Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم, thus being one of his followers."

Reference: (Tafsir al-Zamakhshari: 544/3-545)

NO MIGRATION AFTER THE CONQUEST :​

The Prophetic saying (peace be upon him) is:
لا هجرة بعد الفتح .
"There is no migration after the conquest."

Reference: (Sahih al-Bukhari: 2825)

Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates:
انقطعت الهجرة منذ فتح الله على نبيه صلى الله عليه وسلم مكة .
"When Makkah was conquered by the hands of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), the series of migration ended."

Reference: (Sahih al-Bukhari: 3080)

Here, migration means migration from Makkah to Madinah, because after the conquest of Makkah, there is no migration from Makkah anywhere, since Makkah is the abode of Islam (Dar al-Islam). Migration from the abode of war (Dar al-Harb) to the abode of Islam (Dar al-Islam) remains until the Day of Judgment.
Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) (852 AH) writes:
لا هجرة بعد الفتح وإنما كان كذلك لأن مكة بعد الفتح صارت دار إسلام فالذي يهاجر منها للمدينة إنما يهاجر لطلب العلم أو الجهاد لا للفرار بدينه بخلاف ما قبل الفتح .
"There is no migration after the conquest of Makkah. After the conquest, Makkah became Dar al-Islam, so now migration from Makkah to Madinah will be for seeking knowledge or jihad, not for preserving the religion, as it was before the conquest of Makkah."

Reference: (Fath al-Bari Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari: 185/10)

Comparison of the Migration of Sayyiduna Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) with the Finality of Prophethood :​

Sayyiduna Sahl bin Saad Saadi رضي الله عنه narrates:
استأذن العباس بن عبد المطلب النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم فى الهجرة، فقال له : يا عم، أقم مكانك الذى أنت به فإن الله عز وجل يختم بك الهجرة كما ختم بي النبوة .
"Sayyiduna Abbas bin Abdul Muttalib رضي الله عنه asked the Prophet Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم for permission to migrate, to which the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم replied: Uncle! Stay where you are, Allah has ended migration after you, just as prophethood ended after me."

Reference: (Musnad Abi Ya'la: 2646, Fada'il al-Sahaba by Ahmad bin Hanbal: 1812, Al-Mu'jam al-Kabir by Al-Tabarani: 154/6, Musnad Al-Ruyani: 61/10)

The narration is false.
Ismail bin Qais Abu Mus'ab Madani is a "Munkir al-Hadith" (denier of hadith).
Imam Bukhari رحمه الله

Reference: (Al-Tarikh al-Kabir: 370/1)

and Imam Muslim رحمه الله

Reference: (Al-Kuna wal Asma: 788/2)

have called him "Munkir al-Hadith."
Imam Abu Hatim Razi رحمه الله says:
ضعيف الحديث منكر الحديث يحدث بالمناكير لا أعلم له حديثا قائما .
"He is weak and a denier of hadith, he narrates denied hadiths, I have not found any authentic hadith narrated by him."

Reference: (Al-Jarh wa al-Ta'dil by Ibn Abi Hatim: 193/2)

Imam Ibn Adi رحمه الله says:
عامة ما يرويه منكر .
"Most of the narrations he reports are denied."

Reference: (Al-Kamil fi Dhu'afa' al-Rijal: 491/1)

Imam Nasai رحمه الله has said he is "weak."

Reference: (Al-Du'afa wal Matrukun: 41)

Imam Ibn Hibban رحمه الله says:
تنبيه : فى حديثه من المناكير والمقلوبات التى يعرفها من ليس الحديث صناعته .
"His hadiths include such denied and altered narrations that even someone with no knowledge of hadith can recognize."

Reference: (Kitab al-Majruhin: 127/1)

Warning:​

Imam Hakim, may Allah have mercy on him (234/2), said the chain of narration of this hadith is authentic, then Hafiz Zahbi, may Allah have mercy on him, wrote in response:
ضعفوه .
"Ismail bin Qais has been declared weak by the Muhaddithin."
Imam Bazzar, may Allah have mercy on him, said he is a "righteous narrator."

Reference: (Kashf al-Astar 'an Zawa'id Musnad al-Bazzar: 79/2, Hadith: 1247)

This is the leniency of the Imam; the stronger view is that of the majority of the Imams of Hadith.
Imam Abu Hatim Razi, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
هٰذا حديث موضوع وإسماعيل منكر الحديث .
"This hadith is fabricated and Ismail is a denier of hadith."

Reference: (Ilal al-Hadith by Ibn Abi Hatim: 368/2)

Hafiz Zahbi, may Allah have mercy on him, writes:
إسناده واه ... ويروى نحوه من مراسيل الزهري .
"The chain is very weak... similarly, a mursal narration from Zahri is also reported."

Reference: (Siyar A'lam al-Nubala: 84/2)

Hafiz Haithami, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
رواه أبو يعلى والطبراني وفيه أبو مصعب إسماعيل بن قيس وهو متروك .
"This narration was reported by Imam Abu Ya'la and Imam Tabrani, may Allah have mercy on them; its narrator Abu Mus'ab Ismail bin Qais is abandoned."

Reference: (Majma' al-Zawa'id: 289/9)

This narration also appears as mursal in Tarikh Ibn Asakir (297/26). This chain is also false. Uthman bin Abi Uthman al-Usmani is weak. Who Ahmad bin Muhammad Laithi is, is unknown.

Except that he is a Prophet:​

Sayyiduna Salmah bin Akwa رضی اللہ عنہ narrates that the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said:
أبو بكر خير الناس إلا أن يكون نبي .
"Sayyiduna Abu Bakr رضی اللہ عنہ is better than all people except the Prophets."

Reference: (Al-Kamil fi Dhu'afa al-Rijal by Ibn Adi: 484/6, Al-Ghara'ib al-Multaqatah min Musnad al-Firdaws by Ibn Hajar: 241, Al-Muttafiq wal-Muftariq by Al-Khatib: 368/1, Tarikh Asfahan by Abu Nu'aym: 85/2, Tarikh Ibn Asakir: 212/30)

The chain is very weak:
Ismail bin Ziyad Abli is abandoned and a liar.
Hafiz Ibn Hajar رحمه الله writes:
متروك كذبوه .
"He is abandoned; the Muhaddithin have declared him a liar."

Reference: (Taqreeb al-Tahdheeb: 446)

This narration also appears in Musnad Abd bin Humayd

Reference: (212)

and Fada'il al-Sahaba by Ahmad bin Hanbal

Reference: (508)

, its chain is also "weak". The biography of Abu Saeed Bakri is not found. Also, Ata bin Abi Rabah رحمه الله did not narrate from Sayyiduna Abu Darda رضی اللہ عنہ. Similarly, this narration is found from the hadith of Hismah bin Sulayman

Reference: (132)

and in Tarikh Ibn Asakir

Reference: (123/30)

, its chain is also weak. Aside from Imam Ibn Hibban رحمه الله

Reference: (467/6)

, no one authenticated Sadaqah Qurashi Abu Muhammad, so he is unknown. Also, Sulayman bin Sayyar رحمه الله, a Tabi'i, is narrating directly from the Prophet Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم, so the narration is mursal.
Imam Abu Hatim Razi رحمه الله declared it fabricated.

Reference: (Ilal al-Hadith by Ibn Abi Hatim: 2663)

Hafiz Dhahabi رحمه الله classified it as fabricated (mawdu') and wrote:
مع أن معنى الحديث حق .
"The meaning of the hadith is correct in any case."

Reference: (Mizan al-I'tidal: 231/1)