The Last and Final Prophet ﷺ

The Last and Final Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم

Mawlana Uwais Yamin Attari Madani

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran:

مَا کَانَ مُحَمَّدٌ اَبَاۤ  اَحَدٍ مِّنۡ رِّجَالِکُمۡ وَ لٰکِنۡ رَّسُوۡلَ اللّٰہِ وَ خَاتَمَ  النَّبِیّٖنَ ؕ

(The Beloved Prophet) Muhammad is not the father of any man amongst you. Yes, he is the Messenger of Allah and the final amongst all the Prophets. [1]

This verse is definitive text (naṣṣ qaṭꜤī) about the Prophet Muḥammad صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم being the last and final prophet (khatam al-nabiyyīn). Holding this belief is a fundamental belief and foundation of the Islamic faith. An individual becomes a disbeliever and leaves the folds of Islam if he does not accept the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم to be the last and final prophet, has even the slightest doubt in this regard, or draws invalid interpretations and affirms another as a prophet after him.

This tenet of faith is known as the belief in the finality of prophethood, which is established from the noble Quran and Hadith, upon which there is the consensus of all the Companions, their successors, the successors of their successors, the pious predecessors, the accomplished scholars and all the Muslims. This belief is from the core foundations of Islam. The one who denies this tenet of faith or has even the slightest doubt concerning it is a disbeliever.

The beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم himself many times clarified that he is the last and final prophet. Let us look at 26 of these noble Aḥādīth and fortify this creed of the finality of prophethood in our hearts:

1. The Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم stated, “Indeed messengership and prophethood have ended. So, there will be no messenger or prophet after me.”[2]

2. The Messenger of Allah  صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said:

I have been given superiority over the other prophets in six respects: I have been given speech that is concise yet comprehensive; I have been helped by formidability [being placed in the hearts of enemies]; spoils of war have been made lawful for me; the earth has been made clean for me and a place of worship; I have been sent as a messenger to all of creation; and prophethood has been ended with me.[3]

3. The Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم mentioned, “Banī Isrāˈīl were ruled by the prophets عَـلَـيْـهِمُ الـصَّلٰوةُ وَالـسَّـلَام. Whenever a prophet passed away, another succeeded him. However, there is certainly no prophet after me.”[4]

4. The beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم informed us, “Indeed, my similitude and that of the prophets is like that of a person who built a beautiful building but left the space of a brick in a corner. So, people begin to go around it and are surprised at it and say, ‘Why has he not placed this brick?’ I am that brick, and I am the final Prophet.”[5]

5. The Messenger of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم foretold, “Indeed, there shall be 30 major liars in my ummah, each of them claiming that he is a prophet. However, I am the last of the prophets; there is no prophet after me."[6]

6. The Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم declared, “Indeed, I am the last of the prophets, and my masjid is the last of the masjids [built by a prophet].”[7]

7. The Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم proclaimed, “Certainly, I was recorded as the last prophet with Allah Almighty in the Preserved Tablet whilst Ādam was kneaded in his clay.”[8]

8. The Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, “I am the final Prophet, and you are the final ummah.”[9]

9. Allah’s Messenger صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم announced, “Prophethood has ended. There is no prophethood after me, but there are glad tidings."

They asked, "What are the glad tidings?"

He replied, "Righteous dreams that a person sees or they are seen for him.”[10]

10. The Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم stated, “Indeed, I have many names: I am Muhammad and Aḥmad; I am al-Māḥī through whom Allah eliminates disbelief; I am al-Ḥāshir at whose feet the people will be resurrected; and I am al-ꜤĀqib; al-ꜤĀqib is the one after whom there is no prophet.”[11]

11. The Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم declared, “I am Muḥammad, the Ummī Prophet. I am Muḥammad, the Ummī Prophet. I am Muḥammad, the Ummī Prophet,” three times, “There is no prophet after me.”[12]

12. The Messenger of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم informed us, “I am the last of the prophets, and this is no boast.” [13]

13. Sayyidunā Abū Ṭufayl رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ relates that the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, “I have ten names with my Lord.” Sayyidunā Abū Ṭufayl رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ states, “I remember eight of them: Muḥammad, Aḥmad, Abū al-Qāsim, al-Fātiḥ [the one who initiates prophethood], al-Khātim [the one who concludes prophethood], al-Māḥī [the eliminator of disbelief], al-ꜤĀqib [the one after whom there is no prophet], al-Ḥāshir [the one who gathers the people].”[14]

14. The beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, “I am the first of the Prophets to be created and the last of them to be sent forth.”[15]

15. On the night of the Miraj, the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم mentioned before all the prophets عَـلَـيْـهِمُ الـصَّلٰوةُ وَالـسَّـلَام:

All praise belongs to Allah, Who has sent me as a mercy to all the worlds—a bearer of glad tidings and a warner—Who has revealed upon me the Criterion [al-Quran], in which there is a perfect exposition of all things; Who has made my ummah the best community brought forth for the benefit of humankind, made them an upright middle community and made them the first and the last; Who has expanded my breast, relieved me of my burden, made exalted my mention, and made me the opener and the concluder [of the prophets].[16]

16. The Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم mentioned in his farewell Hajj sermon, “O people! There is no prophet after me, and there is no ummah after you. Worship your Lord, offer the five daily prayers, keep the fasts of Ramadan, obey your rulers and enter the Paradise of your Lord.”[17]

17. The Messenger of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, “The first of the messengers is Ādam, and the last of them is Muhammad.”[18]

18. The beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم declared, “I am Aḥmad, Muhammad, al-Ḥāshir, al-Muqaffī [the one sent after all other prophets] and al-Khātim.”[19]

19. Allah’s Messenger صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم stated, “This seal that is between my shoulders is the sign of the previous prophets because there is neither a prophet nor a messenger after me.”[20]

20. Sayyidunā Qatādah رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ narrates, “When the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم would recite the verse:

وَ اِذۡ اَخَذۡنَا مِنَ النَّبِیّٖنَ مِیۡثَاقَہُمۡ وَ مِنۡکَ وَ مِنۡ نُّوۡحٍ

‘And O beloved, remember when we took a covenant from the prophets, and from you, and from Nūḥ,’[21]

He would say, ‘Goodness was begun with me, and I was the last of them [the prophets] in being sent forth.’”[22]

21.  The Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, “Ādam was brought down to al-Hind and experienced solitude. So, Jibrīl descended and announced the azan, اَللہُ اَکبَر اَللہُ اَکبَر , اَشْهَدُ اَنْ لَّآ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا الله twice, and اَشْهَدُ اَنَّ مُحَمَّداً رَّسُوْلُ الله twice.

Ādam عَلَیْہِ السَّلَام asked, ‘Who is Muhammad?’

Jibrīl عَلَیْہِ السَّلَام replied, ‘The final of your progeny from the prophets.’”[23]

22. The Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم prophesised, “There will be 27 major lying deceivers in my ummah; four from them will be women. Indeed, I am the last and final of the prophets; there is no prophet after me.”[24]

23. The Messenger of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم stated, “When I was taken on the night journey, Allah Almighty granted me a station of proximity until there was between me and Him the length of two bows or less; in fact, less.

Allah Almighty said, ‘O my beloved: O Muhammad! Are you grieved that I have made you the last of all the prophets?’

I replied, ‘O my Lord! No.’

Allah Almighty said, ‘Convey my salaam to your ummah, and inform them that I have made them the last of all nations, so that I shame the other nations before them and do not shame them before the other nations.’”[25]

24. When Sayyidunā ꜤAlī رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ would describe the Messenger of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, he would say, “Between his two shoulder blades was the seal of prophethood, and he is the last of the prophets.”[26]

25. When the father of Sayyidunā Zayd b. Ḥārithah came with his relatives to take Sayyidunā Zayd رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ, the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم told them, “Testify lā ilāha illa Allah (لَآ اِلٰہَ اِلَّا اللہ) and testify that I am the final prophet and messenger, I will send Zayd with you.” They excused themselves from that and offered dinars. The Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, “Ask Zayd if he wishes to go with you, and I will send him without any renumeration.” Sayyidunā Zayd رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ said, “I will neither prefer my father nor my children over the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم.” Hearing this, his father recited the testimony of faith and became a Muslim.[27]

26. The Messenger of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم informed Sayyidunā ꜤAbbās رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ, “Indeed, Allah will conclude Hijrah upon you as he has concluded prophethood with me.”[28]

27. Sayyidunā ꜤAbdullāh b. MasꜤūd رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ taught the people to recite ṣalawāt upon the Prophet well. They said to him, “Teach us.” He said, اَللّٰهُمَّ اجْعَلْ صَلٰوتَکَ وَرَحْمَتَکَ وَبَرَکَاتِکَ عَلٰی سَيِّدِ الْمُرْسَلِينَ، وَاِمَامِ الْمُتَّقِينَ، وَخَاتَمِ النَّبِيِّينَ مُحَمَّدٍ عَبْدِکَ وَرَسُولِکَ “O Allah send your grace, mercy and blessings upon the Master of the messengers, the Imam of the righteous, the Last of the prophets, Muhammad, Your servant and Messenger.”[29]

28. It is mentioned in the Hadith of intercession that people will seek intercession from Sayyidunā ꜤĪsā عَلَیْہِ السَّلَام and he will reply, “I am not for this station. Muhammad is the last of the prophets, and he is present here. Allah has forgiven for him the sins of his former and later ones for his sake.”[30]

29. The beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم asked a lizard, “Who am I?”

The lizard replied, “You are the messenger of the Lord of all the worlds, and you are the last of the prophets.”[31]

30. The Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, “Indeed, when the Torah was revealed to Mūsā عَلَیْہِ السَّلَام, he read the mention of this ummah and made duꜤāˈ in the court of Allah, ‘O my Lord! I have read on the tablets [of the Torah] that there will be an ummah after all the others, and it will be the foremost [on the Day of Judgement.] Make it my ummah.’

Allah Almighty replied, ‘That is the ummah of Aḥmad.’”[32]

31. Sayyidunā Abū Hurayrah رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ states that on the night of Miraj, when the prophets عَـلَـيْـهِمُ الـسَّـلَام asked about the Messenger of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, Jibrīl عَلَیْہِ السَّلَام said, “This is Muhammad: the Messenger of Allah, and he is the seal of prophets (khatam al-nabiyyīn).” At the end of this Hadith, it is mentioned that Allah said to the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, “I have taken you as a close friend (خلیل). It is recorded in the Torah: ‘Muhammad is the beloved of al-Raḥmān.’ I have sent you as a messenger to all mankind and made your ummah the first and the last. I have made you the first of the prophets to be created and the last to be sent forth, and I have made you the opener [of prophethood] and the concluder [of prophethood].”[33]

32. Sayyidunā NuꜤmān b. Bashīr رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُما states about Sayyidunā Zayd b. Khārijah al-Anṣārī رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُما, After he passed away, there was a voice from beneath his shroud, so we uncovered his face and he spoke, ‘Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, al-Ummī, the final prophet. There is no prophet after him.’”[34]

33. Sayyidunā Abū Hurayrah رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ narrates, “People will come to the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم on the Day of Judgement and say, ‘O Muhammad صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم! You are the Messenger of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم and the final prophet. Allah has forgiven the sins of your former ones and latter ones for your sake. Intercede with your Lord on our behalf.’”[35]