Explanation: This blessed verse is a definitive proof (naṣṣ qaṭꜤī) concerning the Holy Prophetصَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم  being the last Prophet. Its meaning is completely clear, leaving no room for any interpretation or exception. The details regarding the finality of Prophethood are that Allah Almighty sent the Holy Prophetصَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم  as the last of all Prophets and Messengers عَـلَـيْـهِمُ الـصَّلٰوةُ وَالـسَّـلَام, and He ended the chain of Prophethood and Messengership with him. It is impossible for anyone to be granted Prophethood alongside him or after him until the Day of Judgement. This belief is among the essentials of the religion, and anyone who denies it or has even the slightest doubt is a disbeliever, an apostate, and is cursed.

The explanation of this verse was given by the Final Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم himself. The noble Companions رَضِیَ اللهُ عَنْهُم  also explained its meaning, as did the TābiꜤīn, and following them, the scholars of the last 13 centuries also gave beautiful and academic explanations of this verse.

The Imam of Ahl al-Sunnah, Imam Aḥmad Raza Khan رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه, summarising the research of these 13 centuries, writes: "The meaning of خَاتَمُ النَّبِیِّین  is آخِرُ الْاَنْبِیَاء  (the last of the Prophets), which means that it is impossible for anyone to be granted Prophethood alongside the Holy Prophetصَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم  or after him until the Day of Judgement. Trying to reinterpret or make exceptions to this meaning of the verse (i.e., extracting one’s own desired meaning) is disbelief."^[1]

In addition to the above verse, dozens of other verses endorse and confirm the Holy Prophet's status as the Final Prophet from different perspectives. From the perspective of his messengership:

1. He was sent as a Messenger to all of mankind.^[2]