The Finality of Prophethood
God sent many prophets(pbut) to every nation with the same message of Islam. They preached the same message of One God. That same message was given to our beloved Prophet Muhammad(saw) to teach us. All previous prophets were sent to specific nations whereas Prophet Muhammad(saw) was sent to all of Mankind. He brought the same message in its final form - the final Book - Quran. Prophet Muhammad(saw) was the Last and Final Prophet of God and after him no new prophet will be sent.
It is mentioned in the Quran in as clear as possible words that Muhammad(saw) is the last prophet:
"Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but (he is) the Messenger of Allah, andthe Seal of the Prophets: and Allah has full knowledge of all things." (Quran 33:40)
The message in this verse is further made clear by Prophet Muhammad(saw):
Narated By Abu Huraira: Allah's Apostle said, "My similitude in comparison with the other prophets before me, is that of a man who has built a house nicely and beautifully, except for a place of one brick in a corner. The people go about it and wonder at its beauty, but say: 'Would that this brick be put in its place!' So I am that brick, and I am the last of the Prophets." (Sahih Bukhari Vol 4, Book 56, # 735 and Sahih Muslim Book 30, # 5673)This hadith is also narrated by Jabir bin Abdullah in Sahih Bukhari and Muslim.
It is necessary for every Muslim to know and to believe that Prophethood has ended. There is no way that another prophet from Allah(swt) will be sent because Allah(swt) himself has ended Prophethood as seen from the verse of the Quran above. Prophet Muhammad(saw) himself has made this very clear in his sayings and the Quran itself testifies regarding whatever Prophet Muhammad(saw) spoke:
"He does not speak from his hawaa (desire); it is nothing except Wahee revealed to him." (Quran 53:3-4)
Further in Sahih Muslim it is recorded:
It has been narrated by Abu Huraira that the Holy Prophet (may peace be upon him) said: Banu Isra'il were ruled over by the Prophets. When one Prophet died, another succeeded him; but after me there is no prophet and there will be caliphs and they will be quite large in number. His Companions said: What do you order us to do (in case we come to have more than one Caliph)? He said: The one to whom allegiance is sworn first has a supremacy over the others. Concede to them their due rights (i.e. obey them). God (Himself) will question them about the subjects whom He had entrusted to them. (Sahih Muslim Book 20, # 4543)
and....
Abu Huraira reported that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: I have been given superiority over the other prophets in six respects: I have been given words which are concise but comprehensive in meaning; I have been helped by terror (in the hearts of enemies): spoils have been made lawful to me: the earth has been made for me clean and a place of worship; I have been sent to all mankind and the line of prophets is closed with me. (Sahih Muslim Book 4, #1062)
Prophet Muhammad(saw) also warned his Ummah and told us about the Grand Liars that will come and claim prophethood and declare that they have been sent by Allah(swt). In one of his sayings, he(saw) said:
Narated By Abu Huraira : Allah's Apostle said, "The Hour will not be established.... (2) till about thirty Dajjals (liars) appear, and each one of them will claim that he is Allah's Apostle...." (Sahih Bukhari Vol 8, Book 88, #237) The part quoted is also reported in Sahih Muslim Book 041, #6988
This is a very long Hadith and talks of the signs of the Last Day. In order to save space I have quoted only the concerned part. The reference is given for anyone to check the complete Hadith.
Indeed over a period of time, we have witnessed many such Dajjals who have come forth and proclaimed to be prophets of Allah(swt). Their claims are baseless and against the teachings of the Quran and the sayings of Prophet Muhammad(saw). Their claims are based on Kufr and have nothing to do with Islam.
Surely only a liar can claim to be a prophet of Allah(swt) as no new prophet will be sent from Allah(swt). Such people are Satanic rather than Islamic.
The Quran further is very clear on this matter and informs us in clear words:
This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion. (Quran 5:3)
And our beloved Prophet(saw) in his last sermon reminded us in clear cut words:
"People, no prophet or apostle will come after me and no new faith will be born. Reason well, therefore, O People, and understand words which I convey to you. I leave behind me two things, the Quran and my example, the Sunnah (Hadith), and if you follow these you will never go astray."
The verse and the Last Sermon also eliminate the idea of any new prophet in the future. The religion is perfected and the favor is completed. We are given the Quran and the Sunnah to follow. And we need to follow that till the Last Day. Since Islam has already been perfected, we do not need any messenger, to come and warn us or show us some miracles, and claim that he is a messenger or a prophet.
The Quran and Prophet Muhammad(saw) have both been very clear regarding this matter. There are no loopholes anywhere. The evidence regarding the Finality of Prophethood is unlimited and it is impossible to cover up all the evidence in this article. There is a unanimous opinion amongst scholars that Prophet Muhammad(saw) is the Last and Final Messenger of Allah(swt) sent to all Mankind. People who claimed prophethood have been declared through a unanimous decision as being disbelievers. Such people are not in the fold of Islam neither are they Muslims. In 1974 the Muslim World League, in Mecca, declared one such group, following a fake prophet as disbelievers.
I would like to end this with yet another hadith:
Narated By Isma'il: I asked Abi Aufa, "Did you see Ibrahim, the son of the Prophet ?" He said, "Yes, but he died in his early childhood. Had there been a Prophet after Muhammad then his son would have lived, but there is no Prophet after him." (Sahih Bukhari Vol 8, Book 73, # 214)
There is no doubt regarding this matter. The truth stands clear from falsehood. Many have tried to twist and turn the meaning of the verses in the Quran and Allah(swt) is well aware of such people and says the following:
There is among them a section who distort the Book with their tongues: (As they read) you would think it is a part of the Book, but it is no part of the Book; and they say, "That is from Allah," but it is not from Allah. It is they who tell a lie against Allah, and (well) they know it! (Quran 3:78)
It is mentioned in the Quran in as clear as possible words that Muhammad(saw) is the last prophet:
"Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but (he is) the Messenger of Allah, andthe Seal of the Prophets: and Allah has full knowledge of all things." (Quran 33:40)
The message in this verse is further made clear by Prophet Muhammad(saw):
Narated By Abu Huraira: Allah's Apostle said, "My similitude in comparison with the other prophets before me, is that of a man who has built a house nicely and beautifully, except for a place of one brick in a corner. The people go about it and wonder at its beauty, but say: 'Would that this brick be put in its place!' So I am that brick, and I am the last of the Prophets." (Sahih Bukhari Vol 4, Book 56, # 735 and Sahih Muslim Book 30, # 5673)This hadith is also narrated by Jabir bin Abdullah in Sahih Bukhari and Muslim.
It is necessary for every Muslim to know and to believe that Prophethood has ended. There is no way that another prophet from Allah(swt) will be sent because Allah(swt) himself has ended Prophethood as seen from the verse of the Quran above. Prophet Muhammad(saw) himself has made this very clear in his sayings and the Quran itself testifies regarding whatever Prophet Muhammad(saw) spoke:
"He does not speak from his hawaa (desire); it is nothing except Wahee revealed to him." (Quran 53:3-4)
Further in Sahih Muslim it is recorded:
It has been narrated by Abu Huraira that the Holy Prophet (may peace be upon him) said: Banu Isra'il were ruled over by the Prophets. When one Prophet died, another succeeded him; but after me there is no prophet and there will be caliphs and they will be quite large in number. His Companions said: What do you order us to do (in case we come to have more than one Caliph)? He said: The one to whom allegiance is sworn first has a supremacy over the others. Concede to them their due rights (i.e. obey them). God (Himself) will question them about the subjects whom He had entrusted to them. (Sahih Muslim Book 20, # 4543)
and....
Abu Huraira reported that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: I have been given superiority over the other prophets in six respects: I have been given words which are concise but comprehensive in meaning; I have been helped by terror (in the hearts of enemies): spoils have been made lawful to me: the earth has been made for me clean and a place of worship; I have been sent to all mankind and the line of prophets is closed with me. (Sahih Muslim Book 4, #1062)
Prophet Muhammad(saw) also warned his Ummah and told us about the Grand Liars that will come and claim prophethood and declare that they have been sent by Allah(swt). In one of his sayings, he(saw) said:
Narated By Abu Huraira : Allah's Apostle said, "The Hour will not be established.... (2) till about thirty Dajjals (liars) appear, and each one of them will claim that he is Allah's Apostle...." (Sahih Bukhari Vol 8, Book 88, #237) The part quoted is also reported in Sahih Muslim Book 041, #6988
This is a very long Hadith and talks of the signs of the Last Day. In order to save space I have quoted only the concerned part. The reference is given for anyone to check the complete Hadith.
Indeed over a period of time, we have witnessed many such Dajjals who have come forth and proclaimed to be prophets of Allah(swt). Their claims are baseless and against the teachings of the Quran and the sayings of Prophet Muhammad(saw). Their claims are based on Kufr and have nothing to do with Islam.
Surely only a liar can claim to be a prophet of Allah(swt) as no new prophet will be sent from Allah(swt). Such people are Satanic rather than Islamic.
The Quran further is very clear on this matter and informs us in clear words:
This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion. (Quran 5:3)
And our beloved Prophet(saw) in his last sermon reminded us in clear cut words:
"People, no prophet or apostle will come after me and no new faith will be born. Reason well, therefore, O People, and understand words which I convey to you. I leave behind me two things, the Quran and my example, the Sunnah (Hadith), and if you follow these you will never go astray."
The verse and the Last Sermon also eliminate the idea of any new prophet in the future. The religion is perfected and the favor is completed. We are given the Quran and the Sunnah to follow. And we need to follow that till the Last Day. Since Islam has already been perfected, we do not need any messenger, to come and warn us or show us some miracles, and claim that he is a messenger or a prophet.
The Quran and Prophet Muhammad(saw) have both been very clear regarding this matter. There are no loopholes anywhere. The evidence regarding the Finality of Prophethood is unlimited and it is impossible to cover up all the evidence in this article. There is a unanimous opinion amongst scholars that Prophet Muhammad(saw) is the Last and Final Messenger of Allah(swt) sent to all Mankind. People who claimed prophethood have been declared through a unanimous decision as being disbelievers. Such people are not in the fold of Islam neither are they Muslims. In 1974 the Muslim World League, in Mecca, declared one such group, following a fake prophet as disbelievers.
I would like to end this with yet another hadith:
Narated By Isma'il: I asked Abi Aufa, "Did you see Ibrahim, the son of the Prophet ?" He said, "Yes, but he died in his early childhood. Had there been a Prophet after Muhammad then his son would have lived, but there is no Prophet after him." (Sahih Bukhari Vol 8, Book 73, # 214)
There is no doubt regarding this matter. The truth stands clear from falsehood. Many have tried to twist and turn the meaning of the verses in the Quran and Allah(swt) is well aware of such people and says the following:
There is among them a section who distort the Book with their tongues: (As they read) you would think it is a part of the Book, but it is no part of the Book; and they say, "That is from Allah," but it is not from Allah. It is they who tell a lie against Allah, and (well) they know it! (Quran 3:78)
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