The Importance of the Belief in the Finality of Prophethood

After the Prophet ﷺ, prophethood and messengership have been concluded. No human being will receive prophethood or messengership until the Day of Judgment. In other words, no new prophet will come, and the number of prophets will not increase. The Holy Qur’an, in its style, emphasizes that belief in the oneness of Allah, belief in angels, and belief in the Day of Judgment are essential parts of faith. Similarly, belief in the prophethood and messengership of previous prophets is also a part of faith. However, the Qur’an does not mention anywhere that it is necessary to believe in the prophethood or revelation of any new prophet after the Prophet ﷺ. This is because prophethood and messengership ended with the arrival of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, and no new prophet or messenger will come until the Day of Judgment. If any new prophet or messenger were to come, it would certainly be mentioned in the Qur’an, a book as comprehensive as the Qur’an.

Now, let us present a few verses where belief in previous prophets and the revelation sent to them is mentioned, but there is no reference, either directly or indirectly, to belief in the revelation of a new prophet after the Prophet ﷺ.

Verse 1:

وَ الَّذِیۡنَ یُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ بِمَاۤ اُنۡزِلَ اِلَیۡکَ وَ مَاۤ اُنۡزِلَ مِنۡ قَبۡلِکَ ۚ وَ بِالۡاٰخِرَۃِ ہُمۡ یُوۡقِنُوۡنَ ؕ
Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:4

And those who believe in what has been revealed to you (O Muhammad ﷺ) and what was revealed before you, and of the Hereafter they are certain.

Verse 2:

لٰکِنِ الرّٰسِخُوۡنَ فِی الۡعِلۡمِ مِنۡہُمۡ وَ الۡمؤۡمِنُوۡنَ یُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ بِمَاۤ اُنۡزِلَ اِلَیۡکَ وَ مَاۤ اُنۡزِلَ مِنۡ قَبۡلِکَ وَ الۡمُقِیۡمِیۡنَ الصَّلٰوۃَ وَ الۡمُؤۡتُوۡنَ الزَّکٰوۃَ وَ الۡمُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ بِاللّٰہِ وَ الۡیَوۡمِ الۡاٰخِرِ ؕ اُولٰٓئِکَ سَنُؤۡتِیۡہِمۡ اَجۡرًا عَظِیۡمًا
Surah An-Nisa, 4:162

But those who are firmly grounded in knowledge among them and the believers believe in what has been revealed to you (O Muhammad ﷺ) and what was revealed before you, and establish the prayer and give the zakah and believe in Allah and the Last Day. Those we will give a great reward.

Verse 3:

وَ لَقَدۡ اُوۡحِیَ اِلَیۡکَ وَ اِلَی الَّذِیۡنَ مِنۡ قَبۡلِکَ ۚ لَئِنۡ اَشۡرَکۡتَ لَیَحۡبَطَنَّ عَمَلُکَ وَ لَتَکُوۡنَنَّ مِنَ الۡخٰسِرِیۡنَ
Surah Az-Zumar, 39:65

And it has already been revealed to you and to those before you: ‘If you associate others with Allah, your work will surely become worthless, and you will surely be among the losers.’

Verse 4:

قُلۡ یٰۤاَہۡلَ الۡکِتٰبِ ہَلۡ تَنۡقِمُوۡنَ مِنَّاۤ اِلَّاۤ اَنۡ اٰمَنَّا بِاللّٰہِ وَ مَاۤ اُنۡزِلَ اِلَیۡنَا وَ مَاۤ اُنۡزِلَ مِنۡ قَبۡلُ ۙ وَ اَنَّ اَکۡثَرَکُمۡ فٰسِقُوۡنَ
Surah Al-Ma’idah, 5:59

Say, ‘O People of the Scripture, do you resent us except for the fact that we have believed in Allah and in what was revealed to us and what was revealed before us, and that most of you are defiantly disobedient?’

Verse 5:

کَذٰلِکَ یُوۡحِیۡۤ اِلَیۡکَ وَ اِلَی الَّذِیۡنَ مِنۡ قَبۡلِکَ ۙ اللّٰہُ الۡعَزِیۡزُ الۡحَکِیۡمُ
Surah Ash-Shura, 42:3

Thus Allah, the Exalted in Might, the Wise, reveals to you and to those before you.

All these verses and the entire Qur’an mention the revelation sent to the Prophet ﷺ and to those before him. There is no mention, in any part of the Qur’an, of a new prophet after the Prophet ﷺ.

The Doctrine of the Seal of Prophethood in the Realm of Spirits:

وَ اِذۡ اَخَذَ اللّٰہُ مِیۡثَاقَ النَّبِیّٖنَ لَمَاۤ اٰتَیۡتُکُمۡ مِّنۡ کِتٰبٍ وَّ حِکۡمَۃٍ ثُمَّ جَآءَکُمۡ رَسُوۡلٌ مُّصَدِّقٌ لِّمَا مَعَکُمۡ لَتُؤۡمِنُنَّ بِہٖ وَ لَتَنۡصُرُنَّہٗ ؕ قَالَ ءَاَقۡرَرۡتُمۡ وَ اَخَذۡتُمۡ عَلٰی ذٰلِکُمۡ اِصۡرِیۡ ؕ قَالُوۡۤا اَقۡرَرۡنَا ؕ قَالَ فَاشۡہَدُوۡا وَ اَنَا مَعَکُمۡ مِّنَ الشّٰہِدِیۡنَ
Surah Aal-E-Imran, 3:81

And [recall] when Allah took the covenant of the prophets, saying, ‘Whatever I have given you of book and wisdom, then there comes to you a messenger confirming what is with you, you must believe in him and support him.’ He said, ‘Do you agree and accept the responsibility I am placing upon you?’ They said, ‘We agree.’ He said, ‘Then bear witness, and I am with you among the witnesses.’

This verse also references the coming of Prophet ﷺ and the condition that if any prophet lived during his time, they would have to leave their prophethood and follow Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.

The Mention of the Concept of Finality of Prophethood in the World of Souls

This Prophet will have to leave his prophethood and follow the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, the last Prophet. In the world of souls, the mention of the finality of Prophethood of the Prophet ﷺ is also happening.

The first Prophet to be created in the world was Adam (peace be upon him), but the Prophet ﷺ said:

“Indeed, in the sight of Allah, I am written as the last of the Prophets while Adam was still in the clay.”
(Muskat al-Hadith No. 5759, Chapter on the Virtues of the Leader of the Messengers ﷺ)
(Kanz al-Ummal Hadith No. 31960, Chapter on Various Virtues, Mention of His Lineage ﷺ)

When Allah sent any Prophet into the world, He always mentioned the finality of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ by saying:

Allah did not send any Prophet after Adam, but He took a covenant from him that if Muhammad ﷺ is sent while he is alive, he will believe in him and support him.

(Tafseer Ibn Jareer (Arabic) Volume 5, Page 540, Tafseer of Verse 80, Surah Al-Imran, Cairo Edition 2001)

Furthermore, the Prophet ﷺ said:

Between the shoulders of Adam, it was written: Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, the Seal of the Prophets.

(Khasa’is al-Kubra, Volume 1, Page 19, Printed by Mumtaz Academy, Lahore)

Additionally, the Prophet ﷺ said:

When Adam (peace be upon him) descended in India and felt loneliness, Jibril (Gabriel) descended and called out the Adhan. Allahu Akbar (twice). Ashhadu an la ilaha illallah (twice). Ashhadu anna Muhammadur Rasulullah (twice).” Adam asked, ‘Who is Muhammad?’ Jibril replied, ‘He is the last of your children from among the Prophets.’

(Kanz al-Ummal Hadith No. 32139, Chapter on Various Virtues, Mention of His Lineage ﷺ)

The Mention of the Concept of Finality of Prophethood in the Barzakh (World of the Grave)

When the angels question the deceased in the grave, asking: “Who is your Lord? What is your religion? And who is your Prophet?” The deceased will reply:

My Lord is Allah, and there is no partner with Him. My religion is Islam. Muhammad ﷺ is my Prophet, and He is the last of the Prophets.” The angels will respond, “You have spoken the truth.

(Tafseer al-Durr al-Manthur (Arabic), Volume 14, Page 235, Tafseer of Surah Al-Waqiah, Verse 83, Printed in Cairo, 2002)
(Tafseer al-Durr al-Manthur (Urdu Translation), Volume 6, Page 404, Tafseer of Surah Al-Waqiah, Verse 83, Printed by Zia-ul-Quran Publications, Lahore 2006)

The Mention of the Concept of Finality of Prophethood in the Hereafter

In a narration about intercession, Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that when people will ask Isa (peace be upon him) for intercession on the Day of Judgment, he will say:

Go to Muhammad.” They will come to Muhammad ﷺ, and they will say, ‘O Muhammad, you are the Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets.’

(Bukhari, Hadith No. 4712, Book of Tafseer, Chapter: The Progeny of Those Who Were with Noah)

Thus, on the Day of Judgment, the mention of the finality of Prophethood will also take place.

The Mention of the Concept of Finality of Prophethood in the Farewell Sermon (Hajjat al-Wada)

Abu Amamah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said in his Farewell Sermon:

O people, there is no Prophet after me, and there will be no Ummah after you.

(Kanz al-Ummal Hadith No. 12918, Chapter on the Farewell Hajj)

Conclusion:

The number of Prophets has been completed with the coming of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. The belief in the finality of Prophethood is so essential and significant that whether in the world of souls, the world of this life, the grave, or the Hereafter, Allah has made mention of the Prophet ﷺ being the last of the Prophets everywhere.