Is Muhammad the last Rasool (messenger)?

Sources

• ✓ 33:40 · Al-Ahzaab

  33:40 · Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall

  مَّا كَانَ مُحَمَّدٌ أَبَآ أَحَدٍۢ مِّن رِّجَالِكُمْ وَلَٰكِن رَّسُولَ ٱللَّهِ وَخَاتَمَ ٱلنَّبِيِّۦنَ ۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَلِيمًۭا

  Muhammad is not the father of any man among you, but he is the messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets; and Allah is ever Aware of all things.

• ✓ Tafsir Ibn Kathir on 33:40

  Sunni

  Tafsir Ibn Kathir · 33:40

  In this verse, Allah praises those who faithfully deliver His messages to people, conveying them with full trust and sincerity. They fear Him alone and do not fear anyone else, and no one's power can prevent them from handing down Allah's messages. Allah suffices as their Reckoner and Helper. At the pinnacle of those who fulfilled this trust stands the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, who faithfully performed the duty of conveying the message to all peoples, whether Arabs or non-Arabs, to the east and the west, encompassing all humankind. By his mission, Allah's word, religion, and law were made evident above all other religions and laws. Though previous prophets were sent specifically to their own communities, Muhammad ﷺ was sent universally, as indicated in the Qur'an: "Say: O mankind, I am the Messenger of Allah to you all" (Al-A'raf 7:158). After him, his nation inherited the responsibility of conveying the message precisely as he commanded—in all his statements, actions, and circumstances, whether night or day, in presence or travel, secretly or openly. Allah was pleased with them, and through them, subsequent generations have inherited this duty and guidance continues to illuminate those who seek the right path. Ibn Kathir then cites a hadith recorded by Imam Ahmad and others, in which the Prophet ﷺ said: "Do not belittle yourself from mentioning a matter concerning Allah even if it appears slight to you. If you withhold it out of fear of people, Allah will ask you on the Day of Judgment why you remained silent, and you will say: 'O Lord, I feared the people,' and He will say: 'I am more worthy of being feared.'" This encourages Muslims to express and uphold the truth without fear. Regarding the phrase "Muhammad is not the father of any of your men," Allah forbids anyone from falsely attributing any biological fatherhood to him since, although he adopted Zayd ibn Muhammad, he had no surviving male children in his maturity. He had sons, Qasim, Tayyib, Tahir from Khadijah, and Ibrahim from Maria al-Qibtiyya, but all died young. He had daughters Zaynab, Ruqayyah, Umm Kulthum, and Fatimah, all of whom died before or shortly after him, except Fatimah who survived him by six months. The verse also declares Muhammad ﷺ as the Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets. This affirms unequivocally that no prophet will come after him. Since prophecy after him is impossible, so too is messengership, as the rank of the messenger is more specific than the rank of prophet—every messenger is a prophet but not every prophet is a messenger. The numerous mutawatir (mass-transmitted) hadiths corroborate this finality. Ibn Kathir then cites several authentic hadith in which the Prophet ﷺ described the analogy of the prophets before him as a man who built a perfectly finished house except for one corner, and he is the final brick that completes and perfects it. This imagery underlines the completion of prophethood with Muhammad ﷺ. Other hadith emphasize that the message and prophecy have ceased with him, but that believers may receive glad tidings through good dreams, which are a portion of prophecy. He also recalls the Prophet’s ﷺ own words describing the unique favors granted to him: receiving the concise yet comprehensive speech (jami' al-kalim), being aided by awe and fear invoked in enemies, lawful spoils granted to him, the earth made pure as his place of prayer, and that he was sent to all creation as their prophet, closing the line of prophets. Ibn Kathir concludes emphasizing that this finality is a mercy of Allah upon humanity, indicating that anyone who claims prophethood after Muhammad ﷺ is a liar, deceiver, and misleader, regardless of the extraordinary miracles or signs they may claim. Such claims are rejected by sound intellect and true understanding, being contrary to the established and continuous teachings and clear proofs demonstrated by the prophets. In contrast with the prophets, who displayed utmost righteousness and truthfulness supported by miraculous proofs, all false claimants after Muhammad ﷺ are known for falsity, wickedness, and misguidance. This verse, therefore, codifies the principle that there can be no prophet after Muhammad ﷺ and declares his unique station as the messenger who completed and perfected Allah’s religion for humanity, the final seal of the prophetic line.

• ✓ Sunan al-Tirmidhi 43:114

  Sunni Sahih (per Al-Albani)

  Sunan al-Tirmidhi · Book 43, Hadith 114 · Narrated by Muhammad ibn Jubayr ibn Mut'im

  The Prophet said, "I have several names: I am Muhammad, and I am Ahmad, and I am the Eraser by whom Allah erases disbelief, and I am the Gatherer by whom people will be gathered on my feet, and I am the Last Prophet after whom no prophet will come."

• ✓ Sahih Muslim 43:163

  Sunni SAHIH

  Sahih Muslim · Book 43, Hadith 163 · Narrated by Muhammad ibn Jubayr's father

  The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: I am Muhammad and I am Ahmad; I am the one by whom disbelief is wiped away and I am the one who will be gathered at his heels; I am the last and after me will be no prophet.