Muhammad is the last of the Prophets and every claim to Prophethood after him is futile and is Unbelief – Shaykh Fawzan | Dawud Burbank [Audio|En]

Aqeedah Tahaawiyyah : Lesson 12

وأن محمدًا عبده المصطفى، ونبيه المجتبى، ورسوله المرتضى‏

[42]     And he (sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam) is the last of the Prophets and the imaam (leader) of those dutiful to Allaah and the noblest of the Messengers and the beloved one of the Lord of the whole of creation.

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 The Explanation – Point [42]

These are from his attributes `alayhis–salaatu was-salaam.

خاتم الأنبياء – “The last (or seal) of the Prophets.”  The meaning of “khaatam” (خاتم – seal) is the one whom no Prophet will come after.  And the khitaam (ختام – seal) of anything is that which is placed upon it as a seal upon it so that nothing can be added to that thing and nothing can be taken away from it.  So Allaah sealed the Messengership with Muhammad sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam.  He the Majestic, in His Highness, said,

And Muhammad is not the father of any of your men; but rather, he is the Messenger of Allaah and the seal (last) of the Prophets. (Sooratul-Ahzaab (33), aayah 40)

So there is no need for the coming of any Prophet after him because the Qur.aan is present and the Prophetic Sunnah is present and the `ulamaa. ar-rabbaaniyoon (wise scholars who cultivate the people upon the correct way) are present – calling the people to Allaah and giving clarity to the people.  So therefore, the religion of Muhammad sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam will remain until the establishment of the Last Hour.  It will not be changed, and it will not be abrogated, and it will not be altered because Allaah, the One free from all imperfections, has made it suitable and fitting for every time and every place.  And as for the revealed laws of the previous Prophets, then they were temporary for their nations in particular times and then Allaah abrogated those legislated laws from before, with other legislated laws suitable for other nations.

For every people from you, we made a set of revealed laws and a clear way to proceed upon. (Sooratul-Maa.idah (5), aayah 48)

And He, the Most High said,

For every revealed Book there is a set time period (Sooratur-Ra`d (13), aayah 38)

Meaning, each Book (from the previous Books) has a set time period.

So the religion of Islaam is complete.  It does not need any Messenger after Muhammad sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam.  And the scholars are the inheritors of the Prophets.  So whoever holds the belief that there will come after Muhammad sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam any Prophet, then he is a disbeliever in Allaah, outside the fold of the religion.  And the Prophet sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam informed that there were going to come liars, falsely claiming Prophethood after him.  He `alayhis–salaatu was-salaam said,

سيأتي بعدي كذابون ثلاثون، كلهم يدعي أنه نبي، وأنا خاتم الأنبياء لا نبي بعدي

“There will come after me thirty great liars, each one of them claiming that he is a prophet and I am the last of the Prophets; there is no Prophet after me.” [1]

So whoever claims Prophethood, or has Prophethood claimed on his behalf, or whoever follows them, then all of them are unbelievers (kuffaar).  And the Muslims have fought against them and have declared them to be unbelievers.  And the last of those whose followers claimed that he was a Prophet in this present time was that Qaadiyaanee.  And these people (the Qaadiyaanee) are called the Ahmadees as an ascription to his name because his name was Ahmad Al-Qaadiyaanee (أحمد القادياني) and the scholars declared him to be an unbeliever (kaafir) and they repelled him from the lands of Islaam and the declared his followers to be unbelievers since this is a denial of Allaah and of His Messenger.  And their being unbelievers is by consensus of the Muslims; no one disagrees about this.

So, it is essential that the Muslim believes that he `alayhis–salaatu was-salaam is the last of the Prophets and Messengers and he is the leader of those having taqwaa (those dutiful to Allaah); meaning, that he is the single example to be followed for those who are obedient and dutiful to Allaah, the Mighty and  Majestic.

There is indeed a fine example for you in Allaah’s Messenger for whoever has hope in Allaah and in the Last Day. (Sooratul-Ahzaab (33), aayah 21)

And as for others besides the Prophet sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam, he is only to be followed if he himself is following the Prophet sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam.  And as for a person who contradicts the Messenger `alayhis–salaatu was-salaam then it is not permissible to follow him.

Say, “If you truly love Allaah then follow me, then Allaah will love you and forgive you your sins.” (Soorah Aal-`Imraan (3), aayah 31)

So there is no way towards Allaah except by following the Messenger `alayhis–salaatu was-salaam and proceeding upon his way.

As for the term: وسيد المرسلين – “And he is the noblest of the Messengers;” that is him, `alayhis–salaatu was-salaam; he is the noblest of the sons of Aadam just as he `alayhis–salaatu was-salaam said about himself,

‏أنا سيد ولد آدم ولا فخر

“I am the noblest of the sons of Aadam, and that is not boasting.” [2]

By the statement, “I am the noblest of the sons of Aadam, and this is not a boast,” he informed his nation of that as part of giving thanks to Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, and also so that the Ummah (Nation) should give thanks to their Lord, the Mighty and Majestic, for this favour – that He made its Messenger the noblest of the Messengers.

And the word “sayyid” (سيد – the noblest) means al-muqaddim (المقدم – the foremost one) and al-imaam (الإمام – the leader).  So he is the best of the Messengers `alayhis–salaatu was-salaam and he is their imaam (leader) and he is at the head of them.

And the term: حبيب رب العالمين – “the beloved one of the Lord of the whole of creation,” the term ‘habeeb’ (حبيب) is a term which has a point of criticism against it because it is not sufficient to say (that the Messenger `alayhis–salaatu was-salaam is) ‘habeeb’ (the beloved one).  Rather, he is the ‘khaleel’ – the ‘especially close beloved one’ of the Lord of the creation (خليل رب العالمين).  And khullah (خلة) is more excellent than just mahabbah (محبة – love) because al-mahabbah (love) is of levels and the highest of its levels is al-khullah which is the purest love. And no one attained this level except for two men from the creation: Ibraaheem `alayhis–salaatu was-salaam,

And Allaah took Ibraaheem as a khaleel (especially close beloved one) (Sooratun-Nisaa.  (4), aayah 125)

And likewise, our Prophet `alayhis salaatu was-salaam, because he himself informed about that saying,

إن الله اتخذني خليلًا كما اتخذ إبراهيم خليلًا

“Allaah took me as an especially close beloved one just as He took Ibraaheem as a khaleel (an especially close beloved one).” [3]

So it should not be said about him that he is Habeebullaah – a beloved one of Allaah, because this term is suitable for every believer and there is nothing special for the Prophet sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam in it.  But as for being khullah (an especially beloved one), then no one (from this Ummah) shares with him in that.

End of explanation of point [42][4]

[43] وكل دعوى النبوة بعده فغي وهوى‏.

[43]     Every claim to Prophethood after him is erroneous and baseless desires.

The Explanation – Point [43]

This has preceded in the meaning of his being ‘the seal and last of the Prophets’.  So therefore, every claim to Prophethood after him is futile and is unbelief since there will not come any Prophet after our Prophet `alayhis–salaatu was-salaam.  And as for `Eesaa `alayhis–salaatu was-salaam, when he descends at the end of time, then it will not be upon the basis that he is a Prophet and a Messenger, nor upon the basis that he is coming with a new revealed Law.  Rather, he will come upon the basis that he is a Mujaddid (مجدد – Reviver) for the religion of the Messenger of Allaah sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam, on the basis that he is one following the Messenger of Allaah sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam and he will judge with the Islaamic Sharee`ah (Laws).

End of explanation of point [43]

Footnotes:

[1] This is a hadeeth of  Thawbaan radiyAllaahu `anh and the basis of the hadeeth is in Saheeh Muslim but this full wording is reported by Aboo Daawood and At-Tirmidhee; declared Saheeh (Authentic) by Shaykh Al-Albaanee that Thawbaan radiyAllaahu `anh said, “Allaah’s Messenger sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said,

لا تقوم الساعة حتى تلحق قبائل من أمتي بالمشركين وحتى يعبدوا الأوثان وإنه سيكون في أمتي ثلاثون كذابون كلهم يزعم أنه نبي وأنا خاتم النبيين لا نبي بعدي

‘The last hour will not be established until some tribes of my nation join with the mushriks and until they worship the idols and there will be in my nation thirty great liars, each one claiming that he is a prophet and I am the seal of the Prophets; there is no Prophet after me’.”

[2] Hadeeth reported by At-Tirmidhee and is a hadeeth of Aboo Sa`eed Al-Khudree radiyAllaahu `anh; declared Saheeh (Authentic) by Shaykh Al-Albaanee.

[3] The hadeeth is reported by Muslim and is a hadeeth of `Abdillaah ibn Mas`ood radiyAllaahu `anh, that the Prophet sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam said,

‏لو كنت متخذًا من أهل الأرض خليلًا لاتخذت ابن أبي قحافة خليلًا، ولكن صاحبكم خليل الله

“If I were to take a specially beloved friend from the people of the earth, I would have taken Ibn Abee Quhaafah (Aboo Bakr) as an especially close beloved friend; however, your companion (meaning himself) is the Khaleel of Allaah.”

[4] Translator’s Side Point: There is a narration that Shaykh Al-Albaanee points out is weak in his notes to At–Tahaawiyyah.  It is a hadeeth of Ibn `Abbaas radiyAllaahu `anhumaa and in it is quoted that the Prophet sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam himself said,

ألا وأنا حبيب الله ولا فخر

“I am the Habeeb (beloved one) of Allaah and that’s not boasting.”

Shaykh Al-Albaanee rahimahullaah mentions that this narration is da`eef (weak), not authentic.  It is weak because it has the narrator Zam`ah ibn Saalih and also the narrator Salamah ibn Wahraam.

At-Ta`leeqaat Al-Mukhtasarah `alaa Matn Al-`Aqeedah At–Tahaawiyyah
By Shaykh Saalih ibn Fawzaan al-Fawzaan hafizahullaah
Translated by Aboo Talhah Daawood Burbank, rahimahullaah

Transcribed by Sideeqa Ali

Posted with kind permission from Dawud Burbank rahimahullaah

Listen to the Full Audio Series of Aqeedah Tahaawiyyah:
Explanation of Aqeedah at-Tahaawiyyah – Dawud Burbank [Audio|En]