الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الْإِسْلَامَ دِينًا
“This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favour upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion.” (5:3).
Context. This Qur’anic verse was revealed on the Farewell Pilgrimage on the day of ‘Arafa, and it was a Friday. The Prophet did not live for more than eighty-one days after its revelation. (Ibn Kathir, Durr-i-Manthur).
Ahadith on Finality
There are a great number of Ahadith on the Finality of the Holy Prophet۔(ﷺ) In order to provide a brief understanding of this extremely important concept only a few are noted below. These Ahadith adequately prove the concept in various manners and ways to make it understandable to all Muslims.
Even to his beloved cousin and later son in Law, Hazrat Ali, the holy prophet likened his relation to Hazrat Haroon’s (Aaron’s) with Hazrat Musa (Moses) but specifically denied that there would be no prophets after him.
The Holy Prophet (ﷺ)warned the Ummah that there would be many imposters who would raise claim to be the prophets of Allah and all of them would be liars. For the institution of Prophethood, he gave this example that with his prophethood the last brick in a complete building has been laid and there would be no prophets after him. The reader would find that there is no ambiguity in the concept of Quranic Verses about the Finality of Prophethood
Hadith No.1:
Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) 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.”
Reference: Sahih al Bukhari 3535
In-book Reference: Book 61, Hadith 44
USC-MSA web (Eng) Ref: Vol. 4, Book 56, Hadith 735
Hadith No 2:
Jubair b. Mut’im reported on the authority of his father that he heard Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: I am Muhammad and I am Ahmad, and I am al-Mahi (the obliterator) by whom unbelief would be obliterated, and I am Hashir (the gatherer) at whose feet mankind will be gathered, and I am ‘Aqib (the last to come) after whom there will be no Prophet.
Reference: Sahih Muslim 2354
In-book Reference: Book 43, Hadith 163
USC-MSA web (Eng) Ref: Book 30, Hadith 5810
Hadith No 3:
Narrated Jubair bin Mut`im: Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “I have five names: I am Muhammad and Ahmad; I am Al-Mahi through whom Allah will eliminate infidelity; I am Al-Hashir who will be the first to be resurrected, the people being resurrected thereafter; and I am also Al-`Aqib (i.e. There will be no prophet after me).
Reference: Sahih al Bukhari 3532
In-book Reference: Book 61, Hadith 41
USC-MSA web (Eng) Ref: Vol. 4, Book 56, Hadith 732
Hadith No 4:
Narrated Sa`d: Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) set out for Tabuk. appointing `Ali as his deputy (in Medina). `Ali said, “Do you want to leave me with the children and women?” The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Will you not be pleased that you will be to me like Aaron to Moses? But there will be no prophet after me.”
Reference: Sahih al Bukhari 4416
In-book Reference: Book 64, Hadith 438
USC-MSA web (Eng) Ref: Vol. 5, Book 59, Hadith 700
Hadith No 5:
Abu Hurairah narrated that the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) said: “The Hour shall not be established until nearly thirty imposters, Dajjal appear, each of them claiming that he is the Messenger of Allah.”
Reference: Jami-at-Tirmidhi 2218
In-book Reference: Book 33, Hadith 61
USC-MSA web (Eng) Ref: Vol. 4, Book 7, Hadith 2218
Hadith No 6:
Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: The Last Hour would not come until there would arise about thirty impostors, liars, and each one of them would claim that he is a messenger of Allah.
Reference: Sahih Muslim 1571
In-book Reference: Book 54, Hadith 108
USC-MSA web (Eng) Ref: Book 41, Hadith 6988
Hadith No 7:
Abu Hurairh reported Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: The similitude of mine and that of the Apostles before me is that of a person who built a house quite imposing and beautiful, but for one brick in one of its corners. People would go round it, appreciating the building,but saying: Why has the brick not been fixed here? He said: I am that brick and I am the last of the Apostles.
Reference: Sahih Muslim 2286 c
In-book Reference: Book 43, Hadith 24
USC-MSA web (Eng) Ref: Book 30, Hadith 5675
Hadith No 8:
Abu Huraira reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) 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.
Reference: Sahih Muslim 523 a
In-book Reference: Book 5, Hadith 7
USC-MSA web (Eng) Ref: Book 4, Hadith 1062
Hadith No 9:
“(It is related) on the authority of ‘Ali who reports that I once suffered from pain, so I went to the Prophet. He asked me to stand where he was himself standing. He then rose up to say the prayers (salat).He threw a corner of his upper-garment on me and exclaimed: “O Ibn Abi Talib, you are now cured. Whatever you would ask Allah for me, I too shall ask Allah for you; and whatever I shall ask Allah, Allah will grant me that, except that I have been told that no Prophet shall come after me. (‘Ali further says;) I rose up and felt that I had not suffered from pain.” (Narrated by Ibn Jarir and Ibn Shahin in the Sunnah, al-Tabarani in his alMu’jam al-awsat, and Abu Nu ‘aim in his Fada’il al-Sahaba, as is quoted in the Kanz.)
Hadith No 10:
“(It is related) on the authority of Abu Dharr who reports the Messenger of Allah to have said to him: O Abu Dharr, the first of the Prophets was Adam and the last (of them) is Muhammad.” (Narrated by Ibn Hibban in his Sahih, Abu Nu’aim in his Hilyat al-awliya’, by Ibn ‘Asakir and by al-Hakim al-Tirmidhi, as quoted in the Kanz, Vol. 6, p.130. Ibu Hibban has mentioned this hadith again in his Ta’rikh under the year ten (10), p.69 [in manuscript]. Ibn Hajar has also referred to it in his Fath al-Bari.)
Hadith No 11:
“(It is related) on the authority of Malik, and he on the authority of his father, and he again from his grandfather, who reports the Messenger of Allah to have said to ‘Ali: “Don’t you like to be as Aaron was to Moses? Except that there shall be no Prophet after me.” (Narrated by al-Hakim in the Mustadrak, and al-Tabarani in his [Mujam] al-kabir, as is given in the Kanz, Vol. 6, p.l54]
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