“Muhammad is not the father of any one of your men; rather, he is the Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets. Allah has full knowledge of all things.” 1

It is self-evident, beyond any dispute, that the continued preservation of the Qur’an—with all its statutes and rulings that meet every legislative need of humankind—exactly as it was revealed to Muhammad, together with the equally sound preservation of the Prophet’s biography and sunnah that clarifies the meanings of the Qur’an, amounts in effect to the Messenger’s remaining among us alive.

The Almighty says, “If you differ over anything, refer it back to Allah and the Messenger.” 2 Referring it back to Allah means returning to His Book, and referring it back to the Messenger after his death means returning to his sunnah.

Accordingly, the world has no need for the sending of further prophets, messengers, or new laws after Muhammad—may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him—for were Allah to send more prophets and messengers, they would bring nothing new and could add nothing to the foundations of creed and law that the Messenger Muhammad ﷺ has already delivered. Allah has perfected the religion and completed the sacred law, as He says: “Today I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and chosen for you Islam as the religion.” 3

If the purpose of sending messengers were merely to spread this message and invite people to it, that responsibility now lies with the Muslim scholars; it is upon them to convey this call to humanity.

Whoever claims that prophethood has not been sealed after Muhammad ﷺ, or affirms anyone who makes such a claim, is an apostate from Islam. For this reason the Companions judged everyone who claimed prophethood after Muhammad ﷺ to be apostate, fought them and their followers, and called them “the apostates.” This is a matter upon which the scholars of Islam, past and present, are unanimously agreed.