No single tenet of Islam protects the perfect and universal religion of 
Allah(SWT) from corruption and innovation better than the doctrine of the 
Finality of Prophethood.  In more than one hundred of its verses, the holy 
Quran has made it abundantly clear that no new prophet or prophetic 
revelation will be sent to humanity.  For instance, Allah(SWT) has declared:

     "Muhammad is not the father of any man among you, but he is the Apostle
      of Allah and the Last of the Prophets. " (Holy Quran, Al-Ahzab, 33:40)

The Last Prophet, Muhammad(SAW), has also explained this point in over two 
hundred ahadeeth.  For instance, the Messenger of Allah(SAW) has taught:

     "My position in relation to the prophets who came before me can be 
      explained by the following example: A man erected a building and 
      adorned this edifice with great beauty, but he left an empty niche in
      the corner where just one brick was missing.  People looked around the
      building and marveled at its beauty, but wondered why a brick was 
      missing from that niche.  I am like unto that one missing brick and I
      am the last in the line of the Prophets."
          (Bukhari, Muslim, Musnad Ahmad, Tirmizi, Musnad Abu Dawud)

     "There will arise thirty impostors in my Ummah (followers) and each one
      of them will pronounce to the world that he is a prophet, but I am the 
      last in the line of the Prophets of God and no Prophet will come after 
      me."  (Abu Dawood)

     "I am Muhammad, I am Ahmad, I am the effacer and infidelity shall be 
      erased through me; I am the assembler. People shall be assembled on 
      Doomsday after my time. And I am the last in the sense that no prophet 
      shall succeed me."  (Sahih Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi, Muatta')

     "...O People, no prophet will come after me, and no new faith will be 
      born. Reason well, therefore, O People, and understand my words which 
      I convey to you..."  (Sermon delivered on the ninth day of Dhul-Hijjah
      10 A.H. and witnessed by 120,000 Muslims)

Prior to Islam, a new prophet was generally commissioned when the teachings of 
earlier prophets were lost, corrupted, or required some modification.  However, 
the holy Quran clearly states that the dispensations of Islam are universal, 
final, completed, perfected, and protected.  For instance, we read:

     "Say (O Muhammad): 'O Mankind! Lo!  I am the Messenger of Allah to you 
      all, (the Messenger) of Him unto Whom belongs the Sovereignty of the 
      heavens and earth'."  (Holy Quran, Al-Araf, 7:158) 

     "...This day I have perfected your religion for you, completed my favor
      upon you and have chosen for you Islam as your way of life."   
         (Holy Quran, Al-Maidah, 5:3)

The Holy Quran, hadeeth, tafseer, and the opinion of the Companions(RA) have 
been consistent on this point, since the advent of Islam.  In fact, the first
rightly guided Caliph, hazrat Abu Bakr(RA), supported by all companions of 
the holy Prophet(SAW), waged a war against the false claimant to prophethood, 
Musailma the kazzab, despite the fact that the Muslim state was still in its 
infancy and without the necessary means.  Those taught by the holy Prophet(SAW)
were absolutely certain of this doctrine and the need to protect the religion 
of humanity from corruption. Indeed, three times as many Muslims willingly 
sacrificed their precious lives fighting Musailma, as had during the entire 
mission of the holy Prophet(SAW).  This act of hazrat Abu Bakr(RA) was so 
highly regarded, endorsed and accepted by the companions, that hazrat Umar(RA) 
proposed:

     "I will exchange all good deeds of my life time for your acts of one 
      night and one day. One night from those three nights you spent with 
      Rasool Allah(SAW) in the Cave of Thaur and one day from the days of 
      battles against impostor prophets to guard the Finality of Muhammad."

Throughout ages, great scholars, mujaddids, and jurists of Islam have also 
unanimously agreed on absolute finality of prophethood.  Sheikh Mulla Ali-
Qari(R), for instance, has written:

    "Muhammad(SAW) is Khatam-un Nabiyeen meaning the Last of the Prophets
     and that on Him all sorts of Nubuwwat (prophethood) came to an end.  
     This is supported by definite arguments and clear injunctions and is 
     one of the fundamental beliefs of Islam.  Rejection of this doctrine 
     is an obvious disbelief and an ugly deviation."

The great jurist of Islamic Law, Imam Abu Hanifah(R), has ruled: 

    "Anyone who demands proof from him (a claimant to prophethood) will 
     become a kafir (disbeliever), as prophet Muhammad has emphatically 
     said: 'No Prophet will come after me'." (Manaqib Abi Hanifah)

Every believer is advised to remain mindful of this fundamental teaching of 
Islam and the activities of misguided organizations, like Qadiani (Ahmadi) 
and Bahai movements, whose leaders reject this clear decree of Allah(SWT) 
and selfishly strive to divide mankind, misguide the uninformed, and create 
a following for their organization.

Just as there is no deity worthy of worship but Allah(SAW), there is no 
prophet after hazrat Muhammad(SAW), and no revelation after the Holy Quran.

With Allah is Success and Peace of Allah be upon his final Messenger, 
Muhammad, his Family, Companions, and sincere Followers till the Day of 
Judgment.

Idara Dawat-o-Irshad, USA Inc.
http://www.irshad.org/idara/

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