Early Years
Birth
“Did He not find thee an orphan and give thee shelter?” (93:7)
Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was born in August 570 AD. at Mecca, the principal town of Arabia. Muhammad was born an orphan, his father Abdullah had died some time before his birth. Muhammad’s grandfather Abdul Muttalib became his guardian and entrusted the young Muhammad to the care of Haleema, a member of a desert dwelling tribe. Muhammad’s mother, Amina, passed away when he was still a young boy. This was followed by the death of his grandfather and Muhammad passed under the care of his uncle, Abu Talib.
The Truthful and Trustworthy
Enough is known of the youth and early adulthood of Muhammad to indicate that he was gentle, patient, and obedient, respectful toward his elders, affectionate with his companions, and full of compassion for those who, on account of age, infirmity, or adversity, stood in need of help. As he grew older, his good qualities were recognized by his contemporaries. They were impressed by his complete integrity, in word and deed, and he became generally known among them as “Sadiq” meaning the truthful and “El Ameen,” meaning “the Trustworthy,” or “the Faithful.”
Placing the Holy Stone
When Muhammad was a young man the structure of the Ka’aba had fallen into disrepair, and it was decided to rebuild it. The famous Black Stone, the cornerstone of the Kaaba, had to be replaced in position in the southeastern angle of the walls. Several leading families of the Qureish coveted the honor of placing the stone in position, and vehemently pressed their claim. It was agreed that the dispute should be referred to Muhammad, and that his decision should be accepted.
Muhammad spread out his cloak on the ground and placed the Black Stone on it. He then invited the leading members of the families to lift the cloak and carry the stone. Muhammad then lifted the stone and placed it in position. This satisfied everybody, and resolved a situation that had threatened to become grave to the point of possible bloodshed.
Hilful-Fudūl
When the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was a young man, various noble-hearted individuals of Arabia thought to establish a mutual agreement. This agreement stated that the rights of the oppressed would be protected and that the oppressor would be restrained from injustice. In the Arabic language, the word fadl also refers to one’s ‘right’, which transforms into fudūl when expressed in plural. This is why the agreement was named the Hilful-Fudūl. Holy Prophet Muhammad also joined in this agreement. Holy Prophet Muhammad stayed loyal to this agreement for the rest of his life. On one occasion during the time of his prophethood, the Holy Prophet said:
“In the house of ‘Abdullāh bin Jad‘ān, I once partook in such an oath that even if I was called to it today, in the age of Islam, I would present myself saying, here I am to do thy undertaking”.
The Cave of Hirā
“And He found thee wandering in search for Him and guided thee unto Himself.” (93:8)
Holy Prophet Muhammad never intermingled with the general society of Makkah. For he was one who desired solitude and would remain in seclusion longing for Allāh the Exalted, diligently occupied in his remembrance. At a distance of three miles from Makkah towards Minā, in the left is the mountain of Hirā, wherein is a cave, famously known as the Cave of Hirā. It was the general practice of Holy Prophet Muhammad to retreat to this cave and occupy himself in deep meditation and remembrance of God. He would take sufficient food with him and would not return to Makkah for many days. It is this very time period, which has been referred to in the verse of the Holy Qur’an mentioned above.
In the Holy Qur’an
In the Holy Qur’an
The best testimony of Prophet Muhammad’s (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) life and character is the Word of God itself. Prophet Muhammad is mentioned many times in the Holy Qur’an, the word of God, and one can easily see that Muhammad’s love of God was not only appreciated but reciprocated as well.Following is a selection of some of the verses of the Holy Qur’an which mention the Prophet Muhammad.
Blessing and Mercy for All
“And We have sent thee not but as a mercy for all peoples.” (21:108)
“Surely, a Messenger has come unto you from among yourselves; grievous to him is that you should fall into trouble; he is ardently desirous of your welfare; and to the believers he is compassionate, merciful.” (9:128)
“But Allah would not punish them while thou wast among them, and Allah would not punish them while they sought forgiveness.” (8:34)
“Verily, Allah has conferred a favour on the believers by raising among them a Messenger from among themselves, who recites to them His Signs, and purifies them and teaches them the Book and Wisdom; and, before that, they were surely in manifest error.” (3:165)
An Excellent Model
“Verily you have in the Prophet of Allah an excellent model, for him who fears Allah and the Last Day and who remembers Allah much.” (33:22)
“And thou dost surely possess high moral excellences.” (68:05)
“… So believe in Allah and His Messenger, the Prophet, the Immaculate one, who believes in Allah and His words; and follow him that you may be rightly guided.” (7:159)
“O ye who believe! respond to Allah, and the Messenger when he calls you that he may give you life, and know that Allah comes in between a man and his heart, and that He it is unto Whom you shall be gathered.” (8:25)
Prayed for and Prophesised by Earlier Prophets
“And remember the time when Abraham and Ishmael raised the foundations of the House, praying, ‘Our Lord, accept this from us; for Thou art All-Hearing, All-Knowing.” (2:128)
“‘And, our Lord, raise up among them a Messenger from among themselves, who may recite to them Thy Signs and teach them the Book and Wisdom and may purify them; surely, Thou art the Mighty, the Wise.’” (2:130)
“And remember when Jesus, son of Mary, said, ‘O children of Israel, surely I am Allah’s Messenger unto you, fulfilling that which is before me of the Torah, and giving glad tidings of a Messenger who will come after me. His name will be Ahmad.’ And when he came to them with clear proofs, they said, ‘This is clear enchantment.’” (61:7)
The companions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) once asked his wife Ayesha about the life of Prophet Muhammad, her answer was simple yet comprehensive, she said:
“His Life was the [Holy] Qur’an”
Following is a selection of some of the verses of the Holy Qur’an which mention the Prophet Muhammad.
His Stature
“Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but he is the Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets; and Allah has full knowledge of all things.” (33:41)
“Allah and His angels send blessings on the Prophet. O ye who believe! you also should invoke blessings on him and salute him with the salutation of peace.” (33:57)
“That you should believe in Allah and His Messenger, and may help him, and honour him, and that you may glorify Him morning and evening.” (48:10)
“Have We not opened for thee thy bosom, And removed from thee thy burden. Which had well nigh broken thy back, And We exalted thy name?” (94:2-5)
“O Prophet, truly We have sent thee as a Witness, and Bearer of glad tidings, and a Warner, And as a Summoner unto Allah by His command, and as a Lamp that gives bright light.” (33:46-47)
Receiver of the Holy Qur’an
“And We have, indeed, given thee the seven oft-repeated verses, and the Great Qur’an.” (15:88)
“And verily this is a revelation from the Lord of the worlds. The Spirit, Faithful to the Trust, has descended with it. On thy heart, that thou mayest be of the Warners, In plain and clear Arabic tongue. And it is surely mentioned in the Scriptures of the former peoples.” (26:193-197)
“If We had sent down this Qur’an on a mountain, thou wouldst certainly have seen it humbled and rent asunder for fear of Allah. And these are similitudes that We set forth for mankind that they may reflect.” (59:22)
“O People of the Book! there has come to you Our Messenger who unfolds to you much of what you had kept hidden of the Book and passes over much. There has come to you indeed from Allah a Light and a clear Book.” (5:16)
“…Allah has sent down to thee the Book and Wisdom and has taught thee what thou knewest not, and great is Allah’s grace on thee.” (4:114)
In the Bible
In the Bible
Shone Forth From Mount Paran
“The Lord came from Sinai and dawned from Seir upon us; he shone forth from Mount Paran; he came from the ten thousands of holy ones, with flaming fire at his right hand.” (Deuteronomy 33:2)
The prophet who shone forth from Mount Paran could be no other than the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) of Arabia, as Paran is the ancient name of the part of Arabia where the children of Ishmael, the ancestors of Prophet Muhammad, settled. At the time of the conquest of Mecca, 10,000 companions followed the Holy Prophet Muhammad and he was the bearer of the law of the Holy Qur’an.
A Prophet Like Moses
Moses had also foretold of a great prophet in clear and precise words. When Moses went to Mount Horeb under the command of God he addressed the Israelites saying:
“The Lord thy God will raise unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me, unto him ye shall hearken.” (Deuteronomy 18:15)
And again, God’s words to Moses:
“I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it shall come to pass that, whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.” (Deuteronomy 18:18-19)
Moses foretold that a law-bearing prophet will appear after him, and who will to be from among the brethren of Israel. That he was to be a law-bearer and not an ordinary prophet is obvious from the words “like unto Moses,” since Moses was also a law-bearing prophet.
The Covenant
The Covenant
Saint Catherine Monastery
Mount Sinai is a 2,285 metre high mountain near Saint Catherine in the Sinai region in Egypt. The St. Catherine’s Monastery is located on the foot of Mount Sinai. Christian orthodoxies settled upon this mountain in the third century.
The monastery is Greek Orthodox and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site; this monastery is believed to be the oldest working Christian monastery in the world.
The monastery possesses a huge collection of Christian manuscripts and icons. One of the most precious documents of all is the copy of a letter given to Christian monks by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in 628 AD.
The Covenant
With Islam’s rising influence in Arabia by 626 A.D., Prophet Muhammad sent a series of letters to various kings and leaders surrounding the Arab peninsula declaring his intention for peace and cooperation. In 628 AD, a delegation from St. Catherine’s Monastery came to Prophet Muhammad and requested his protection. He granted them protection and provided them with a letter which is called the “Charter of Privileges.”
St. Catherine Monastery at Mount Sinai proudly commemorates Prophet Muhammad’s letter of protection. The original letter can be found at the royal treasury in Constantinople in Turkey. A copy is preserved and is on display at the St. Catherine Monastery.
The letter reads:
“This is a message from Muhammad, son of Abdullah, as a covenant to those who adopt Christianity, near and far, we are with them.
Verily I, the servants, the helpers, and my followers defend them, because Christians are my citizens; and by Allah! I hold out against anything that displeases them. No compulsion is to be on them. Neither are their judges to be removed from their jobs nor their monks from their monasteries.
No one is to destroy a house of their religion, to damage it, or to carry anything from it to the Muslims’ houses. Should anyone take any of these, he would spoil God’s covenant and disobey His Prophet. Verily, they are my allies and have my secure charter against all that they hate.
No one is to force them to travel or to oblige them to fight. The Muslims are to fight for them. If a female Christian is married to a Muslim, it is not to take place without her approval. She is not to be prevented from visiting her church to pray.
Their churches are to be respected. They are neither to be prevented from repairing them nor the sacredness of their covenants. No one of the nation of (Muslims) is to disobey the covenant till the Last Day (end of the world).”
Messenger of Allah
Messenger of Allah
Prophets as Messengers of Allah
The prophet’s task is to convey the message of Allah and provide a living example for people to follow; they are not responsible for converting people or compelling them in any way. Ultimately, Allah will only hold them responsible for conveying the message.
“And obey Allah and obey the Messenger. But if you turn away, then Our Messenger is responsible only for the clear conveying of the Message.” (64:13)
“Say, ‘Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger.’ But if you turn away, then upon him is his burden, and upon you is your burden. And if you obey him, you will be rightly guided. And the messenger is not responsible but for the plain delivery of the Message.” (24:55)
“Admonish, therefore, for thou art but an admonisher; Thou hast no authority to compel them.” (88:22-23)
“Haply thou wilt grieve thyself to death because they believe not.” (26:4)
“Thou art only a Warner.” (35:24)
“..Be my witness, O Allah, that I have conveyed your message to your people.” (Farewell sermon of the Holy Prophet Muhammad)
All Messengers Are Equal
Islam declares that the authenticity of every prophet’s message is equal. Muslims are forbidden from engaging in debate over the superiority of one prophet over another.
“This Messenger of Ours believes in that which has been revealed to him from his Lord, and so do the believers: all of them believe in Allah, and in His angels, and in His Books, and in His Messengers, saying, ‘We make no distinction between any of His Messengers…” (2:286)
Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) went beyond the matter of belief only and asked his followers on several occasions not to compare him with other prophets or to try to prove his superiority over other prophets.
“One should not say that I am better than Jonah (i.e. Yunus) bin Matta.” (Bukhari)
“Don’t give superiority to any prophet amongst Allah’s Prophets” (Bukhari)
“I am the nearest of all the people to the son of Mary, and all the prophets are paternal brothers…” (Bukhari)
The Oneness of Allah
Belief in the oneness of Allah is the fundamental principle of Islam, Allah’s status as the All-knowing, All-powerful Master is zealously guarded. The Islamic beliefs do not leave any possibility of any other supreme power or being. Allah is the one and only.
The prophets are held in a very high esteem in Islamic beliefs but their status is clearly defined as humans who receive revelations from Allah and are assigned as Allah’s Messengers.
The basic declaration of Islamic faith states:
“There is none worthy of worship except Allah, Muhammad is Messenger of Allah”
Muhammad as a mortal human being
With the passage of time many religions started granting their prophets or founders the status of god or at least the status of a non-human supreme being. Islam takes great care in ensuring that the status of all Prophets in general and Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in particular is well understood and there is no way for the followers to grant any prophet the status of god.
“Say, ‘I am only a man like yourselves; but I have received the revelation that your God is only One God…” (18:111)
“Say, ‘I have no power to do good or harm to myself, save as Allah please. And if I had knowledge of the unseen, I should have secured abundance of good; and evil would not have touched me. I am only a warner and a bearer of good tidings to a people who believe.’” (7:189)
“And I say not to you, ‘I possess the treasures of Allah,’ nor do I know the unseen, nor say I, ‘I am an angel.’ Nor say I concerning those whom your eyes despise, ‘Allah will not bestow any good upon them’ — Allah knows best whatever is in their minds — Surely, I should then be of the unjust.” (11:32)
“And Muhammad is only a Messenger. Verily, all Messengers have passed away before him. If then he die or be slain, will you turn back on your heels?…” (3:145)
“I am but a human being like yourselves. I forget things just like you do. So if I forget something, remind me.” (Bukhari)
“Do not exalt me like the Christians exalted the Son of Mary. I am but a servant, so call me Allah’s servant and Messenger.” (Bukhari)
Farewell Sermon
Farewell Sermon
In the 9th year of Hijra (630 CE) the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) decided to travel to Mecca to perform the Hajj – the pilgrimage to Mecca.
The Holy Prophet was aware that this would be his last pilgrimage. Accompanied by more than 100,000 Muslims he reached the planes of Arafat. Mounted on a camel, the Holy Prophet delivered a sermon that is widely known as the “Farewell Sermon”.
The Farewell Sermon reminds us of the importance of equality and justice, of rights and responsibilities, and briefly encompasses the Islamic message of dignity, justice and freedom for all. The need to follow the teachings of the Holy Qur’an as guidance for humanity is also highlighted. A portion of the sermon is:
“I do not think, O people, that we shall be gathered together here again. Your belongings, your honour, and your lives are sanctified and made inviolate like the sanctity of this day, this month and this city. You will soon appear before your Lord and He will call you to account for all your doings. Take heed that you do not go astray, after I am gone, and start slaying one another.
…All blood-feuds are utterly wiped out. I hereby remit everything owed to any member of my family on that account.
…O men, you have some rights against your wives, but your wives also have some rights against you… Remember you must always treat your wives well.
…Allah has made you brethren one to another, so be not divided. An Arab has no preference over a non-Arab, nor a non-Arab over an Arab; nor is a white one to be preferred to a dark one, nor a dark one to a white one.”
While he was saying this, Prophet Muhammad raised his hands and joined the fingers of the one hand with the fingers of the other and then said:
“Even as the fingers of the two hands are equal, so are human beings equal to one another. No one has any right, any claim to superiority over one another. You are as brothers.
…I am leaving something with you that will safeguard you against all error, if you hold fast to it. That is Allah’s Book.”
As soon as he concluded, the revelation came, “This day have I completed My commandments -for you, and have brought to its fullness the favour that I have bestowed upon you, and have chosen Islam as your religion.” (Holy Qur’an – 5:4)
Views of Non-Muslims
Views of Non-Muslims
Alphonse de Lamartine
“Philosopher, orator, apostle, legislator, warrior, conqueror of ideas, restorer of rational dogmas, the founder of twenty terrestrial empires and of one spiritual empire, that is Muhammad. As regards all standards by which human greatness may be measured, we may ask, is there any man greater than he?” (History of Turkey)
“If greatness of purpose, smallness of means, and astonishing results are the three criteria of a human genius, who could dare compare any great man in history with Muhammad?” (History of Turkey)
Arthur Glyn Leonard
“If ever any man on this earth has found God; if ever any man has devoted his life for the sake of God with a pure and holy zeal then, without doubt, and most certainly that man was the Holy Prophet of Arabia.” (Islam Her Moral and Spiritual Value: a Rational and Pyschological Study)
“It was the genius of Muhammad, the spirit that he breathed into the Arabs through the soul of Islam that exalted them. That raised them out of the lethargy and low level of tribal stagnation up to the high watermark of national unity and empire. It was in the sublimity of Muhammad’s deism, the simplicity, the sobriety and purity it inculcated the fidelity of its founder to his own tenets, that acted on their moral and intellectual fiber with all the magnetism of true inspiration.” (Islam Her Moral and Spiritual Value: a Rational and Pyschological Study)
Pringle Kennedy
“Muhammad was, to use a striking expression, the man of the hour…
When Christianity conquered Caesarism at the commencement of the fourth century, it, in its turn, became Caesarised. No longer was it the pure creed which had been taught some three centuries before. It had become largely de-spiritualised, ritualised, materialised …….
How, in a few years, all this was changed, how, by 650 AD a great part of this world became a different world from what it had been before, is one of the most remarkable chapters in human history …. This wonderful change followed, if it was not mainly caused by, the life of one man, the Prophet of Mecca ….
Whatever the opinion one may have of this extraordinary man, … there can be no difference as to the immensity of the effect which his life has had on the history of the world.” (Arabian Society at the Time of Muhammad)
S.P. Scott
“If the object of religion be the inculcation of morals, the diminution of evil, the promotion of human happiness, the expansion of the human intellect, if the performance of good works will avail in the great day when mankind shall be summoned to its final reckoning it is neither irreverent nor unreasonable to admit that Muhammad was indeed an Apostle of God.”
(History of the Moorish Empire in Europe)
Michael H. Hart
“My choice of Muhammad to lead the list of the world’s most influential persons may surprise some readers and may be questioned by others, but he was the only man in history who was supremely successful on both the religious and secular levels.”
“Of humble origins, Muhammad founded and promulgated one of the world’s great religions, and became an immensely effective political leader. Today, thirteen centuries after his death, his influence is still powerful and pervasive.”
(In his book “The 100”, Michael Hart ranks Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) as the most influential person in human history)
Karen Armstrong
“Muhammad had to start virtually from scratch and work his way towards the radical monotheistic spirituality of his own. When he began his mission, a dispassionate observer would not have given him a chance. The Arabs, he might have objected, were just not ready for monotheism: they were not sufficiently developed for this sophisticated vision. In fact, to attempt to introduce it on a large scale in this violent, terrifying society could be extremely dangerous and Muhammad would be lucky to escape with his life.
Indeed, Muhammad was frequently in deadly peril and his survival was a near-miracle. But he did succeed. By the end of his life he had laid an axe to the root of the chronic cycle tribal violence that afflicted the region and paganism was no longer a going concern. The Arabs were ready to embark on a new phase of their history.” (Muhammad – A Biography of the Prophet)
Sir William Muir
“It is strongly corroborative of Mohammad’s sincerity that the earliest converts to Islam were not only of upright character, but his own bosom friends and people of his own household who, intimately acquainted with his private life could not fail otherwise to have detected those discrepancies which even more or less exist between the profession of the hypocritical deceiver abroad and his actions at home.” (The Life of Mohammad)
Rev. Bosworth Smith
“Head of the state as well as the Church, he was Caesar and Pope in one, but he was Pope without the Pope’s pretensions, and Caesar without the legions of Caesar, without a standing army, without a body guard, without a palace, without a fixed revenue. If ever a man had the right to rule by a right divine, it was Muhammad for he had all the power without the instruments and without its supports.” (Muhammad and Muhammadanism)
The First Revelation
The First Revelation
“Recite in the name of thy Lord…”
Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was forty years old – in the year 610 AD when the Divine Call came to him in his retreat in Hira, the cave to which he was in the habit of retreating to for prayer and contemplation. He beheld a gracious Presence, the Angel Gabriel, who asked him to recite. Holy Prophet answered that he knew not how to recite. The Angel took hold of Holy Prophet, squeezed him firmly against his body and insisted:
“Recite in the name of thy Lord Who created: Created man from a clot of blood. Recite! Thy Lord is the Most Beneficent, Who taught man by the pen, taught him what he knew not” (96:2-6)
Holy Prophet Muhammad repeated the words as commanded. The Angel then vanished.
The Wife Testifies
After this dialogue the Holy Prophet Muhammad was left in a state of deep anxiety and restlessness and his heart was panting, for only God knew what this matter was and what was about to take place. In this state, the Holy Prophet hurriedly left the Cave of Hira, returned home, and said to his wife Khadeeja, “Cover me with a mantle! Cover me with a mantle!”. The Holy Prophet related the entire event and in the end said, “I have begun to fear for my life”, but Khadeeja said:
“God is witness, He has not sent you this Word that you should fail and prove unworthy, that He should then give you up. How can God do such a thing, while you are kind and considerate to your relations, help the poor and the forlorn and bear their burdens? You are restoring the virtues which had disappeared from our country. You treat guests with honour and help those who are in distress. Can you be subjected by God to any trial?” (Bukhari).
Khadeeja’s observations on this occasion throw a flood of light on the Holy Prophet’s character as observed by his closest and most intimate companion – his wife for fourteen years at that time. The honest testimony of husband or wife with regard to the character and disposition of the other is of the utmost value, for no other person has the opportunity to make so accurate an estimate based upon close observation and personal experience.
Seal of the Prophets
Seal of the Prophets
The Seal of Approval is granted
In 1891 Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (peace be upon him), the founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, claimed on the basis of Divine revelation, that he was the Promised Messiah and Mahdi whose advent had been foretold by Muhammad, the Holy Prophet of Islam (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and by the scriptures of other faiths. He claimed to be a true Prophet of God, a prophet that did not bring any new law but was a follower and subservient to Holy Prophet Muhammad.
Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiah, wrote more than 80 books. He consistently attributed his status of Prophethood as a manifestation of the attribute of the “Seal of the Prophet” that was bestowed upon the Holy Prophet Muhammad. Following are some excerpts from the writings of the Promised Messiah that shed light on the attribute of the “Seal of the Prophets”.
Only one door to Prophethood
“This status and title has been bestowed on me only because I am a true follower and servant of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him). If I had not been from his Ummah and if I had not been his follower, then even if my services and talents had been as massive and tall as the mountains of this world, I would not have acquired or been bestowed the title and honor of direct communication with God. This is true because all doors to prophethood are now closed, except the portal and the prophethood of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him). After him, there can be no independent prophet with a new law or code. Now, the only type of prophethood that remains is that which is without any new shariah other than of Islam and which is bestowed on a true follower or servant of the Holy Prophet of Islam.” (Tajalliyat-i-illahiya pg. 24-25)
“It is no longer necessary to follow separately each previous prophet and his teachings, since the message brought by Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) encompasses and surpasses all previous teachings. All other paths leading to God are now closed. All verities leading to God are contained in this teaching. There is no other truth after this. All true prior teachings are contained in these teachings. His prophethood is the culmination of all prophets and rightly so.” (Al-Wassiyyat, pg. 17-18)
The Seal of Approval
“Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but he is the Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets; and Allah has full knowledge of all things.” (33:41)
There are many manifestations of the Holy Prophet’s (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) attribute of the “Seal of the Prophets”. The most striking one is the “seal of approval” that the Holy Prophet was granted for the continuation of prophethood from within his followers.
Allah says in the Holy Qur’an:
“And whoso obeys Allah and this Messenger of His shall be among those on whom Allah has bestowed His blessings, namely, the Prophets, the Truthful, the Martyrs, and the Righteous. And excellent companions are these.” (4:70)
The followers of the Holy Prophet Muhammad have been given the glad tiding that they can even attain the status of Prophethood by obeying Allah and the Prophet Muhammad. This is a distinguishing characteristic of Prophet Muhammad as no other prophet before him has been given this seal of approval. Before Prophet Muhammad it was not necessary to follow the preceding prophet to attain the status of Prophetohood.
In relation to following the other prophets Allah says:
“And those who believe in Allah and His Messengers and they are the Truthful and the Witnesses in the sight of their Lord, they will have their reward and their light…” (57:20)
Of course the followers of other prophets will be rewarded by Allah in this world and the hereafter but there rewards fall short of attaining the status of Prophethood – a blessing that only the followers of Muhammad, the seal of Prophets, are bestowed with.
Other Manifestations of the Seal
Apart from the most distinguishing status of the seal of approval there are many other manifestations of the attribute of seal of the prophets, including but not limited to:
Prophet Muhammad’s message was for all people and all times in contrast to the message of other prophets that was for a specific audience and for a limited time.
Prophet Muhammad was granted the Qur’an – God’s final book which is protected by God Himself till the end of the time.
Prophet Muhammad, through the Holy Qur’an, made it obligatory to all Muslims to believe in all Prophets and not to distinguish between prophet in their belief.
Prophet Muhammad declared all Prophets to be innocent servants of God thus absolving them of any and all false allegations.