Muhammad: The Final Prophet?
Islam teaches that Muhammad is the "Seal of the Prophets"—the final messenger sent by God to humanity. This claim stands at the very foundation of Islamic faith: Muslims believe that while prophets like Abraham, Moses, and Jesus brought messages from God, Muhammad delivered God's final and complete revelation. But what evidence supports this claim? And what are the implications of accepting or rejecting it?
The Islamic Claim
The Quran explicitly identifies Muhammad as the final prophet:
"Muhammad is not the father of [any] one of your men, but [he is] the Messenger of Allah and last of the prophets. And ever is Allah, of all things, Knowing." (Surah 33:40)
Islamic theology interprets "Seal of the Prophets" (Khatam an-Nabiyyin) to mean that Muhammad is the final prophet, after whom no other prophets will come. The revelation he received—the Quran—is therefore considered the ultimate message from God, superseding and completing all previous scriptures including the Torah and the Gospel.
According to Islamic teaching, Muhammad's finality serves several purposes:
- Completion of Divine Guidance: The Quran contains everything humanity needs for spiritual and moral guidance until the Day of Judgment
- Correction of Previous Scriptures: Earlier revelations were either lost, corrupted, or incomplete; Muhammad's message corrects these errors
- Universal Application: While previous prophets were sent to specific peoples, Muhammad's message is for all humanity for all time
- Protection from Future Innovation: By declaring Muhammad the final prophet, Islam protects itself from new revelations that might contradict the Quran
Evaluating Muhammad's Prophetic Claims
When assessing whether Muhammad was a genuine prophet, several factors deserve examination:
1. Predictions and Prophecies: Biblical prophets authenticated their messages through specific, verifiable predictions that came to pass (Deuteronomy 18:21-22). Muhammad made several prophecies, some of which are claimed by Muslims to have been fulfilled:
- The victory of the Romans over the Persians (Surah 30:2-4), which some Muslims claim occurred as predicted
- The preservation of Pharaoh's body (Surah 10:92)
- The conquest of Mecca
- The spread of Islam
However, critics note that many of these "prophecies" are either vague, written after the events they describe, or natural predictions of likely outcomes (like the eventual success of a military campaign).
2. Miracles: The Quran itself acknowledges that Muhammad's contemporaries asked him for miraculous signs:
"And they say, 'Why are not signs sent down to him from his Lord?' Say, 'The signs are only with Allah, and I am only a clear warner.'" (Surah 29:50)
The Quran presents itself as Muhammad's primary miracle—an Arabic literary masterpiece that could not have been produced by an illiterate man. Later Islamic tradition (hadith) attributes various miracles to Muhammad, including the splitting of the moon (Surah 54:1-2), but these accounts were written down generations after his death and are not independently verified.
3. Consistency with Previous Revelation: Biblical prophets consistently affirmed previous revelation and were judged by their consistency with established Scripture (Deuteronomy 13:1-5). Muhammad's message, however, contradicts core teachings of both Judaism and Christianity, particularly regarding Jesus's divinity, crucifixion, and resurrection.
The Problem of Finality
The claim that Muhammad is the final prophet creates several logical and theological problems:
1. Self-Authentication: Muhammad's status as the final prophet is primarily established by the Quran itself—a text that Muslims believe was revealed to Muhammad. This is circular reasoning: Muhammad is the final prophet because the Quran says so, and we should believe the Quran because it was revealed to the final prophet.
2. No Independent Verification: Unlike Jesus's messianic claims, which were validated through fulfilled prophecies from centuries earlier (Isaiah 53, Psalm 22, Micah 5:2), Muhammad's claim to finality has no independent prophetic validation. The Torah and Gospels do not predict a final Arabian prophet who would supersede previous revelations.
3. Contradicting Jesus's Authority: Jesus claimed absolute and final authority: "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away" (Matthew 24:35). He declared himself to be "the way and the truth and the life" (John 14:6). If Jesus's words are eternal and he is the exclusive path to God, then a prophet coming six centuries later to offer a different path contradicts Jesus's own claims.
Biblical Teaching on Prophets
The Bible provides clear criteria for evaluating prophetic claims. In Deuteronomy 18:20-22, God establishes two tests for true prophets:
"But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, is to be put to death. You may say to yourselves, 'How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the Lord?' If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously, so do not be alarmed by him."
Additionally, Deuteronomy 13:1-5 warns against prophets who perform signs and wonders but lead people away from the God of Israel:
"If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a sign or wonder, and if the sign or wonder spoken of takes place, and the prophet says, 'Let us follow other gods' (gods you have not known) 'and let us worship them,' you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer."
The Islamic conception of God (tawhid), while claiming to worship the same God as Judaism and Christianity, denies essential attributes that the Bible ascribes to God—particularly His Triune nature and His relationship with humanity through Jesus Christ.
Jesus: The True Final Revelation
Christianity teaches that Jesus Christ, not Muhammad, represents God's final and complete revelation to humanity. The book of Hebrews opens with this declaration:
"In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word." (Hebrews 1:1-3)
Jesus is not merely another prophet in a line of prophets; He is the Word made flesh (John 1:14), the exact representation of God's being. His coming fulfills the Old Testament prophecies and completes God's plan of redemption. After Jesus, no further revelation is needed because He embodies the fullness of God's truth.
The New Testament warns against accepting gospels that contradict what the apostles taught:
"But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God's curse! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God's curse!" (Galatians 1:8-9)
Paul wrote these words in approximately 49 AD, six centuries before Muhammad's ministry. The warning is clear: any message that contradicts the gospel of Jesus Christ—even if delivered by an angel—is to be rejected.
Muhammad's Character and Conduct
Biblical prophets, while imperfect, were characterized by their devotion to God and moral leadership. An examination of Muhammad's life, as recorded in Islamic sources, raises concerns:
Military Conquests: Muhammad personally led numerous military campaigns. The Sirah (biography) of Ibn Ishaq describes raids on caravans, the conquest of Mecca, and the Battle of Badr. While Muslims view these as defensive actions, critics note the contradiction between such military activity and Jesus's teaching to "love your enemies" (Matthew 5:44).
Treatment of Enemies: After the Battle of Badr, Muhammad ordered the execution of captured enemies. Following the conquest of the Jewish Banu Qurayza tribe, he ordered the execution of all adult males (reportedly 600-900 men) and the enslavement of women and children (Ibn Ishaq, Sirat Rasul Allah).
Marriages: Muhammad married at least eleven women, including Aisha, whom he married when she was six years old and consummated the marriage when she was nine (Sahih al-Bukhari 5134). He also married Zaynab bint Jahsh, who was previously married to his adopted son Zayd—a marriage that prompted a Quranic revelation (Surah 33:37) permitting it.
While Islamic scholars contextualize these actions within 7th-century Arabian culture, they contrast sharply with Jesus's life of self-sacrifice, non-violence, and moral teaching.
The Closing of the Canon
Christianity teaches that divine revelation closed with the apostolic era. The book of Revelation ends with this warning:
"I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll." (Revelation 22:18-19)
While this warning specifically addresses the book of Revelation, the principle applies to the complete canon of Scripture: God's revelation is complete in Christ and requires no supplementation or correction six centuries later.
Biblical Contrast: Jesus as the Final Word
Jesus repeatedly claimed finality and exclusivity:
"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End." (Revelation 22:13)
"Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" (John 14:6)
"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me." (Matthew 28:18)
These claims leave no room for another prophet to come and offer an alternative path to God. Either Jesus spoke truth and is the final revelation of God, or He was mistaken or deceptive—in which case, He cannot be the great prophet that Islam claims Him to be.
Questions to Consider
- What independent evidence exists outside the Quran that Muhammad was a prophet sent by God?
- How do we reconcile Muhammad's claim to finality with Jesus's claim to be "the way, the truth, and the life"?
- If God's revelation was complete in Jesus Christ, what purpose would another prophet serve six centuries later?
- Why would God allow Christianity to spread throughout the world for 600 years before sending a prophet to "correct" its fundamental teachings?
- Does Muhammad meet the biblical criteria for a true prophet (accurate predictions, consistency with previous revelation, moral character)?
- If Muhammad is the final prophet, why should we accept this claim when it's primarily based on his own testimony?
- How do Muhammad's military campaigns and personal conduct compare with the biblical standard for prophets?
- What did Jesus mean when He said His words would "never pass away," if they needed correction or supplementation?
- How does the warning in Galatians 1:8-9 about accepting a "different gospel" apply to Islam's message?
The claim that Muhammad is the final prophet stands at the center of Islamic faith. Yet when examined critically, this claim lacks independent verification, contradicts Jesus's teaching about His own finality, and requires us to believe that God's revelation was incomplete for six centuries after Christ. Christians affirm that Jesus Christ is the final and complete revelation of God—the fulfillment of all prophecy and the only way to the Father. No additional prophets or revelations are needed, for in Christ "are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Colossians 2:3).