khatm al-anbīyāʾ

In Islam, the concept of khatm al-anbiyā' signifies that Muhammad is the final prophet, sealing the line of divine messengers. While the Qur'an acknowledges earlier prophets like Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and Jesus, it posits that their messages were either incomplete, forgotten, or distorted. Muhammad, sent to all nations, delivered the final and complete revelation, the Qur'an, which corrects and confirms previous scriptures. This doctrine establishes Muhammad's prophetic activity as the bedrock of Islam, asserting that no further prophets or revelations are needed.1

Despite Muhammad being the "seal of the prophets," the belief in prophecy did not entirely cease after his death. Various individuals claimed prophetic status or succession, some even proclaiming themselves as the awaited mahdi or a messianic figure. These movements, though often suppressed, contributed to the expansion of Islam and the development of different sects, such as the Ahmadiyyah. Differences of opinion (ikhtilāf) on religious matters are permissible in Islam, as long as they don't affect core principles, and have led to the establishment of four orthodox legal schools.23