Finality of prophethood

Al-Tahawi says: Muhammad is "His chosen servant, His elect prophet, and His pleasing messenger" ¹, and he is "the seal of the prophets, the imam of the pious, the master of the messengers, and the beloved of the Lord of the worlds" ¹.

"Every claim to prophethood after him is delusion and desire" ¹. He is, for al-Tahawi, "the one sent to all the jinn and all mankind" ¹.

Al-Tahawi believes in the angels, the prophets and the books sent down upon the messengers, and testifies they are upon clear truth ², "we make no distinction between any of His messengers" ³. Of the awliya he says none of them is preferred over a prophet, and a single prophet is better than all the awliya ^{4 5}.

Ibn Qudama says: "Muhammad is God's messenger, the seal of the prophets and the master of the messengers; a servant's faith is not valid until he believes in his message and testifies to his prophethood" ⁶; his umma is the best of nations and his companions the best of the prophets' companions ⁷.

This entry presents the position of the 'Aqida al-Tahawiyya and that of Ibn Qudama al-Maqdisi's Lum'at al-I'tiqad alone — each attributed to its book. The sayings of the Ash'aris, Maturidis and the remaining Sunni and non-Sunni schools from their own books have not yet been added; the entry needs specialist review before promotion.