If all the prophets said the same things about God, then which prophet should we follow? The right answer is that we are required to follow the latest Prophet of God, who also happened to be the last prophet, that is, Prophet Muhammad PBUH. The reason is discussed later.
The second valid question is that if all the prophets said the same things about God, then why are there different prophetic religions? The answer is that all the prophets practiced the same religion of Islam, which means “submission”, meaning submission to the will of God. Islam also means “peace”, the peace one finds through submission to the will of God. Although God was the same for all prophets, there were certain variations in their teachings as per God’s instructions. Such variations depended on many factors, including the readiness of the people to receive God’s instructions and the needs of the time.
Another reason for differences in various prophetic religions today is the tampering of the religious teachings by later people like St. Paul, as discussed earlier. So actual teachings of the previous prophets are not 100 percent preserved today. Not everything contained in Christianity or Judaism today is from God. This is not the case with Islam, as will be explained later. Thus, we are required to follow the latest version of the guidance that applies to us, which is called Islam. Following the superseded and tampered versions of God’s guidance is highly erroneous. It will not be accepted by God as mentioned in the Holy Quran, “Whoever seeks a faith other than Islam, it will never be accepted from him, and he, in the Hereafter, will be among the losers.” (Surah Al Imran, Ayat 85). So please do not be among the losers. Accept Islam!
Religious scriptures of Christianity, Judaism, and some other religions foretold about the coming of the final and the greatest prophet of God, that is Prophet Muhammad PBUH. Following are some examples of such prophesies for the last prophet:
New Testament; “Nevertheless I (Jesus) tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter (Parakletos) will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.” (John 16:17)
“I (Jesus) have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. But when he, the Spirit of Truth is come, he shall guide you into all the truth for he shall not speak from himself, but what things soever he shall hear, these shall he speak and he shall declare unto you the things that are to come” (John 16). The timing for the coming of the last prophet was so appropriate that even Prophet Esa AS (Jesus), who came around 600 years before Prophet Muhammad PBUH, informed his people that he had still many things to say, but the people were not yet ready to receive those things. Finally, as per this prophecy, Prophet Muhammad PBUH came with the last and final guidance towards mankind from their God. Prophet Muhammad PBUH informed the world of all those matters which the people were not ready to receive in the past.
Old Testament; “I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and I will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.” (Deuteronomy, 18). This prophecy speaks very clearly of the rising of a prophet, who shall be the like of Prophet Moses AS, from among the brethren of Israelites, that is Ishmaelites or the Arabs. Prophet Abraham AS had two sons: Ishmail AS and Isaac AS. The Arabs are the descendants of Prophet Ishmail AS and the Jews are the descendants of Prophet Isaac AS. Prophet Muhammad PBUH was thus from the descendants of Ishmail AS.
Even Zoroastrianism, which claims to be a prophetic religion, has prophesied about the last prophet as follows: Parsi Scripture; “When the Persians should sink so low in morality, a man will be born in Arabia whose followers will upset their throne, religion, and everything. The mighty still-necked ones of Persia will be overpowered. The house which was built (referring to Abraham building the Ka'aba) and in which many idols have been placed will be purged from idols, and people will say their prayers facing towards it. His followers will capture the towns of the Parsis Tus and Balkh and other big places roundabout. People will embroil with one another. The wise men of Persia and others will join his followers." (Dasatir, No. 14, which is associated with the name of Sasanil)
Even some Hindu scriptures have discussed the coming of the last prophet. This must have come from some prophet sent towards the Indians in the distant past. We know that prophets appeared in many regions of the world, but we do not know the details of all the prophets of God. According to the Hindu Scripture: "A malechha (belonging to a foreign country & speaking a foreign language) spiritual teacher will appear with his companions. His name will be Mohammad. Raja (Bhoj) after giving this Maha Dev Arab (of angelic disposition) a bath in the Panchgavya and the Ganges water offered him the presents of his sincere devotion and showing him all reverence said, ‘I make obeisance to thee’. ‘O, Ye! The pride of mankind, the dweller of Arabia, Ye have collected a great force to kill the Devil and you yourself have been protected for the malechha opponents. O, Ye! The image of the Most Pious God the biggest Lord, I am a slave to thee, take me as one lying on thy feet’". (Bhavishya Purana Parv 3, Khand 3, Adhya 3, Shalok 5-8)
Previous prophets talked about the last prophet, Prophet Muhammad PBUH, to ensure that people present at the time of his arrival would recognize and follow him. The time for following the earlier prophets has ended. Previous prophets were sent towards a particular nation and for a particular time, decided for each one of them. Unlike previous prophets, Prophet Muhammad PBUH was not just sent specifically towards a particular nation and a particular time. Instead, he was sent with the final message from God toward the whole of mankind and for all time to come. According to the Holy Quran:
“We sent thee (O Muhammad) not but as a mercy for all worlds.” (Surah Al-Anbiyaa, Ayat 107).
“And We have not sent thee (O Muhammad) save as a bringer of good tidings and a warner unto all mankind, but most of mankind know not." (Surah As-Saba, Ayat 28).
This unique and overarching mission is reflected in the prophecies about him found in various religious scriptures, including Christianity, Judaism, and others. These sacred texts foretold the coming of a final and greatest prophet, identifying him as the Prophet Muhammad PBUH. Given his global mandate, it is natural that earlier prophets, who served specific regions, would have prophesied about the one whose message would transcend borders and eras. Thus, the prophethood of Prophet Muhammad PBUH continues, and we are required to follow his teachings.
Anyone interested in knowing more about Prophet Muhammad PBUH can read my book “Muhammad PBUH: The Greatest Leader of All Time”. The PDF version of the book can be downloaded from this website. The physical version is available at Amazon.
All the prophets of God followed the same religion of Islam, which was based on the guidance provided by God to various nations at various times. Although God was the same for all prophets, there were a few variations in their teachings. These variations were based on God’s commandments that varied according to the readiness of the people to receive instructions and the needs of that particular time. Thus, the religion of Islam that was followed and preached by the prophets of God consisted of the following two kinds of teachings:
1. Basic matters and concepts that do not change with time, for example, basic beliefs like the faith in one God, the belief that God’s commandments must be obeyed, and basic moral teachings and ethics like speaking the truth. These concepts were conveyed to mankind without any alteration by all the Prophets sent by God throughout human history.
2. However, some matters changed with time depending upon the needs of the time and the readiness of the people. For example, certain commandments that were given to Prophet Musa AS (Moses) changed during the prophethood of Prophet Esa AS (Jesus). In the Quran, Prophet Esa AS (Jesus) is reported to have said to the Children of Israel, "(I have come to you) to attest the Law which was before me and to make lawful to you part of what was (before) forbidden to you; I have come to you with a Sign from your Lord. So, fear Allah and obey me.” (Surah Al-i-Imran, Ayat 50)
Present-day Islam is the final message from God to humankind. It is a reconfirmation and perfection of the messages that God has revealed through earlier Prophets. Divine guidance to mankind sent through various prophets was ultimately completed during the prophethood of the Prophet Muhammad PBUH. The following verse was revealed to Prophet Muhammad PBUH, informing the completion of guidance from God, "…This day I have perfected your religion (Deen) for you and completed My favor unto you, and have chosen for you as religion Al-Islam…" (Surah Al-Maida, Ayat 3). Therefore, there is now no need for any additional prophets.
The final message was given to mankind when they were mature enough to receive it. All prominent thinkers and philosophers like Confucius, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Democritus, Mani, and Justiniani had already tried to provide answers to philosophical questions regarding this world, the universe, and God. The religion of Islam provided the right answers to these philosophical questions in addition to other relevant information for mankind relating to present and future events. As mankind was now mature enough, they were capable of solving any future problems by themselves in the light of the final guidance via the process of “Ijtihad” (logical deduction on a legal or theological question by a “Mujtahid”).
At the time of the advent of the last prophet, mankind was in transition with respect to the development of societies. For example, Mecca consisted of a single tribe (Quresh), and Madina was a city of more than one tribe. At the same time, there were two great Persian and Roman empires consisting of many cities and nations. Due to this transition from tribal societies to bigger nations with collective socio-politico-economic systems, divine guidance for the formation of just societies was very much needed. This guidance was also provided to the world through the Prophet Muhammad PBUH. Thus, the present-day religion of Islam, unlike other religions, is not only the name of some dogmas, worship, and rituals, but it also guides mankind to form a just society based on a just socio-politico-economic system. Anyone interested in the socio-politico-economic teachings of Islam can read my book “Islam: A Superior System of Life” (available at this website). Plus, there must be numerous other reasons for sending the Prophet Muhammad PBUH at a particular time that God knows.
Prophet Muhammad PBUH was the last prophet of God. The absence of guidance directly via prophets in the current era also entails certain risks. For example, what will happen if the sacred scripture of the final guidance is tampered with by people? Who will guide and preach in the absence of prophets? What will happen if wrong concepts are introduced in the Muslim community, like the concept of the Trinity introduced among Christians? What will happen if a false prophet appears? If we can think of these potential problems, then obviously God also knew this. Therefore, measures against such risks have already been devised and are in place, as mentioned in the following text:
Special protection is provided by God to His final message in the form of the Holy Quran. This is mentioned in the Holy Quran in the following verse: “We have without doubt sent down the Message; and We will assuredly guard it (from corruption)” (Surah Al-Hijr, Ayat 9). Thus, it is a historical fact known to everyone that the present-day Holy Quran is exactly the same Holy Quran that was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad PBUH. Throughout history, millions of people have learned its Arabic text by heart. Exactly the same text without even an addition or deletion of a dot. Thus, if anyone tries to change even some minor portion of the Quran, even a ten-year-old boy who has learned the Quran by heart can catch that change. Similarly, great efforts were made by early Muslims to save the sayings and acts of the Prophet Muhammad PBUH.
The Holy Quran and sayings of Prophet Muhammad PBUH clearly mention that Prophet Muhammad PBUH was the last prophet so the Muslim community is saved from the claims of the false prophets. According to the Holy Quran, “Muhammad is not a father of any of your men, but he is a messenger of Allah and the last of the prophets. And Allah has the Knowledge of everything.” (Surah Ahzab, Ayat 40).
Prophet Muhammad PBUH said during his Last Sermon, “O People, no prophet or messenger will come after me and no new faith will be born.”
On another occasion, he said, "My example and the example of all other prophets is similar to that of a beautifully constructed palace in which the place of a brick is left vacant. People move around it admiring its beautiful construction and express curiosity over the empty space. I am the one who has filled this gap. I have completed this palace of Prophethood and I am the last of the Prophets. I am that (last) brick (of the palace) and I am the seal of the Prophets.” (Reported in Bukhari & Muslim).
Prophet Muhammad PBUH also warned us about the coming of the false prophets. The Prophet PBUH said, "The day of Resurrection will not occur until there will be almost thirty imposters, every one of them claiming to be a Messenger of Allah.” (Reported in Bukhari). This prophecy of the Prophet Muhammad PBUH also proved to be true with time, as various personalities falsely claimed to be the Prophet of God after him. One such evil personality is Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadyani of the Indian Sub-continent. Due to such clear instructions from the Holy Quran and Prophet Muhammad PBUH, leaving a small minority, the Muslim community as a whole has always rejected such false prophethoods.
The responsibility of conveying the message of God to other people was handed over collectively to the Muslim community by Prophet Muhammad PBUH before his departure. The people to whom the message was to be conveyed by Muslims consisted of 1) those who were not geographically present there with the Prophet, that is, the people of other nations, and 2) also those who were not present at the time of the Prophet Muhammad PBUH. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said, “Convey from me even an Ayat of the Quran; …” (Reported in Bukhari).
Holy Quran has mentioned this role of the Muslim community as follows: “Struggle for (seeking the pleasure of) Allah, a struggle that is owed to Him. He has chosen you and did not impose any hardship on you in the religion, the faith of your father Ibrahim. He (Allah) named you as Muslims earlier and also in this (Qur‘an), so that the Messenger becomes a witness to you, and you become witnesses to (other) people. So establish Salah, pay Zakah and hold fast to Allah. He is your patron. So, how excellent He is as a patron, and how excellent as a supporter!” (Surah Hajj, Ayat 78).
The Almighty God also provided a guarantee against the risk of the misguidance of the whole Muslim community after the last prophet. Prophet Muhammad PBUH said, "Verily, Allah will never bring together my people on error. Allah’s hand is over the community (of Muslims), whoso separates himself from it, will also be separate in hell.” (Reported in Tirmizi). It means though there can be some misguided groups in the Muslim community, the Muslim community as a whole will never be misguided.
The presence of various sects among the Muslim community can also confuse the people. So, how to know which sect or group is right? Guidance regarding this problem was also provided by the Prophet Muhammad PBUH. Prophet Muhammad PBUH said, “There will befall my Ummah exactly (all those) evils which befell the people of Isra'il, so much so that if there was one amongst them who openly committed fornication with his mother there will be among my Ummah one who will do that, and if the people of Isra'il were fragmented into seventy-two sects my Ummah will be fragmented into seventy-three sects. All of them will be in Hell Fire except one sect. They (the Companions) said: Allah's Messenger, which is that? Whereupon he said: It is one to which I and my companions (SAHABA) belong”. (Reported in Tirmidhi).
Such guidance is also mentioned in the following Hadith. Al-Irbad ibn Sariyah RAA reported: “One day the Apostle of Allah (Mohammad PBUH) led us in prayer, then faced us and gave us a lengthy exhortation at which the eyes shed tears and the hearts were afraid. A man said: Apostle of Allah! It seems as if it were a farewell exhortation, so what injunction do you give us? He then said: I enjoin you to fear Allah, and to hear and obey even if it be an Abyssinian slave, for those of you who live after me will see great disagreement. You must then follow my Sunnah and that of the rightly-guided caliphs (Khulfa-e-Rashideen). Hold to it and stick fast to it. Avoid novelties, for every novelty is an innovation (BIDAT), and every innovation is an error”. (Reported in Abu Dawood). Thus, anyone with the right intention can recognize the Muslims who are on the right path.
It was earlier discussed that God sent many prophets with some unique miracles. Miracles were an additional aid for people to recognize the truthfulness of the prophets. Prophet Muhammad PBUH was the last prophet for all time to come. Therefore, he must have been given a miracle that can be experienced by all the generations to come. This miracle was the miracle of the Holy Quran. Prophet Muhammad PBUH said, "There was no prophet among the prophets but was given miracles because of which people had security or had belief, but what I was given was the Divine Inspiration which Allah revealed to me. So, I hope that my followers will be more than those of any other prophet on the Day of Resurrection." (Reported in Bukhari)
Many people have converted to Islam just by experiencing the miracle of the Holy Quran. The topic of the Holy Quran being a miracle from God is discussed in the next section, however, here I want to share the following verse from the Holy Quran depicting its miraculous nature: “If you are in doubt about what We have revealed to Our servant, then bring a Surah similar to this, and do call your supporters other than Allah, if you are true.” (Surah Baqarah, Ayat 23). Please note that apart from the Quran, some other miracles were also displayed by the Prophet Muhammad PBUH. However, his main miracle was the miracle of the Holy Quran which can be experienced even today.