It may, however, be further added that by bringing prophethood to a close, Islām has not deprived the world of a blessing which was available to previous generations. The object of sending a prophet to a people was to make known the Divine will, and point out the ways by walking in which men could hold communion with God. That object was also brought to perfection through the great World-Prophet, whose message was so perfect that it met the requirements not only of all contemporary nations but of all future generations as well. This is plainly claimed by the Holy Qur’ān, a claim not put forward by any other heavenly book or any other religion: “This day have I perfected for you your religion and completed My favour to you and chosen for you Islām as a religion” (5:3). The perfection of religion and the completion of the blessing of prophethood thus go hand in hand, and the blessing of prophethood being made complete in the person of the Holy Prophet, it is a distortion of facts to say that, if no more prophets appeared, the Muslims would be without the blessing of prophethood, since they possess that blessing in its most complete form. Religion being made perfect, and prophethood being made complete, there remained no need for another religion after Islām or for another prophet after Holy Prophet Muḥammad.
There is a prophecy in books of Ḥadīth which states that the Messiah would appear among the Muslims. The words in Bukhārī are: “How would you feel when the son of Mary makes his appearance among you, and he will be your Imām from among yourselves (imāmu-kum minkum)” (Bu. 60:49). In Muslim instead of imāmu-kum min-kum, the words are amma-kum min-kum (M. 1:67), the significance being exactly the same as that of Bukhārī’s words. This prophecy has given rise to a more or less general misconception that the Israelite Prophet Jesus Christ would appear among the Muslims, a misconception due to not giving proper attention to the doctrine of finality of prophethood, for if there is no need for a prophet, as clearly set forth in the Holy Qur’ān, neither a new nor an old prophet can appear. In fact, the appearance of an old prophet would be as much subversive to the doctrine of the