The last Nabi in the world was Muhammad , as established by rational proof and as Allah Almighty has said: ﴿مَا كَانَ مُحَمَّدٌ أَبَا أَحَدٍ مِنْ رِجَالِكُمْ وَلَكِنْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَخَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّينَ﴾[1]; “Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but he is the Messenger of Allah and the last of the Prophets.” He is the one upon whom Allah has revealed His Book, entrusting him with three tasks concerning it: to recite it, to explain it, and to apply it for people; as He has said: ﴿كَذَلِكَ أَرْسَلْنَاكَ فِي أُمَّةٍ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِنْ قَبْلِهَا أُمَمٌ لِتَتْلُوَ عَلَيْهِمُ الَّذِي أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ﴾[2]; “Thus We sent you to a nation before which other nations had passed, so that you recite to them what We revealed to you,” and: ﴿وَأَنْزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الذِّكْرَ لِتُبَيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ مَا نُزِّلَ إِلَيْهِمْ﴾[3]; “And We sent down the Remembrance to you so that you explain to the people what has been sent down to them,” and: ﴿فَاحْكُمْ بَيْنَهُمْ بِمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ﴾[4]; “So judge among them by what Allah sent down.”

[The Tasks of the Prophet]

Based on this, the Prophet is first and foremost an intermediary in conveying Allah’s rulings through reciting and explaining His Book. This is his primary task and the meaning of Prophethood; as Allah Almighty has said: ﴿مَا عَلَى الرَّسُولِ إِلَّا الْبَلَاغُ﴾[5]; “Nothing is upon the Prophet except conveying”—that is, since he is a Prophet, his responsibility is solely to convey Allah’s rulings. However, in cases where he has been appointed as an Imam for people, since he is their Imam, he is also considered an intermediary in applying Allah’s rulings. An example is Ibrahim , whom Allah appointed as an Imam for people after appointing him as a Prophet, so that he would be an intermediary in applying His rulings among them; as He has said: ﴿وَإِذِ ابْتَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ رَبُّهُ بِكَلِمَاتٍ فَأَتَمَّهُنَّ ۖ قَالَ إِنِّي جَاعِلُكَ لِلنَّاسِ إِمَامًا﴾[6]; “And when his Lord tested Ibrahim with some words, then he fulfilled them, He said: ‘I am going to appoint you as an Imam for the people.’”