Path 01 of 08 — I Am Curious About IslamStep 04 of 08

Who Is Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him)?

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him) is the final Messenger of ALLAH. He was a human being sent with the Quran and the message of Tawheed — a mercy to the worlds.

Step 04 of 08~7–8 min readBeginner

Introduction

The first three steps covered the meaning of Islam, who ALLAH is, and the principle of Tawheed. Now comes the fourth foundational question: who is Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him)?

Muslims believe that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him) is the final Messenger of ALLAH. He was a human being — not divine — chosen by ALLAH to receive the Quran and deliver the message of worshiping ALLAH alone to all of humanity.

An important point from the beginning: Muslims do not worship Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him). They love him, respect him, and follow his teachings — because ALLAH sent him with guidance. But worship belongs to ALLAH alone. This distinction is fundamental to Islam.

What Does Prophet and Messenger Mean?

Islam uses two terms that are important to understand at a basic level:

—A prophet is a human being whom ALLAH chose to receive revelation and guidance.
—A messenger is a prophet sent with a specific message to call people to ALLAH.

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him) was both — a prophet who received revelation and a messenger sent with that revelation to all of humanity. He was a human being, not an angel, not a divine being, and not a god. He was chosen by ALLAH to deliver the final message.

Note: Islamic scholarship discusses more detailed distinctions between prophet and messenger in Aqeedah, which go beyond this beginner introduction.

He Was a Human Being

Muslims believe that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him) was a real human being who lived among people. He ate food, slept, worked, had family, experienced grief and hardship, and walked through the markets of his city. He was not superhuman or supernatural in his daily existence.

The Quran itself makes his humanity clear. When people demanded miracles, ALLAH instructed him to answer:

Quran 18:110

Say: I am only a man like you, to whom has been revealed that your God is One God. So whoever hopes for the meeting with his Lord — let him do good deeds and not associate anyone in the worship of his Lord.

This pattern was consistent across all prophets. They were human beings — not elevated beings who transcended ordinary life:

Quran 25:20

Every messenger We sent before you was a human being who ate food and walked in the markets. And We have made some of you a trial for others — will you be patient? And your Lord is ever Seeing.

His humanity is part of what makes his example practical. He showed how a person submits to ALLAH in the real circumstances of daily life — not in theory, but in action.

His Main Message

The central message Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him) brought was Tawheed — worshiping ALLAH alone. He called people away from shirk, injustice, false worship, exploitation, and moral corruption. He called people toward prayer, charity, mercy, honesty, patience, and good character.

This was the same message carried by every prophet before him:

Quran 16:36

ALLAH sent to every nation a messenger with the message: worship ALLAH alone and avoid false worship.

Quran 21:25

ALLAH did not send any messenger before Muhammad ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him) except that He revealed to him: there is no god worthy of worship but ALLAH, so worship Me alone.

And this final message was not sent only for the Arabian Peninsula or for one nation. The Quran states that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him) was sent to all of humanity:

Quran 7:158

Say: O mankind, I am the Messenger of ALLAH to you all — the One to Whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. There is no god worthy of worship but Him. He gives life and causes death. So believe in ALLAH and His Messenger.

The Final Messenger

Muslims believe that ALLAH sent many prophets and messengers throughout human history — beginning with Adam and continuing through Nuh (Noah), Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (Moses), Isa (Jesus), and many others (Peace Be Upon Them All). Each was sent to their people with the message of worshiping ALLAH alone.

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him) is the last of them. The Quran states this directly:

Quran 33:40

Muhammad ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him) is not the father of any of your men — but he is the Messenger of ALLAH and the seal of the prophets. And ALLAH has knowledge of all things.

Quran 34:28

And We have not sent you except as a bringer of good tidings and a warner to all the people — but most of the people do not know.

The Prophet ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him) himself described his position among the prophets in an authentic hadith:

Hadith — Sahih al-Bukhari 3535 / Sahih Muslim 2286

My example compared to the prophets before me is that of a man who built a house, completed it and made it beautiful, except for the place of one brick in a corner. People walked around it admiring it and said: if only that brick were placed. So I am that brick, and I am the last of the prophets.

After Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him), there is no prophet or messenger. Any claim to prophethood after him is rejected by Islam.

His Connection to Earlier Prophets

Following Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him) does not mean rejecting the prophets who came before him. On the contrary — Muslims believe in all the prophets ALLAH sent.

The Quran lists them and affirms belief in all of them without distinction:

Quran 2:136

Say: we believe in ALLAH, and in what was revealed to us, and in what was revealed to Ibrahim (Abraham), Ismail (Ishmael), Ishaq (Isaac), Yaqub (Jacob), and the tribes — and in what was given to Musa (Moses) and Isa (Jesus) and to all the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them.

Quran 3:84

We believe in ALLAH and in what was revealed to all the prophets from Him — we make no distinction between them, and to ALLAH we submit.

Muslims believe that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him) came to confirm and complete the message that earlier prophets brought. Islam presents his message not as a contradiction of what came before, but as the final and preserved form of the original message.

The Quran Was Revealed to Him

Muslims believe that the Quran is the speech of ALLAH — revealed to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him) through the angel Jibril (Gabriel) (Peace Be Upon Him) over a period of approximately 23 years. The Prophet ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him) received and delivered it faithfully.

Quran 42:52

And thus We have revealed to you a spirit from Our command. You did not know what the scripture was, nor what faith was — but We made it a light by which We guide whom We will of Our servants.

The Quran was not authored by Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him). Muslims believe it is the direct word of ALLAH, preserved exactly as revealed. ALLAH Himself took responsibility for its preservation:

Quran 15:9

Indeed, it is We who sent down the Quran, and indeed We will be its guardian.

The next step in this learning path explores the Quran in more detail — what it is, why Muslims believe it is revelation, and what role it plays in Islam.

Why Muslims Follow Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him)

Muslims follow Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him) not because he is worshipped, but because ALLAH commanded obedience to His Messenger as part of obeying ALLAH Himself:

Quran 4:80

Whoever obeys the Messenger has obeyed ALLAH. And whoever turns away — We have not sent you as a guardian over them.

Quran 59:7

Whatever the Messenger gives you, take it. And whatever he forbids you, refrain from it.

The Quran also describes the Prophet ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him) as an excellent example for every Muslim to follow in how they live, worship, and treat others:

Quran 33:21

There has certainly been for you in the Messenger of ALLAH an excellent example — for anyone who hopes in ALLAH and the Last Day and remembers ALLAH often.

The Sunnah — the authentic record of the Prophet’s ﷺ teachings, actions, approvals, and example — is the second source of Islamic guidance after the Quran. Muslims study it to understand how to pray, how to fast, how to treat family, how to deal honestly in business, and how to live with sincerity and good character.

His Character

The Quran describes Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him) with profound praise for his moral character:

Quran 68:4

And indeed, you are of a great moral character.

His mission was described as a mercy — not for one people, but for all of humanity:

Quran 21:107

And We have not sent you except as a mercy to the worlds.

Those who followed him described his qualities as mercy, patience, humility, honesty, justice, and consistent worship of ALLAH. His life is recorded in the Seerah — the biography of the Prophet ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him) — which is studied by Muslims seeking to understand his example in detail.

Note: Specific biographical details of his life — dates, events, the Hijrah, and historical accounts — are covered in the dedicated Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him) section of this site.

Muslims Do Not Worship Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him)

This point is important enough to state clearly and directly: Muslims worship ALLAH alone. Muslims do not worship Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him).

Muslims do not pray to the Prophet ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him).
Muslims do not believe he is divine or has divine attributes.
Muslims do not ask him for forgiveness or salvation.
Muslims do not consider him equal to ALLAH in any way.

The Quran confirms his position clearly:

Quran 18:110

Say: I am only a man like you, to whom has been revealed that your God is One God.

When the Prophet ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him) passed away, his companion Abu Bakr (may ALLAH be pleased with him) addressed the people with words that have remained a clear statement of Islamic belief:

“Whoever was worshiping Muhammad should know that Muhammad has died. Whoever was worshiping ALLAH should know that ALLAH is Ever-Living and never dies.”

Reported in Sahih al-Bukhari 3667 and other collections.

Common Questions

Do Muslims worship Muhammad ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him)?

No. Muslims worship ALLAH alone. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him) was a human being and the final Messenger of ALLAH. Muslims love him and follow his example, but they do not worship him, pray to him, or consider him divine. Worship belongs only to ALLAH.

Was Muhammad ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him) the founder of a new religion?

No, from the Islamic perspective. Islam teaches that the message of worshiping ALLAH alone was the same message carried by all the prophets. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him) came as the final Messenger with the last and preserved form of that message — not as a founder of something entirely new.

Did Muslims invent a new message after Isa (Jesus) (Peace Be Upon Him)?

Muslims believe that ALLAH sent Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him) as the final Messenger after Isa (Jesus) (Peace Be Upon Him) — confirming and completing the original message that all prophets brought. The Quran contains ALLAH's own words about this. It is not a human invention.

Why do Muslims follow Muhammad ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him) specifically?

Because ALLAH commanded it. The Quran instructs Muslims to obey ALLAH and His Messenger. Following the Prophet ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him) is how a Muslim learns to live Islam in practice — how to pray, how to deal with others, how to worship ALLAH sincerely. His example is preserved in the authentic Sunnah.

Do Muslims believe in Isa (Jesus) (Peace Be Upon Him)?

Yes. Muslims believe in Isa (Jesus) (Peace Be Upon Him) as a prophet and messenger of ALLAH. They love and respect him. The Islamic understanding of Isa (Jesus) (Peace Be Upon Him) differs from Christian theology in important ways — these differences are covered in the Comparative Religion section of this site.

What is the Sunnah?

The Sunnah is the authentic record of the Prophet's ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him) teachings, actions, approvals, and example. It is preserved in authenticated collections of hadith. Muslims study it to understand how to apply the Quran's guidance in daily life. The Sunnah is the second source of Islamic guidance after the Quran.

Why do Muslims write ﷺ after his name?

The symbol ﷺ represents the Arabic phrase "Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam" — which means: may ALLAH send His peace and blessings upon him. This is a respectful expression of love and honor that Muslims say whenever the name of the Prophet ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him) is mentioned. It is not worship — it is a supplication to ALLAH on his behalf.

Key Takeaways

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him) is the final Messenger of ALLAH.
Muslims do not worship him — worship belongs to ALLAH alone.
His main message was Tawheed: worship ALLAH alone.
He came after many prophets before him and confirmed their message.
The Quran was revealed to him by ALLAH.
Muslims follow his authentic Sunnah because ALLAH sent him as a guide.
Learning about him helps a person understand Islam.

Next Step

What Is the Quran?

Now that you have learned who Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him) is, the next step is to learn about the Quran — the revelation Muslims believe ALLAH sent through him.

Continue to Step 05 — What Is the Quran?

References

Quran 18:110Say: I am only a man like you, to whom has been revealed that your God is One God.
Quran 25:20Every messenger sent before was a human being who ate food and walked in the markets.
Quran 16:36ALLAH sent to every nation a messenger with the message: worship ALLAH alone and avoid false worship.
Quran 21:25Every messenger was sent with the message: worship ALLAH alone.
Quran 7:158Say: O mankind, I am the Messenger of ALLAH to you all — He to Whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth.
Quran 33:40Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him) is not the father of any of your men — but he is the Messenger of ALLAH and the seal of the prophets.
Quran 34:28And We have not sent you except as a bringer of good tidings and a warner to all the people.
Quran 2:136Muslims believe in what was revealed to all the prophets and make no distinction between them.
Quran 3:84We believe in what was revealed to all the prophets from ALLAH — we make no distinction between them.
Quran 42:52And thus We have revealed to you a spirit of Our command — you did not know what the scripture was, nor what faith was.
Quran 15:9Indeed, it is ALLAH who sent down the Quran, and He will be its guardian.
Quran 4:80Whoever obeys the Messenger has obeyed ALLAH.
Quran 59:7Whatever the Messenger gives you, take it. Whatever he forbids you, leave it.
Quran 33:21In the Messenger of ALLAH you have an excellent example for anyone who hopes in ALLAH and the Last Day.
Quran 68:4And indeed you are of a great moral character.
Quran 21:107And We have not sent you except as a mercy to the worlds.
Sahih al-Bukhari 3535 / Sahih Muslim 2286The parable of the prophets before me and me — the example of a man who built a house, completed it, except for one brick. I am that brick, and I am the last of the prophets.
Sahih al-Bukhari 3667Abu Bakr (radiAllahu anhu) addressed the people after the death of the Prophet ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him) — a statement on the mortality of the Prophet and the permanence of ALLAH.

Back to Path Overview Back to Step 03 — What Is Tawheed?All Learning Paths

Next: What Is the Quran?

Note: This lesson provides general Islamic education. It is not a personal fatwa or religious counseling. If you have a specific personal situation, ask a qualified scholar or trusted local Islamic authority.