6 Revelation, Scripture, and Authority
6.1 Religious Authority In Islam
6.2 Muhammad and the “Seal of the Prophets”
6.1 Religious Authority In Islam
How do Muslims know what God expects from them in everyday life?
— (1) The Qur’an —
The Qur’an is the highest authority in Islam. Muslims believe it is the literal word of God revealed to the prophet Muhammad through the angel Gabriel over a period of about 23 years.
It contains teachings about God, moral guidance, worship, law, and the afterlife. Because it is considered direct divine revelation, the Qur’an serves as the foundation for all Islamic belief and practice.
— (2) The Sunnah —
While the Qur’an is a single, specific book, the Sunnah is a concept, or a “way of life.”
The Sunnah refers to the example and pattern of life demonstrated by the prophet Muhammad. Muslims believe Muhammad not only delivered revelation, but also modeled how to live according to God’s guidance.
His actions and decisions are therefore seen as an important example of how the teachings of the Qur’an should be practiced.
The Sunnah is not a book. To find out what is in the Sunnah, Muslims look to a separate category of literature called Hadith.
— (3) Hadith —
The Sunnah is preserved through reports known as Hadith, which record sayings, actions, and events from the life of Muhammad. These reports were transmitted and later collected by scholars and play a major role in helping Muslims understand how to apply the teachings of Islam.
There is no single “Hadith book,” but rather several major collections of books that vary by Islamic tradition.
We will look at more details about the Sunnah and the Hadith in Module 8.
— (4) Scholarly Interpretation —
As Muslim communities grew and encountered new situations, scholars developed methods for interpreting religious teachings and applying them to new circumstances.
Together, these four sources form what is called The Four Roots of Law, which is the framework Muslims use to inform Islamic Law (Sharia).
In 6.2 we will look at what it means that Muhammad is the “Seal of the Prophets.”
6.2 Muhammad and the “Seal of the Prophets”
Throughout the Qur’an, many figures appear who are also known from the Jewish and Christian Scriptures, such as Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and Jesus.
Islam recognizes these individuals as prophets who were sent by God to guide their communities.
According to Islamic teaching, God did not reveal His guidance only once in history. Instead, He sent a long line of prophets across different times and places. Each prophet called people to worship the one true God and to live according to divine guidance.
Islamic tradition suggests that the number of prophets sent throughout history may be very large. Some hadith report that God sent as many as 124,000 prophets to humanity. The Qur’an itself mentions only a small number of them and states that many others were sent whose stories are not recorded.
In Islam, there is a distinction between a Nabi (Prophet) and a Rasul (Messenger). All Messengers are Prophets, but not all Prophets are Messengers.
A Messenger (like Moses, Jesus, or Muhammad) is specifically someone who brings a new revelation or law.
For example:
- Adam — Prophet
- Noah — Prophet & Messenger
- Abraham — Prophet & Messenger (Received the Suhuf or Scrolls / Scrolls of Abraham)
- Moses — Prophet & Messenger (Received the Tawrat / Torah)
- David — Prophet & Messenger (Received the Zabur / Psalms)
- Jesus — Prophet & Messenger (Received the Injil / Gospel)
- Muhammad — Prophet & Messenger (Received the Qur’an)
Islam teaches that these earlier Scriptures from these Messengers originally contained divine guidance. Over time, however, Muslims believe these texts were altered, lost, or interpreted in ways that no longer fully preserved their original message.
The Qur’an refers to Muhammad as “the Seal of the Prophets.” This phrase comes from Qur’an 33:40, which states that Muhammad is the final prophet sent by God.
Muslims understand Muhammad’s mission as the last stage in a long history of revelation. In this view, earlier prophets delivered genuine messages from God, but those messages were directed toward particular communities and times. Muhammad’s message, however, is considered universal—for all of humanity and all time.
For this reason, Muslims believe the Qur’an was revealed as the final and preserved revelation, confirming some elements of earlier teachings while correcting others.
The idea that Muhammad is the “Seal of the Prophets” means that Islam does not expect any new prophets to appear after him. For Muslims, this means that the cycle of prophetic revelation has come to an end.
The Qur’an is therefore viewed as the final authoritative revelation for humanity.
This belief shapes how Muslims understand religious authority. Since no new prophets will bring additional revelation, Muslims look to the Qur’an, along with the example and teachings of Muhammad, to understand how God’s guidance should be followed.
Together, these sources form the foundation for Islamic belief, worship, and law.
In Module 7, we will look at the Five Pillars of Islam.