محمد خاتم النبيين وسيد المرسلين
Muḥammad, khātam al-nabiyyīn wa sayyid al-mursalīn
“Muhammad, the seal of the prophets and the master of the messengers”: a phrase of praise used for the Prophet.
What it means
The first title in the phrase comes from the Quran, which calls Muhammad (peace be upon him) “the Messenger of God and the seal of the prophets” (33:40). The word khātam means seal, and Muslims understand that no prophet comes after him. The second title, sayyid al-mursalīn, “master of the messengers”, is the traditional epithet that expresses his standing among them. Muslims use the phrase in praise and in writing about him. It recalls the saying of the Prophet in Sahih Muslim that he is the master of the children of Adam on the Day of Resurrection. After the name of the Prophet, Muslims also say ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam, “may God send blessings and peace on him”.
Often misunderstood as
“Seal” is sometimes read as a mere ornament, when Muslims take it as stating that prophecy was completed with him.
Term and Arabic as listed in Ismail al Faruqi, Toward Islamic English (International Institute of Islamic Thought, 1995), p. 64, listed as MUḤAMMAD, KHĀTAM AL NABIYYĪN WA SAYYID AL MURSALĪN. The definition is restated here.