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In reference to 33:40 you will find that Muhammad is the last of the Prophets (anbiya'):
Muhammad is not the father of [any] one of your men, but [he is] the Messenger of Allah and last of the prophets. And ever is Allah , of all things, Knowing.
But is he also the last of the messengers (Rasool), and how can we prove that?
Allah the Exalted says in Surah Al-Azhab:
مَّا كَانَ مُحَمَّدٌ أَبَا أَحَدٍ مِّن رِّجَالِكُمْ وَلَـٰكِن رَّسُولَ اللَّـهِ وَخَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّينَ وَكَانَ اللَّـهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمًا
Interpretation of the meaning:
Muhammad is not the father of [any] one of your men, but [he is] the Messenger of Allah and last of the prophets. And ever is Allah , of all things, Knowing. [Al-Azhab: 40]
This ayah looks to you apparently that it says Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) is only the last Prophet and not the last messenger. However, we should understand some things about the Prophets and the Messengers as stated by early scholars. Moreover, I will show it to you from the hadith, Insha Allah.
Tafsir of Ibn Katheer (rahimahullah) says that this verse which says "but he is the Messenger of Allah and the last of the Prophets. And Allah is Ever All-Aware of everything" is like the ayah where Allah says in Surah Al-An'am:
اللَّـهُ أَعْلَمُ حَيْثُ يَجْعَلُ رِسَالَتَهُ
Interpretation of the meaning:
Allah knows best with whom to place His Message [Al-An'am :124]
Ibn Katheer (rahimahullah) said in his tafseer:
This Ayah clearly states that there will be no Prophet after him. If there will be no Prophet after him then there will surely be no Messenger after him either, because the status of a Messenger is higher than that of a Prophet, for every Messenger is a Prophet but the reverse is not the case.
Before anyone argues that this is just an opinion of a scholar, let me present to you the hadith which affirms it and seals the door to Prophethood and messengership with Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) as the last Prophet and the Messenger.
Anas bin Malik narrated:
"The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) said: 'Indeed Messenger-ship and Prophethood have been terminated, so there shall be no Messenger after me, nor a Prophet.'" He(Anas) said:"The people were concerned about that, so he (s.a.w) said: 'But there will be Mubash-shirat.' So they said: 'O Messenger of Allah! What is Mubash-shirat?' He said: 'The Muslim's dreams, for it is a portion of the portions of Prophethood.'" (Sahih)
حَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الزَّعْفَرَانِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا عَفَّانُ بْنُ مُسْلِمٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَاحِدِ يَعْنِي ابْنَ زِيَادٍ، حَدَّثَنَا الْمُخْتَارُ بْنُ فُلْفُلٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَنَسُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " إِنَّ الرِّسَالَةَ وَالنُّبُوَّةَ قَدِ انْقَطَعَتْ فَلاَ رَسُولَ بَعْدِي وَلاَ نَبِيَّ " . قَالَ فَشَقَّ ذَلِكَ عَلَى النَّاسِ فَقَالَ " لَكِنِ الْمُبَشِّرَاتُ " . قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَمَا الْمُبَشِّرَاتُ قَالَ " رُؤْيَا الْمُسْلِمِ وَهِيَ جُزْءٌ مِنْ أَجْزَاءِ النُّبُوَّةِ " . وَفِي الْبَابِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ وَحُذَيْفَةَ بْنِ أَسِيدٍ وَابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ وَأُمِّ كُرْزٍ . قَالَ هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ غَرِيبٌ مِنْ هَذَا الْوَجْهِ مِنْ حَدِيثِ الْمُخْتَارِ بْنِ فُلْفُلٍ .
Prophets received message from God and messengers deliver the message. As all the prophets delivered the message as well Prophets are also messengers but all messengers are not Prophets; as all the messengers didn't receive message from God. I may quote the verse below to ponder:
"Say: We believe in Allah and (in) that which had been revealed to us, and (in) that which was revealed to Ibrahim and Ismail and Ishaq and Yaqoub and the tribes, and (in) that which was GIVEN to Musa and Isa, and (in) that which was given to the PROPHETS from their Lord, we do not make any distinction between any of them, and to Him do we submit." (2:136)
In this verse God could have chosen the word Rasul instead of Prophet, but he chose not; because here in this case they were receiver of messages not the deliverer, so God called them Prophets.
Extract from this fatwa:
“but he is the Messenger of Allaah and the last (end) of the Prophets” [al-Ahzaab 33:40]
and why it did not say the last of the Messengers – the end of the Message does not mean the end of Prophethood, but the end of Prophethood does mean the end of the Message. Hence the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There will be no Prophet after me,” and he did not say, there will be no Messenger after me.
Is Muhammad the last messenger? Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) is the last prophet and Islam is the last heavenly religion and no other prophet and divine religion will come after him. In verse 40 of Surah Al-Ahzab, the Prophet of Islam is introduced as "Khatam al-Anbiya", which Muslim scholars have interpreted to mean that he is the last Prophet of God. (1)
