Muslims believe that prophets (Nabi) and messengers (Rasul) are individuals chosen by God (Allah) to convey His message to humanity. They are considered the most righteous and truthful of people, tasked with guiding humankind towards the worship of the One God and living a righteous life.
The core message of all prophets, from Noah to Jesus and finally to Muhammad (peace be upon them all), was the same: the absolute oneness of God and the need to worship Him alone. The Quran states: "And We did not send before you any messenger except that We revealed to him, 'There is no deity except Me, so worship Me.'" (Quran 21:25, as cited in Ibn Kathir, Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azim, v.03/p.381). This fundamental principle of Tawhid (Oneness of God) formed the basis of their call.
While the core message remained consistent, the specific laws and practices (Sharia) that each prophet brought could differ, with later prophets sometimes bringing a revised or updated law that superseded the previous one. This is until the final revelation brought by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), which is considered to be the final and complete divine law. As the Quran states: "He has ordained for you of religion what He instructed Noah and what We revealed to you, [O Muhammad], and what We instructed Abraham and Moses and Jesus – 'Establish the religion and do not be divided therein.'" (Quran 42:13, as cited in Tabari, Jami' al-Bayan, v.20/p.479). The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) himself said, "We, the assembly of prophets, are brothers from different mothers; our religion is one," signifying the unity of their divine mission (Ibn Kathir, Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azim, v.03/p.381).
Muslims believe in all the prophets mentioned in the Quran, without making any distinction between them in terms of their prophethood. The Quran instructs believers: "Say, 'We believe in Allah and what has been revealed to us and what was revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and what was given to Moses and Jesus, and what was given to the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and we are Muslims [in submission] to Him.'" (Quran 2:136, as cited in Tabari, Jami' al-Bayan, v.02/p.595). This means they accept the divine origin of the scriptures given to earlier prophets like Moses (Torah) and Jesus (Gospel), while believing that the Quran is the final and preserved revelation.
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is considered the final prophet, the "Seal of the Prophets," meaning no prophet will come after him. This is understood from the Quranic verse: "...but he is the messenger of Allah and the seal of the prophets. And Allah is ever, of all things, Knowing." (Quran 33:40). The famous hadith, "My example and the example of the prophets before me is like a man who built a house and completed it, except for one brick in a corner. People went around it and admired it, saying, 'If only this brick were in place!' The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, 'I am that brick.'" (Muslim, Sahih, Book 041, Hadith 5995) beautifully illustrates this concept, signifying that he is the final piece that completes the divine structure of prophethood.