An article discussing the names of The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ from the light of the Quran and Sunnah. Taken form the treatise, Sirah al-Nabawiyah by the great muhaddith, Hafidh al-Mizzi. This treatise is taken from his masterpiece Tahzib al-Kamal fi Asma al-Rijal
You might also like
Imam Bukhari [256 AH] and Imam Muslim [261 AH] narrate in their hadith compilation:
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم “ إِنَّ لِي أَسْمَاءً أَنَا مُحَمَّدٌ وَأَنَا أَحْمَدُ وَأَنَا الْمَاحِي الَّذِي يَمْحُو اللَّهُ بِيَ الْكُفْرَ وَأَنَا الْحَاشِرُ الَّذِي يُحْشَرُ النَّاسُ عَلَى قَدَمِي وَأَنَا الْعَاقِبُ الَّذِي لَيْسَ بَعْدِي نَبِيٌّ ” .
Narrated Muhammad bin Jubair bin Mut’im:
From his father that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “I have some names: I am Muhammad, I am Ahmad, I am Al-Mahi, the one by whom Allah wipes out disbelief, I am Al-Hashir, the one whom the people are gathered at his feet, and I am Al-‘Aqib, the one after whom there is no Prophet.”
[Sahih Bukhari: 4896, Sahih Muslim: 2354]]
Below is a breakdown of the names from the above Hadith:
• Muhammad
• Ahmad
• Al-Mahi (the one by whom Allah wipes out disbelief)
• Al-Hashir (he one whom the people are gathered at his feet)
• Al-Aqib (the last and final Messenger of Allah)
Also another narration from Sahih Muslim mentions:
عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى الأَشْعَرِيِّ، قَالَ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يُسَمِّي لَنَا نَفْسَهُ أَسْمَاءً فَقَالَ” أَنَا مُحَمَّدٌ وَأَحْمَدُ وَالْمُقَفِّي وَالْحَاشِرُ وَنَبِيُّ التَّوْبَةِ وَنَبِيُّ الرَّحْمَةِ ” .
Abu Musa Ash’ari reported that Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) mentioned many names of his and said:
I am Muhammad, Ahmad. Muqaffi (the last in succession), Hashir, the Prophet of repentance, and the Prophet of Mercy.
[Sahih Muslim: 2355]
Imam Baihaqi [458 AH] narrates from Khalil Ibn Ahmad:
‘5 Prophets all had 2 names –
1. Muhammad ﷺ and Ahmad
2. Esa [Allah bless him] and Masih
3. Yaqub [Allah bless him] and Israel
4. Yunus [Allah bless him] and Dhun Nun
5. Ilyas and Dhul Kifl’.
Abu Zakira [Allah bless him] states: Our Prophet has 5 names which are mentioned in the Quran:
1. Muhammad
مُّحَمَّدٌۭ رَّسُولُ ٱللَّهِ ۚ
Muḥammad is the Messenger of Allah.
[Quran – 48:29]
2. Ahmad
وَإِذْ قَالَ عِيسَى ٱبْنُ مَرْيَمَ يَـٰبَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ إِنِّى رَسُولُ ٱللَّهِ إِلَيْكُم مُّصَدِّقًۭا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَىَّ مِنَ ٱلتَّوْرَىٰةِ وَمُبَشِّرًۢا بِرَسُولٍۢ يَأْتِى مِنۢ بَعْدِى ٱسْمُهُۥٓ أَحْمَدُ ۖ
And ˹remember˺ when Jesus, son of Mary, said, “O children of Israel! I am truly Allah’s messenger to you, confirming the Torah which came before me, and giving good news of a messenger after me whose name will be Aḥmad.”
[Quran – 61:6]
3. Abdullah
وَأَنَّهُۥ لَمَّا قَامَ عَبْدُ ٱللَّهِ يَدْعُوهُ كَادُوا۟ يَكُونُونَ عَلَيْهِ لِبَدًۭا
Yet when the servant of Allah stood up calling upon Him ˹alone˺, the pagans almost swarmed over him.
[Quran – 72:19]
4. Taha
طه[١] مَآ أَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْكَ ٱلْقُرْءَانَ لِتَشْقَىٰٓ [٢]
Ṭâ-Hâ. We have not revealed the Quran to you ˹O Prophet˺ to cause you distress,
[Quran – 20:1-2]
Indeed the Quran was revealed to none other than The Prophet ﷺ
5. Yasin
يسٓ [١] وَٱلْقُرْءَانِ ٱلْحَكِيمِ ٢ إِنَّكَ لَمِنَ ٱلْمُرْسَلِينَ ٣
Yâ-Sĩn. By the Quran, rich in wisdom! You ˹O Prophet˺ are truly one of the messengers
[Quran – 36:1-3]
Imam Baihaqi states: ‘The people of knowledge have also added other names from the Quran –
• Rasul
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلرَّسُولُ بَلِّغْ مَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِن رَّبِّكَ ۖ
O Messenger! Convey everything revealed to you from your Lord.
[Quran – 5:67]
• Nabi
• Shahid
• Mubashir
• Nazir
• Da’e
• Siraj
All above comes together in the following verse:
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّبِىُّ إِنَّآ أَرْسَلْنَـٰكَ شَـٰهِدًۭا وَمُبَشِّرًۭا وَنَذِيرًۭا ٤٥ وَدَاعِيًا إِلَى ٱللَّهِ بِإِذْنِهِۦ وَسِرَاجًۭا مُّنِيرًۭا ٤٦ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ بِأَنَّ لَهُم مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ فَضْلًۭا كَبِيرًۭا ٤٧
O Prophet! We have sent you as a witness, and a deliverer of good news, and a warner, and a caller to ˹the Way of˺ Allah by His command, and a beacon of light. Give good news to the believers that they will have a great bounty from Allah.
[Quran – 33:45 – 33:47]
صلى الله عليه و سلم
________________________________________
• Extracted from Sirah Nabawiya by Hafidh al-Mizzi
