5 Names & Titles of the Prophet Muhammad
How Many Names Does the Prophet Have?
The Prophet is called by five names that he explicitly stated as his names in authentic hadiths; Allah Almighty named His Messenger in the Holy Qur’an as Ahmad and Muhammad. There are also noble prophetic hadiths that mention other names of the Prophet, including the saying of the Prophet (peace be upon him):
“I have five names: I am Muhammad, Ahmad, and I am Al-Mahi (the Eraser) by whom Allah erases disbelief, and I am Al-Hashir (the Gatherer) before whom people will be gathered, and I am Al-'Aqib (the Last)”.
It is also authentically reported from Abu Musa Al-Ash'ari (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said:
“The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to tell us his names and said: I am Muhammad, Ahmad, Al-Muqaffi, Al-Hashir, Nabi At-Tawbah (Prophet of Repentance), and Nabi Ar-Rahmah (Prophet of Mercy)”.
These are the famous names attributed to him. Ibn Al-Arabi reported that some Sufis had compiled as many as a thousand names, collected from the Qur’an, the noble Sunnah, and ancient books.
The Prophet himself declared he had five names: Muhammad, Ahmad, Al-Mahi, Al-Hashir, and Al-'Aqib.
Detailing the Names of the Prophet (peace be upon him)
Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said the first hadith indicates that the Prophet exclusively designated himself with these five names as they were famous and no one else bore them, not necessarily to limit the number. These five names may also have existed among previous nations and were famous in their books. The difference among scholars about the validity of attributing some names to the Messenger of Allah leads to differences in their count. This is partly because some called the Messenger by what Allah described him with in the Qur’an. For example, Allah Almighty said:
“O Prophet, indeed We have sent you as a witness and a bringer of good tidings and a warner, And as one who invites to Allah, by His permission, and an illuminating lamp”.
Some scholars assigned names such as Al-Shahid (the Witness), Al-Mubashir (the Bringer of Good News), An-Nadhir (the Warner), Ad-Da'i (the Caller), and As-Siraj Al-Munir (the Illuminating Lamp) to him. Others said these are attributes, not names.
1. Muhammad
This is the most famous and specific name among all names. It is mentioned four times in four surahs of the Qur’an: Al-Imran, Muhammad, Al-Fath, and Al-Ahzab. The root of Muhammad is from Al-Hamd (praise), meaning the praised one whenever his name is mentioned, or that he encompasses all praiseworthy qualities. He (peace be upon him) is praised in the heavens and the earth, in this world and the hereafter, in his creation, character, and conditions. The name Muhammad appears in the declaration of monotheism; it is the name by which he calls himself, and by which Allah, His angels, and others call him.
He introduced himself by this name in his letters, saying: “From Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, to..”. It is mentioned that Jesus (peace be upon him) will call him by this name on the Day of Judgment when people come to him for intercession. Gabriel (peace be upon him) called him Muhammad during Isra and Mi'raj, as did Ibrahim. The Angel of the Mountains called him by this name after his invitation to the people of Ta’if. He uses it while inviting to Islam, and people call him by it. He also introduces himself with this name to the keeper of Paradise to open its gate for him.
2. Ahmad
This name is a superlative form of praise, meaning “the one who is much praised and glorified”. It was foretold in the Gospel and mentioned by Moses (peace be upon him) when he foretold his coming to his people.
The Gospel and Moses only mentioned him by the name Ahmad. People recognized him by this name, especially after he became a Messenger, as he used it during his call, and no one else shared it, so when mentioned, it exclusively meant him.
3. Al-Mahi (The Eraser)
He is the one by whom Allah erases disbelief. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “I am Al-Mahi by whom Allah erases disbelief”. He was sent at a time when polytheism was widespread, with many idols and false objects of worship, idols, stones, fire, stars, and others. The Prophet’s mission was to eradicate all that and wipe out disbelief. He is the eraser by whom Allah removes the sins of those who believed in him and followed his call, forgiving the sins they committed before Islam. Allah says:
“Indeed, Allah does not forgive associating others with Him, but He forgives anything less than that for whom He wills”.
Allah also describes Himself in His book:
“Allah erases what He wills and confirms, and with Him is the Mother of the Book”.
4. Al-Hashir (The Gatherer)
He is the one before whom people will be gathered, meaning he will be the first to be resurrected from his grave and the first to proceed to the place of gathering, then all creatures will be resurrected after him.
5. Al-'Aqib (The Last)
He is the last of the Messengers, the Seal of the Prophets, with no prophet after him. Allah said:
“Muhammad is not the father of any one of your men, but he is the Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets”.
Ibn Al-Arabi said Al-'Aqib means the one who follows those before him in goodness.
Muhammad is the name given by his grandfather Abdul-Muttablib; Ahmad is the name mentioned in the Qur’an, Al-Mahi is the one by whom Allah erased disbelief, Al-Hashir is the first to be gathered among people, and Al-'Aqib is the Seal of the Prophets.
Other Famous Names of the Prophet - peace be upon him -
There are other names of the Prophet, including:
- Abdullah mentioned in the saying of Allah - the Exalted -: "And when Abdullah stood up calling him, they almost became upon him a throng”.
- Al-Ummi (The Unlettered) in His saying - the Exalted -: "Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered prophet.[18]"
- Ar-Rahim (The Merciful) in His saying - the Exalted -: "There has certainly come to you a Messenger from among yourselves; grievous to him is what you suffer; [he is] concerned over you and to the believers is kind and merciful”.
- Al-Bashir (The Bearer of Good News) in His saying - the Exalted -: "Indeed, We have sent you with the truth as a bringer of good tidings and a warner”.
- Ash-Shahid and Ash-Shahid (The Witness and The Witnessed) in His saying - the Exalted -: "Indeed, We have sent to you a Messenger as a witness over you”.
- An-Nadhir (The Warner) in His saying - the Exalted -: "You are only a warner, and Allah is Disposer of all things”.
- The Caller to Allah.
- The Conveyer (of the message).
- The Hanif (Monotheist).
- The Prophet of Repentance.
- The Light.
- The Radiant Lamp.
- Al-Mustafa (The Chosen).
- Al-Muddathir (The Cloaked One).
- Al-Muzzammil (The Wrapped One).
- Al-Tahir (The Pure).
- Al-Mutahhar, and Al-Mutahhir (The Purified, and The Purifier).
- Al-Mutawakkil (The One Who Trusts in Allah).
- As-Sadiq Al-Amin (The Truthful, The Trustworthy).
- Ta-Ha.
There are many famous names of the Prophet - peace be upon him - including: Al-Mustafa, As-Siraj Al-Munir, and Ta-Ha.
The Ruling on Naming After the Prophet and Using His Kunya (Nickname)
The Messenger of Allah - peace be upon him - forbade taking his kunya during his lifetime, then it became permissible after his death. Naming by his name is permissible in both cases, and combining the name and kunya was also permissible after his death.
Scholars' opinions differed on this, but the majority follow what he - peace be upon him - said: "Name yourselves after me, but do not take my kunya”. The reason for this hadith is that the Messenger of Allah was walking in the market, and a man called out, "O Abu al-Qasim," so the Prophet turned to him, then the man said, "I was calling this one," meaning he intended to call someone else, then the Prophet said this hadith.
The companions understood that this prohibition was only during his life, peace be upon him. Also, some companions named their sons after the Prophet and gave them his kunya, like Abu Bakr As-Siddiq and Talha ibn Ubayd Allah.
It is permissible to name after the Prophet and his kunya after his death, peace be upon him.
The Status and Virtue of the Prophet Muhammad
Allah - the Mighty and Majestic - described His Prophet as a mercy to the worlds, saying - Glorified be He -: "And We have not sent you except as a mercy to the worlds." He also made him the Seal of the Prophets and Messengers, saying - the Exalted -: "Muhammad is not the father of any one of your men, but [he is] the Messenger of Allah and seal of the prophets”.
Allah sent him to the worlds of jinn and mankind and considered him a favor and great grace upon His believing servants. He protected him and kept away from him every mocker who does not believe in Allah, supported him, elevated his word, perfected his light, and made this call ongoing until the Day of Judgment.
Whoever harms or wrongs him, Allah hastens His punishment upon them in this world and the Hereafter, as He says - Glorified be He -: "Indeed, those who abuse Allah and His Messenger - Allah has cursed them in this world and the Hereafter and prepared for them a humiliating punishment”.
We love him greatly because Allah, the Exalted, sent him to bring people out of darkness and idol worship to the light of faith in Allah alone. He exerted his effort - peace be upon him - in this call and endured its hardships. One of the greatest indications of the Prophet’s mercy on his nation is that he reserved his intercession for the Day of Judgment to be a means of salvation for his nation before Allah. He came to introduce people to their Lord and save them from the punishment of the Fire.
The virtue and status of the Prophet are great; he is a mercy to the worlds and the Seal of the Prophets. Allah made his message enduring until the Day of Judgment, and the Prophet - peace be upon him - reserved his intercession for his nation on that Day.
