Names are formulated in several ways. They are either composed of one word or more than one word, being ascribed or innovated. All of them are either proper nouns, being designated accordingly, without necessarily being meaningful, or they are attributes, necessitating a meaning.
The scholars have narrated many names in regards to Rasool’Allaah (salla’Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), most of the names being attributes. Some of the names are directly predicated to him. [1]
The names which are narrated in respect to him (salla’Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) are:
1) Muhammad (The Praised) [2]
2) Ahmad (The Most Praised)
3) al-Ameen (The Trustworthy)
4) al-Ummee (The Illiterate) [3]
5) al-Haashir (The Assembler) [4]
6) al-Khaatim (The Seal) [5]
7) ar-Rasool (The Messenger)
8) ash-Shaahid (The Witness) [6]
9) adh-Dhahook (The Humorous) [7]
10) al-‘Aaqib (The Last) [8]
11) al-Faatih (The Opener) [9]
12) al-Qattaal (The Warrior) [10]
13) al-Qutham (The Generous) [11]
14) al-Maahee (The Eradicator) [12]
15) al-Mustafaa (The Chosen)
16) al-Mubashir (The Bringer of Glad Tidings) [13]
17) al-Mutawakkil (The One who has Reliance upon Allaah)
18) al-Muqaffee (The Final) [14]
19) an-Nabee (The Prophet)
20) an-Nadheer (The Warner)
21) Nabee at-Tawbah (The Prophet of Forgiveness)
22) Nabee ar-Rahmah (The Prophet of Mercy)
23) Nabee al-Malaahim (The Prophet of War)
In relation to these twenty three names, most of them are derived from his attributes, and they will be explained in this book under the chapter al-Ghareeb, if Allaah so wills. [15]
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[1] From amongst them is what is narrated in al-Bukhaaree [no. 3532] regarding the ahadeeth of the anbiyaa’, and [no. 4896] in relation to the tafseer of soorah as-Saff. In addition, that which is narrated in Muslim [no. 2355] in the chapter of al-Fadaa’il, the section regarding his names (salla’Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam).
Related by al-Bukhaaree in his Saheeh [no. 4838] regarding the tafseer of:
“Verily, We have sent you as a Shaahid (witness), as a Mubashir (bringer of glad tidings), and as a Nadheer (warner).” (soorah as-Saff: 8)
‘Abd Allaah bin ‘Amr bin al-‘Aas (radhiya’Allaahu ‘anhumaa) narrated the verse in the Qur’aan:
“Verily, We have sent you as a Shaahid (witness), as a Mubashir (bringer of glad tidings), and as a Nadheer (warner).” (soorah as-Saff: 8)
Which in the Qur’aan appears in the Tawrah as thus:
“O Prophet! Verily We have sent you as a Shaahid (witness), as a Mubashir (bringer of glad tidings), as a Nadheer (warner) and as a Hirz (protector for the illiterates (i.e the Arabs)). You are My Slave and My Apostle, and I have named you al-Mutawakkil (one who depends upon Allaah). You are neither hard hearted, nor of fierce character, nor one who shouts in the markets. You do not return evil, but excuses and forgives. Allaah will not take you unto Him until He guides through you a crocked (curved) nation on the right path by causing them to say ‘Laa ilaaha illa Allaah‘. With such a statement, He will cause to open blind eyes, deaf ears and sealed hearts.”‘
al-Imaam Ibn al-Qayyim stated in Jalaa’ al-Afhaam fee Fadhl as-Salaah wa as-Salaam ‘alaa Muhammad Khayr al-Anaam, (p. 178 with tahqeeq from my father and ash-Shaykh Shu’ayb al-Arnaa’oot, published by Maktabah al-‘Uroobah in Kuwait):
“Him being called with this name – Muhammad – is due to it containing the meaning of praise as he is praised by Allaah, by the His Angels, by his fellow Messengers, by all the people of the earth, even though some of them disbelieve in him, and indeed in him is the perfection of qualities which are praised by every living creature.”
See the conclusion of this section of his statement as it is beneficial inshaa’Allaah.
[2] Ibn Faaris stated in his treatise asmaa’ Rasool’Allaah (salla’Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) wa ma’aaneehaa (with taqheeq by al-Ustaadh Maajid adh-Dhahabee p. 30, published by Jam’iyyah ihyaa’ at-Turaath al-Islaamee in Kuwait):
“It is a name taken from from al-Hamd. …it is said: ‘If a praised man (mahmood) reaches the limits of his praise and is consummated with goodness and virtue, he is known as Muhammad.'”
[3] See Majaalis fee Seerah an-Nabee (p. 29 – 31) and the section I wrote regarding the ‘illiterate Messenger of Allaah’ (salla’Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) within my introduction of the book I’alaan as-Saa’ileen by Ibn Tooloon ad-Dimishqi (p. 15 – 17, 2nd edition, published by Mu’asasah ar-Risaalah, Beirut).
[4] The one whom the people will gather at his feet on yawm al-Qiyaamah. Ibn Faaris stated in asmaa’ Rasool’Allaah (salla’Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) wa ma’aaneehaa (p. 32):
“Its meaning is that he will precede (the people) and they will be behind him, because he will be the first to be raised from the grave and followed by the children of Aadam who will follow him.”
[5] al-Haafith al-Bayhaqee stated in Shu’ab al-Eemaan (p. 177, Volume 2, published by Daar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut):
“al-Khaatim is the one whom there is no prophet after, like there is nothing after a matter has been decreed; like there is nothing after a book has been printed, and like there is nothing taken out from a sealed bag.”
[6] This has been mentioned in the Holy Qur’aan in the statement of the Most High:
“How (will it be) then, when We bring from each nation a witness and We bring you as a Shaheed (witness) against these people? (soorah an-Nisaa’: 41)
[7] Ibn Faaris stated in asmaa’ Rasool’Allaah (salla’Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) wa ma’aaneehaa (p. 36 – 37) : “And it is said that he (salla’Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) is adh-Dhahook because he was humorous as is stated in the hadeeth which makes mention of his humour, he (salla’Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, ‘Indeed I do joke, but I do not state anything but the truth.'”
[8] “Aboo ‘Ubayd stated that Yazeed bin Haaroon said, ‘I asked Sufyaan (bin ‘Uyaynah) regarding al-‘Aaqib, so he said, ‘It refers to the last of the Prophets’. Aboo ‘Ubayd then said, ‘And so, everything that comes after something is known as Aaqib.'” (Ibid p. 33),
[9] ‘He (salla’Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) is called al-Faatih because through his eemaan he opened closed doors and illuminated the darkness of tyranny.’ (Ibid p. 39)
[10] He (salla’Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) is named so due his devotion to combat, his hastiness to arms, without having any hesitation. (Ibid p. 37)
[11] al-Qutham has two meanings. One of the meanings is derived from al-Qatham, meaning, the one who gives. It is said he is called al-Qutham because he is more generous in goodness than a tranquil wind, because he gives without measure, and because he bestows his generosity without any prevention. (Ibid p. 38)
[12] He (salla’Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) is named al-Maahee because Allaah (jalla jalaalahu) sent him to eradicate kufr and to manifest eemaan.
[13] He (salla’Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) is named al-Mubashir because he announces the good news of glad tidings and paradise to the believers. (Ibid p. 35)
[14] It is stated in Lisaan al-‘Arab that al-Muqaffee is the similar to al-‘Aaqib. The meaning here is that he is the last of the Prophets followed by the people, and that when he leaves, there will no prophet who comes after him.
[15] See the explanation given regarding the names of the Prophet (salla’Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) in Zaad al-Ma’aad (p. 89 – 97, Volume 1), it is extremely beneficial.
البصيرة 