Who Named the Prophet (PBUH)?
من الذي سمّى الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم؟
When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was born, his mother sent word to his grandfather to give him the glad news of his grandson, so he brought him to the Kaaba and entered it. He thanked Allah, and he chose the name Muhammad for him, and this name was not common for the Arabs as it was mentioned that only about twenty men were called by that name. They circumcised him on the seventh day as the Arabs usually did.
لما ولد الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم، أرسلت أمه إلى جده تبشره بحفيده، فجاء مستبشرا ودخل به الكعبة ، ودعا الله وشكر له ، اختار له اسم محمد ،و هذا الاسم لم يكن مشهورا في العرب، و يذكر أن الذي تسمى به قرابة عشرين رجلا و هو عدد قليل قبل ، وختنه يوم سابعه كما كان العرب يفعلون.
1. Abd al-Muttalib's Choice on the Seventh Day | تسمية عبد المطلب لحفيده في اليوم السابع
On the seventh day after Muhammad's birth, his grandfather Abd al-Muttalib slaughtered a sacrificial feast for the nobles of Quraysh and circumcised the infant according to Abrahamic custom. When asked what name he gave the boy, he announced: "Muhammad."
مُّحَمَّدٌ رَّسُولُ اللَّـهِ (سورة الفتح: 29)
في اليوم السابع لولادة المصطفى ﷺ، عق عنه جده عبد المطلب ودعا قريشاً إلى مأدبة جامعة وختنه على عادة العرب وإرث إبراهيم، فلما سألوه عن اسمه قال: سميته محمداً.
2. Rarity of the Name Among Pre-Islamic Arabs | ندرة اسم محمد بين العرب وحفظه للنبي
The name Muhammad was virtually unheard of among earlier Arab generations. Only a tiny handful of parents who heard prophecies of an imminent messenger named their sons Muhammad shortly before his birth, but Allah preserved the unique fulfillment exclusively for him.
وَمَا مُحَمَّدٌ إِلَّا رَسُولٌ (سورة آل عمران: 144)
كان اسم محمد نادراً جداً في جزيرة العرب لا يكاد يعرف في الآباء والأجداد، ولم يسم به إلا آحاد قلائل سمع آباؤهم بقرب مبعث نبي يحمل هذا الاسم، فحفظ الله الاسم ليقترن بصاحب الرسالة الخاتمة.
3. The Reason Provided by Abd al-Muttalib | الحكمة العميقة التي صرح بها عبد المطلب
The biographers report that when the chiefs of Quraysh inquired why he departed from the customary ancestral names of his forefathers, Abd al-Muttalib replied: "I desired that Allah praise him in the heavens and that His creation praise him on earth," inspired by divine decree.
وَرَفَعْنَا لَكَ ذِكْرَكَ (سورة الشرح: 4)
يروي أهل السير أنه حين تعجب أشراف قريش قالوا: رغبت به عن أسماء آبائك وأجدادك؟ أجابهم عبد المطلب بفطرة ملهمة: "أردت أن يحمده الله في السماء، وأن يحمده خلقه في الأرض"، فتحقق رجاؤه بإذن الله.
4. Linguistic Meaning of "Muhammad" | الدلالة اللغوية البليغة لاسم محمد
Linguistically, "Muhammad" is an intensive passive participle derived from hamd (praise). It denotes a person whose praiseworthy qualities, virtues, and actions are so numerous, repeated, and enduring that people praise him continuously time after time.
وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ (سورة القلم: 4)
اسم محمد في لسان العرب صيغة مبالغة من الحمد؛ ومعناه الذي كثرت خصاله الحميدة وتكررت وتوالت حتى صار مستحقاً للثناء والحمد مرة بعد مرة من الخالق والمخلوقين.
5. Divine Inspiration of the Mother Aminah | إلهام أمه آمنة بالتسمية المباركة
Biographical sources note that his mother Aminah had also received an inspired dream during her pregnancy telling her: "You are carrying the master of this nation, so when he is born, say: 'I place him in the protection of the One,' and name him Muhammad."
فَتَقَبَّلَهَا رَبُّهَا بِقَبُولٍ حَسَنٍ (سورة آل عمران: 37)
تذكر كتب السيرة أن أمه آمنة قد رأت في منامها أثناء حملها قائلاً يقول لها: إنك قد حملت بسيد هذه الأمة، فإذا وضعتِه فسميه محمداً، فوافقت رؤياها تسمية جده عبد المطلب.
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
Who gave Prophet Muhammad his name?
His paternal grandfather, Abd al-Muttalib, named him on the seventh day after his birth.
Why did Abd al-Muttalib choose the name Muhammad?
According to the biographers, he said: "I desired that Allah praise him in the heavens and that His creation praise him on earth."
Was the name Muhammad common in Arabia at that time?
No, it was extraordinarily rare and virtually unused among the forebears of Quraysh.
What does the name Muhammad mean linguistically?
It means "the one praised abundantly and continuously" for possessing countless virtuous qualities.