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January 31, 2014 b y AbdurRahman.Org

The Explanation of the Meanings of the Names of

the Prophet – Ibn al-Qayyim
The Explanation of the Meanings of the  Names of the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa
sallam) – Taken from ‘Zaad al-Ma`aad’ (1/88-97) of ibn al-Qayyim, rahimahullaah

Bismillaahir-Rahmaanir-Raheem

Know that the Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) has been called by many names and
titles in the Qur`aan and Sunnah, each one of them describing a special quality of this
exalted personality. And in understanding them and re ecting upon them, we can, by the
permission of Allaah, increase in our love and following of the Messenger of Allaah
(sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam). This discussion is taken from ‘Zaad al-Ma`aad’ (1/88-97) of
ibn al-Qayyim, rahimahullaah, summarised.

The names of the Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) are of two types:

Those names that are speci c to him and none of the Messengers before him had these
names, like Muhammad, Ahmad, al-Aaqib, al-Haashir, al-Muqa ee, Nabi al-Malhama.
Those names and qualities that are not speci c to him, and were shared by the
Messengers before him, but are found in him in the most complete and perfect forms.
Like: Messenger of Allaah, His Prophet, His Servant, Prophet of Mercy etc.

What follows is an explanation of some of them.

Muhammad: is a passive participle, whosoever is praised, possessing many

praiseworthy qualities then he is muhammad. And Muhammad (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa
sallam) is praised more than any other person, and this is why – and Allaah knows best –

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he was called by this name in the Torah, due to the many praiseworthy qualities which
he, his religion, and his nation possess such that even Moses wished that he would be
from them.

Ahmad: Derived, as is Muhammad, from the noun hamd (praise). A group of scholars
said that it is a passive participle, meaning: his praising of Allaah is more than any other
person’s praise of him, and therefore he is the most deserving of being praised and the
rst. So in meaning Ahmad is similar to Muhammad except that the distinction is that he
is Muhammad due to his possessing many praiseworthy qualities, and he is Ahmad due
to his being praised in a more excellent way than the praise of any other. And this is the
most complete meaning of this word, and the most extensive in commending him
(sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam).

Also these two names stem from his character, and the praiseworthy qualities speci c to
him, and it is because of these that he is called Muhammad (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam)
and Ahmad. And he is the one who is praised by the People of the Heaven, the People of
the earth, the People of the world and the People of the Hereafter.

Al-Mutawakkil: (The One who puts his trust in Allaah). In the Saheeh of Bukhaaree from
the hadeeth of Abdullaah bin Umru who said, “I read the description of the Prophet
(sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) in the Torah: Muhammad is Messenger of Allaah, My
servant and Messenger, I have called him al-Mutawakkil. He is neither rude nor harsh
and he does not shout in the markets, and he does not return an evil for an evil, rather
he overlooks and forgives. And I will not make him to die until I make rm the nation
through him, causing them to say: there is none worthy of worship except Allaah.” {1}

He (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) is the most deserving of this name, because the trust he
put in Allaah to establish the religion was a trust unequalled by any other.

Al-Maahee: (the destroyer/e acer). This has been explained in the hadeeth of Jubair bin
Mut`am: “al-Maahee: the one through whom Allaah destroys and e aces unbelief.” {2}

Disbelief was not destroyed and removed by any single person as completely as was
done by the Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam). For indeed he was sent, and all of the
inhabitants of the earth were in disbelief, except for some remnants of the People of the
Book. Consisting of the worshippers of idols, the Jews who had the Anger of Allaah on
them, the Christians who had been misguided, the atheist Saabi`een, the worshippers of
the stars and the re, and the philosophers who did not acknowledge the laws of the
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Prophets. And Allaah e aced them all through His Messenger until He established His
religion and made it supreme over all others, and made it spread to the extent that the
night and day spreads, and made his call as the rays of the sun in the various lands.

Al-Haashir: (the Gatherer). He is the one who gathered and united the people at his feet,
and therefore it was as if he had been sent for this purpose.

Al-Aaqib: (The Last). He is the one who came at the end of the line of Prophets, and there
is no prophet after him.

Al-Muqa ee: (). He is the one who was sent with the characteristics of the Messengers
that had preceded him, and was their seal.

Nabi at-Tawba: (the Prophet of Repentance). It was by him that Allaah opened the door
of repentance for the inhabitants of the earth [by them accepting his message], and
Allaah forgave them with a forgiveness that was not given to the people before him. {3}

And the Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) was the one who sought forgiveness from
Allaah the most, to the extent that he would say, “My Lord forgive me and turn toward
me, You are The Oft-Forgiving, The Oft-Returning” {4}, 100 times in a single sitting. And he
used to say, “O people repent to Allaah, your Lord, for indeed I repent to Allaah 100 times
in a day”. {5}

And likewise the repentance of his (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) nation is more complete
than the repentance of all the other nations, the most quickest in being answered, and
the easiest to be obtained. For the repentance of the previous nations was of the most
di cult matters, to the extent that the repentance for the worshippers of the cow
amongst the People of Israa`eel was to kill those worshippers. {6} But as for this nation,
then from the Kindness of Allaah to it is that he has made repentance dependant upon
sorrow and abstaining (from the sin in question).

Nabi al-Malhama: (The Prophet of Slaughter). He was the one who was sent with Jihaad
to the enemies of Allaah, and no prophet before him did Jihaad to the extent that the
Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) and his nation fought Jihaad. And the
like of the large wars that took place between him and the disbelievers were not seen
before him. For his nation fought the disbelievers in lands to the ends of the earth.

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Nabi ar-Rahma: (The Prophet of Mercy). He was the one whom Allaah sent as a Mercy
for the universe. And Allaah was Merciful to all the people of the earth through him, both
the believers and the disbelievers.

Al-Faatih: (the opener/conqueror). It was through him that Allaah opened the door of
guidance after it had been closed, and opened closed eyes and deaf ears and sealed
hearts. And through him Allaah conquered the lands of the disbelievers, and opened the
doors of Paradise, and opened through him the ways of acquiring bene cial knowledge
and righteous actions. And He opened through him both the doors of this world and the
hereafter.

Al-Ameen: (the Trustworthy). He is the most deserving out of all creation for this name.
For he is the trustee of Allaah of His revelation and religion. And he is the trusted one in
the Heaven and in the earth. And this is why he was called al-Ameen before his
Prophethood.

Al-Basheer: (the Bearer of glad tidings). He is the bearer of glad tidings for the one who
obeys him of reward, and he is the Warner (an-Nadheer) of the one who disobeys him of
punishment.

And Allaah called him his servant (Abd) in many places in His Book for example, ‘Blessed
be He who revealed the Furqaan to His servant’. {7}

It is established that he (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said, “I am the Master (sayyid) of

the children of Aadam [on the Day of Judgement] and I am not being arrogant.” {8}

And Allaah called him an Illuminating Lamp (Siraaj Muneer). And all praise is due to
Allaah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

FOOTNOTES:

{1} Related by Bukhaaree in chapter dealing with the tafseer of Surah Fath.

{2}The full hadeeth is, “I am Muhammad, and I am Ahmad, and I am al-Maahee through
whom Allaah e aces disbelief, and I am al-Haashir through who the people are gathered
at my feet, and al-Aaqib after whom there is no Prophet.” Related by Bukhaaree in the
chapter dealing with the tafseer of Surah Sa

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{3} For example, a person who enters Islaam shall have all his sins forgiven provided he
does not persist in them while he is a Muslim.

{4} Related by at-Tirmidhee in the chapter of du`aa (no.3430) and it is saheeh.

{5} Related by Muslim in the chapter of Dhikr and Du`aa.

{6} See Qur`aan (2:54)

{7} Qur`aan (25:1)

{8} Related by at-Tirmidhee in the chapter ‘Excellence of the Prophet’ (no.3618) and it is
saheeh.

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