Quran Garden

Session 471

Chapter 3

Verse 144

Muhammad is only a messenger before whom many messengers have come and gone.  If he died or was killed, would you revert to your old ways?  If anyone did so, he would not harm God in the least.  God will reward the grateful.  (Chapter 3: Verse 144)

A Name is given to distinguish a person from others, so when the name is mentioned, that person comes to mind.  If two people in a community share the same name, we must distinguish them by an additional description.  For example, if two people in your extended family are called 'Tom,' you may say this is "Tom senior" and "Tom junior." 

Choosing a name is usually done by the parents.  In many cultures, parents select a name full of optimism for their newborn in the hopes of giving their son or daughter a good start.  For example, they may choose the name 'Kareem,' which means 'generous,' in hopes of having a wealthy and kind child.  But life does not always unfold according to our wishes.  A girl named 'Grace' may not turn out to be graceful at all.  Things are different when Allah, the Almighty, chooses a name for a person. 

We know that the first name of God's Messenger, peace be upon him, is "Muhammad."  He is also known by a second name –Ahmad- mentioned in the Quran and the Gospel.  God says,

Jesus, son of Mary, said, "Children of Israel, I am sent to you by God, confirming the Torah that came before me and bringing the good news of a messenger to follow me whose name will be Ahmad." Yet when he came to them with clear signs, they said, "This is obvious sorcery." (61:6)

The name "Muhammad" is mentioned four times in the Quran, while "Ahmad" is mentioned once.   The verse under study is one of the four where the name of Muhammad is mentioned.  Here are the other three,

Muhammad is not the father of any man among you, but he is the Messenger of God and the Seal of the Prophets.  God has full knowledge of everything.  (33:40)

Those who disbelieve and bar others from God's way – God will render all their deeds vain.  While those who have faith and do righteous deeds and believe in what has been sent down to Mu?ammad —and it is the truth from their Lord— He shall absolve them of their misdeeds and set right their affairs. (47:1-2)

And lastly, in aya 29 of chapter 48,

Muhammad is the Messenger of God.  Those who follow him are harsh towards the disbelievers and compassionate towards each other.  You see them kneeling and prostrating, seeking God's bounty and His good pleasure

The word "Muhammad" and "Ahmad" are both derived from the root "Ha Ma Da," which means (praise).  But the derivation 'Muhammad' has a different meaning than 'Ahmad.'  Let’s dive into the etymology of the names of our beloved Prophet: 

We start with the word "Al Hamdu" in the abstract form, which means 'the praise.' When a person is praised, we call him "Mahmoud." However, when a person is praised all the time or given very high recognition, we call him "Muhammad." It is the superlative form of 'Mahmoud.' 

Similarly, when a person praises God, we call him 'Hamed.' However, when he is constantly praising God or always mindful of the Almighty, we call him "Ahmad."  It is the superlative of 'Hamed.' 

Allah combined both honors of praise for His Prophet, peace be upon him.  First, the Messenger of Allah is Muhammad, for Allah praises him, and all the Muslims send him an abundance of praise till the end of time.  He, peace be upon him, earned the honor of receiving praise from the Creator and the creation. 

Second, the Messenger of Allah is Ahmad, for he was in constant praise of the Lord and mindful of the Almighty in all his actions.  He, peace be upon him, earned the honor of striving towards Allah better than all creation before and after him. 

God's Messenger said: "I am Muhammad and Ahmad; the seal of the prophets and the summoner; I am the Prophet of repentance and the Prophet of mercy."  God says,

Surely God and His angels bless the Prophet.  O you who believe, invoke the blessings of God on him and pray to God to bestow His peace on him, greeting him with the best greeting.  (33:56)

May God send His blessings and peace to our beloved Muhammad and honor us with the pleasure of his company in Paradise.