SAW-03-The Names and Titles of the Prophet Muhammad

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Al-Aaqib: (The One who comes Last). He is the one who came at the end of the line of Prophets, and there is no prophet after him. In the ayah from the Qur’an, it is stated:

“Muhammad (SAW) is not the father of any man among you, but he is the Messenger of Allah and the last (end) of the Prophets. And Allah is Ever All-Aware of everything.”
Al-Muqaffee: (The Last). He is the one who was sent with the characteristics of the Messengers who 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.

And the Prophet (SAW) 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 " 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”.

And likewise the repentance of his (SAW) nation is more complete than the repentance of all the other nations, the fastest in being answered, and the easiest to be obtained. For the repentance of the previous nations was of the most difficult matters, to the extent that the repentance for the worshippers of the cow amongst the People of Israa`eel was to kill those worshippers. As stated in the
Qur’an:

“And (remember) when Musa (Moses) said to his people: "O my people! Verily, you have wronged yourselves by worshipping the calf. So turn in repentance to your Creator and kill yourselves (the innocent kill the wrongdoers among you), that will be better for you with your Lord." Then He accepted your repentance. Truly, He is the One Who accepts repentance, the Most Merciful.”

But as for this nation, it is from the Kindness of Allaah that He has made repentance dependant upon sorrow and abstaining (from the sin in question).

Nabi al-Malhama: (The Prophet of Fierce Battles). He was the one who was sent with Jihaadto the enemies of Allaah, and no prophet before him did Jihaad to the extent that the Messenger of Allaah (SAW) 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.

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. In the Qur’an, it is clearly stated:

with one voice: "Al-Ameen (the trustworthy) has come. We are content to abide by his decision."

It is important to note that the Prophet Muhammad was known to be of the highest and noblest character even before the advent of his prophethood. In the Qur’an, Allah states:

“And verily, you (O Muhammad ) are on an exalted standard of character.”

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’.

It is established that he (SAW) said, "I am the Master (Sayyid) of the children of Aadam [on the Day of Judgement] and I am not being arrogant."

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

Ibn Hajar writes: “The other names of the Prophet (saw ) which are mentioned in the Qur’an are: al-Shâhid, al-Mubashshir, al-Nadhîr, al-Mubayyin, al-Dâ`î ilâ Allah, al-Sirâj al-Munîr, al-Dhikr, al-Rahmah, al-Ni`mah, al-Hâdî, al-Shahîd, al-Amîn, al-Muzammil, and al-Mudaththir. More names came in the hadîth related by `Abd Allah b. `Amr b. al-`Âs which is al-Mutawakkil.

Other famous names are: al-Mukhtâr, al-Mustafâ, al-Shâfi`, al-Mushaffa`, al-Sâdiq, al-Musaddiq and others.Ibn al-Qayyim mentioned other names in his book Zad al-Ma`âd such as al-Qâsim, al-Dahûk, al-Qattâl, `Abd Allah, Sayyid Walad Âdam, Sâhib Liwâ’ al-Hamd, Sâhib al-Maqâm al-Mahmûd. However, these are all descriptions and not really names.

What the questioner said regarding 99 names is not substantiated by any authentic hadîth related from the Prophet (saw ).

Ibn Dahiyyah writes in his book devoted to the prophetic names: “Some people said that the Prophet’s ( ) names are equivalent to Allah’s names (i.e., 99 names)... "If someone were to search for them, he would find them to be more like three hundred names.” He then goes on to enumerate these names in his book, referring them back to his sources in the Qur’ân and in different biographical works. He also mentioned the proper way of pronouncing these names and their meanings.

References

Quraan.com
Islamicnetwork.com

SAW-02-The Names and Titles of the Prophet Muhammad

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The Names and Titles of the Prophet Muhammad

The Prophet (SAW) 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 reflecting upon them, we can, by the permission of Allaah, increase in our love and following of the Messenger of Allaah (SAW). This discussion is taken from ‘Zaad al-Ma`aad’ (1/88-97) of ibn al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him, summarised.

The names of the Prophet are of two types:

1.Those names that are specific to him and none of the Messengers before him had these names, like Muhammad, Ahmad, al-Aaqib, al-Haashir, al-Muqaffee and Nabi al-Malhama.

2.Those names and qualities that are not specific 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.Through my research I have found that there are a lot of different lists of the Prophet Muhammad’s names that happen to be inauthentic and endorsed by mostly Sufi followers.

The most commonly propagated list of the Prophet’s names are the 99 Names, of which they have likened to the number of names of Allah that He has mentioned (He is not limited only to a certain number of names and attributes). This claim was refuted by Shaykh ‘Ali A. Al-Jumu’ah and stated that it “is not substantiated by any authentic hadîth related from the Prophet (saw ).” Ibn Dahiyyah writes in his book devoted to the prophetic names: “Some people said that the Prophet’s (saw ) names are equivalent to Allah’s names (i.e., 99 names)... "If someone were to search for them, he would find them to be more like three hundred names.” is not substantiated by any authentic hadîth related from the Prophet (saw ).

There are ahadith that state his names like in the hadîth related by Jubayr b. Mut`im that the Prophet said: “I have five names: I am Muhammad, I am Ahmad, I am al-Mâhî for Allah eliminates disbelief by me, I am al-Hâshir since all people gather under me at the day of Judgment, and I am al-`Âqib”. Other names have also been specifically mentioned in the Qur’an as referenced below.

Some of the authentic names that can be sourced are the following:

Muhammad: It is a passive participle, which means “to be eternally praised” and has qualities that are praiseworthy. It was given to him by his beloved grandfather, Abdul-Muttalib and it was not a common name at that time. The Prophet Muhammad is praised more than any other person, and this is why - and Allaah knows best - 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 first. 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 (SAW).

Also these two names stem from his character and the praiseworthy qualities that are specific to him, and it is because of these that he is called Muhammad (SAW) 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 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 firm the nation through him, causing them to say: there is none worthy of worship except Allaah."He 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/effacer). This has been explained in the hadeeth of Jubair bin Mut`am: "al-Maahee: the one through whom Allaah destroys and effaces unbelief." Disbelief was not destroyed and removed by any single person as completely as was done by the Prophet (SAW). Indeed he was sent with the Truth, while all of the inhabitants of the earth were in disbelief, except for some remnants of the People of the Book. They consisted 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 fire, and the philosophers who did not acknowledge the laws of the Prophets. And Allaah effaced 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. The Prophet Muhammad has also been given by Allah the permission to intercede on the behalf of his followers so that they may enter Paradise. In an authentic hadeeth, it was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allaah said: “I will be the leader of mankind on the Day of Resurrection.

Do you know why that is? Allaah will gather mankind, the first and the last of them, in one place, so that the caller will be able to make them all hear his voice and the watcher will be able to see them all. The sun will be brought close and the people will suffer such distress and trouble that they will not be able to bear it or stand it. The people will say, ‘Don't you see in the state you are in and the condition you have reached? Why don't you look for someone who can intercede for you with your Lord?’ The people will say to one another: ‘Go to your father, Adam.’ So they will go to Adam (peace be upon him) …

I [Prophet Muhammad] will go and prostrate beneath the Throne. Then I will be given words of praise such have never been given to anyone before me, then it will be said, ‘O Muhammad! Raise your head; ask, for it will be given to you, and intercede, for your intercession will be accepted.’ I will raise my head and say, ‘My ummah, O lord! My ummah, O Lord!’ It will be said, ‘O Muhammad, admit from among your ummah those who will not be brought to account from the right-hand gate of Paradise, and they will share the other gates with the people.’ He said, By the One in Whose hand is my soul, the distance between two of the gate-posts is like the distance between Makkah and Humayr, or between Makkah and Busra.”

This also shows us how the Prophet’s compassion is towards his followers and to all Muslims. Not only does this increase our love for him, but it also makes us want to follow his Sunnah as best as we could.

SAW-01-The Names and Titles of the Prophet Muhammad

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The Names and Titles of the Prophet Muhammad

Introduction

The Prophet Muhammad ( ) was undoubtedly the greatest man to have walked on this earth. He was the last messenger of Allah and a mercy to mankind. He brought with him laws that if we ruled by them, justice will prevail amongst our societies. He exuded the best of character that if we applied to our own selves, we will be highly respected and looked up to. He led the people with such leadership that if we were to have leaders with the same qualities, we will be the most successful nation. And finally, he brought with him Islam, the perfect religion, that if we follow as he described it, we will never be astray.

All through his lifetime, the Prophet Muhammad ( ) was referred to by Allah with different names and titles, all of which describe his unique role and the message that he conveyed. I chose this topic because when we were discussing in class about the importance of studying Seerah, we talked about how cultivating one’s love for the Prophet Muhammad ( ) necessitates our knowledge of as much aspect of his life as we can acquire. Furthermore, by knowing his names and titles, it will also give us an idea of the roles that he played, and the honor and respect that was given to him by our Creator.

In this paper, I have approached this topic by defining Seerah, citing the importance of studying it, the names and titles of the Prophet Muhammad ( ) and their significance, and the lessons I have learned throughout this research.

Definition of Seerah

Linguistically it means a path a person takes during his lifetime. It also means conduct, comportment, demeanor, behavior, way of life, attitude, position, reaction, way of acting, and biography. Seerah can be a biography of any person, not just the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). However, we have used it with him so much, that we automatically refer it to his life.

Importance of Studying Seerah

1. The life of Prophet Muhammad is the history of Islam - we are studying a concise history of Islam by studying Seerah. We will find situations and incidences during his life that would help us in everything that we would need to know in our way of Da’wah. So his life is really the history of our religion. Muhammad bin Sa’ad bin Abee Waqqas said: “Our father would teach us the battles of the Prophet (saw), he would teach us the seerah and he would tell us that these are the traditions of our fathers, so study them.” They used to refer to Seerah as Maghaazi, which means battles since the later part of the Prophet’s life was spent in Maghaazi. Ali bin Hussain bin Ali ibn Abi Talib said: “We were taught the Seerah like the way we used to be taught before it, and hijrah erases everything before it, and hajj erases everything before it.”

And so I became Muslim. At that stage, the Prophet Muhammad (saw) became the most beloved person to me in the whole world. I loved him so much and I respected him so much that I couldn’t even catch a full glimpse of his face. If I had died in that stage, I would’ve hoped to be in Jannah. Sohail Ibn Amr, a well-known negotiator, was sent to the Prophet (saw) and came back saying: “I visited the Roman emperor, Persian, Najashi, but I have never in my life seen a leader that is so loved and respected by his followers like Muhammad (saw). I saw amazing things, such as when the Prophet (saw) would be making wudhu and the sahabah would be rushing to grab the water dripping form the body. So do whatever you want but these people will never give up their leader.” Until now, he remains the most beloved figure in the whole of history.

The name Muhammad means the ‘Praised One’, and it really fulfilled the meaning. “Say: If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your kindred, the wealth that you have gained, the commerce in which you fear a decline, and the dwellings in which you delight … are dearer to you than Allah and His Messenger, and striving hard and fighting in His Cause, then wait until Allah brings about His Decision (torment). And Allah guides not the people who are Al-Fasiqun (the rebellious, disobedient to Allah).” (9:24)

2. To follow the way of the Prophet (saw). Ibn Hazm says: “Whoever seeks the preeminence of the Hereafter, the 1. wisdom of this life, the just purpose, and the embodiment of morality and character, let him follow Muhammad, the prophet of Allah.”

3. Understanding Qur’an. Seerah gives explanation for some ayaat in the Qur’an.

4. His life documents the methodological steps of the Islamic Movement. He went through stages, starting with the secret da’wah, and then public, and then later on, Jihad. These stages are important for Islamic movements to learn and study. Qur’an and Sunnah are verbal teaching and we see them applied in Seerah. Hadeeth about the black string and white string.

5. It is ‘Ibaadah. There is reward in studying Seerah, wherein each gathering is a circle of Dhikr that angels attend.

6. Developing a Muslim identity. Global culture is forced on us, protected and promoted. Thomas Friedman says that “the hidden hand of the market cannot survive without a hidden fist.” McDonald’s will never flourish without McDonald Douglas, the designer of F15’s. This means that the global culture that is being promoted is a culture wherein there is no choice but to follow. You either accept McDonald’s or McDonald Douglas will send their F15’s. It is a very intolerant culture that cannot exist with anything else. Alexander Szoltsen, famous historian writer, says that “to destroy a people you must first sever their roots”. The way we can counter this and develop a Muslim identity is 1.) Study Seerah which is made up of the lives of the Prophets, the Prophet Muhammad, the Companions, and the great figures of our history. 2.) Not to override our local identity to our Islamic identity. What happens in other muslim countries should concern us like it’s happening to us.

7. The Life of Muhammad is a testimony of his Prophethood. We get to know the miracles (the Qur’an), and how he became the political leader, military, religious, lawmaker, teacher, imam, head of a large family, and all he used to do within only 23, which is impossible for any other. This shows that we are studying the greatest man to have ever walked the earth. Michael H. Hart author, wrote a book about 100 most influential people that ever lived in history and chose the Prophet Muhammad. He states that the Prophet Muhammad (saw) was the only one who was supremely successful in both religious and Secular level. Al-Mustafa, a name of the Prophet Muhammad (saw), which means “The Chosen One”.