Individuals Named 'Muhammad' Before the Prophet’s Advent ﷺ

The blessed name ‘Muhammad’ () occupies a highly prominent and sacred position in Islamic belief and Prophetic biography. It is not merely an identifying word, rather, it is a comprehensive title of the Holy Prophet's () praiseworthy rank, elevated remembrance, and universal acceptance. ‘Muhammad’ () is the name of that blessed person whose praise was made repeatedly, continuously, and from every direction, whose qualities were described in the heavenly scriptures, whose coming was foretold by the noble Prophets , and whose remembrance was elevated by Allah in this world and the Hereafter. For this reason, the books of seerah, shama'il (notable attributes), and khasais (distinctive features) discuss, as an independent subject, whether any person among the Arabs or non-Arabs bore the name ‘Muhammad’ before Prophet Muhammad . Some statements apparently suggest that no one before him had this name, whereas historical and biographical sources also mention a few individuals of the Age of Jahiliyyah who were named Muhammad. Careful investigation indicates that this name had not been part of the Arab’s long-standing naming tradition, nor was it widely known or commonly used among them; rather, it appeared only in very rare instances. However, near the blessed time of the birth of the Holy Prophet , a few people named their children ‘Muhammad’, hoping that prophethood would come in their family, as they had heard the prophecies of the People of the Book, monks, and soothsayers.

The Name ‘Muhammad’ in the Age of Jahiliyyah

From the time of Adam  until the Age of Jahiliyyah, the name ‘Muhammad’ was not widely known or used among the Arabs or non-Arabs. Among the well-known ancient Arab names, Abd Manaf, Abd Al-Uzza, Harith, Malik, Zayd, Amr, Amir, and Sufyan were very common. ‘Muhammad,’ however, was not a normal tribal or family name. In this regard, Ibn Qutaybah writes:

ومن أعلامه أنه لم يسم أحد قبله باسمه، صيانة من اللّٰه لاسمه، كما فعل ليحيى بن زكريا إذ لم يجعل له من قبل سميا. ¹

Among the signs of his prophethood is that no one before him was named by his name, as a protection from Allah for his name, just as Allah did for Yahya ibn Zakariyya (), concerning whom He declared that no one before him had borne that name.

However, when the time of the arrival of the final Prophet drew near and the People of the Book and monks began to speak about the appearance of a prophet whose name would be ‘Muhammad’ (), some people named their children ‘Muhammad’ in the hope that the Promised Prophet might be born among them. In this connection, Qadi ‘Iyad writes:

...فحقيق أن يسمى محمدا وأحمد ثم في هذين الاسمين من عجائب خصائصه وبدائع آياته فن آخر هو إن اللّٰه جل اسمه حمى أن يسمى بهما أحد قبل زمانه أما أحمد الذي أتى في الكتب وبشرت به الأنبياء فمنع الله تعالى بحكمته أن يسمى به أحد غيره ولا يدعى به مدعو قبله حتى لا يدخل لبس على ضعيف القلب أو شك وكذلك محمد أيضا لم يسم به أحد من العرب ولا غيرهم إلى أن شاع قبيل وجوده صلى اللّٰه عليه وسلم وميلاده أن نبيا يبعث اسمه محمد فسمى قوم قليل من العرب أبناءهم بذلك...²

Thus, it was most appropriate that he be named ‘Muhammad’ and ‘Ahmad’. In these two names there is another independent aspect of his astonishing special qualities and marvelous signs: Allah, exalted is His name, protected these two names from being used for anyone before his time. As for Ahmad, which appeared in the earlier scriptures and through which the prophets gave glad tidings of him, Allah, in His perfect wisdom, prevented anyone other than him from being given this name, or being called by it before him, so that no confusion or doubt might enter the heart of a weak person. Likewise, ‘Muhammad’ also had not been used as a name for anyone among the Arabs or non-Arabs before him, until, shortly before his appearance and blessed birth, it became widely known that a prophet would be sent whose name would be ‘Muhammad’.Thereupon, a small number of Arabs named their sons by this name.

Imam Al-Suhayli states:

قال المؤلف لا يعرف في العرب من تسمى بهذا الاسم قبله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - إلا ثلاثة طمع آباؤهم - حين سمعوا بذكر محمد - صلى الله عليه وسلم - وبقرب زمانه وأنه يبعث في الحجاز - أن يكون ولدا لهم. ذكرهم ابن فورك في كتاب الفصول وهم محمد بن سفيان بن مجاشع، جد جد الفرزدق الشاعر والآخر محمد بن أحيحة بن الجلاح بن الحريش بن جمحى بن كلفة بن عوف بن عمرو بن عوف بن مالك بن الأوس، والآخر محمد بن حمران بن ربيعة، وكان آباء هؤلاء الثلاثة قد وفدوا على بعض الملوك وكان عنده علم من الكتاب الأول فأخبرهم بمبعث النبي - صلى الله عليه وسلم - وباسمه وكان كل واحد منهم قد خلف امرأته حاملا، فنذر كل واحد منهم إن ولد له ذكر أن يسميه محمدا، ففعلوا ذلك.³

The compiler says: Among the Arabs, no one is known to have been given this name before the Messenger of Allah except three individuals. When their (Arabs) fathers heard about Muhammad , as the time (of his appearance) drew near, and about his being sent in the Hijaz, they hoped that he might be born as a son in their households. Ibn Furak mentioned them (children who were named Muhammad) in Kitab Al-Fusul. They were: Muhammad ibn Sufyan ibn Mujashi, the ancestor of the poet Al-Farazdaq; Muhammad ibn Uhayhah ibn Al-Jallah ibn Al-Harish ibn Jumha ibn Kalfah ibn Awf ibn Amr ibn Awf ibn Malik ibn Al-Aws; and Muhammad ibn Humran ibn Rabi'ah. The fathers of these three men had visited some kings as part of a delegation. One of those kings possessed knowledge from the earlier scripture, so he informed them about the mission of the Holy Prophet and about his name. Each of them had left his wife pregnant; therefore, each vowed that if a son was born to him, he would name him Muhammad. Accordingly, they did so.

These quotations establish that, from the time of Prophet Adam until the general periods of the pre-Islamic era, the name ‘Muhammad’ was not a well-known or commonly used name among either the Arabs or the non-Arabs. However, when the time of the coming of the Final Prophet drew near, and it became widely known through the People of the Book, and the monks that a Prophet would appear whose name would be ‘Muhammad’. Thus, some people named their children ‘Muhammad’ in the hope that they might be the promised Prophet. However, none of these individuals claimed prophethood for themselves, nor did anyone else claim prophethood on their behalf, and no signs of prophethood appeared in them that could have caused confusion among the people.

Individuals named ‘Muhammad’ before the Prophet Muhammad

As noted earlier, several individuals were named Muhammad before the advent of the Holy Prophet Muhammad . Scholarly accounts differ regarding their exact number. Imam al-Maqrizi identified six such individuals, ⁴ whereas Imam al-Salihi al-Shami placed their number at approximately twenty. ⁵ The strongest view, however, is that of Ibn Hajar, who identified fifteen individuals bearing this name. Their names are as follows:

1. Muhammad Al-Fuqaymi (محمد الفُقَيمي)
2. Muhammad ibn Uhayhah ibn Al-Jallah Al-Awsi (محمد بن أحيحة بن الجلاح الأوسي)
3. Muhammad ibn Amr ibn Mughaffal (محمد بن عمرو بن مُغَفَّل)
4. Muhammad ibn Khawli Al-Hamdani (محمد بن خَوْلي الهمداني)
5. Muhammad ibn Al-Harith ibn Hudayj ibn Huways (محمد بن الحارث بن حُديج بن حُوَيص)
6. Muhammad ibn Sufyan ibn Mujashi Al-Tamimi (محمد بن سفيان بن مُجاشع التميمي)
7. Muhammad ibn Yazid ibn Amr ibn Rabi'ah Al-Tamimi (محمد بن يزيد بن عمرو بن ربيعة التميمي)
8. Muhammad Al-Usaydi (محمد الأُسَيدي)
9. Muhammad ibn Al-Bara Al-Bakri (محمد بن البراء البكري); or, according to the vocalization of Al-Baladhuri: Muhammad ibn Barr Al-Bakri Al-Atwari (محمد بن بَرّ البكري العتواري)
10. Muhammad ibn Al-Yahmad Al-Azdi (محمد بن اليحمد الأزدي)
11. Muhammad ibn Adi ibn Rabi'ah Al-Tamimi Al-Sa'di (محمد بن عدي بن ربيعة التميمي السعدي)
12. Muhammad ibn Harmaz ibn Malik Al-Ya'mari (محمد بن حرماز بن مالك اليعمري)
13. Muhammad ibn Usamah ibn Malik ibn Habib Al-Anbari (محمد بن أسامة بن مالك بن حبيب العنبري)
14. Muhammad ibn Khuza'i ibn Alqamah ibn Harabah Al-Sulami (محمد بن خزاعي بن علقمة بن حرابة السلمي)
15. Muhammad ibn Humran ibn Rabi'ah ibn Malik Al-Ju'fi, known as Al-Shuway'ir. (محمد بن حُمران بن ربيعة بن مالك الجعفي المعروف بالشويعر)⁶

The list compiled by Ibn Hajar includes those people who were born before the blessed birth of the Holy Prophet and were named ‘Muhammad’. For this reason, Muhammad ibn Maslamah Al-Ansari and Muhammad ibn Rabi'ah are not included in that list.

Thus, the above lists of names make it clear that, in total, the people who bore the name ‘Muhammad’ before the mission of the Holy Prophet were fewer than 20. Among them, 2 people were also blessed with the honor of companionship of Prophet Muhammad . One of them was Muhammad ibn Maslamah Al-Ansari , who was born after the blessed birth of the Prophet , ⁷ and accepted Islam at the hands of Musab ibn Umayr. ⁸ The second was Muhammad ibn Rabi'ah , who accepted Islam as well. ⁹

These statements and historical evidences make it clear that before the birth of Prophet Muhammad , the blessed name ‘Muhammad’ was not a well-known, current, or common name in Arab society. Although some biographers, hadith scholars, and historians mention a few individuals from the Age of Jahiliyyah who were named ‘Muhammad’, however, their number was very limited, their mention is scattered, and their fame was extremely slight.

• ¹  Abu Muhammad Abdullah bin Muslim bin Qutaybah Al-Dinawari (2020), A'laam Rasul Allah Al-Munazzalah ala Rusulih Salla Allah Alayhim fi Al-Tawrah wa Al-Injil wa Al-Zabur wa Al-Quran wa Ghayr Dhalik wa Dalail Nubuwwatihi min Al-Barahin Al-Nayyirah wa Al-Dalail Al-Wadihah, Dar Al-Sumay'i, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Pg. 201.
• ²  Abu Al-Fadl Al-Qadi ‘Iyad bin Musa Al-Yahsubi (1988), Al-Shifa bi Tarif Huquq Al-Mustafa, Dar Al-Fikr, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 1, Pg. 229-230.
• ³  Abd Al-Rahman ibn Abdullah Al-Suhaili (2000), Al-Raudh Al-Unf fi Sharha Al-Seerat Al-Nabawiyah le-ibn Hisham, Dar Al-Ihya Al-Turath Al-Arabi, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 2, Pg. 95-96.
• ⁴  Abu Al-Abbas Ahmad bin Ali Taqiuddin Al-Maqrizi (1999), Imta’ Al-Asma bima lin Nabi Min Al-Ahwal wal-Amwal wal-Hafadah wal-Mata’a, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 2, Pg. 140-141.
• ⁵  Muhammad ibn Yusuf Al-Salihi Al-Shami (1993), Subul Al-Huda wal-Rashad fi Seerat Khair Al-‘Ibad, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 1, Pg. 409.
• ⁶  Abu Al-Fadl Ahmed ibn Ali ibn Hajar Al-Asqalani (1379 A.H.), Fath Al-Bari Sharah Sahih Al-Bukhari, Dar Al-Ma’rifa, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 6, Pg. 556.
• ⁷  Abu Al-Abbas Ahmad bin Ali Taqiuddin Al-Maqrizi (1999), Imta’ Al-Asma bima lin Nabi Min Al-Ahwal wal-Amwal wal-Hafadah wal-Mata’a, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 2, Pg. 141.
• ⁸  Abu Al-Fadl Ahmed ibn Ali ibn Hajar Al-Asqalani (1415 A.H.), Al-Isaba fi Tamyeez Al-Sahaba, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 6, Pg. 28.
• ⁹  Muhammad ibn Yusuf Al-Salihi Al-Shami (1993), Subul Al-Huda wal-Rashad fi Seerat Khair Al-‘Ibad, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 1, Pg. 411.