Islamic names

Muhammad, name meaning in Islam

Muhammad means praised, praiseworthy. See it in Arabic, how to say it, where it is in the Quran and names like it.

Boy name · Arabic

مُحَمَّد

Muhammad

Praised, praiseworthy

Gender
Boy
Origin
Arabic
Arabic
مُحَمَّد
Say it
moo-HAM-mad
Root
ح م د
In the Quran
Yes, 48:29

See more boy names starting with M, or browse all Islamic names and save the ones you like.

Meaning

Muhammad, explained

Muhammad (مُحَمَّد) is an Arabic name for boys. It means praised, praiseworthy. It is the passive form of hamd, praise: one who is praised again and again.

Meaning and root

In Arabic, words are built from a root of usually three letters. Muhammad comes from the root ح م د, and words from the same root share its core meaning. Similar names from the same family of words are listed below.

Is Muhammad in the Quran?

The name itself is in the Quran four times (3:144, 33:40, 47:2 and 48:29).

Quran 48:29

مُّحَمَّدٌۭ رَّسُولُ ٱللَّهِ ۚ وَٱلَّذِينَ مَعَهُۥٓ أَشِدَّآءُ عَلَى ٱلْكُفَّارِ رُحَمَآءُ بَيْنَهُمْ ۖ تَرَىٰهُمْ رُكَّعًۭا سُجَّدًۭا يَبْتَغُونَ فَضْلًۭا مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَرِضْوَٰنًۭا ۖ سِيمَاهُمْ فِى وُجُوهِهِم مِّنْ أَثَرِ ٱلسُّجُودِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ مَثَلُهُمْ فِى ٱلتَّوْرَىٰةِ ۚ وَمَثَلُهُمْ فِى ٱلْإِنجِيلِ كَزَرْعٍ أَخْرَجَ شَطْـَٔهُۥ فَـَٔازَرَهُۥ فَٱسْتَغْلَظَ فَٱسْتَوَىٰ عَلَىٰ سُوقِهِۦ يُعْجِبُ ٱلزُّرَّاعَ لِيَغِيظَ بِهِمُ ٱلْكُفَّارَ ۗ وَعَدَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ مِنْهُم مَّغْفِرَةًۭ وَأَجْرًا عَظِيمًۢا

Muhammadur Rasoolul laah; wallazeena ma'ahooo ashiddaaa'u 'alal kuffaaari ruhamaaa'u bainahum taraahum rukka'an sujjadany yabtaghoona fadlam minal laahi wa ridwaanan seemaahum fee wujoohihim min asaris sujood; zaalika masaluhum fit tawraah; wa masaluhum fil Injeeli kazar'in akhraja shat 'ahoo fa 'aazarahoo fastaghlaza fastawaa 'alaa sooqihee yu'jibuz zurraa'a liyagheeza bihimul kuffaar; wa'adal laahul lazeena aamanoo wa 'amilus saalihaati minhum maghfiratanw wa ajran 'azeemaa

Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah; and those with him are forceful against the disbelievers, merciful among themselves. You see them bowing and prostrating [in prayer], seeking bounty from Allah and [His] pleasure. Their mark is on their faces from the trace of prostration. That is their description in the Torah. And their description in the Gospel is as a plant which produces its offshoots and strengthens them so they grow firm and stand upon their stalks, delighting the sowers - so that Allah may enrage by them the disbelievers. Allah has promised those who believe and do righteous deeds among them forgiveness and a great reward.

Quran 48:29. Arabic: Uthmani text (Tanzil). English: Sahih International.

How to say and write Muhammad

Say it moo-HAM-mad. The capital letters show the stressed part. In English it is also spelled Mohammed, Mohammad, Muhammed and Mehmet. In Arabic it is written with 4 letters, from right to left: م mim + ح ḥa + م mim + د dal.

Choosing Muhammad

Naming a child after a prophet is a sunnah. When his son was born, the Prophet ﷺ said: "A boy was born to me tonight, and I named him after my father, Ibrahim."2 Muhammad keeps that tradition alive. With the father's name it becomes Muhammad bin (and the father's name): see what bin, bint and abu mean.

Famous people named Muhammad

  • The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, the final messenger
  • Muhammad al-Fatih, the Ottoman sultan who took Constantinople in 1453
  • Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Bukhari, compiler of Sahih al-Bukhari

Names like Muhammad

  1. Quran 48:29, translation by Sahih International.
  2. Sahih Muslim 2315.
  3. Sahih Muslim 2132.
  4. Meanings follow classical Arabic usage and the standard name dictionaries; our teachers will check each one.

Our teachers will check the Arabic spelling and meaning on this page before launch.

Questions

Good to know

What does Muhammad mean in Islam?

Muhammad (مُحَمَّد) means praised, praiseworthy. It is an Arabic name for boys.

Is Muhammad in the Quran?

The name itself is in the Quran four times (3:144, 33:40, 47:2 and 48:29).

Is Muhammad a boy or girl name?

Muhammad is used as a boy's name.

How do you write Muhammad in Arabic?

Muhammad is written مُحَمَّد in Arabic, said moo-HAM-mad.

Is it Muhammad or Mohammed?

Both are English spellings of the same Arabic name, مُحَمَّد. Choose the one that is easiest to say where you live, and keep it the same on all documents.