THE NAMES AND DISTINGUISHED EPITHETS OF THE PROPHET
Allah said in Surah al-Fath, Ayah 29:
{مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ}
This means [Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah] and in Surah as-Saff, Ayah 6, predicating about Prophet ^Isa:
{وَمُبَشِّرًا بِرَسُولٍ يَأْتِي مِنْ بَعْدِي اسْمُهُ أَحْمَدُ}
This means: [I give the good tidings that a messenger will come after me whose name is Ahmad.]
Al-Bukhariyy, Muslim, at-Tirmidhiyy, and others narrated from the route of Jubayr Ibn Mut^im that he said, “I heard the Messenger of Allah say:
<<إن لى أسماء: أنا محمد، وأنا أحمد، وأنا الماحى الذى يمحو الله بى الكفر، وأنا الحاشر الذى يحشر الناس على قدمى، وأنا العاقب الذى ليس بعده أحد>>
This means : <<I have certain names. I am Muhammad. I am Ahmad. I am al-Mahiyy—the one by whom Allah removes blasphemy. I am al-Hashir—the one at whose feet (i.e. following after me) the people shall assemble. I am al-^Aqib—the one after whom there is no prophet.>>”
Muslim narrated in his Sahih from the route of Abu Musa al-Ash^ariyy that he said, “The Prophet used to tell us about his names saying:
<< أنا محمد، وأحمد, والمقفى، والحاشر، ونبى التوبة، ونبى الرحمة >>
This means : <<I am Muhammad, and Ahmad, and al-Muqaffi, and al-Hashir, and Nabiyy at-Tawbah, and Nabiyy ar-Rahmah.>>”
Imam Ahmad narrated in his Musnad from the route of Jubayr Ibn Mut^im that he said, “I heard the Prophet say:
<< أنا محمد، وأنا أحمد، والحاشر، والماحى، والخاتم، والعاقب >>
This means : <<I am Muhammad, and I am Ahmad, and al-Hashir and al-Mahi, and al-Khatim and al-^Aqib.>>”
Al-Bayhaqiyy narrated in his book, Dala’il An-Nubuwwah, from the route of Abu Hurayrah that he said, “The Messenger of Allah said:
<< إنما أنا رحمة مهداة >>
which means: <<Indeed I am a mercy given as a gift to you.>>”
Al-Bayhaqiyy (in Dala’il An-Nubuwwah) and at-Tayalisiyy (in the Musnad) narrated from the route of Jubayr Ibn Mut^im that he said, “I heard the Messenger of Allah say:
<< أنا محمد، وأحمد، والحاشر، ونبى التوبة، ونبى الملحمة >>
This means : <<I am Muhammad and Ahmad and al-Hashir and Nabiyy at-Tawbah and Nabiyy al-Malhamah.>>”
With regards to the epithets of the Prophet, al-Bukhariyy and Muslim (in their Sahihs) and others narrated from the route of Abu Hurayrah that he said, “The Messenger of Allah said:
<< تسموا باسمى ولا تكتنوا بكنيتى >>
This means : <<Name yourselves after my name but do not name yourselves with my epithet>>” Al-Bayhaqiyy narrated in Dala’il An-Nubuwwah from the route of Abu Hurayrah that he said, “The Messenger of Allah said:
<< لا تجمعوا بين اسمى وكنيتى، أنا أبو الٌقاسم، الله يرزق، وأنا أقسم >>
This means : <<Do not name yourselves after my name and epithet conjointly. I am Abu al-Qasim, Allah gives the sustenance and I distribute.>>”
Al-Hakim narrated in his Mustadrak from the route of Anas Ibn Malik that he said, “When Ibrahim, the son of Marya[4] was born, Jibril came to the Messenger of Allah and told him:
<< السلام عليك يا أبا إبراهيم >>
(which means) : <<As-salamu ^alayka, O Abu Ibrahim.>>” This hadith of al-Hakim has Abu Lahi^ah among its narrators and he is a weak link in the chain of narration.