It is not proven from any of the pious predecessors that they sought blessings through the blessed name of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Although the Companions, the Followers, and great scholars of the religion left no stone unturned in honoring and venerating the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. They had the texts of the Quran and Hadith as well, but none of them adopted the practice of seeking blessings through the name Muhammad ﷺ.
Claim of Some People
Some people say that it is permissible to seek blessings through the name Muhammad ﷺ. They do not have any strong evidence for this claim; rather, their arguments are exaggerated and substandard. Below is a brief review of the arguments they present:
Argument Number 1
A fabricated narration is attributed to Sayyiduna Abu Imamah Bahili رضي الله عنه that whoever names his child Muhammad for blessing, both he and his child will be inhabitants of Paradise.
Commentary
This narration is false and was fabricated by an unreliable person, Hamid bin Hamad Askari, as:
◄ Hafiz Dhahabi رحمه الله said: “The one who fabricated this narration is Hamid bin Hamad Askari.”
◄ Hafiz Ibn al-Jawzi رحمه الله also included it among fabricated narrations.
◄ Hafiz Suyuti رحمه الله said it is not correct to call the chain of this narration “Hasan.”
Evidence Number 2
Another narration is that Allah Almighty said that whoever is named Muhammad, I will not punish him with the torment of the Fire.
Commentary
Hafiz Dhahabi رحمه الله declared this narration false and said: “This is a version of Nabt which is entirely fabricated.”
Allama Muhammad Tahir Patni Hanafi also mentioned it in Tadhkirat al-Mawdu’at.
Argument Number 3
There is a narration attributed to Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that whoever is named Muhammad or Ahmad will not enter Hell.
Commentary
This is also a fabricated narration, as:
◄ Hafiz Ibn al-Jawzi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “This narration has no basis.”
◄ Hafiz Al-Dhahabi (may Allah have mercy on him) declared its narrator Ahmad bin Nasr bin Abdullah Dhari’ to be a liar.
◄ Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) states: “To be saved from the Hellfire, faith and righteous deeds are necessary, not merely the name.”
Argument Number 4
Hafiz Suyuti mentioned in his book a marfu’ narration: “On the Day of Judgment, a caller will proclaim: O Muhammad! Stand up and enter Paradise without reckoning. Upon this, every person named Muhammad will think that the caller has called him. Due to the blessing of the name Muhammad, no one will be prevented from entering Paradise.”
Commentary
This narration is false and disconnected because:
◄ Hafiz Suyuti himself wrote: “This narration is problematic; many of its narrators are not mentioned.”
◄ Ibn Iraq Kanani also declared it false and said: “This narration is undoubtedly fabricated.”
Argument Number 5
A narration is attributed to Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him): “When you name a child Muhammad, honor him, hold a spacious gathering for him, and do not speak ill of his face.”
Commentary
This narration is also false because:
◄ Hafiz Zahbi, may Allah have mercy on him, declared this narration as “Mankar al-Matn” (rejected text) and said that it is fabricated.
◄ Abdullah bin Ahmad bin Amir, who is the narrator of this narration, has been called unreliable and ignorant.
◄ The second and third chains of this narration are also false and unauthentic.
Evidence Number 6
Another narration is attributed to Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah, may Allah be pleased with him: “When you name a child Muhammad, do not be harsh with him, do not belittle him, and do not speak ill of him. A house and gathering with the name Muhammad has blessings.”
Commentary
This narration is also false because:
◄ Its narrator Sufyan bin Waki’ is considered weak by the majority of hadith scholars.
◄ Its other narrators, such as Abu al-Zubair, are known fabricators and no clarification of their hearing has been found.
Evidence Number 7
A narration attributed to Sayyiduna Ali رضي الله عنه is: “If a group gathers for consultation and among them is a person named Muhammad, but he is not included in the consultation, then there will be no blessing in that consultation.”
Commentary
This narration is very weak because:
◄ There is no information about one narrator, Ahmad bin Hafs Jazari.
◄ In another chain, Ahmad al-Shami is mentioned, about whom Imam Ibn Adi رحمه الله says: “He is a denier of hadith and an unknown person.”
◄ Similarly, in the chain of Dailami, there is also an “unknown” narrator.
◄ In Ibn al-Najjar’s history, a false chain is also mentioned, whose narrator Abu Bakr Muhammad bin Ahmad has been declared unreliable.
Evidence Number 8
Muhammad bin Uthman Amri narrates mursal from his father: “If among you there are one, two, or three persons named Muhammad in a house, no harm will come to them.”
Commentary
This narration is “Mursal” and therefore weak, because Uthman Amri is not a companion and he is narrating from the Holy Prophet ﷺ without any intermediary.
Argument Number 9
Another narration attributed to Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah رضي الله عنه is: “Whichever dining table one eats at and whichever gathering one sits in, if my name is mentioned there, they will be purified twice every day.”
Commentary
This narration is false because:
◄ Its narrator Ahmad bin Kinana Al-Shami is declared by Imam Ibn Adi رحمه الله as “Munkir al-Hadith (denier of hadith) and unknown.”
◄ For the authenticity of this narration, the endorsement of Imam Ibn Adi’s teacher Yahya bin Abdul Rahman is also necessary.
References
Argument Number 10
A mursal narration attributed to Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah رضي الله عنه states: “Except for Sayyiduna Adam عليه السلام, every inhabitant of Paradise will be called by the name of the Noble Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم.”
Commentary
This narration is false because:
◄ The fabrication of this narration was done by Wahb bin Hafs Harani, as:
◄ Imam Abu Aroobah رحمه الله says: “This person was a liar and used to fabricate hadiths.”
◄ Imam Ibn Adi رحمه الله said: “All of his narrations are false and unreliable.”
◄ Imam Darqutni رحمه الله also said: “This person used to fabricate hadiths on his own.”
◄ Hafiz Ibn al-Jawzi رحمه الله included this narration among the fabricated ones
◄ There is another chain of narration as well, but it is also false because its narrator Sheikh bin Khalid Sufi Basri also used to fabricate false hadiths.
Evidence Number 11
Another narration is attributed to Amir al-Mu’minin Sayyiduna Ali رضي الله عنه: “None of the people of Paradise will have a kunyah except Sayyiduna Adam عليه السلام, whose kunyah out of respect and honor will be Abu Muhammad.”
Commentary
This narration is also false because:
◄ Its narrator Abu al-Hasan Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Ash’ath al-Kufi himself fabricated it and attributed it to the Prophet Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم, as:
◄ Imam Ibn ‘Adi رحمه الله said that this narration is fabricated.
◄ Imam al-Daraqutni رحمه الله said: “This person is one who fabricates narrations found in the book called Alawiayat.”
References
Proof Number 12
A narration attributed to the Holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ states: “Whoever intends to name his unborn child Muhammad, Allah will grant him a son, and in the house where there is a person named Muhammad, Allah places blessings in that house.”
Commentary
This narration is false because:
◄ Muhammad bin Abdul Rahman Jad’ani, who is the narrator of this narration, is considered weak by the majority of hadith scholars.
◄ There is also concealment (tadlis) by Ibn Jurayj in it.
◄ The chain above Ibn Jurayj is missing.
◄ There are many other defects in this narration.
Evidence Number 13
Another narration attributed to Sayyiduna Ali رضي الله عنه is: “Whoever is pregnant and intends to name the child Muhammad, Allah will make that child a son, even if it is a daughter.”
Commentary
This is also a false narration because:
◄ Its narrator Wahb ibn Wahb has been declared a liar, deceiver, and enemy of Allah by the esteemed Muhaddithin, who fabricated hadiths and attributed them to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
◄ Even the chain up to Zaid ibn Marwan requires verification.
Evidence Number 14
There is an incident attributed to Hisham ibn Urwah, a Tabi’i, that he went to the Commander of the Faithful Mansur, and Mansur asked him why he named his child Muhammad? Hisham replied that it was due to the blessing of the name of the Noble Prophet ﷺ.
Comment
This statement is also false because:
◄ The chain of this narration is not authentic; Nasr ibn Abu al-Fath al-Khurasani and Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Raziq are both unknown (majhool).
Evidence Number 15
A statement attributed to Ata al-Khurasani is: “The child whose name is Muhammad while in his mother’s womb will surely be a son.”
Comment
This statement is rejected due to being without a chain of narration. Similarly, Imam Malik, may Allah have mercy on him, said, “In the house where there is a person named Muhammad, blessings spread,” which is also unreliable due to lack of a chain of narration.
Evidence Number 16
The narration of Wahb bin Wahb: “I intended during pregnancy to name my seven children Muhammad, and by this blessing, all were born as boys.”
Commentary
This narration is completely false because:
◄ Wahb bin Wahb himself is considered a liar and deceiver by the hadith scholars, who fabricated narrations attributing them to the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. Only someone like him would believe his words.
Statements of the Scholars
All the narrations attributed regarding the virtue of the name Muhammad and obtaining blessings from it are false and fabricated.
◄ Hafiz Ibn al-Jawzi, may Allah have mercy on him, says: “None of the narrations mentioned in this chapter are authentic.”
◄ Hafiz Al-Dhahabi, may Allah have mercy on him, says: “All these narrations are false.”
◄ Hafiz Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, writes: “There is an entire booklet on this matter which is entirely a collection of lies.”
◄ Allama Halabi, may Allah have mercy on him, says: “Some scholars say that there is no authentic hadith regarding the virtue of the name Muhammad, and all the narrations that have come on this subject are fabricated.”
◄ Allama Zarqani, may Allah have mercy on him, writes: “Some Hafiz say that there is no authentic narration regarding the virtue of the name Muhammad.”
◄ Ibn Iraq Kanani states: “Allama Ubi said that no hadith is established regarding the virtue of the name Muhammad, rather Hafiz Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, said that all the narrations on this matter are fabricated.”
Conclusion
The summary of this entire article is that all the narrations presented regarding obtaining blessings through the blessed name “Muhammad” of the Holy Prophet ﷺ are false, fabricated, and unauthentic. None of the hadiths mentioned on this subject are authentic, and their chains of narration include weak, unknown, or false narrators.
Renowned scholars such as Hafiz Ibn al-Jawzi, Hafiz al-Dhahabi, Hafiz Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah, Allama Halabi, Allama Zarqani, and Ibn Iraq Kanani have strongly rejected these narrations and clarified their reality, stating that all hadiths concerning the virtue and blessings of the name Muhammad are fabricated.
These narrations are not reliable, and there is no solid evidence that merely naming after the Holy Prophet ﷺ can bring any special blessing or reward.
Therefore, the belief in obtaining blessings through the name “Muhammad” is merely based on hearsay and has no Shariah basis. Salvation and blessings depend solely on faith and righteous deeds, not merely on having the name.
