🔼The name Muhammad: Summary
- Meaning
- Praised One, Precious One, Pleasant One
- Etymology
- From the verb חמד (hamad), to be desirable or pleasant.
🔼The name Muhammad in the Bible
The name Muhammad does not occur as such in the Bible, but it's quite likely that it existed in Biblical times in Hebrew since it comes from a wide-spread Semitic root which is also quite common in the Bible.
In modern times the name Muhammad is mostly recognized as belonging to the author of the Quran and founder of Islam, but is passed on to newborns with such enthusiasm that it has become one of the most popular names in the world. So much even that people named Muhammad commonly also have a second name in order to be distinguishable from the rest of the Muhammads.
🔼Etymology of the name Muhammad
The Arabic name Muhammad spelled in Hebrew would probably come out as מוחמד, but if it had existed as a Hebrew name, it would probably be the same as one of the two nouns spelled מחמד (mhmd), meaning precious or desirable thing or person:
חמד
The verb חמד (hamad) means to be desirable, pleasant or praise-worthy. It's usually accompanied with covetous sentiments, a taking delight in or a resolve to obtain or achieve the delightful thing, person or state.
Nouns חמד (hemed) and חמדה (hemda) means desire or delight, or describe a precious or delightful thing. Plural noun חמודות (hamudot) means desirableness or preciousness. Nouns מחמד (mahmad) and מחמד (mahmod) denote a place or agent of חמד (hamad); a place, person or thing of desire, pleasure or delight.
Note that the name Muhammad relates to its verb חמד (hamad) the way the word Muslim relates its verb שלם (shalem), meaning to be whole or complete — hence the familiar words שלום, shalom, meaning peace, and Islam, meaning to be at peace or to be complete.
🔼Muhammad meaning
In Arabic the name Muhammad means Praised One or Praiseworthy. In Hebrew it would have meant Precious One or One Who Desires.