Unique Attributes of the Greatest Prophet Muhammad

Three unique attributes of the Greatest Prophet ﷺ

1. He ﷺ would have a fever equal to two men

Out of the unique attributes of the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰەُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, one unique attribute that the commentator of Bukhari, Imam Ahmad Bin Muhammad Qastalani رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ عَلَيْه mentions is that ‘the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰەُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم would have a fever with such intensity as is faced by two men so that the reward be doubled’. (Mawahib-ul-Ladunniyyah, vol. 2, pp. 312)

Would be difficult to touch him due to the intensity of fever

Once, somebody touched the blessed body of the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰەُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم (in the state of fever), (just like those who come to inquire after the health do so to find out the intensity of fever by touching the ill person) and humbly said, ‘By Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ! I am unable to touch you due to the intensity of your fever’. (Musnad Ahmad, vol. 4, pp. 187, Hadees 11893; Naseem-ur-Riyad, vol. 6, pp. 122)

Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah Bin Mas’ood رَضِىَ اللّٰەُ عَنْهُ states that I came in the blessed court of the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰەُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. At that time, the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰەُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم had a very high fever. I touched the blessed body and humbly said, ‘Ya Rasoolallah صَلَّى اللّٰەُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم! You have a very high fever.’ He صَلَّى اللّٰەُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم replied, ‘Yes! I get a fever equal to two men of yours.’ I asked, ‘Is the reason behind this that you get double the reward?’ He صَلَّى اللّٰەُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم replied, ‘Yes.’ (Sahih Bukhari, vol. 4, pp. 9, Hadees 5660)

2. An act benefitting in this world and the Hereafter

Keeping name after the blessed name of the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰەُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم (Muhammad and Ahmad) is beneficial in this world and the Hereafter. (Mawahib-ul-Ladunniyyah, vol. 2, pp. 301)

4 Virtues of naming son ‘Muhammad’ or ‘Ahmad’

4 Blessed sayings of the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰەُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم:

1     Whoever has the birth of a boy in his house and keeps his name ‘Muhammad’ out of my love and to gain blessings from my name, then he and his son both will go to Paradise. (Kanz-ul-‘Ummal, vol. 8, pp. 174, Hadees 45215)

2     What loss does any of you face if you have one Muhammad, two Muhammads or three Muhammads in your house? (Tabqat Ibn Sa’d, vol. 5, pp. 40)

After narrating this Hadees, Imam of Ahl-us-Sunnah, Imam Ahmad Raza Khan رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ عَلَيْه states: Faqeer غُفِرَ اللّٰەُ تَعَالٰی kept the name Muhammad for all his sons and nephews in ‘Aqeeqah. Then, to protect the dignity of the blessed name and to differentiate between one another, different names were kept. اَلْحَمْدُلِلّٰە, Faqeer now has five Muhammads and more than five have passed away. (Fatawa Razawiyyah, vol. 24, pp. 689)

3     Allah Almighty has stated: I swear by My Majesty and Honour! Whoever has his name kept on your name, I will not punish him. (Kashf-ul-Khifa, vol. 1, pp. 345, Hadees 1234)

4     On the Day of Judgement, two people will be made to stand in the court of Allah Almighty and they will be commanded to be taken to the Paradise. They will humbly ask, ‘O our Lord! What action of ours made us deserving of Paradise? We didn’t do anything such to enter Paradise.’ Allah Almighty will say to them, ‘O My bondmen! Go to Paradise. I have taken an oath that whosoever has the name Muhammad or Ahmad will not go to Hell.’ (Al-Firdaus bima Soor-il-Khitab, vol. 5, pp. 485, Hadees 8837)

Jo chahtay ho kay ho sard aatish-e-dozakh

Dilaun pay naqsh Muhammad ka naam ker layna

Attained deliverance from the questions of Munkar and Nakeer

A pious woman lived in Fes (a city in Morocco). Whenever she would face any difficulty or problem, she would place both her hands on her face, shut her eyes and say, ‘Muhammad (صَلَّى اللّٰەُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم)’. (Due to the blessings of the blessed name, her problem would get alleviated). After her demise, one of her relatives saw her in dream and inquired, ‘Did you see the two angels, Munkar and Nakeer, who ask questions in the grave?’ She replied: Yes! They approached me. Seeing them, I placed my hands over my face as per my habit and said, ‘Muhammad (صَلَّى اللّٰەُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم)’! When I removed my hands from my face, both of them had left. (Shawahid-ul-Haq, pp. 230, summarised)

Gunahgaraun ki is say mushkilayn aasan hoti hayn

Na kyun ker sab say berh ker naam ho piyara ‘Muhammad’ ka

3. No one else has ever been given the name ‘Muhammad’ or ‘Ahmad’

No one ever had the name Ahmad before the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰەُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. Similarly, the name Muhammad was not kept by anyone either until the era of the blessed birth approached. (Tareekh-ul-Khumays, vol. 1, pp. 391; Kashf-ul-Ghummah, vol. 1, pp. 283; Mawahib-ul-Ladunniyyah, vol. 1, pp. 374)

The Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰەُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم has stated: ‘اُعْطِيْتُ اَرْبَعًالُمْ يُعْطَهُنَّ اَحَدٌ مِّنَ اَنْبِيَاءِ اللہ’ i.e. I have been granted with four such things that had not been given to any other Prophet. (One of them being mentioned was:) ‘سُمِّيْتُ اَحْمَدَ’ i.e. My name was kept Ahmad. (Musnad Ahmad, vol. 1, pp. 333, Hadees 1361)

Special name since the beginning of time

Ra`ees-ul-Mutakallimeen, Maulana Naqi Ali Khan رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ عَلَيْه states: This blessed name is specific for him
(صَلَّى اللّٰەُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم) since the beginning of time. However, after listening to the fact that the era of the last Prophet (صَلَّى اللّٰەُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم) is near and his name will be ‘Muhammad’, some people kept their children’s names Muhammad. Moreover, it is from the wonders of the majesty of Allah Almighty that none of them claimed Prophethood. (Suroor-ul-Quloob, pp. 285)

Those who kept their children’s names Muhammad before the blessed birth

When the time of the birth of the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰەُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم approached and it became famous that the last Prophet of Allah Almighty is about to come whose name will be ‘Muhammad’, then some people of Arab named their sons as Muhammad hoping that their son becomes that very prophet. However, Allah Almighty knows better who is deserving of Prophethood. (Ash-Shifa, vol. 1, pp. 230)

How is it a particularity for both these names not being kept (ever before)?

O devotees of Prophet! There are also various names of other Prophets عَلَيْهِمُ السَّلَام too that have not been kept before them; for example, Sayyiduna Aadam, Sayyiduna Shees, Sayyiduna Nuh, Sayyiduna Yahya عَلَيْهِمُ السَّلَام. Regarding Sayyiduna Yahya عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام, Allah Almighty has stated:

لَمْ نَجْعَلْ لَّهٗ مِنْ قَبْلُ سَمِیًّا

Before him, We have not made anyone of this name.

[Kanz-ul-Iman (translation of Quran)] (Part 16, Surah Maryam, Ayah 7)

No one having the name ‘Muhammad’ or ‘Ahmad’ before the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰەُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم holds particularity from the perspective that both the names and the news of his arrival were mentioned in the previously Heavenly revealed Books and also by the other Prophets عَلَيْهِمُ السَّلَام. Moreover, it was famous among the previous nations. Despite this, no one kept the name Ahmad; and even the name Muhammad was not kept by anyone until just before the time of the blessed birth. (Naseem-ur-Riyad, vol. 3, pp. 250)

Divine wisdom

It had already become famous before the arrival of the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰەُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم that a Prophet named ‘Muhammad’ or ‘Ahmad’ is about to come to the world. In such circumstances, if someone else also had the name Muhammad or Ahmad, then people with weak faith could fall prey to doubts that is he the same prophet whose arrival’s glad tidings have been mentioned in the previously Heavenly revealed Books? Being merciful upon them, Allah Almighty saved others from keeping the name Ahmad or Muhammad.

Moreover, this fact was also kept into consideration that those few people who kept the name Muhammad just before the blessed birth of the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰەُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, none of them proclaimed to be a prophet themselves, neither did anyone else proclaim their prophethood and nor were any such actions manifested by them which are against the norms of nature that are normally manifested by a Prophet. (Zurqaani ‘alal Mawahib, vol. 7, pp. 109; Naseem-ur-Riyad, vol. 3, pp. 250)

Zuhoor-e-pak say pehlay bhi sadqay thay Nabi tum per

Tumharay naam hi ki roshni thi bazm-e-khoobaan mayn

                                                                                                                                                            (Zauq-e-Na’at, pp. 192)