A Murid (who was called “Muhummad”) took initiation. After giving initation, Shaykh Abdul Kerim gave the person the name “Mehmet”. When doing so he also gave the explanation (paraphrased):
It is necessary for us to send salawat after saying Muhummad (S), so keeping that high respect we use “Mehmet”. It is like Muhummad (S) but it is not the same.
How many times we are dealing with people named “Muhummad” who are doing wrong actions or receiving blame or cursings? To block that disrespect, we are saying “Mehmet”.
In the same manner, you see the Ottoman Sultans were named “Sultan Mehmet”.
June 9th, 2008 - 2:45 pm
Assalamu alaikum Yursil,
No disrespect intended, but were there not extremely pious people amongst the early Muslims who were named Muhammad? (Imam Shafi’i is the first person who comes to mind). I would have thought that they’d be careful enough to avoid using the name if this was an issue. It *is* after all the most widespread first name in the world. I do realise the point the Shaykh made about respect though.
I was under the impression that the spelling “Mehmet” came about because of the switching of the Turkish alphabet by Ataturk.
Wassalam
June 9th, 2008 - 3:05 pm
BismillahirRahmanirRahim
Alaykumsalam Noufal,
While they had these names, they were certainly better than us to be able to carry them.
And further, they were often not referred by them (your example of Imam Shaa’fi is a good one).
The pronunciation of Mehmet was present in the Ottoman pronunciation and was indeed a matter of respect for 700 years of Ottoman rule.
Sh Hamza Yusuf writes:
“The charge is without merit, of course. But it is worth noting that for Muslims, the idea of calling any object other than a human being “Muhammad” is sacrilegious. With Jews, Muslims share a prohibition of making physical images of any living things. An exception is made for children’s toys. Calling the image of any animal Muhammad, a name that Muslims won’t utter without a benediction is, for them, beyond the pale. Turks even prefer the contraction Mehmet to avoid using the name in common circumstances. Westerners have a hard time understanding such reverence in a markedly irreverent age.”
June 9th, 2008 - 3:11 pm
Jazakallah for the explanation.
June 9th, 2008 - 4:20 pm
Assalamu Alaykum Sidi,
I find this very interesting and does raise some valid points regarding the high respect we lack with the name.
However I think of this brother who has had his name changed and think of Qadi Iyad’s Shifa where I believe it is related that angels visit the houses where there may be an occupant by the name Muhammad there - purely through the barakah of this name. I may be wrong as to whether it is in the Shifa or not. Would the angels still visit Mehmet?
The final point is the Qasida Burdah of Imam Busairi where I think in the last chapter he talks (in along the lines of) that he hopes for the name he shares with the best of creation (sal’Allahu alayhi was-sallam) would be enough to warrant his (sal’Allahu alayhi was-sallam) intercession.
May Allah bless you for the reminder for the respect that is owed to this blessed name.
Wassalaam
June 9th, 2008 - 4:34 pm
BismillahirRahmanirRahim
Salamu’alaykum,
As to whether it will yield the same shifaa, in this lowly persons opinion, the intention is what matters.
I also wonder as to the magnified sin that one might receive when someone with that name acts in accordance with their nafs. As today most people sleep and wake in ghaflat, I doubt many are ready to handle this responsibility. So while Angels may visit, they may not like what they find.
Mehmet used in conversation, is a contraction of the name which it intends to respect and be inspired from.
Further, as I mentioned earlier, Imam Busairi was not called by that name rather we remember him as Imam Busairi.
Finally the Ottoman and Arabic writing of Mehmet or (Mehmed) uses the same letters as Muhummad (S).
-Yursil
June 10th, 2008 - 1:09 am
AA- Yursil,
What a beautiful subtlety found in the reverence bestowed upon our beloved teacher Muhammad (saw)!
Question: How can you be so sure that the contraction was born of respect for the name and not linguistic pronunciation? Ahmed becoming Ahmet (and there are countless others) comes to mind…
June 10th, 2008 - 3:01 am
bismillah hir-rahman ir-raheem
the shaykh was not making any type of shariah pronouncement…saying that if you name your child Muhammad it is a sin…of course not…it is just an example of one of the ways some muslims show respect to their Beloved Prophet ‘alayhi afdali salaat was-Salaam…we’re just talking adab here, not Shariah…and adab can vary from region to region…he did not change the person’s name to Mehmet…there is no name change…his name remains Muhammad….from what i’ve been led to understand, the arabs have a similar custom. there are many arab families who will name each child Muhammad for the barakah and then give them another name which is what they will go by amongst everyone else…like Muhammad Nazim…Muhammad Ridwan…Muhammad Kareem…Muhammad Rayan…Muhammad Hisham….etc…i’ve even heard that some add the name Muhammad to the female names, mashAllah…has anyone else heard this??? i hope to practice this custom if my wife and i are ever blessed with kids, insha’Allah…Fatiha.
was-Salaamu ‘alaykum
June 10th, 2008 - 7:07 pm
BimsillahirRahmanirRahim
Salamu’alaykum,
Since Turks know how to pronounce various Salawat properly (AllahummaSalliallahSayiddinaMuhummadin…) I’m pretty certain that they were capable of pronouncing Muhummad (S).
Numerous sources indicate the motivation was this respect, which not only includes my Ottoman Shaykh but Sh Hamza and also the written record.
-Yursil
June 12th, 2008 - 1:45 am
Bismillah
asalaamu alaikum….mehmet is given to regular people…anyone who can carry the name properly like religious leader are given the name Muhammed later on by their teachers. the name Mehmed means Muhammed. so people name their children after the Holy Prophet with the name Mehmed while at the same time no disrespect can be done by the child to the name of the Holy Prophet. but when the children grow up, earn life experiences, and are considered upright human beings and believers and are able to carry the honor of the name of the Holy Prophet then their sheikhs or imams will give them the name Muhammed.
by the way, Ottoman soldiers (also, todays soldiers of Turkey) are called “Mehmetçik” which means “little Muhammeds”.
July 8th, 2008 - 1:01 pm
As-salamu ‘alaykum,
Sidi Yursil, why do keep writing MuhUmmad and not MuhAmmad? Is this the Turkish/Ottoman pronunciation?
July 8th, 2008 - 1:06 pm
BismillahirRahmanirRahim
Salamu’alaykum,
I don’t think so, just my transliteration. Mu-hum-mad. Mu-Ham-mad sounds incorrect and is not how I have ever heard it pronounced in azan, salawat, etc.
-Yursil