Decoding Muhammad: a Scriptural and Historical Journey into a Prophetic Name

Abstract This study investigates the onomastic evidence surrounding the Prophet’s name, “Muhammad,” through a multidisciplinary approach encompassing pre-Islamic Arabian epigraphy, biblical and para-biblical literature, early Arab genealogical traditions, and Greco-Syriac documentary sources. The findings reveal that this name, while conspicuously rare within early Arabian genealogies, mainly appears among individuals with notable Jewish connections. The research posits that the prophetic name Mḥmd , imbued with connotations of “the one desired by heaven” and “the beloved by earthly dwellers,” was likely predisposed to messianic interpretations within the Jewish milieu of Late Antique Arabia. Notably, philological analysis suggests an original pronunciation of Maḥmid or Mḥammid for the name, indicating a striking phonological correspondence with the biblical term maḥmad ( מחמד ), as attested in Hosea 9:6.