- published: 10 Aug 2016
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Ahmad, Ahmed or Ahmet are the principal transliterations of an Arabic given name, أحمد.
Ahmad comes from the Arabic triconsonantal root of Ḥ-M-D, meaning "highly praised", which in turn implies "one who constantly thanks God." Several Arabic names are derived from this root word.
The name Ahmad has its origins in a prophecy attributed to Jesus, in the Quran in Surah 61: As-Saff (The Ranks). Some Muslim scholars see the names parallel in the word 'Paraclete' in the biblical text. This view is not universal considering translations, meanings and etymology.
Regarding Ibn Ishaq's biography of Muhammad, the Sirat Asul Allah, Islamic scholar Alfred Guillaume wrote:
Other Arabic names from the same root include Mahmud, Ahmed, Hamed, Muhammad and Hamid. The name has one of the highest number of spelling variations in the world.
Here are three translations of the passage in question in Surat 61 verse 6:
- Sahih International