he possessed the invaluable quality of love for the Messenger of Allah  صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم .

He had a dutiful slave named Ayyāz, who himself had a son named Muhammad. Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه would always address him by this name.

One day, the king did not do this. Instead of saying Muhammad, he addressed the boy by saying, “O son of Ayyāz!” Hearing this, Ayyāz began to think the king was upset by something, which is why he did not address his son by his name. “Your Highness!”, he asked, “Has my son done something wrong, as you did not call him by his name?”

Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه replied, “Out of respect for the name Muhammad, I do not say your son’s name without wudu. As I was not in wudu when I called upon him, it was not befitting for me to bring this blessed name to my lips at that time.” ^[1]

صَلُّوۡا عَلَى الۡحَبِيۡب                 صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلٰى مُحَمَّد

The hallowed names of the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم

Dear Islamic brothers, our master, the Messenger of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم has countless names granted to him by Allah. The scholar Muhammad Mahdi Fāsi Māliki رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه has said: “Allah has 1000 names, and so does the Messenger of Allah  صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم .”

Ibn Fāris, a notable linguist, scholar, and lexicographer, also adds to this discussion by saying: “The Prophet of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم has over 2000 hallowed names. Each of them illustrates a part of his biography or virtuous character in one way or another.”^[2]