Ahmad, Ahmed or Ahmet are the principal transliterations of an Arabic given name, Arabic: Ø£Øمد‎ ʾaḥmad.
Etymology
Ahmad comes from the Arabic triconsonantal root of Ḥ-M-D, meaning "highly praised", which in turn implies "one who constantly thanks God", the same root as the name Muhammad, for example.
The name Ahmad has its origins in a prophecy attributed to Jesus, in the Quran in Surah 61: As-Saff (The Ranks).
Lexicology
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.
Various interpretations and meanings of Ahmad
Due to the various interpretations of the Quran from Arabic to English ( evidenced by the insertion of words within brackets and / or parenthesis ), various interpretations and thus various meanings can be derived. As with any religious text, there are interpretations which are literal, esoteric, mystical, spiritual, etc.
Questions to ask in deriving the meaning of the name / word Ahmad in Surat Isaf verse six:
- why the use of a name ( Ahmad ) in some translations and the meaning ( highly praised ) in others?
- why the mention of the idea of "magic" or a similar term when speaking of the coming Messenger Ahmad?
- why isn't the name Muhammad written in place of the name Ahmad?
The Arabic symbols which spell Muhammad ( Ù…ÙØÙŽÙ…ÙŽÙ'د ) are different from the Arabic symbols for Ahmad ( Ø£Øمد ).
Here are several translations of the passage in question in Surag As-Saf, verse 6:
Sahih International:
"And [mention] when Jesus, the son of Mary, said, "O children of Israel, indeed I am the messenger of Allah to you confirming what came before me of the Torah and bringing good tidings of a messenger to come after me, whose name is Ahmad." But when he came to them with clear evidences, they said, "This is obvious magic."
Pickthall:
"And when Jesus son of Mary said: O Children of Israel! Lo! I am the messenger of Allah unto you, confirming that which was (revealed) before me in the Torah, and bringing good tidings of a messenger who cometh after me, whose name is the Praised One. Yet when he hath come unto them with clear proofs, they say: This is mere magic."
Yusuf Ali:
"And remember, Jesus, the son of Mary, said: "O Children of Israel! I am the messenger of Allah (sent) to you, confirming the Law (which came) before me, and giving Glad Tidings of a Messenger to come after me, whose name shall be Ahmad." But when he came to them with Clear Signs, they said, "this is evident sorcery!"
Shakir:
"And when Isa son of Marium said: O children of Israel! surely I am the messenger of Allah to you, verifying that which is before me of the Taurat and giving the good news of an Messenger who will come after me, his name being Ahmad, but when he came to them with clear arguments they said: This is clear magic."
Muhammad Sarwar:
"Jesus, son of Mary, said to the Israelites, "I am the Messenger of God sent to you. I confirm the Torah which is in existence and give you the glad news of the coming of a Messenger who will come after me named Ahmad." When this Messenger came to them with all the proofs (to support his truthfulness), they said, "He is simply a magician."
Mohsin Khan:
"And (remember) when 'Iesa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary), said: "O Children of Israel! I am the Messenger of Allah unto you confirming the Taurat [(Torah) which came] before me, and giving glad tidings of a Messenger to come after me, whose name shall be Ahmed . But when he (Ahmed i.e. Muhammad SAW) came to them with clear proofs, they said: "This is plain magic."
Arberry:
"And when Jesus son of Mary said, 'Children of Israel, I am indeed the Messenger of God to you, confirming the Torah that is before me, and giving good tidings of a Messenger who shall come after me, whose name shall be Ahmad.' Then, when he brought them the clear signs, they said, 'This is a manifest sorcery.'"
- Surat Isaf verse 6
One viable interpretation can point to what was considered "magic" or unbelievable when the Holy Spirit was poured onto the believers on the Day of Pentecost. This is the promise Yeshua / Isa / Jesus made to His followers in the Gospel regarding 'who' would come after Him:
2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues[a] as the Spirit enabled them.
11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs â€" we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!†12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?â€
- Acts 2: 11-12
Looking at where the Holy Spirit / gift from heaven / promise of the Advocate is derived:
15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever â€" 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you."
- John 14: 15-18
Here in context, prior to ascending to heaven, Yeshua mentions once again the promise and power from on high:
Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46 He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.â€
50 When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. 52 Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53 And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.
- Luke 24: 45-53
Here is the overlap of the same message, in context, mentioning more specifically what the gift / promise is:
After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.â€
6 Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?â€
7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.â€
9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
- Acts 1: 3-9
Transliterations
Ahmad is the most elementary transliteration. It is used commonly all over the Muslim world, although primarily in the Middle East. More recently, this transliteration has become increasing popular in the United States due to use by members of the African American community.
Ahmed is the most common variant transliteration, used especially in the context of the Ottoman Empire. This transliteration is also used throughout the Muslim world.
Ahmet is the modern Turkish transliteration. Modern Turkish uses a Latin-based alphabet, and most Arabic-derived names have standardized Turkish spellings.
The less common transliterations of Ahmad are used by Muslims outside the Middle East proper, such as in Indonesia and Russia.
Given name
Ahmad
- Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, former President of Sierra Leone
- Ahmad (rapper), West Coast hip hop performer
- Ahmad (Jowzjan), a delegate to Afghanistan's Constitutional Loya Jirga
- Ahmad (Takhar), a delegate to Afghanistan's Constitutional Loya Jirga
- Ahmad Abbas, Saudi Arabian footballer
- Ahmad Abdalla, Egyptian film director
- Ahmad Shah Abdali, founder of Durrani Empire
- Ahmad Adel, Egyptian footballer
- Ahmad Ahmadi, Iranian physician
- Ahmad Alaq, Khan of eastern Moghulistan
- Ahmad A'zam, Uzbek writer
- Ahmad Bahar, Iranian politician
- Ahmad Black, American football safety for the Florida Gators
- Ahmad Bradshaw, American football running back for the Indianapolis Colts, released via free agency from the New York Giants
- Ahmad Brooks, American football linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers
- Ahmad Bunnag of Siam
- Ahmad Bustomi, Indonesian footballer
- Ahmad Carroll, American football free agent
- Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Founder of the Hanbalite School of Law and Theology
- Ahmad ibn Fadlan, Abbasid ambassador to the Volga Bulgars
- Ahmad Fanakati, financial officer of Kublai Khan's Yuan Dynasty
- Ahmad Hardi, Kurdish poet
- Ahmad Hawkins, American football defensive back for the Alabama Vipers
- Ahmad-Jabir Ahmadov, "Honored teacher" of Azerbaijan
- Ahmad Jamal, American jazz pianist
- Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, President of Sierra Leone
- Ahmad Kasravi, Iranian linguists and historian
- Ahmad Maher (disambiguation), various people
- Ahmad Mohammad Hasher Al Maktoum
- Ahmad Shah Massoud, Afghan military leader Deputy Justice on the Supreme Court of Afghanistan
- Ahmad Miller, former defensive tackle for the National Football League
- Ahmad Mirfendereski (1918-2004), Iranian diplomat
- Ahmad Merritt, American football free agent
- Ahmad Nivins, American basketball player
- Ahmad ibn Rustah, Persian chronicler born in Isfahan, Persia
- Ahmad RashÄd, sportcscaster and former football player
- Ahmad Shah (disambiguation), various people
- Ahmad Shamlou, Persian poet and writer
- Ahmad Shukeiri, first Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization
- Ahmad Sohrab, Persian author
- Ahmad Tajuddin, 27th Sultan of Brunei
- Ahmad Tekuder (died 1284), leader of the Mongol Ilkhanate
- Ahmad bin Ali Al Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar
- Ahmad Treaudo, American football cornerback for the California Redwoods
- Ahmad Shah Qajar, Last Shah of the Qajar dynasty
- Ahmad Yani, Indonesian Army general
- Ahmad Zarruq, Shadhili Sufi Sheikh
- Ahmad Saad, a Saudi Arabian football player.
Fictional characters
- AÄ¥mad, from Malatily Bathhouse
Ahmed
- Ahmed I, sultan of the Ottoman Empire
- Ahmed II, sultan of the Ottoman Empire
- Ahmed III, sultan of the Ottoman Empire
- Ahmed Abukhater, urban and regional planner and Palestinian-American powerlifter
- Ahmed Ahmed, Egyptian American actor and comedian
- Ahmed Arif (1927â€"1991), Turkish poet
- Ahmed Ali Awan (born 1980), convicted of the racially motivated murder of Ross Parker
- Ahmed Baduri, Eritean diplomat
- Ahmed Elmi Osman, Somali politician
- Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr, former President of Iraq
- Ahmed Ben Bella, the first President of Algeria
- Ahmed Sheikh Ali "Burale", Somali writer and politician
- Ahmed Chalabi, leader of the Iraqi National Congress
- Ahmed al-Ghamdi (1979â€"2001), Saudi hijacker of United Airlines Flight 175
- Ahmed al-Haznawi (1980â€"2001), Saudi hijacker of United Airlines Flight 93
- Ahmed Hulusi, Turkish writer and Sufi
- Ahmed Hussen, Somali-Canadian lawyer
- Ahmed Imamovic, Bosnian film director
- Ahmed Khadr, Egyptian-Canadian senior associate and financier of al-Qaeda
- Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi, Mujaddid of 14th century of Islam
- Ahmed Köprülü, Ottoman Grand Vizier of the Köprülü family
- Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, United Arab Emirati politician
- Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, United Arab Emirati businessman
- Ahmed M. Hassan Somali politician
- Ahmed Mohiuddin, Pakistani biologist
- Ahmed Nadeem, cricketer
- Ahmed bin Saif Al Nahyan, founder and chairman of Etihad Airways
- Ahmed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Emirati businessman
- Ahmed al-Nami (1977â€"2001), Saudi hijacker of United Airlines Flight 93
- Ahmed Nazif (born 1952), Egyptian politician
- Ahmed Nizam, Indian cricketer
- Ahmed Patel, Indian politician
- Ahmed Plummer, former NFL player
- Ahmed Rushdi, Pakistani singer
- Ahmed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, member of the royal family of Saudi Arabia
- Ahmed Sanjar, ruler of the Seljuk Turks
- Ahmed Santos, Mexican newspaper columnist
- Ahmed Åžerafettin, Turkish football manager
- Ahmed Sheikh, Palestinian journalist
- Ahmed Talbi, Moroccan footballer
- Ahmed Sékou Touré, African political leader and president of the Republic of Guinea
- Ahmed Yassin, former leader of Palestinian Hamas
- Ahmed Yesevi, leader of Sufi mysticism
- Ahmed H. Zewail, the winner of the 1999 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on femtochemistry
Ahmet
- Ahmet Akdilek (born 1988), Turkish cyclist
- Ahmet Alkan, Turkish economist
- Ahmet Almaz, Turkish journalist
- Ahmet Bilek (1932-1971), Turkish Olympic champion
- Ahmet Bozer (born 1960), Turkish business executive
- Ahmet Burak ErdoÄŸan (born 1979), a son of Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan
- Ahmet Cömert (1926â€"1990), Turkish amateur boxer, coach, referee, boxing judge and sports official
- Ahmet DavutoÄŸlu, Turkish diplomat and political scientist
- Ahmet Dursun (born 1978), Turkish footballer
- Ahmet Emin Yalman (1888â€"1972), Turkish journalist
- Ahmet Enünlü (born 1948), Turkish bodybuilder
- Ahmet Ertegun, Turkish American founder and president of Atlantic Records
- Ahmet Gülhan (born 1978), Turkish wrestler
- Ahmet Mete Işıkara (1941â€"2013), Turkish seismologist
- Ahmet Ä°zzet Pasha (1864-1937), Ottoman general
- Ahmet Kanneci (born 1957), Turkish guitar virtuoso
- Ahmet Kireççi (1914-1979), Turkish sports wrestler
- Ahmet Koç, Turkish musician
- Ahmet Kuru (born 1982), Turkish footballer
- Ahmet Öcal (born 1979), Belgian footballer
- Ahmet Örken (born 1993), Turkish cyclist
- Ahmet Suat Özyazıcı (born 1936), Turkish footballer
- Ahmet Cevdet Pasha (1822-1895), Ottoman statesman
- Ahmet Peker (born 1989), Turkish wrestler
- Ahmet SaÄŸlam (born 1987), Turkish footballer
- Ahmet Necdet Sezer (born 1941), tenth President of the Republic of Turkey
- Ahmet Burak Solakel (born 1982), Turkish footballer
- Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar (1901-1962), Turkish writer
- Ahmet Türk (born 1942), Turkish politician
- Ahmet Fikri Tüzer (1878-1942), Turkish politician
- Ahmet Ãœmit (born 1960), Turkish author
- Ahmet Üzümcü (born 1951), Turkish diplomat
- Ahmet Uzun, Turkish Cypriot politician
- Ahmet Vardar (1937-2010), Turkish journalist
- Ahmet Yıldırım (born 1974), Turkish footballer
- Ahmet Yıldız (born 1979), Turkish scientist
- Ahmet Zappa (born 1974), American musician, actor and novelist
Other spellings
- Achmad Jufriyanto, Indonesian footballer
- Achmad Nawir, Dutch East Indies footballer
- Achmad Saba'a, Arab-Israeli footballer
- Achmat Dangor, South African writer
- Achmed Abdullah, Russian writer
- Achmed Akkabi, Moroccan-Dutch presenter and actor
- Achmed Labasanov, Russian mixed martial artist
- Achmet (oneiromancer), Occultist
- Ahmat Acyl, Chadian Arab insurgent leader
- Ahmat Brahim, Chadian footballer
- Ahmat Taboye, Chadian writer
Surname
- Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, former President of Somalia
- Adnan Ahmed, football player
- Aneel Ahmad, film director
- Dajan Ahmet, Estonian actor
- Halima Ahmed, Somali political activist
- Hawa Ahmed, Somali model
- Hocine Aït Ahmed, Algerian politician
- Hodan Ahmed, Somali political activist
- Iajuddin Ahmed, the Former President of Bangladesh
- Jabir al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah, Emir of Kuwait
- Jawahir Ahmed, Somali model
- Kafeel Ahmed (died 2007), one of the perpetrators of the 2007 Glasgow International Airport attack
- K. S. Nissar Ahmed, popular Kannada poet and writer from India
- Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, president of Iran
- Matthew Ahmat, Australian rules footballer
- Matthew Ahmet, British wushu practitioner
- Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, Messiah claimant from India, founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement of Islam
- Mirza Basheer-ud-Din Mahmood Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih II of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
- Mirza Nasir Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih III of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
- Mirza Tahir Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih IV of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
- Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih V of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
- Najm Hamad al-Ahmad, Syrian politician
- Nazir Ahmed, Baron Ahmed, British peer and politician
- Rangzieb Ahmed, British terrorist, director of Al-Qaeda in the United Kingdom
- Robert Ahmat, Australian rules footballer
- Tariq Ahmad, Baron Ahmad, British peer and politician
- Tontowi Ahmad, Indonesian badminton player
- Zackie Achmat, South African activist
Fictional characters
- 71-Hour Ahmed, a character in the Discworld novel Jingo
- Ahmed Johnson, American former professional wrestler
- Prince Ahmed, prince in the Arabian Nights
References
