Islamic naming principles allow parents to select meaningful titles for their children while avoiding names that resemble exclusive divine attributes. Combining the name Muhammad with Arham is permissible in jurisprudence, as it pairs a prophetic name with a word denoting mercy.
Divine Attributes and Naming Constraints
In Islamic law, prohibitions apply to names representing exclusive attributes of Allah, such as Arham al-Rahimeen, Al-Khaliq, or Ar-Rahman. These divine names require the prefix ‘Abd (servant of), creating titles like Abdul-Rahman. Ibn ‘Umar reported that the Prophet said:
The most beloved of your names to Allah are ‘Abdullah and ‘Abd al-Rahman” (Sahih Muslim).
Where a name does not claim exclusive divine qualities, adopting it remains permissible.
