He is our master Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), the son of ʿAbdullah ibn ʿAbd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim. It is essential for every Muslim to know the name and noble lineage of their Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). We must also teach this to our children at an early age so that their bond with our beloved intercessor (peace and blessings be upon him) takes deep root in their hearts.

Scholars have traced the Prophet’s lineage back to his twentieth forefather, stating that he is, Muhammad ibn ʿAbdullah ibn ʿAbd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim ibn ʿAbd Manaf ibn Qusay ibn Kilab ibn Murra ibn Kaʿb ibn Lu`ay ibn Ghalib ibn Fihr ibn Malik ibn al-Nadr ibn Kinana ibn Khuzayma ibn Mudrika ibn Ilyas ibn Mudar ibn Nizar ibn Maʿadd ibn ʿAdnan. Al-Dhahabi said, “ʿAdnan, by consensus, is from the descendants of Isma’il, the son of Abraham (peace be upon them both).”

His father and the story of the two sacrifices

ʿAbdullah, the father of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and son of ʿAbd al-Muttalib, was his father’s most beloved son. ʿAbd al-Muttalib had vowed that if he were granted ten sons who would protect him, he would sacrifice one of them. When the lot was cast among his sons, it fell upon ʿAbdullah. Quraysh intervened and prevented the sacrifice, and instead one hundred camels were slaughtered in his place. For this reason, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) is called “the son of the two sacrificed ones”, Isma’il (peace be upon him), whom Allah ransomed with a great sacrifice, and ʿAbdullah, whom his father ransomed with one hundred camels.

His mother

The Prophet’s mother (peace and blessings be upon him) was Lady Amina bint Wahb ibn ʿAbd Manaf, the noblest of the women of Quraysh and the daughter of the chief of Banu Zuhra.

His noble lineage

Our noble Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) is the best of the chosen. Allah Almighty selected him and preserved him through pure and noble lineages until his blessed birth. Allah Almighty says, “And your movement among those who prostrate” (Quran, 26:219). Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) explained that this refers to his noble lineage from the noble ancestors, Adam, Noah, and Abraham, through whom Allah brought him forth as a Prophet (Tafsir al-Qurtubi). It is also reported by Wathila ibn al-Asqa (may Allah be pleased with him) that he heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say, “Indeed, Allah chose Kinana from the descendants of Isma’il, Quraysh from Kinana, Banu Hashim from Quraysh, and me from Banu Hashim” (recorded by Muslim in his Sahih).

His blessed names

Among the many names of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), Jubayr ibn Mut‘im (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “I have five names: I am Muhammad, and I am Ahmad. I am al-Mahi (the Eraser) through whom Allah erases disbelief. I am al-Hashir (the Gatherer), at whose feet the people will be gathered. And I am al-ʿAqib (the Final One)” (recorded by Bukhari in his Sahih).

His grandfather and paternal uncles

ʿAbd al-Muttalib, the Prophet’s grandfather, was the chief of Quraysh, the noblest in lineage, and the most revered among them. Two famous incidents are attributed to him:

1. The excavation of the well of Zamzam.
2. The incident of the Elephant and his encounter with Abraha.

He had ten sons, including the Prophet’s father. The Prophet’s paternal uncles were: al-Harith, al-Zubayr, Abu Talib, ʿAbdullah, Hamza, Abu Lahab, al-Ghaydaq, al-Muqawim, Dirar, and al-ʿAbbas. He also had and daughters: Umm al-Hakim, Barrah, ʿAtika, Safiyya, Arwa, and Umayma (Sirat Ibn Hisham).