Answer
Asalamu Alaikum M,
Thank you for contacting About Islam with your question.
Is the name “Muhammad” sacred? The short answer is no, it is not. The Quran says:
{Say [O Prophet]: “I am but a mortal man like all of you.”} (Al-Kahf 18:110)
And
{Say [O Prophet]: “I am but a mortal like you. It has been revealed to me that your God is the One God.”} (Fussilat 41:6)
Therefore, Muhammad (peace be upon him-PBUH) is, as the Quran clearly states, a mortal like us and his name is like our names, in principle.
Sacred Names are only for Allah Almighty. This means that the names of Allah’s attributes are names that no one and nothing else should be named.
Allah says in the Quran:
{The Sustainer of the heavens and the earth and all that is between them! Worship, then, Him alone, and remain steadfast in His worship. Do you know any whose name is similar?} (Mariam 19:65)
Thus, it is forbidden to call somebody “Allah”, “God”, or any of the rest of the names for Allah’s attributes, which are well-known, such as Ar-Rahman (The All-Compassionate), Ar-Rahim (The All-Merciful), Al-Malik (The Absolute Ruler), Al-Quddus (The Pure One), Al-Jabbar (The Compeller), Al-Mutakabbir (The Greatest), Al-Khaliq (The Creator), and so on.
No one and nothing should be given or called by these names, except with clear distinction from God. For example, someone could be called creative or merciful, but not The Creator or The Most Merciful, and so on.
Thus, the name “Muhammad” can and is used for human beings other than the Prophet (PBUH).
Relatively Speaking
Having said that, I would like to assert that some social and political correctness should be observed when one uses the name “Muhammad” for an inanimate object since Muslim have a strong filial association with that name.
Social and political correctness is something that clearly is relative to each society. Each society establishes traditions and the amount of popular respect or disrespect associated with a certain person or object.
If you are referring to the 2007 incident where the school teacher in Sudan allowed students to name their teddy bears “Muhammad”, my humble opinion is that it is a story that belongs to a certain political propaganda and has nothing to do with Islamic law.
Political Context
Thus, it is not a matter of whether the name “Muhammad” is a sacred name or not. The issue is that we are dealing with:
- repressed societies needing any non-anti-government story to allow them to sound their frustrations and depressions without fear of persecution,
- media agencies spreading Islamophobia, inhibiting cross-cultural communication and cooperation, and promoting the clash of civilization theories,
- a lack of cross-culture dialogue and mutual learning on all sides.
I hope this answers your question. Please keep in touch.
Walaikum Asalam.
Please continue feeding your curiosity, and find more info in the following links:
How Important Is the Status of Prophet Muhammad
Why Are Some Prophets Better than Others? Part 1