Out of adab, love, and deep devotion, the Turks of the Ottoman lands were careful with the blessed name 'Muhammad'. They feared that using his noble name too freely in daily speech, calling it in markets, attaching it to reprimands, or uttering it without presence of heart, might fall short of the reverence it deserves. So while never altering the Prophet’s ﷺ name nor diminishing its sanctity, they adopted the softened form Mehmet or Mehmed for people named after him, keeping “Muhammad ﷺ” elevated, singular, and spoken with awe, salawat, and humility. This was an expression of the heart, an Ottoman way of safeguarding adab and ensuring that the most beloved name remained wrapped in honour, remembrance, and devotion.
When I was returning from Hajj one year - I was queuing in the airport so I could put my luggage and Zam Zam water through, and I had just got a pen to write my name on the bottles of water. An elderly Pakistani man who was working at the airport suddenly approached me and asked, 'What's your name?' I replied, 'Mohammed Aslam'. He got really emotional and said, 'Don't write Muhammad on the boxes. Just write Aslam. I don't want the beautiful name of Muhammad to touch the floor or to be thrown about during transportation.' That really touched my soul and filled my heart with awe.
I know people in the UK who named their children Muhammad and wouldn't call their own kids by that name without wudhu. I know others who named their sons Muhammad but never used that name when shouting at their kids or disciplining them - out of fear of disrespecting the name. This religion is nothing but adab. This ummah has always been defined by its veneration and love for the Prophet ﷺ. A man without respect and humility has not truly achieved the realities of manhood, knowledge or piety - no matter how much they've studied. The elder generation would find it difficult to throw date seeds from the Hijaz into the bin. You ask them why? They will reply, 'It grew in the land of Rasulallah ﷺ.' They may seem like simple people but their hearts are treasures of adab. Those who lower themselves before the Prophet ﷺ out of admiration and respect are raised by Allah in both worlds.
