مَحْمُود
Boy Arabic origin Maḥmūd
In the Quran“Praised, praiseworthy”; from the same root as Muhammad and Ahmad
The word as it is recited in the Quran: Mahmoud Khalil Al-Hussary, Al-Isra 17:79.
The word occurs once in the Quran, in a promise made to the Prophet ﷺ: “It may be that your Lord will raise you to a praised station (maqaman mahmudan)” (17:79). According to Ibn ʿUmar, this is the station of the great intercession (al-Bukhari 4718), and the Prophet ﷺ taught Muslims to ask it for him after the call to prayer (al-Bukhari 614). Mahmud is not one of his names, but it shares the root of Muhammad and Ahmad.
Mahmud is the passive participle of ḥamida, “to praise” (root ḥ-m-d of praise, ḥamd): “the one who is praised”, of whom good is spoken. Muhammad, built on the intensive form, adds the idea of repeated praise, “praised again and again”. The name was borne by great rulers such as Mahmud of Ghazni and two Ottoman sultans; it is spelled Mahmoud in the Arab world and Mahmut in Turkey.
Yes: the word Mahmud appears in the Quran once, in one surah.
وَمِنَ ٱلَّيْلِ فَتَهَجَّدْ بِهِۦ نَافِلَةً لَّكَ عَسَىٰٓ أَن يَبْعَثَكَ رَبُّكَ مَقَامًا مَّحْمُودًا ٧٩
And from [part of] the night, pray with it [i.e., recitation of the Qur’ān] as additional [worship] for you; it is expected that your Lord will resurrect you to a praised station.
All the words of the root ح م د in the Quran (68 occurrences)
إِنَّ النَّاسَ يَصِيرُونَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ جُثًا، كُلُّ أُمَّةٍ تَتْبَعُ نَبِيَّهَا، يَقُولُونَ يَا فُلاَنُ اشْفَعْ، حَتَّى تَنْتَهِيَ الشَّفَاعَةُ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَذَلِكَ يَوْمَ يَبْعَثُهُ…
"Whoever says upon hearing the call: O Allah, Lord of this perfect call and the prayer that is to be established, grant Muhammad Al-Wasīlah and Al-Fadīlah and resurrect him to the Praiseworthy Station that You have promised him, he will be granted my intercession on the Day of Judgment."
مَنْ قَالَ حِينَ يَسْمَعُ النِّدَاءَ اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّ هَذِهِ الدَّعْوَةِ التَّامَّةِ وَالصَّلاَةِ الْقَائِمَةِ آتِ مُحَمَّدًا الْوَسِيلَةَ وَالْفَضِيلَةَ وَابْعَثْهُ مَقَامًا مَحْمُودًا الَّذِي وَعَدْتَهُ، حَلَّتْ لَهُ…
No text or scholarly opinion concerns the name Mahmud in particular: the general rules of Islam apply.
Read the rules for choosing a name
This page is an aid to reflection, not a fatwa. For a personal case, ask a person of knowledge.
