Muhammed or Mohammed?

Dave!

Sounds like a stupid thread, but I've seen it spelt both ways, and I was wondering which is the "correct" way, and which is the most common way.

Thanks

Hobbes

Not sure why you need a poll. It can be spelt a number of ways.

Muhammad
Mohammad
Mohammed
Muhammed
Mahomet

Its to do with the fact (afair) that arabic is written as it is spoken so dialets can change the sound slightly.

Dave!

I see. Which would you say is the most commonly used?

Suff

Like Hobbs said, it's arabic or you can write it, spell it to sound like the arabic name.
I would say Muhammad (PBUH)

note: only the Prohet is Called Muhammad, muslim do use that name but they would be called as Mahammad and not Muhammad(PBUH).
as respect to the Prophet (PBUH).

larryone

odd - I've never seen Muhammad Ali spelt with an Ma

UU

I prefer to use Mohammed. It gives a more broad sound rather than a narrow "U" sound of Muhammed. Isn't grammer the greatest joy in life? lol

hepcat

UU wrote:

I prefer to use Mohammed. It gives a more broad sound rather than a narrow "U" sound of Muhammed. Isn't grammer the greatest joy in life? lol

Grammar - must be one of the commonest errors! Sorry to nitpick but this about correct spellings!

FriarMo

Suff wrote:

Like Hobbs said, it's arabic or you can write it, spell it to sound like the arabic name.
I would say Muhammad (PBUH)

note: only the Prohet is Called Muhammad, muslim do use that name but they would be called as Mahammad and not Muhammad(PBUH).
as respect to the Prophet (PBUH).

Huh? I'm a Saudi Arab and happen to be named Mohammed too, although in the past I've alternately spelt my name :Mohammad/Muhammad.

I've never heard of a prohibition to having a phonetically identical spelling to that of the prophet’s. Moreover the Mahammad spelling you mentioned is nonsensical the tri-consonantal of the name is HMD or in the simple past Ha-mma-da(pertaining to thanks and gratefulness for) equivalent to the generic Fa-3'3'a-la used by grammarians. For those not familiar with Arabic Grammar here’s a short clarification:

Basically in Arabic the majority of native nouns (not those borrowed from other languages e.g saboon from the French savon or khashooga = spoon from Turkish ) are derived from a tri-consonantal root and follow a set pattern, its like taking the verb “conserve” and then adding the -ion to form a noun or –tory to form another. Arabic, Hebrew and most Semitic languages use this basic structure. Anyhow to cut a long story short from the root HMD we can derive these nouns among others:
Mohammad/Muhammad *(He who others are grateful for- The form that is the prophet’s)
Mohammed/Muhammad*(He who is grateful for something or someone –in a persons name that someone is god)

As you can see Hobbes the examples you listed actually have different meaning and only the one which ends with –ad is the form used to donate the meaning that is in the prophet’s name-he who others are grateful for. The last name you listed Mahomet though is simply a Turkish(and later archaic English) corruption of the name its comparable to Usman instead of the more phonetically accurate Othman.

Now going back to “Mahammad”. There is simply no generic form “Ma-Fa-3'3'a-al” in the Arabic language. In fact you can't derive a single noun from a verb using that combination.Furthermore concerning the sign of respect or taboo in using a variation of the prophet’s spelling you alluded to what about all the Adams, Isas(Jesus),Musas (Moses), Dawuds (Davids) etc.. Of the Muslim world? Are they too being disrespectful? A lot of the contemporaries of the prophet or “Sahabas” shared those names, and Abu Bakr’s son( First Caliph after the prophet and considered by many to have been his closest friend) was name Muhammad. I'd like to here more from your angle but as it stands I seriously doubt its validity. Anyhow, All the best and peace!

Mohammed

* The short vowel sounds o and u in Arabic are virtually identical. They only differ between different dialects and not within different words.