Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah.
The Prophet whom Jesus (peace be upon him) foretold was our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, and Ahmad is one of his established names. Therefore, there is no contradiction between Allah’s statement, conveyed by Jesus (peace be upon him), “whose name is Ahmad,” and the fact that his name is Muhammad.
It is authentically reported that the Prophet ﷺ said:
“I have five names: I am Muhammad and Ahmad; I am Al-Mahi, through whom Allah erases disbelief; I am Al-Hashir, at whose feet the people will be gathered; and I am Al-Aqib.”
Narrated by Al-Bukhari (3532) and Muslim (2354).
Allah, the Most High, says:
“And when Jesus, son of Mary, said, ‘O Children of Israel, indeed I am the Messenger of Allah to you, confirming the Torah that came before me and bringing glad tidings of a Messenger to come after me, whose name is Ahmad.’ But when he came to them with clear proofs, they said, ‘This is obvious magic.’” [As-Saff: 6]
This verse indicates that “Ahmad” is one of the names of the Prophet ﷺ, and is not the name of another prophet distinct from Muhammad ﷺ.
This is explicitly confirmed in the authentic hadith in which the Prophet ﷺ mentioned both names together, saying: “I am Muhammad and Ahmad.”
Therefore, it is incorrect to argue that Jesus (peace be upon him) foretold a prophet named Ahmad and that Muhammad ﷺ was a different person, because Ahmad and Muhammad are two names of the same Prophet ﷺ.
In Arabic, the word “name” may refer to the person being named, to a person's renown and mention, or to a specific identifying name.
Accordingly, Allah’s statement “whose name is Ahmad” does not mean that “Ahmad” is the Prophet ﷺ’s only name. Rather, it is one of his names.
As for claiming that the Prophet ﷺ was named only Muhammad and that the glad tidings referred to another prophet named Ahmad, this distinction is unsupported by the texts and is inconsistent with the authentic hadith that establishes both names for the Prophet ﷺ.
Imam Al-Qurtubi, may Allah have mercy on him, explained the wisdom behind mentioning the name “Ahmad” in the glad tidings of Jesus (peace be upon him). He stated, in meaning, that the Prophet ﷺ was not Muhammad until he became Ahmad: he praised his Lord, and Allah consequently honored him and granted him prophethood. Thus, the name Ahmad preceded the name Muhammad in this context, which is why Jesus (peace be upon him) said: “His name is Ahmad.”
At-Tahir Ibn Ashur, may Allah have mercy on him, explained that the word “Ahmad” in Allah’s statement “whose name is Ahmad” carries several meanings. It indicates his identity as the person named Ahmad, his praiseworthy character and the abundance of qualities for which he is praised, and it is also one of his proper names.
He explained that the name “Muhammad” is derived from hammada, indicating one who is repeatedly and abundantly praised, while “Ahmad” conveys the meaning of being more praiseworthy and more deserving of praise.
Thus, it becomes clear that the two names are compatible in meaning, and both are established names of the Prophet ﷺ.
The glad tidings given by Jesus (peace be upon him) referred to our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, and “Ahmad” is one of his names, as established in the Quran and Sunnah. There is therefore no contradiction between Allah’s statement “whose name is Ahmad” and the fact that the Prophet ﷺ is called Muhammad, since he explicitly said: “I am Muhammad and Ahmad.”
Accordingly, the claim that Jesus (peace be upon him) foretold a prophet named Ahmad who was different from Muhammad ﷺ is incorrect. Rather, Ahmad and Muhammad are two names of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
And Allah knows best.