Question: What does 'pbuh' mean and why do Muslims write it after mentioning Prophet Mohammad?

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As you read through books, articles, and web sites about Islam you may come across some unfamiliar words and abbreviations. One of the most frequently asked about abbreviations is the letters 'pbuh' which often appears after the name of Prophet Mohammad. So what does 'pbuh' stand for?

The letters 'pbuh' are an abbreviation of the phrase 'peace be upon him'. Some Muslims will also say the phrase 'peace and blessings be upon him'. This phrase is used as a sign of respect and admiration towards Prophet Mohammad. Muslims feel uneasy about just referring to him by his name only, and so they will add one of these phrases after his name. It is a short prayer asking God to send his mercy, peace, and blessings upon Prophet Mohammad.

When speaking orally, Muslims will usually say the full phrase 'peace be upon him' or 'peace and blessings be upon him'. But in written formats, to avoid repeating the text frequently every time Prophet Mohammad is mentioned, people will often use the abbreviation with the letters 'pbuh' placed in brackets after each mention of Prophet Mohammad. Muslims know when reading this abbreviation that they should actually be reading the full phrase 'peace be upon him'. However, those who are new to reading texts about Islam often find this abbreviation confusing, until they learn the meaning and reasoning behind using it.

Beyond saying 'peace be upon him', you will also notice that Muslims will often refer to him as 'Prophet Mohammad', or as the 'Messenger of Allah', the 'Messenger of God', or simply as the 'Messenger'. This is again an expression of respect and admiration, to remind ourselves of the fact that Mohammad (pbuh) was a Prophet and Messenger from God. In fact, Muslims accord the same respect to all the Prophets and Messengers of God, and it is customary to say the phrase 'peace be upon him' after mentioning the name of any Prophet such as Moses, Jesus, David or any other Prophet of God.

You may be wondering, why do Muslims refer to Mohammad as both a 'Prophet' and a 'Messenger of God'. And what is the difference between a Prophet and a Messenger? In the Muslim tradition, Messengers are individuals to whom God sent new revelations constituting a new message for humanity. So they are carriers of a new message to humanity. For example, Moses was a Messenger whose message was the Torah. Jesus was a Messenger whose message was the Bible. Mohammad was a Messenger whose message was the Quran. On the other hand, Prophets are individuals selected by God and assigned the task of calling people to an existing message. For example, Prophets Sulayman and Yahya (known in the Christian tradition as Solomon and John the Baptist) did not come with a new message, but were calling their people to abide by the existing message of their time. Therefore, every Messenger from God is a Prophet, but not every Prophet was a Messenger.