Is praising other than Allah considered polytheism (shirk)? And does its utterer become a polytheist? And what is the way to affirm Allah’s Oneness in praise and attain salvation from polytheism? And what is the meaning of praise (hamd)? And does the name Muhammad refer to Allah or to the Prophet? And what is the difference between "praise be to Allah" and "praise be to other than Him"?

Allah Almighty alone is deserving of absolute praise (al-hamd al-mutlaq), while a servant is praised according to their capacity. Directing praise to a created being is not shirk (polytheism), but complete praise belongs to Allah Almighty. The monotheism of Allah concerning praise is achieved by acknowledging that He is deserving of perfect praise and that every blessing comes from Him. As for the name "Muhammad," it refers to the person deserving of abundant praise. This applies to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, due to his numerous praiseworthy qualities. It is a passive participle derived from "hamd" (praise), indicating that he is much praised by those who praise, or that he deserves to be praised repeatedly. Thus, it is both a proper noun and an attribute that converged in him, peace and blessings be upon him.