Bahira

thumb|A young Muhammad being recognized by the monk Bahira. Miniature illustration on vellum from the book ''Jami' al-Tawarikh'' (literally "Compendium of Chronicles" but often referred to as The Universal History or History of the World), by [[Rashid al-Din Hamadani, published in Tabriz, Persia, 1307 A.D. Now in the collection of the Edinburgh University Library, Scotland]] Bahira (, ) is the name in Islamic tradition of a Christian monk who is said to have foretold Muhammad's prophethood when they met while Muhammad was accompanying his uncle Abu Talib on a trading trip. There are several versions of the story, with elements that contradict each other. All accounts of Bahira and his meeting with Muhammad have been deemed fictitious by modern historians as well as by some medieval Muslim scholars, such as al-Dhahabi.

== Etymology of name == The name Bahira comes from the Syriac language, where it is not a proper name but rather a way of addressing or describing a monk. It is an adjective used to denote someone who has been "tested" and "approved," metaphorically meaning "renowned" or "eminent." It takes the form of the passive participle of b-h-r, which translates as "to try, to prove as silver in the fire."