Shamail al-Muhammadiyah

“Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) was neither very tall of stature, nor short. His skin was neither pale white, nor tawny, and his hair was neither crisply curled, nor lank. Allah (Exalted is He) sent him at the end of forty years of life, so he stayed in Mecca for ten years and in Medina for ten years, and Allah took him unto Himself at the end of sixty years, with fewer than twenty white hairs on his head and his beard.”

‘Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) was of medium height, neither tall nor short. He was of handsome physique, and his hair was neither crisply curled nor smooth, brown of color. When he walked, he used to stride confidently ”

“I heard al-Bara’ ibn 'Azib say: "Allah’s Messenger(Allah bless him and give him peace)was neither curly nor lank-haired, of medium height, broad-shouldered, with luxuriant hair reaching the lobes of his ears, wearing a red suit of clothes. I have never seen anything more beautiful than him!”

"I have never seen anyone endowed with a lock of hair flowing below the ears, wearing a red suit of clothes, more handsome than Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace). He had some hair touching his shoulders. Broad-shouldered, he was neither short nor tall.”

“The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) was neither tall nor short, endowed with sturdy hands and feet, stout head and limbs, and lengthy hair on the chest. When he walked, he inclined forward, as if he were descending a downward slope. I have never seen the like of him, neither before him nor after him.”

1 have been told by Ibrahim ibn Muhammad, one of the offspring of 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be well pleased with him): “When 'Ali described Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace),he said: "Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) was neither assertively tall, nor reticently short, and he was an average-sized member of the population. His hair was neither crisply curled nor lank; it was loosely curled. He was neither plump nor chubby-cheeked, and in his face there was a rounded quality. He was white with a reddish tinge, dark black-eyed, with long eyelashes. He had splendid kneecaps, elbow joints and shoulder blades, free from hair. He had a strip of hair from the top of the chest to the navel. The palms of his hands and the soles of his feet were thickset. When he walked, he moved as if he were descending a declivity, and when he looked around, he looked around altogether. Between his shoulders was the Seal of Prophethood, for he is the Seal of the Prophets. He was the best of the people in generosity, the most truthful of the people in speech, the gentlest of them in temperament, and the noblest of them in social intercourse. If someone saw him unexpectedly, he was awestruck by him, and if someone came to know him, he loved him. His describer says: “I have never seen the like of him (Allah bless him and give him peace), neither before him nor after him.”

“My maternal aunt Hind asked the son of Abu Hala, who was a describer of the finery of Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace), to describe something of it that would be of interest to me, so he said: Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) was an honored dignitary, whose face shone with the radiance of the moon on the night of the full moon. He was taller than medium-sized, and shorter than the slender giant. His head was grand and impressive, with loosely curled hair. If his forelock became divided, he would part it. Otherwise his hair would not cross over his earlobes, and he would let it grow plentiful and long. He was bright of color, broad of forehead, endowed with arched eyebrows, perfect without being conjoined, with a vein between them that anger would cause to pulsate. The bridge of his nose was curved. He had a light that would rise over him, and someone who did not reflect on him would consider him haughty. He was thickly bearded, endowed with smooth cheeks, a wide mouth, cleft teeth, and a delicate strip of hair from the top of the chest to the navel. It was as if his neck were the neck of a statue shaped in pure silver. He was well proportioned in physique, firmly cohesive, with the stomach and the breast in even balance. He was wide-chested, broad-shouldered, endowed with stout limbs and very shiny bare skin. Between the top of the chest and the navel by a strip of hair like a line of writing, while his breasts and stomach were bare apart from that. He had hair on his arms and shoulders and the upper parts of his chest. His forearms were long. He had a sensitive touch of the hand. The palms of his hands and the soles of his feet were thickset. His extremities were well formed . The hollows of his soles were very deep-set. His feet were so smooth that water bounced off them. When he left a place, he would go away striding decisively. He would tread inclining forward and walk comfortably. His gait was brisk. When he walked, it was as if he were descending a declivity, and when he looked around, he looked around altogether. He lowered his eyesight, and he spent more time looking at the ground than he did looking at the sky. The majority of his looking was observation. He would urge his Companions to proceed ahead of him, and he would be the first to greet anyone he encountered with the salutation of peace.”

“I heard Jabir ibn Samura say: "Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) was dali al-fam, ashkal al-'ain, manhus al-'aqib.” Shu'ba said: “I asked Simak: ‘What is dali al-fam?" He replied:" endowed with a lean heel.”

"I saw Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) on a cloudless night, and he was wearing a red suit of clothes, so I started looking at him as well as at the moon, for he is indeed more beautiful, in my opinion, than the moon!”

A man asked al-Bara’ ibn 'Azib: “Was the face of Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) like the sword?” He said: “No, it was rather like the moon!”

"Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) was white, as if he were fashioned from silver, with loosely curled hair."

"The Prophets were presented to me, and there was Moses (peace be upon him), a specimen of the men of distinction, as if he were among the men of pure lineage and manly virtue . I also saw Jesus the son of Mary (peace be upon him), and the nearest I have seen in resemblance to him is 'Urwa ibn Mas’ud. I also saw Abraham (peace be upon him), and the nearest I have seen in resemblance to him is your Companion (meaning himself). I also saw Gabriel (peace be upon him), and the nearest I have seen in resemblance to him is Dihya.”

'I heard Abu Tufail say: “I saw the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), and there is no one left on the face of the earth who has seen him, apart from me.” I said: “Describe him for me!” He said: “He was white, handsome, of medium size.”

Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) had a gap between the medial pair of teeth. When he spoke, it seemed as if light were emerging from between his middle teeth."

‘My maternal aunt took me to the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), and she said; “O Messenger of Allah, my sister's son is in pain!” He therefore stroked my head (Allah bless him and give him peace) and supplicated blessing for my sake. He performed the minor ritual ablution. I drank from his ablution water and stood behind his back, whereupon I observed the Seal between his shoulders, and lo and behold, it was like the button of the bridal canopy!”’

"I saw the Seal between the shoulders of Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) as a red swelling like the egg of the dove.”

"I heard Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace)- and if I wished to kiss the seal between his shoulders, I would do so because of his nearness— say to Sa'd ibn Mu'adh on the day he died: “The Throne of the All-Merciful was shaken on his account!”

“When 'Ali described Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace)— then he related the tradition in full—he said: 'Between his shoulders was the Seal of Prophethood, for he is the Seal of the Prophets'."

“Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) said to me: ‘O Abu Zaid, come close to me and stroke my back!’ I duly stroked his back, whereupon my fingers touched the Seal. I said: ‘What is the Seal?’ He said; ‘Intertwined hairs.’”

“Salman al-Farisi brought Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace), when he reached Medina, a table with ripe dates upon it, and he placed it in front of Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace), so he said: ‘O Salman, what is this?’ He replied: A charitable gift for you and for your Companions’ ‘Take it away,’ said the Prophet, ‘for we will not eat a charitable gift.’ He therefore took it away. Then he came the next day with the like of it, and placed it in front of Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace), who said: ‘What is this, O Salman?’ He replied: ‘A present for you,’ so Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) said to his Companions: ‘Spread out!’ Then Salman looked at the Seal on the back of Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace), so he believed in him. He was a slave of the Jews, however, so Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) purchased his freedom at such-and-such a price of silver coin, on condition that he would plant date palms for them, and Salman would work on them until they bore edible fruit. Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) then planted the date palms, apart from one date palm that 'Umar planted. The date palms then bore their annual crop, but one date palm did not bear fruit, so Allah’s Messenger said (Allah bless him and give him peace): ‘What is the matter with this date palm?’ 'Umar said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, I planted it!’ Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) therefore uprooted it and replanted it, so it bore its annual crop."

“I asked Sa'id al-Khudri about the Seal of Allah's Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace), meaning the Seal of Prophethood, so he said: ‘It was a protrusion of skin on his back.”

"I came to Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace), while he was among a group of his Companions, so I circled like this behind him. He understood what I wanted, so he threw the cloak off his back. I thus saw the place of the Seal on his shoulders, like a clenched fist surrounded by moles, as if they were warts. I came around to face him, and I said: 'May Allah forgive you, O Messenger of Allah!' He said: ‘And you,' so the people exclaimed: 'Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) has asked forgiveness for you!' He said: 'Yes, and also for you!' Then he recited this Quranic verse: 'And ask forgiveness for your sin, and for the believing men and the believing women .”(Q.47:19).”’

"The hair of Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) came down to the middle of his ears.”

"I used to perform the major ritual ablution, I and Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) from a single basin, and he had hair above the shoulder level and below the earlobes.”

“Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) was of medium height, broad-shouldered, and the hair of his head touched the lobes of his ears.”

“I said to Anas: ‘How was the hair of Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace)?' He replied: 'It was neither crisply curled nor lank. His hair used to reach the lobes of his ears'.”

"Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) arrived boldly at Mecca, and he had four braids of hair.”

"The hair of Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) was down to the middle parts of his ears.”

“Allah’s Messenger(Allah bless him and give him peace) used to let his hair hang down , whereas the polytheists used to part the hair of their heads. The People of the Scripture also used to let the hair of their heads hang down, and he used favor emulating the People of the Scripture with respect to things about which nothing was commanded, but Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) then parted the hair of his head.”

"I saw Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) with four braids of hair.”

“I used to comb the hair of Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) while I was menstruating.”

“Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) made a frequent practice of oiling his head and combing his beard, and he often wore the head veil, so it was as if his robe was the robe of an oil dealer.”

“Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) used to love tayammun in his ritual purification when he purified himself, in his combing when he combed his hair, and putting on his shoes when he donned them.”

"Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) forbade combing except at intervals.”

"The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) used to comb his hair at intervals.”

‘I said to Anas ibn Malik: “Did Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) dye his hair?” He replied: ‘He did not get to that, for he was grayed only in the hair covering his temples, but Abu Bakr (may Allah the Exalted be well pleased with him) dyed his hair with henna and a herbal mixture called katam.”

"On the head of Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) and his beard, I counted only fourteen white hairs.”

"When he oiled his head, no grayness was visible, and when he did not apply oil, some was visible.”

"The hoariness of Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) was merely about twenty white hairs."

Abu Bakr said: “O Messenger of Allah, you have grayed!” He said: 'I have been made gray-haired by Hud (Al-Qur'an; 11)), the calamity (Al-Qur'an; 56)), the winds sent forth (Al-Qur'an; 77)). what will they question one another about?’ (Al-Qur'an; 74)). and ‘when the sun is overthrown’ (Al-Qur'an; 81)'."

"O Messenger of Allah we notice that you have turned gray!’ He said: ‘The Hud and its sisters have caused me to turn gray!’”

"I came to the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) with a son of mine, who said: 'So I was shown him, and I said when I saw him: ‘This is Allah’s Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace). He is wearing two green garments, and he has hair that is topped with grayness, and its grayness is reddish'.”

“Was there any grayness of the head of Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace)?" He replied: "There was no grayness on the head of Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace), except some hairs in the part of his hair when he applied oil and the oil made them visible.”

“I came to the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) with a son of mine, so he said; ‘Is this your son?’ I said: ‘Yes, I acknowledge him!’ He said: ‘He must not harm you, and you must not harm him!’ I also noticed that the grayness of his hair was reddish.”

“Did Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) dye ?” He said: “Yes!”

"I saw Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) come out of his house shaking his head, for he had performed the major ritual ablution, and on his head there was some trace of henna." (Or he said: saffron. The Shaikh doubted this.)

"I saw the hair of Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace)dyed.”

'Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn 'Uqail also informed us: "I saw the hair of Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) dyed in the presence of Anas ibn Malik."

"Color the edges of the eyelids with antimony ,and three times in that.

“Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) used to color the edges of his eyelids with antimony before going to sleep, three times in each eye. Yazid ibn Harun also said in his tradition: “The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) had a kohl jar from which he used to apply kohl to his eyelashes before going to sleep, three times in each eye.”