COMPILATION OF THE HADEETHS CONCERNING THE DESCRIPTION OF THE MESSENGER OF ALLAH
It has been mentioned previously in the narration of Nafi‘ bin Jubair from Ali bin Abu Talib that he said, “I never saw before him or after him a similitude.”
Narrated by Ibraheem bin Muhammad the son of Ali, who said, “When Ali would describe the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) he would say, “He was not very tall nor was he very short he was of medium height, he did not have curly hair nor was it straight, he had hair in between that. He did not have a fat face or a thin face, there was a roundness in his face reddish-white [complexion], black eyes, long eyelashes, big boned and joints [i.e. knees, shoulders, elbows, wrist, ankle etc.].
He had a faint line of hair from his chest to his navel, big hands and feet, when he would walk he would raise his feet as though he was walking uphill and when he would turn he would turn with his whole body. Between his shoulders lay the Seal of Prophethood. He was from the most generous of people in giving and the most welcoming of them in receiving, the most truthful of people in speech, the most trustworthy of people in obligation, the most soft of them in character, most noble of them in companionship. Whoever saw him would naturally respect him, and whoever associated with him loved him. One person describing him said, “I never saw before him nor after him a similitude.”And Imam Abu Ubaid al-Qasim bin Sallam narrated this in Kitabul-Ghareeb. Thereafter he narrated from al-Kisa’i and alAsma‘i and Abu ‘Amr an explanation of the Ghareeb [uncommon words], and a summary of the uncommon words mentioned in his narration: al-Mutahham means a full body, al-Mukaltham means very round face i.e., it was not fat and raised nor was it weak rather between that, and his face was not completely round rather it was slight in places and that is [considered] most preferred among the Arabs and those who know [of such matters].
He was white mixed with red and that is the best of complexions and for this reason he was not extremely white, and al-Ad‘aj means strong blackness of the pupils, and Jaleelul-Mushash means his joints (like the knees, elbows, shoulders, wrists) were broad and [so was] that which was near it from the body. And his statement Shathnal-Kaffain means big hands, and Taqalla‘a in his walk means fast walk. Mention of his groomed eyebrows with long eyelashes has occurred in a hadeeth, along with “He had Shabh arms,” i.e. thick arms. And Allah the Most High knows best.
The hadeeth of Umm Ma‘bad concerning him (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him)
The hadeeth has been mentioned previously in full in the Hijrah from Makkah to Madinah when the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) came to her [Umm Ma’bad] with Abu Bakr and his Mawla Amir bin Fuhairah and their guide Abdullah bin Uraiqit ad-Deeli. Then they had asked her if she had any Laban or meat with her that they could purchase from her but they didn’t find anything with her. She said, “If we had anything I would entertain you,” and they [her tribe] were afflicted by drought [at that time].
Then he (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) spotted at a sheep through a gap in the tent and said, “What is wrong with this sheep, O Umm Ma‘bad?” She said, “It is weak.” Then he (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Would you let me milk her?” She said, “If it has milk then milk her.” Then he (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) requested the sheep [be brought] and stroked it and mentioned the Name of Allah. Then he [the narrator] mentioned the hadeeth and the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) milking it so that it was enough for all of them. Then he milked it and left a full vessel with her.
The group left after having quenched their thirst, then when her husband came he was astonished by the milk and said, “Where did you find this when there is no milk in the house and the sheep is single?” She said, “No, by Allah, indeed a blessed man passed and from his speech [and behavior] was such and such.” He said, “Describe him for me, by Allah, I indeed think he is the man whom the Quraish are searching for.”
She said, “He is bright, he has a good face, well-mannered, and is not defective with a large abdomen or a small head. He is a handsome man, the pupils of his eyes are very black, the hair of his eyelashes is very long, there is a mild hoarseness in his voice, intensely white and deep black eyes, his eyebrows are arched and very close to each other, his neck was radiant, and there was a thickness in his beard.
He is dignified when he is silent and he is splendid when he talks, he explains thoroughly not too little and not too much, he is fluent and his speech appears like pearls. He is most beautiful and graceful from a distance and the best one when he is near, no eye looks up to him out of tallness and no eye looks down on him from shortness. He becomes the brightest and the most supreme one when he is between two people, and the best of them in stature. He always has companions who listen to him when he talks and obey his orders when he ask them to do something, his companions accompany and serve him, he was not frowning, and he does not talk in vain.”
Then her husband said, “This is the one whom the Quraish seek, if I was to encounter him I would seek to accompany him and I would strive if I was to find a way to do so. Then there was a loud voice between the heavens and the earth, they could hear it but didn’t see who said it, and he said [some Arabic poetry],
“May Allah the Lord of mankind reward with his best reward,
The two companions that resided in the tent of Umm Ma‘bad, They arrived in goodness and left with it,
So successful is the one who became a friend of Muhammad”
We mentioned previously Hassan bin Thabit’s response to this blessed poetry in a fashion similar to it in splendor.
Al-Hafiz Ya‘qoob bin Sufyan al-Fasawi and al- Hafiz Abu Nu‘aim in his book Dala’ilun-Nubuwwah. Abdul-Malik said, “It has reached me that Abu Ma‘bad embraced Islam after that and that indeed Umm Ma‘bad migrated then embraced Islam.”Thereafter al-Hafiz al-Baihaqi mentioned the uncommon words after this hadeeth.
Hadeeth Of Hind Bin Abu Halah
Al-Hasan bin Ali (May Allah be pleased with him) said: “I asked my uncle Hind bin Abu Halah about the hilyah [description] of the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him). Hind was known to be a prolific describer of the Prophet, and I wished him to relate some of it for me so I might hold fast to it.”
So Hind said: “The Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him), was of mighty significance to Allah, and profoundly honored among the people. His face radiated light like the moon on its fullest night. He was a bit taller than those of medium stature and a bit shorter than the tall and skinny. His head was large. His hair was wavy. If his hair parted, he would leave it parted, if not he would leave it, and it would not be long enough to go past his earlobes. His complexion was fair. He had a wide forehead, arched, thick eyebrows with a space between them. There was a vein between them that would swell and pulse when he was angry. His nose was aquiline; it had a brightness about the upper part that led those who were less observant to think him haughty. He had a thick beard. His eyes were very black and the whites very white. His cheeks were not prominent, he had a wide mouth. His teeth were white and there was a space between his front teeth.
“There was a fine line of hair on his chest, and it was as if it were an ivory statue with the purity of silver. His figure was well proportioned, full bodied and strong. There was no slackness in his musculature, his chest did not protrude over his belly, nor the reverse. His chest was broad and his shoulders wide and muscular. He had large limbs. The parts of his body that could be seen while he was clothed were luminous. His body from the neck to the navel was joined by hair which flowed down like a line. There was no hair on his nipples. His forearms, shoulders, and upper chest were hairy. The bones of his forearms were long. His palms were wide and generous. His hands and feet were thick. His limbs were long. He had long sinews. His insteps were high. His feet were smooth without protuberances and water would run off them.
When he would move off, he would move with determination. He would step surely and unhurriedly and not proudly. He walked gently and with dignity, and he would take wide steps when he wanted to walk quickly. When he walked, it was as if he were descending from a slope and when he would look at someone, he would turn to him fully. He would lower his gaze and looked down more often than up. He did not stare. He would lead his companions by walking behind them out of modesty and would always be the first to greet them.”
At this point, Al-Hasan said to Hind, “Describe to me the way he spoke.”
Hind said, “The Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him), was continually full of concern. He was constantly deep in thought. He had no rest, and would not speak without a reason. He would be silent for long periods of time. He would begin conversations, and end them clearly and distinctly and would speak in a way that combined many meanings in few words. He spoke with excellence, and there was no excess in it, nor unnatural brevity. He was gentle by nature and not coarse, nor was he contemptuous of anyone.
He would extol the favors he received, even when they were few and small. He never found fault with them. He never criticized the food or drink that was prepared for him, nor did he overly praise it. No one would stand against his anger when matters of the Lord’s truth were opposed, until he had triumphed, but he would never get angry for his own sake, nor would he ever seek to win such an argument. He would gesture with his whole palm, to point. When he was astonished, he would make his palm face upwards. He used his hands frequently as he spoke, and would strike his left palm with his right thumb. When he would get angry, he would turn away and avert his gaze, and when he was full of joy he would lower his eyes. Most of his laughing was [no more than] smiling; when he did laugh, it was not loud, and he would show his teeth a bit like they were hailstones.”
Al-Hasan said, “I kept this report to myself, away from [my brother] Al-Husain for a while, then I told it to him, but he had already heard it and found out even more. He had asked our father [Ali] about the way the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him), was at home, when he went out in his assemblies, and about his way of living.” Al-Hasan left nothing of this out.
Al-Husain said, “I asked my father [Ali]t, about how the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) entered the house. He [Ali] said, “He always asked permission to enter his home, from Allah, and those within. When he was at home, he would divide his time into three parts: one part for Allah, one for his family and one for himself. Then he would divide his own portion between himself and the people. His chosen companions would mostly share this time with him, and they would convey his words to the common people. He would hold nothing back from them, neither knowledge or worldly things. It was his way to prefer the people of excellence, according to their merit in religious matters. Among the people there were those with a need, those with two needs, and those with many needs. He would work with them, and he would occupy them and the community in general with that which would improve their situations.
This he would do by asking about them and their needs, and informing them what they ought to do. He would say, ‘Let the one who is present among you inform the one who is absent, and bring to me the need of the one who is unable to tell me himself. Truly, the one who informs a person of authority of the need of one who is unable to convey it himself, Allah will make firm his feet on the Day of Judgment.’ This was the kind of topic mentioned in his presence, and he did not accept anything else from anyone [he did not like meaningless conversation and liked to talk about how to help people].”
Ali then said, in the hadeeth of Sufyan bin Wakee‘: “They would come as scouts [seeking decisions or knowledge], and they would not go on their way until they had found what they sought, and then they would leave as guides and learned people.”
I said [Husain to his father Ali], “Tell me about his going out and how he acted outside.”
Ali said, “The Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him), would hold his tongue except in matters which concerned his companions. He would encourage affection and concord between them and would say nothing to alienate one from another. He honored the noblemen of every people who would come to him and make them their leaders. He would be wary around some people and on his guard against them [especially nomads], but he would never withhold from anyone his open-faced friendliness and fine personality. He would ask his companions about their circumstances, and he would ask people about what was going on amongst them. He would approve of that which was good and advocate it, and he would denounce that which was base and discourage it.
“Everything he did was in moderation, without excess or contrariness. He was not thoughtless, out of fear that those who came to him would become unmindful or weary. He was prepared for every situation in this world and the next. He did not fail to fulfill what was right, and he did not overstep his authority in regards to those near him. The most meritorious and excellent people to him were those whose advice was most universal; the most significant of them to him were those most beneficial to others, and the most helpful in helping others bear their burdens.”
Then Al-Husain said, “Then I asked him [Ali] about his gatherings and about what he did in them, and he said: “The Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him), did not sit down or stand up without mentioning Allah, nor did he reserve for himself fixed places among the people to be seated, and he forbade others also to reserve places for themselves [especially in mosques and public gatherings]. When he would go to visit a group, he would sit in the nearest available spot, and ordered that others follow this practice. He would give those seated near him his full share of attention in such a way that no one would think others had been given precedence over him.
Whenever someone he sat with would tell him of his needs, he would bear with that person until that person left him. When someone would ask him to solve a problem, he would not turn him away without solving it for him, if possible, or saying a comforting word or a prayer for its fulfillment. His cheerfulness and open personality were felt by all the people, and he became like a father to them. They came to have the right of mercy and compassion from him, as they were close, like the relation of parent and child, distinguished only by virtue and devotion to Allah. And in another narrative, they became equals regarding their rights in his eyes.
“Assemblies with him were gatherings of gentleness, dignified conduct, modesty, patience, and trust. No voice would be raised, nor would women be spoken of in a depraved way, nor would people’s errors be mentioned. [This last item comes via different narrations.] They inclined to each other in affection born out of devotion to Allah, as humble people. In these gatherings, the old were honored, the young were treated with gentleness. They would come to the aid of the needy and would have compassion for the stranger.”
And then I asked him [Ali] about the Messenger’s conduct among his close associates and servants.
[Ali] said: “The Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him), was unfailingly cheerful, easygoing by nature, and mild mannered. He was neither crude nor harsh. He was not a clamorous loudmouth, nor a repeater of obscenities. He was not one to find fault in others, nor did he overly praise them either. He was unconcerned about what he did not want, and this did not bother him. He allowed his soul no portion of three things – hypocrisy, acquisitiveness, and that which did not concern him. He did not allow himself to engage in three things regarding people – he would not criticize others, he would not revile anyone, and he would not seek out others’ faults. He would speak of nothing unless he hoped a reward from Allah for it.
When he would talk, the ones sitting with him would be so still and quiet, you would imagine birds were sitting on their heads. When he was silent, they would talk, but not quarrel in his presence. When one of them would talk, they would all listen attentively until he had finished. They would speak about a subject that was brought up by the first to speak until they had finished with it. He would laugh at what they laughed at, and he would be amazed by what amazed them. He was patient with the stranger who had roughness in his speech. He would say, ‘Whenever you see someone seeking to solve a problem, help him out.’ He did not seek praise, except to be spoken of appropriately. He would not interrupt another’s speech unless it got excessive or too long, then he would end it or get up to leave.”
[Al-Hasan continues in the words of his brother Al-Husain]. I said [to Ali], “What was the silence of the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) like?”
He said, “His silences were for four situations: forbearance, caution, estimation, and contemplation. As for his estimation, it was to take an impartial study of events and listen to the people in order to be just. As for his contemplation, it was about what was eternal and what was transitory. His forbearance was part of his patience, he was not angered by that which was provocative. His caution was for four reasons – taking good speech or action into consideration so he might use it in an exemplary way; abjuring the ugly and bad so it would be left alone; exerting his judgment to improve the situation of his community; [and] establishing ways to maintain the good state of his community in regard to this world and the next.”
Narrated by ‘Uqbah bin al-Harith he said, “Abu Bakr prayed al-Asr after the death of the Prophet (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) by a few nights, then he and Ali went out walking and suddenly saw al-Hasan bin Ali [who] was playing with the children. Then Abu Bakr lifted him on to his shoulders and said, “Let my father be sacrificed for your sake, [you] resemble the Prophet (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) and not Ali,” whilst Ali was laughing at them (May Allah be pleased with him).”
Narrated by Abu Juhaifah, he said, “I saw the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) and al-Hasan bin Ali resembled him.”
Narrated by Ali(May Allah be pleased with him)who said, “Al-Hasan is the most resemblant of the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) between his chest and head and alHusain is the most resemblant of the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) in the area below that.”
By Ibn Katheer
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