Shamail Muhammadiyah | Episode (2) | Chapter on what was mentioned regarding the character of the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him

0:00 In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

0:07 With the pens of longing and the ink of love,

0:11 We record lines more precious than gold,

0:15 In describing the Master of Creation, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

0:20 The Prophetic characteristics (Shama'il).

0:28 Chapter: What has been narrated regarding the physical creation of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him.

0:33 "Physical creation" (khalq) refers to the description of one's form and outward appearance.

0:39 "Character" (khuluq) refers to the description of one's inner nature and noble traits.

0:44 Allah, the Almighty,

0:46 Created His Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him,

0:50 In the most perfect form and the most excellent state.

0:53 He was as the Companions described him:

0:56 Radiant of countenance,

0:58 Beautiful in physique,

0:59 Proportionate in his limbs.

1:01 Eyes have never seen anything more beautiful or better than him,

1:05 Neither before him nor after him.

1:08 Hassan Ibn Thabit, may Allah be pleased with him, said of him:

1:12 "My eyes have never seen anything more beautiful than you,

1:15 And no woman has ever given birth to anyone more handsome than you.

1:19 You were created free from every defect,

1:22 As if you were created just as you wished."

1:26 Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

1:31 "The physical creation and form of the Prophet, peace be upon him,

1:35 Were among the most perfect and complete of forms,

1:38 And the most encompassing of the virtues that indicate his perfection."

1:42 Al-Tirmidhi began with the discussion of the outward descriptions,

1:46 Because they are the first of the qualities of perfection to be perceived,

1:50 And because they serve as evidence for the inner qualities,

1:53 For the outward is the title of the inward.

1:56 Furthermore, it follows the existential order,

1:59 Since the outward precedes the inward in existence.

2:03 Anas Ibn Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, said:

2:09 "The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,

2:13 Was neither excessively tall nor short,

2:17 Neither starkly white nor dark-skinned,

2:21 Neither curly-haired nor straight-haired.

2:25 Allah, the Exalted, sent him at the age of forty.

2:30 He remained in Makkah for ten years,

2:33 And in Madinah for ten years,

2:36 And Allah took his soul at the age of sixty."

2:40 "There were not even twenty white hairs on his head and beard."

2:48 In this hadith, Anas Ibn Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, describes

2:53 The height of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,

2:56 And the beauty of his form and the perfection of his creation.

3:00 He says that he was neither excessively tall nor short,

3:06 Meaning he was of medium stature.

3:09 He was not extremely tall,

3:12 Just as he was not short,

3:15 But rather between the two.

3:18 However, he, peace be upon him,

3:21 Was closer and more inclined toward tallness,

3:24 As evidenced by the fact that Anas, may Allah be pleased with him,

3:27 Did not negate the quality of tallness entirely,

3:30 But rather negated excessive tallness,

3:33 Which is the praised form of height in men.

3:36 Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, also describes

3:39 The complexion of the Prophet, peace be upon him, by saying:

3:43 "Neither starkly white nor dark-skinned."

3:48 The meaning is that the Prophet, peace be upon him,

3:52 Was not extremely white like a leper,

3:55 For that is a disliked color,

3:58 Just as he was not dark-skinned.

4:01 Rather, he was white with a luminous complexion,

4:05 As stated in the hadith of Anas, may Allah be pleased with him,

4:08 In Sahih al-Bukhari,

4:10 That the Prophet, peace be upon him,

4:13 Was of a radiant (azhar) complexion,

4:16 And "azhar" means white and luminous.

4:19 In the hadith as well,

4:21 Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, describes the hair of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,

4:27 By saying:

4:28 "Neither curly nor straight."

4:32 Curly hair is that which is intertwined,

4:37 Twisted upon itself,

4:40 Like the hair of the Zanj (people of East Africa).

4:42 "Qatat" refers to hair that is intensely curly.

4:46 Straight hair is that which is flowing and soft,

4:49 Lacking any curl or wave.

4:53 Thus, the hair of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,

4:57 Was midway between curly and straight.

5:02 It has been narrated in the version of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him,

5:06 That his hair was "rajil" (slightly wavy),

5:09 Which is hair that appears as if it has been combed and groomed.

5:13 Some interpreted it as having slight curvature and wave,

5:18 Which is the most beautiful quality of hair.

5:21 In the remainder of the hadith,

5:23 Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, mentions the mission of the Prophet, peace be upon him,

5:29 Saying:

5:31 "Allah, the Exalted, sent him at the age of forty,"

5:35 Meaning he was made a Prophet when he completed forty years of age.

5:40 Regarding his saying, "He remained in Makkah for ten years,

5:44 And in Madinah for ten years,"

5:47 It is well-known that the Prophet, peace be upon him, stayed in Makkah for thirteen years,

5:53 Without dispute.

5:55 Perhaps the intention in this hadith

5:58 Is the duration the Prophet, peace be upon him, spent in Makkah

6:03 After the revelation of Surah al-Muddaththir,

6:06 And the command to proclaim the message:

6:08 "O you who are wrapped in your garment, arise and warn."

6:12 For when he was sent,

6:14 He remained in private for three years,

6:16 Then he proclaimed the call for ten years.

6:20 The most likely interpretation is that

6:23 The ten years mentioned in the hadith

6:26 Are based on omitting the fraction exceeding ten,

6:30 As is the custom of the Arabs in calculation.

6:35 And his saying:

6:36 "And Allah took his soul at the age of sixty,"

6:40 It is established that the Prophet, peace be upon him,

6:43 Passed away at the age of sixty-three.

6:47 Thus, this narration in this hadith

6:51 Is based on dropping the extra fraction,

6:54 As mentioned regarding the duration of his stay in Makkah, peace be upon him.

7:00 As for his saying:

7:02 "There were not even twenty white hairs on his head and beard,"

7:07 It means fewer than twenty white hairs.

7:11 It was narrated in another version from Anas, may Allah be pleased with him,

7:15 That there were seventeen or eighteen white hairs.

7:20 This indicates the scarcity of gray hair on him, peace be upon him,

7:25 And his retention of youth and freshness until his passing.

7:30 This also serves as evidence of the Companions' extreme concern

7:35 For transmitting the most precise details regarding our Prophet, peace be upon him,

7:41 To the extent that they even recorded the number of his white hairs

7:45 On his head and beard.

7:47 May the prayers and peace of Allah be upon him.

7:52 Anas Ibn Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, said:

7:56 "The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, was of medium stature,

8:01 Neither tall nor short,

8:04 Beautiful of body."

8:06 "His hair was neither curly nor straight,

8:10 He was of a brownish complexion,

8:12 And when he walked, he would lean forward."

8:14 In this hadith as well,

8:19 Anas Ibn Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, describes our Messenger, peace be upon him,

8:25 And he was among those who were closest to him,

8:28 Having served him for ten years,

8:31 The duration of his stay in Madinah, peace be upon him.

8:35 He says in this hadith:

8:38 "The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, was of medium stature,"

8:42 "Neither tall nor short."

8:45 It is said in the language:

8:47 A man is "rib'ah,"

8:49 And a man is "marbu',"

8:51 If he is between tall and short.

8:54 This is the same meaning we encountered in the first hadith.

8:58 It was narrated in a version by Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him:

9:02 "He, peace be upon him, was of medium stature,"

9:06 And he was closer to being tall.

9:09 His saying, "Beautiful of body,"

9:11 Means balanced in creation,

9:13 Proportionate in limbs,

9:15 With color, softness, and moderation in height and flesh,

9:20 Neither excessively fat nor thin.

9:23 As for his saying, "brownish complexion,"

9:27 Its outward meaning contradicts what we encountered in the previous hadith.

9:31 For this reason, some scholars believe

9:34 That this phrase is not authentic.

9:37 Other scholars interpreted it

9:39 To mean that the "brownness" here

9:42 Refers to the light redness that permeated his whiteness,

9:46 For the whiteness of the Prophet, peace be upon him,

9:50 Was tinged with a hint of redness.

9:53 Thus, it is possible to reconcile the two hadiths.

9:57 Ibn Kathir, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

10:00 The brownness that would appear on his face, peace be upon him,

10:05 Was due to his frequent travels and exposure to the sun.

10:10 His saying, "When he walked, he would lean forward,"

10:13 This describes his gait, peace be upon him.

10:18 When he walked, he would lean forward,

10:22 As if descending from a high place or a slope.

10:27 This is the gait of those with resolve and determination,

10:30 And it is the most balanced of gaits.

10:32 Further explanation will follow in its chapter, if Allah wills.

10:37 Al-Bara' Ibn 'Azib, may Allah be pleased with them both, said:

10:43 "The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, was a man of medium stature,

10:49 Broad between the shoulders,

10:52 With thick hair reaching his earlobes,

10:56 Wearing a red garment.

10:58 I have never seen anything more beautiful than him."

11:02 In another version from him, he said:

11:05 "I have never seen anyone with hair reaching his shoulders in a red garment

11:09 More beautiful than the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him."

11:14 He had hair that reached his shoulders,

11:17 Broad between the shoulders,

11:20 He was neither short nor tall.

11:26 In this hadith narrated by al-Bara' Ibn 'Azib, may Allah be pleased with them both,

11:31 The word "rajulan" can be read with a damma or a kasra on the 'jim'.

11:36 As for the damma (rujulan),

11:39 Al-Bara' is describing the person of the Prophet, peace be upon him,

11:44 As being of medium stature, neither tall nor short.

11:49 As for the kasra (rajilan),

11:52 He is describing the hair of the Prophet, peace be upon him,

11:56 As being "rajil" (slightly wavy), flowing, neither curly nor straight.

12:03 His saying, "Broad between the shoulders,"

12:06 Means he had a broad upper back between the shoulder blades,

12:10 Which implies that he had a broad chest,

12:14 And that is one of the signs of nobility.

12:17 The term was used in the diminutive form.

12:21 This indicates a slight degree of distance.

12:24 Meaning that the distance between his shoulders,

12:27 was not inconsistent with perfect proportion.

12:30 Hence, it is stated in a narration,

12:32 that the Prophet, peace be upon him, had a broad chest.

12:36 The shoulder is the joint where the humerus meets the scapula.

12:41 Regarding the statement "his hair reached his earlobes,"

12:46 it means his hair was thick,

12:48 reaching down to the earlobes.

12:51 These are the soft, hanging parts of the ears,

12:55 where a woman would place her earring.

12:59 Hair, depending on its length, has three descriptors:

13:03 *jummah*, *wafrah*, and *limmah*.

13:07 All of these are used in descriptions of the Prophet’s hair.

13:12 The linguists have stated:

13:14 *Wafrah*

13:15 is hair that reaches the earlobes.

13:18 *Limmah*

13:20 is hair that extends beyond the earlobes,

13:22 whether or not it reaches the shoulders.

13:26 *Jummah*

13:27 is hair that touches the shoulders.

13:30 Regarding the statement "he wore a red *hullah*,"

13:33 the term *hullah* is not applied to clothing,

13:36 unless it consists of two pieces,

13:39 such as an *izar* (lower garment) and a *rida'* (upper garment).

13:41 This is because one piece "settles" over the other,

13:45 hence it is called a *hullah*.

13:47 Perhaps the red color was mixed with another,

13:50 such as white or black,

13:53 because the Prophet, peace be upon him,

13:56 forbade wearing garments that were purely red,

13:59 which refers to clothing of a solid, intense red color.

14:04 Regarding the statement "I have never seen anything more beautiful than,"

14:08 Al-Bara', may Allah be pleased with him, used this phrasing,

14:11 to express the totality of his beauty,

14:14 as it is impossible to detail every aspect of his perfection.

14:17 The essence of his statement is:

14:19 I have never seen anything whose beauty,

14:22 was like the beauty of the Prophet, peace be upon him.

14:25 Rather, he was more beautiful than all beauty.

14:29 He said "I have never seen anything,"

14:32 instead of saying "I have never seen a person,"

14:35 to imply a universal generalization,

14:37 so as to include the sun, the moon,

14:40 and all other beautiful things.

14:43 And his use of "never" (qatt),

14:45 means always, in everything I have ever witnessed.

14:50 This reflects the perfection of his creation and the beauty of his form,

14:54 and the splendor of his appearance, peace be upon him.

14:58 And the beauty and grace with which Allah, the Almighty, endowed him.

15:02 May my father and mother be sacrificed for him, peace be upon him.

15:09 On the authority of 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:

15:13 The Prophet, peace be upon him,

15:17 was neither tall nor short.

15:19 He had thick palms and feet.

15:22 He had a large head.

15:24 He had large joints.

15:26 He had a long line of hair running down his chest.

15:28 When he walked, he leaned forward,

15:31 as if he were descending from a slope.

15:34 I have never seen anyone like him, before or after, peace be upon him.

15:40 In this hadith,

15:44 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, describes the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,

15:50 as being neither tall nor short,

15:54 as we have already discussed.

15:56 Regarding the statement "thick palms and feet,"

15:59 it means they were sturdy and firm.

16:01 Although the palm of the Prophet, peace be upon him,

16:04 was full and well-fleshed,

16:07 despite its size and sturdiness,

16:10 it was soft and smooth,

16:13 as is established in the hadith of Anas, may Allah be pleased with him:

16:17 "I have never touched brocade or silk,

16:20 softer than the palm of the Prophet, peace be upon him."

16:24 This sturdiness in the hands is considered a praiseworthy trait in men,

16:28 because it indicates a stronger grip.

16:31 It is considered a flaw in women.

16:33 Regarding the statement "large head,"

16:36 and it is stated in a narration "large-crowned,"

16:40 the meaning of a large head,

16:42 is that it was somewhat large and substantial,

16:45 which indicates the perfection of his mental capacity.

16:49 Through such perfection, a person is distinguished from others.

16:53 Regarding the statement "large joints,"

16:56 *karadis* is the plural of *kurdus*,

16:59 which refers to any two bones meeting at a joint.

17:03 The intent is the heads of the bones,

17:06 such as the shoulders, knees, and hips.

17:10 He meant that he had large limbs,

17:13 which is a sign of one's nobility and excellence.

17:16 Regarding the statement "long line of hair,"

17:19 the *masrabah* is the fine hair,

17:22 that runs vertically from the chest to the navel.

17:26 The hadith has more to follow, if Allah wills.

17:30 And Allah knows best.

17:32 May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon our Prophet Muhammad,

17:35 and upon all his family and companions.

Shamail Muhammadiyah | Episode (2) | Chapter on what was mentioned regarding the character of the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him | Part one

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