Al-Shamail Al-Muhammadiya | Episode (1) | Introduction

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

0:07 With pens of longing and 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).

0:29 Praise be to Allah, who created all beings, moral characters, provisions, and actions.

0:35 To Him belongs all gratitude for bestowing His manifest and hidden blessings through His bounty.

0:41 May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon His Prophet and Messenger, who was distinguished by the most excellent characteristics.

0:47 And upon his family and his Companions, who are described by their virtues and merits.

0:53 And upon his followers, the scholars who act upon what has been authentically established from him with proofs.

1:00 To proceed:

1:02 There is no doubt that everyone who has praised the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, in the past and the present,

1:09 Whether from the desert or the city, whether a composer of verse, a writer, or a poet,

1:15 Seeks to demonstrate the excellence of praising the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him.

1:21 And that to dwell upon it and speak at length in recounting it is among the most noble and perfect of deeds,

1:27 Because of how Allah, the Almighty, praised His Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him,

1:34 In His Noble Book.

1:36 Allah, the Almighty, praised His Messenger, peace be upon him, with a praise that cannot be surpassed.

1:44 Thus, all of creation came after that, falling short of his due, no matter how hard they strove,

1:50 And remaining below his station, no matter how eloquent they became.

1:53 As one of them said:

1:56 "I see every praise of the Prophet as falling short,

1:59 Even if the one praising him exaggerates and speaks at length.

2:03 If Allah Himself praises him with what he is worthy of, then what is the measure of the praise of mortals?"

2:10 Among the greatest forms of Allah’s praise for the Messenger, peace be upon him,

2:17 Is His defense of him and His confronting of his enemies and those who fabricate lies against him,

2:22 By proving them liars and exposing their foolishness.

2:26 Then, by clarifying his virtues, his characteristics, and his status, peace be upon him.

2:33 This is something countless in the Noble Qur'an.

2:37 For no sooner do his enemies launch a rumor, a fabrication, or an accusation,

2:43 Than the Noble Qur'an stands in wait,

2:47 Refuting and exposing them on one hand,

2:50 While praising and extolling Muhammad, peace be upon him,

2:55 And swearing by his beautiful traits and his magnificent status on the other.

3:01 Indeed, praising the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, in the Noble Qur'an,

3:06 Extolling him, commending him, enumerating his virtues, elevating his status,

3:12 Raising his rank, defending him, confirming his words, and upholding his law,

3:18 Along with condemning his enemies, exposing their opinions, and belittling their worth,

3:23 Is a clear Qur'anic methodology and an explicit divine path.

3:29 It is a divine way.

3:32 Hence, the emulation by the believing men and women,

3:36 In praising the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,

3:40 And commending him by every means and method,

3:44 And every trait, virtue, and character,

3:47 Until they wove for him a mantle of praise.

3:50 Our Lord mentioned to us in His Book this favor,

3:55 Which encircles the neck of every Muslim in every time and place,

4:01 For He said:

4:03 "Allah has certainly conferred a favor upon the believers,"

4:07 “Allah verily hath shown grace to the believers by sending unto them a messenger of their own who reciteth unto them His revelations, and causeth them to grow, and teacheth them the Scripture and wisdom; although before (he came to them) they were in flagrant error.” (3:164)

4:12 "Reciting to them His verses,"

4:16 "Reciting to them His verses,"

4:19 "And purifying them,"

4:22 "And teaching them the Book and wisdom,"

4:27 "And teaching them the Book and wisdom,"

4:32 "Although they had been before in clear error."

4:37 And from there, He emphasizes the status of the Messenger, peace be upon him,

4:44 And from there, He emphasizes the status of the Messenger, peace be upon him,

4:49 In the Noble Qur'an for every Muslim,

4:52 Saying:

4:54 “The Prophet is closer to the believers than their selves, and his wives are (as) their mothers. And the owners of kinship are closer one to another in the ordinance of Allah than (other) believers and the fugitives (who fled from Mecca), except that ye should do kindness to your friends. This is written in the Book (of nature).” (33:6)

4:58 For he is closer to us than our own hearts,

5:01 And dearer to our souls than our own selves.

5:05 And he is, to every Muslim among us, the most precious thing he possesses,

5:09 And dearer than all of creation without exception.

5:14 For on the authority of Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:

5:17 The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:

5:21 "None of you truly believes until I am dearer to him than his father, his child,"

5:27 "And all of mankind."

5:29 And the Muslim can do nothing before this towering edifice,

5:33 Except to show reverence and awe for the station of this noble Messenger, peace be upon him,

5:39 And to follow the path of the noble Companions,

5:42 Who devoted themselves to the love of their Messenger, peace be upon him,

5:47 Until both enemies and friends alike bore witness to it.

5:52 Abu Sufyan Ibn Harb said, before he announced his Islam:

5:57 "I have never seen anyone love anyone,"

6:00 "As the Companions of Muhammad love Muhammad."

6:05 Among the manifestations of Allah’s honoring of His Prophet and His praise for him,

6:09 Is what came at the beginning of Surah al-Najm, along with other surahs,

6:14 Where Allah praised his intellect, saying:

6:17 “Your comrade erreth not, nor is deceived;” (53:2)

6:21 And He praised his tongue, saying:

6:24 “Nor doth he speak of (his own) desire.” (53:3)

6:27 And He praised his companion and teacher, Jibril, saying:

6:31 "He was taught by one intense in strength."

6:34 And He praised his sight, saying:

6:37 “The eye turned not aside nor yet was overbold.” (53:17)

6:40 And He praised his chest, saying:

6:43 “Have We not caused thy bosom to dilate,” (94:1)

6:46 And He praised all of his character, saying:

6:50 "And indeed, you are of a great moral character."

6:54 Qadi 'Iyad, may Allah have mercy on him, says:

6:57 "What is your opinion of the greatness of one in whom all the qualities of goodness have gathered,"

7:02 "Which cannot be counted by any number,"

7:04 "Which cannot be counted by any number,"

7:06 "Nor expressed by any speech,"

7:09 "Nor attained by effort or stratagem,"

7:12 "Except by the selection of the Great, the Exalted,"

7:15 "From the virtue of Prophethood and Messengership,"

7:18 "And the status of being a close friend (khalil) and beloved,"

7:20 "And the selection, the Night Journey (Isra'),"

7:22 "And the vision, the nearness, and the approach,"

7:25 "And the revelation, the intercession, the means (wasilah), and the virtue,"

7:29 "And the exalted degree,"

7:31 "And the praised station (Maqam Mahmud),"

7:33 "And the Buraq and the Ascension (Mi'raj),"

7:35 "And the mission to the red and the black (all of mankind),"

7:38 "And leading the Prophets in prayer,"

7:40 "And the testimony among the Prophets,"

7:43 "And the mastership of the children of Adam,"

7:45 "And being a mercy to the worlds,"

7:47 "And the expansion of his breast,"

7:49 "And the raising of his mention,"

7:51 "And the support by the angels,"

7:53 "And the bestowing of the Book and wisdom,"

7:56 "And the blessings of Allah, the Almighty, and the angels upon him,"

8:00 "And the removal of the burdens and shackles from creation by his mission,"

8:04 "And the gushing of water from between his fingers,"

8:07 "And the multiplication of the little,"

8:09 "And the splitting of the moon,"

8:11 "And the victory through awe,"

8:13 "And the knowledge of the unseen,"

8:15 "And the shade of the clouds,"

8:17 "And the glorification of Allah by the pebbles,"

8:19 "And the protection from the people,"

8:21 "To that which cannot be counted by any number,"

8:23 "And none encompasses its knowledge except Allah, the Almighty."

8:27 "In addition to what Allah has prepared for him in the Hereafter,"

8:31 "Of the stations of honor,"

8:33 "And the degrees of sanctity,"

8:35 "And the ranks of happiness, goodness, and increase,"

8:38 "Before which minds stand still,"

8:41 "And understandings are bewildered in their perception."

8:45 His words end here.

8:47 And truthful is the one who said:

8:49 "For the virtue of the Messenger of Allah has no limit,"

8:53 "That a speaker could express with my mouth."

8:56 From this starting point,

8:59 The books of the characteristics and states of the Chosen One, peace be upon him,

9:04 Are among the highest of books in degree and the most elevated in status,

9:08 And the most noble in importance and position,

9:11 Because of the images they contain of the life of the Messenger, peace be upon him,

9:16 Depicted with precision,

9:18 Which makes us stand before his life to contemplate it,

9:22 So that it becomes for us a shining lamp,

9:25 And a clear path to happiness in both this world and the Hereafter,

9:30 And makes us follow in his footsteps,

9:32 And walk upon his path and methodology,

9:35 Until we are guided to the Straight Path.

9:39 For he, peace be upon him, is a Qur'an walking upon the earth.

9:44 Knowing how to worship Allah, the Almighty,

9:48 And acting upon His religion, which He sent down for the well-being of the servants in this world and the Hereafter,

9:54 Is dependent upon knowing the guidance of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,

10:00 And his practical way,

10:02 Through which he clarified the law of Allah, the Almighty, from the moment the revelation first descended upon him,

10:07 Until Allah, the Almighty, perfected this religion.

10:11 The books of Sunnah, military expeditions (Maghazi), history, and Shama'il have recorded,

10:16 The sayings of the Prophet, peace be upon him, his actions, and his attributes,

10:21 From the beginning of his life until Allah, the Almighty, chose him to be in His presence,

10:27 Especially the period in which he fulfilled the mission.

10:31 They did not leave any of his affairs, nor anything of his matters, whether small or great,

10:36 Without recording it.

10:38 To the point that you find in them the description of his clothes and his sitting,

10:42 And his rising from his sleep,

10:45 And his manner of laughing and smiling,

10:48 And his walking and his worship in his night and his day,

10:52 And how he would act when he performed ghusl,

10:55 And when he ate,

10:56 And how he would drink,

10:58 And what he would wear,

11:00 And how he would speak to people when he met them,

11:04 And what colors he liked,

11:07 And what his physical appearance and characteristics were.

11:10 And we are not stating a falsehood,

11:12 If we say that there is no perfect human being in the world,

11:16 Whose history is discussed in such detail,

11:20 As the details of the life of our Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him,

11:25 The Seal of the Prophets.

11:27 And that the most comprehensive book on this subject,

11:31 Is the book *Al-Shama'il al-Muhammadiyyah*,

11:34 By the Imam, the Hafiz, the Verifier,

11:36 Muhammad Ibn 'Isa al-Tirmidhi,

11:39 Which is considered one of the greatest, most comprehensive, and finest books of Shama'il.

11:44 As the scholar 'Ali al-Qari, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

11:48 "The reader of this book,"

11:50 "Is as if he is looking at the countenance of that noble presence,"

11:54 "And seeing his noble virtues in every chapter."

11:58 Therefore, this book has received great care,

12:03 From the people of knowledge and students throughout the centuries,

12:06 In reading and verifying it,

12:08 And studying and memorizing it.

12:11 More than one scholar has undertaken its explanation,

12:14 And they have written commentaries and marginal notes upon it,

12:17 Both lengthy and concise.

12:19 I have desired to enter into the ranks of those who serve this book,

12:24 So I have written a concise explanation for it,

12:27 Selected from the commentaries of the predecessors and the successors,

12:31 While attempting to present it in a new way,

12:35 That suits the styles of writing and the tastes of readers,

12:38 In our modern era.

12:40 I have intended to omit the chains of narration (isnad) of Imam al-Tirmidhi,

12:44 While keeping the narrator of the hadith from the noble Companions,

12:48 May the pleasure of Allah be upon them.

12:50 And I have omitted all the weak hadiths in the book,

12:54 I have only explained those parts that fall within the scope of acceptance.

12:58 I have also omitted hadiths that are repetitive in meaning.

13:02 I have limited myself to the strongest and most complete versions.

13:05 So that this work may emerge in this form,

13:08 which I hope will be accepted by Allah the Exalted,

13:12 and be beneficial to those who hear it.

13:16 The term Shama'il

13:18 refers to one's nature and characteristics,

13:20 one's manners and traits,

13:22 and one's qualities and dispositions.

13:24 When one speaks of the Shama'il of the Prophet, peace be upon him,

13:29 it refers to his noble characteristics,

13:32 his refined nature,

13:34 his lofty morals,

13:36 his pure qualities,

13:38 and his magnificent dispositions,

13:40 such as the generosity of the Prophet, peace be upon him, his forbearance,

13:44 his composure and patience,

13:46 and his humility and courage.

13:48 However, al-Tirmidhi, may Allah have mercy on him,

13:51 did not limit this book solely to the subject of the Shama'il.

13:56 Rather, he broadened the scope of his research,

13:58 adding chapters in which he discussed other matters

14:02 pertaining to the Prophet, peace be upon him.

14:06 He discussed his physical appearance and outward features,

14:10 his radiant countenance,

14:12 and his luminous face.

14:14 He discussed his worship,

14:16 the manner of his fasting and his night prayers,

14:19 his recitation of the Qur'an, and similar matters.

14:22 He discussed many of his personal belongings and necessities,

14:27 such as his leather socks and sandals,

14:29 his lower garment and his cloak,

14:31 his ring and his turban,

14:33 his sword and his armor,

14:35 his helmet and his drinking vessel.

14:37 He discussed his food and drink,

14:40 his bread, his side dishes, and his fruit,

14:43 and other things contained within this noble book.

14:48 He then concluded the book with chapters on the noble names of the Prophet, peace be upon him,

14:54 his age at the time of his passing,

14:57 the event of his death,

14:59 his inheritance,

15:00 and seeing him in a dream.

15:03 There is no doubt that studying these chapters and understanding them correctly

15:09 increases a Muslim’s knowledge of their Prophet, peace be upon him,

15:14 as well as their love for him, attachment to him, and belief in his message.

15:19 Furthermore, these chapters

15:22 contain many issues of fiqh,

15:26 behavioral etiquette,

15:28 and moral benefits

15:30 that every believer needs to know and emulate.

15:35 The scholar Ibn al-Jazari, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

15:40 "O brother, if the beloved and his abode are far away,

15:44 and meeting him is difficult and his dwellings are distant,

15:48 and you have missed seeing him with your own eyes,

15:51 you have not missed his Shama'il, which are before you."

15:55 Another poet expressed a similar meaning:

15:59 "O eye, if the beloved and his home are far,

16:02 and his lands are distant and his visitation is difficult,

16:06 you have indeed attained a great treasure from the beloved;

16:10 even if you do not see him, these are his traces."

16:14 I ask Allah the Almighty, by His grace and generosity,

16:17 to make this work purely for His noble sake,

16:21 to record its merit and reward for us,

16:24 to make it an intercessor for us on the Day of Resurrection,

16:27 and to benefit those who hear it and undertake its dissemination.

16:31 Our final prayer is that all praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds,

16:36 and may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon our Prophet Muhammad,

16:40 and upon all his family and companions.

Al-Shamail Al-Muhammadiya | Episode (1) | Introduction

Transcript