Excellent Qualities and Description of the Prophet

it was the petition of Abraham[2], the good tidings by Jesus[3], and the vision my mother saw when she gave birth to me and a light issued to her from which the castles of Syria shone for her."1. i.e., the substance to which bodily form was to be added and to which the soul was to be joined. The tradition says Muhammad was inscribed in God's presence as the seal (i.e., the last) of the prophets before Adam's creation was complete. 2. Cf. Quran; 2:129. 3. Cf. Quran; 61:6It is transmitted in Sharh as-sunna, and Ahmad transmitted it on the authority of Abu Umama from "I shall inform you . . .'' to the end.

Abu Sa'id reported God's messenger as saying, "I shall be preeminent among the descendants of Adam on the day of resurrection, and this is no boast; and in my hand will be the banner of praise, and this is no boast. There will be no prophet, Adam or any other, who will not be under my banner. I shall be the first from whom the earth will be cleft open, and this is no boast." Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Ibn 'Abbas told that when some of the companions of God's messenger were sitting, he came out, and when he came near them, he heard them discussing. One of them said God had taken Abraham as a friend[1], another said He spoke direct to Moses[2], another said Jesus is God's word and spirit[3], and another said God chose Adam[4]. God's messenger then came out to them and said, "I have heard what you said, and you wonder that Abraham was God's friend, as indeed he was; that Moses was God's, confidant, as indeed he was; that Jesus was His spirit and word, as indeed he was; and that Adam was chosen by God, as indeed he was. I am the one whom God loves, and this is no boast. On the day of resurrection, I shall be the bearer of the banner of praise under which will be-Adam and the others, and this is no boast. I shall be the first intercessor and the first whose intercession is accepted on the day of resurrection, and this, is no boast. I shall be the first to rattle the knocker of paradise, and God will open for me and bring me into it accompanied by the poor ones among the believers, and this is no boast. I shall be the most honourable in God's estimation among those of earliest and latest times, and this is no boast." 1. Cf. Quran; 4:125. 3. Cf. Quran; 4:171. 2. Cf. Quran; 4:164. 4. Cf. Quran; 3:33Tirmidhi and Dirimi transmitted it.

Abraham was God's friend, Moses was God's chosen one, and I am God's belove done who will have the banner of praise on the day of resurrection. God has given me promises regarding my people and has granted them protection from three things: He will not bring on them a universal famine, an enemy will not extirpate them, and He will not cause them all to unite in an error." Darimi transmitted it.

Jabir reported the Prophet as saying, "I am the leader (qa'id) of the messengers, and this is no boast; I am the seal of the prophets, and this is no boast; and I shall, be the first to make intercession and the first whose intercession is accepted, and this is no boast." Darimi transmitted it.

Anas reported God's messenger as saying, "I shall be the first to come forth when mankind are resurrected; I shall be their leader when they present themselves before God; I shall be their spokesman when they are speechless; I shall be the one who is. asked to intercede for them when they are restrained; I shall be throne who gives them good tidings when they despair; honour and the keys will on that day be in my hand; the banner of praise will on that day be in my hand; and I shall be the most honourable of the descendants of Adam in my Lord's estimation. A thousand servants like concealed eggs or scattered pearls will go round me." Tirmidhi and Darimi transmitted it, Tirmidhi saying this is a gharib tradition.

Abu Huraira reported the Prophet as saying, "I shall be clothed with one of the robes of paradise and shall then stand at the right of the Throne, a place where no other creature than I shall stand." Tirmidhi transmitted it. The version on his authority in Jami al-usul has "I shall be the first from whom the earth will be cleft open and I shall be clothed...[*]" *The tradition begins "and I shall be clothed." but I have omitted the conjunction as it would seem awkward in English. The version beginning with the words "I shall be the first..." makes the conjunction quite natural.

He reported the Prophet as saying, "Ask God to grant me the wasila." God's messenger was asked what the wasila meant and replied, "The highest grade in paradise which only one man will attain, and I hope I may be he." Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Ubayy b. Ka'b reported the Prophet as saying, "On the day of resurrection I shall be the leader (imam) of the prophets, their spokesman, and the one who will intercede for them, and this is no boast." Tirmidhi transmitted it.

`Abdallah b. Mas`ud reported God's messenger as saying, "Every prophet has friends from among the prophets, and my friend is my father, the friend of my Lord." He then recited, "Those who will be nearest to Abraham are those who followed him, as well' as this prophet and those who believe, and God is the Patron of the believers[*]."*Quran; 3:63Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Jabir reported the Prophet as saying, "God has sent me to perfect good qualities of character and to complete good deeds." It is transmitted in Sharh as-sunna.

Ka'b, quoting the Torah, said we find written, "Muhammad God's messenger, My chosen servant, is not rough, or coarse, or loud-voiced in the streets, he does not require evil with evil, but forgives and pardons. His birthplace will be in Mecca, his place of emigration in Taiba, his kingdom in Syria, and his people will be those who are devoted to praising who praise God in prosperity and adversity, who praise God in every alighting-place, who declare God's greatness on every rising ground, who watch for the sun and observe the prayer when its time comes, who tie their lower garments round their middle, who perform ablution a t their extremities, whose crier summons in the open air, who are the same in fighting as they are in prayer, who make a low sound a t night like the buzzing of bees." This is the wording in al-Masabih. Darimi transmitted it with a slight difference.

Abdallah b. Salam said the description of Moses is written in the Torah and also that Jesus, son of Mary will be buried along; with him. Abu Maudud[1] said that a place for a grave has remained in the house[2]." One of the transmitters of the tradition. He was `Abd al-`Aziz b. Abu Sulaiman al Madani (d. 62) i.e., `Aisha's house. Tirmidhi transmitted it.

God most high gave Muhammad superiority over the prophets and the inhabitants of heaven. On being asked, "In what respect, Abu 'Abbas[1], has God given him superiority over the inhabitants of heaven?'' he replied that God most high said to the inhabitants of heaven, "If any of them says, `I am a god apart from Him,' We shall recompense that one with jahannam. Thus we recompense the evildoers."[2] And God most high said to Muhammad, "We have certainly given you a clear victory, that God may forgive you your former and latter sins[3]." He was asked the nature of his superiority over the prophets and replied that God most high said, "We have sent no messenger who, did not use the tongue of his people to make matters clear to them; then God leads astray those whom He will...[4]" And God most high said to Muhammad, "We have sent you only to all mankind[5]." Then He sent him to jinn and men. This is the kunya of 'Abdallah b. al-'Abbas. Quran; 21:29 Quran; 48:1 f. Quran; 14:4 Quran; 34:28(Darimi).

Abu Dharr al-Ghifari told that he asked God's messenger how he knew he was a prophet so that he was quite sure of it, and that he replied, "Two angels came to me, Abu Dharr, when I was at a place in the valley of Mecca, one alighting on the earth and the other remaining between heaven and earth. One of them asked the other if this was the man, and when he replied that I was, he told him to weigh me against a man. This was done and I was the heavier. He told him to weigh me against ten men, and when this was done, I outweighed them. He then told him to weigh me against a hundred men, and when this was done, I outweighed them. He then told him to weigh me against a thousand men, and when this was done, I outweighed them; and it seemed to me as if I were looking at them being scattered over me because of the lightness of the scale. Then one said to the other that if he were to weigh me against my people, I would outweigh them." Darimi transmitted the two traditions.

Ibn `Abbas reported God s messenger as saying, "Sacrifice was prescribed for me but not for you, and I was ordered to observe prayer in the forenoon but you were not." Daraqutni transmitted it.

Jubair b. Mut'im told that he heard the Prophet say, "I have names. I am Muhammad, I am Ahmad, I am al-Mahi (the obliterator) by whom God obliterates infidelity, I am al-Hashir (the gatherer) who will gather mankind at my feet, I am al-'Aqib (the last in succession), al- `Aqib being the one after whom there will be no prophet." (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Musa al-Ash`ari told that God's messenger used to name himself to them in various ways, saying, "I am Muhammad, Ahmad, al-Muqaffi (the follower)[*], al-Hashir, the prophet of repentance and the prophet of mercy." *This title indicates that he follows other prophets, being the last. Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God's messenger as saying, `Are you not astonished at the manner in which God turns away from me the reviling and cursing of Quraish? They revile one who is blameworthy (mudhammam) and curse one who is blameworthy, whereas I am Muhammad (praiseworthy)." Bukhari transmitted it.

Jabir b. Samura told that the front of God's messenger's head and his beard had become grey, and that while this was not visible when he had had his head oiled it was visible when his head was dishevelled. He had a thick beard. When a man remarked that his face was like a sword[*] Jabir replied that that was no so, for it was like the sun and the moon, as it was round. He told that he had seen the seal on his shoulder like a pigeon's egg with the same colour as his body. *It has been suggested that this means it was bright, but does not agree with what follows. The context suggests the man meant he had a long face.Muslim transmitted it.