Excellent Qualities and Description of the Prophet

`Abdullah b. Sarjis told that he had seen the Prophet and had eaten bread and meat along with him (or he said tharid). He had then gone round behind him and looked at the seal of prophecy between his shoulders at the end of his left shoulder-blade, a collection of moles on him like warts. Muslim transmitted it.

Umm Khalid daughter of Sa'id. told that once when the Prophet was brought some garments among which was a small black cloak with a border he said, "Bring me Umm Khalid.'' Then when she was carried to him1 he took the cloak in his hand and put it on her, saying, "Wear it out and make it ragged, then wear it out and make it clear[2].'' It had a green, or a yellow, mark on it, and he said, "This is sanah, which means `beautiful' in the language of the Abyssinians." She said that she began to play with the seal of prophecy and that when her father rebuked her God's messenger said, "Leave her alone." Indicating that she was an infant at the time. Mirqat, 5:378, says this represents a prayer that she might live long. Bukhari transmitted it.

Anas said that God's messenger was neither very tall nor was he short, he was neither pure white nor dark, and his hair was neither very curly nor long. God commissioned him when he had just reached the age of forty. He stayed in Mecca ten years and in Medina ten years, and God took him when he had just reached the age of sixty; and there were not twenty white hairs in his head and beard. In a version he describes the Prophet saying he was a man of average size, neither tall nor short, with a fair complexion; and he said God's messenger's hair came half-way down his ears. Another version says it came between his ears and his shoulder. (Bukhari and Muslim.)In a version by Bukhari, he said he had a large head and large feet and that he had never seen anyone like him before or since. The palms of his hands were thick[*]. In another version by him he said he had callouses on his feet and hands. * The phrase is often used as a figure of speech for generosity, but in the present context it would seem to be meant literally.Bukhari.

Al-Bara' said God's messenger was of medium height, broad. shouldered, with his hair hanging down to the lobes of his ears. He had seen him wearing a red robe and had never seen anything more beautiful than he. (Bukhari and Muslim.)In a version by Muslim, he said he had never seen anyone with a hanging lock of hair more beautiful when wearing a red robe than God's messenger. His hair reached his shoulders, he was broad-shouldered and neither tall nor short.Muslim.

Simak b. Harb quoted the authority of Jabir b. Samura for the statement that God's messenger had a dali mouth, ashkal eyes and manhush ankles. Simak was asked the meaning of a dali mouth and said it meant a large mouth. He was asked the meaning of ashkal eyes and said they were oval[*]. He was asked the meaning of manhush ankles and said there was little flesh on the ankle. *Ashkal normally means `reddish white,' here referring to redness in the white of the eye. Cf. Mirqat, 5:380. Muslim transmitted it.

Abut Tufail said he had seen God's messenger, and he was white, good-looking and of moderate size. Muslim transmitted it.

Thabit told that when Anas was asked about God's messenger's hair dye, he replied that [his hair] did not reach the stage of needing to be dyed, adding that if he (i.e., Anas) wanted he could count the number of grey hairs in his beard. A version says that if he wanted to count the grey hairs which were in his head he could do so. In a version he said the white hairs above his chin, on his temples and on his head were few.(Bukhari and Muslim,)

Anas said God's messenger had a clear complexion, his sweat was like pearls and when he walked, he bent forwards. He said he had not touched brocade or silk which was softer than the palm of God's messenger's hand, or smelt musk or ambergris sweeter than the Prophet's odour. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Umm Sulaim told that the Prophet used to visit her and have a siesta in her house, and she would spread out a leather cloth on which he had his siesta. He sweated profusely, and she would collect his sweat and put it in perfume. The Prophet asked, "What is this, Umm Sulaim?" and she replied, "It is your sweat which we put in our perfume, and it is a perfume of the sweetest type." In a version she said, "Messenger of God, we hope for your blessing on our children," and he replied, "You are right." (Bukhari and Muslim.)

I prayed the first prayer along with God's messenger, then he went out to his family and I went out with him. Some children met him and he began to stroke the cheeks of one of them one after the other. He stroked my cheeks, and I experienced a coolness, or a fragrance, in his hand as though he had-brought it out of a scent-bag. Muslim transmitted it.

God's messenger was neither tall nor short, he had a large head and beard, the palms of his hands and his feet were calloused, he had a reddish tinge, he had large joints, the hair on his breast was long, and when he walked, he bent forward as though he were descending a slope. I have never seen anyone like him before or since. Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a hasan sahih tradition.

He was neither very tall nor excessively short, but was a man of medium size, he had neither very curly nor flowing hair but a mixture of two, he was not obese, he did not have a very round face, but it was so to some extent, he was reddish-white, he had wide black eyes and long eyelashes, he had protruding joints and shoulder-blades, he was not hairy but had some hair on his chest, the palms of his hands and his feet were calloused, when he walked he raised his feet as though he were walking on a slope, when he turned round he turned completely, between his shoulders was the seal of prophecy and he was the seal of the prophets, he had a finer chest than anyone else, was truer in utterance than anyone else, had the gentlest nature and the noblest tribe. Those who saw him suddenly stood in awe of him and those who shared his acquaintanceship loved him. Those who described him said they had never seen anyone like him before or since. Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Jabir said the Prophet never walked along a road without one who came along afterwards knowing he had walked along it because of his sweet odour. Or he said, "because of the fragrance of his sweat."Darimi transmitted it.

Abu `Ubaida b. Muhammad b. `Ammar b. Yasir told that he asked ar-Rubaiyi`, daughter of Mu'awwidh b. `Afra' to describe God's messenger to him, and she replied, "If you had seen him, sonny, you would have seen the sun rising." Darimi transmitted it.

I saw the Prophet on a cloudless[*] night and began to look at God's messenger and at the moon. He was wearing a red robe, and he appeared more beautiful than the moon to me.*Lisan al-'arab, 19, 115, gives this meaning adding that some say it means `moonlit' and that some say it is a night when the moon shines all night. The word is idhiyan. Tirmidhi and Darimi transmitted it.

I have seen nothing more beautiful than God's messenger who looked as if the sun were pursuing its course in his face. And I have seen no one who walked more quickly than God's messenger, for it seemed as if the earth were being contracted for him. We would exert ourselves, but he was unruffled. Tirmidhi transmitted it.

God's messenger's legs were slender, his laughter was no more than a smile, and when I looked at him, I thought that there was collyrium in his eyes, but there was not. Tirmidhi transmitted it.

God's messenger had spaces between his front teeth, and when he talked something like light seemed to come out between his front teeth. Darimi transmitted it.

When God's messenger was pleased his face lit up so that it looked like a bit of a moon, and we were familiar with that. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Anas told that when a young Jew who was a servant of the Prophet became ill, he went to visit him and found his father sitting by his head reciting the Torah. God's messenger said to him, "I adjure you, Jew, by God who sent down the Torah to Moses, do you find in the Torah any account or description of me, or anything about my coming forth?" On his replying that he did not, the young man said, "Certainly, messenger of God, I swear by God. that we do find in the Torah an account and description of you and a statement about your coming forth, and I testify that there is no god but God and that you are God's messenger." The Prophet then said to his companions, "Remove this man from beside his head and look after your brother." Baihaqi transmitted it in Dala'il an-nubuwwa.