The Book of Virtues

كتاب الفضائل

Chapter 29: His Grey Hairs

This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Abu Juhaifa with a slight variation of wording.

Jabir b. Samura was asked about the old age of Allah's Apostle (ﷺ). He said

When he oiled his head nothing was seen (as a mark of old age) and when he did not apply oil something (of the old age) became visible.

Jabir b. Samura reported that there had appeared some whiteness on the front part of the head and beard of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). When he applied oil, it did not become visible, but when he did not (apply) oil, it became apparent. And he had a thick beard. A person said

His face was as (bright) as the sword. Thereupon he (Jabir) said: No, it was round and like the sun and the moon. And I saw the seal near his shoulder of the size of a pigeon's egg and its color was the same as that of his body.

Chapter 30: The Seal Of Prophethood, Its Attributes And Its Location On The Body Of The Prophet (SAW)

Jabir. Samura reported

I saw the seal on his back as if it were a pigeon's egg.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Simak with the same chain of transmitters.

As-Sa'ib b. Yazid reported

My mother's sister took me to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and said: Allah's Messenger, here is the son of my sister and he is ailing. He touched my head and invoked blessings upon me. He then performed ablution and I drank the water left from his ablution; then I stood behind him and I saw the seal between his shoulders.

Abdullah b. Sarjis reported

I saw Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) and ate with him bread and meat, or he said Tharid (bread soaked in soup). I said to him: Did Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) seek forgiveness for you? He said: Yes, and for you, and he then recited this verse:" Ask forgiveness for thy sin and for the believing men and believing women" (xlvii. 19). I then went after him and saw the Seal of Prophethood between his shoulders on the left side of his shoulder having spots on it like moles.

Chapter 31: How Long He (SAW) Lived, And How Long He Stayed In Makkah And Al-Madinah

Anas b. Malik reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was neither very conspicuously tall nor short-statured, and his color was neither glaringly white nor brown; his hair was neither very curly nor very straight; Allah commissioned him (as a Prophet) when he had reached the age of forty years, and he stayed in Mecca for ten years and for ten years in Medina; Allah took him away when he had just reached the age of sixty, and there had not been twenty white hair in his head and beard.

This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Anas b. Malik with this addition that instead of the word al-Amhaq there is the word Azhar.

Chapter 32: The Age Of The Prophet (SAW) When He Died

Anas b. Malik reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) died when he was sixty-three years old, and so was the case with Abu Bakr, and so was the case with Umar who was also sixty-three (when he died).

'A'isha reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) died when he had attained the age of sixty-three. And a hadith like this had been transmitted on the authority of Sa'id b. Musayyib.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Ibn Shihab through the same chain of transmitters.

Chapter 33: How Long Did The Prophet ft Stay In Makkah And Al-Madinah?

'Amr reported

I said to 'Urwa: How long did Allah's Apostle - (ﷺ) stay in Mecca? He said: For ten years. I said: Ibn 'Abbas says (that he stayed in Mecca) for thirteen years.

'Amr reported

I said to 'Urwa: How long did Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) stay in Mecca? He said: For ten years. I said: Ibn Abbas says it is some years above ten. He ('Urwa) sought forgiveness for him and said: His statement is based on the verse of a poet.

Ibn 'Abbas reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) stayed in Mecca for thirteen years and he died when he had attained the age of sixty three years.

Ibn 'Abbas reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) stayed in Mecca for thirteen years (after he had received revelation) and stayed in Medina for ten years, and he was sixty-three when he died.

Abu Ishaq reported

I was sitting with 'Abdullah b. 'Utba and there was a discussion about the age of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). Some of the persons said: Abu Bakr was older than Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). 'Abdullah said: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) died when he was sixty-three, and Abu Bakr died when he was sixty-three and so 'Umar fell as a martyr when he was sixty-three. A person from the people who was called 'Amir b. Sa'd reported that Jabir had said: We were sitting with Mu'awiya that there was a discussion about the age of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). Thereupon Mu'awiya said: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) died when he had attained the age of sixty-three, and Abu Bakr died when he had attained the age of sixty-three, and Umar fell as a martyr when he had attained the age of sixty-three.

Jabir reported that he heard Mu'awiya say in his address that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) died at the age of sixty-three, so was the case with Abu Bakr and 'Umar, and I (am now) sixty-three.

'Ammar, the freed slave of Banu Hashim, reported

I asked Ibn 'Abbas how old was he when death overtook the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). He said: I little know that such a thing is not known to a man like you who belong to his people. He said: I asked people about it but they differed with me, and I liked to know your opinion about it. He said: Do you know counting? He said: Yes. He then said: Bear this in mind very well that he was commissioned (as a Prophet) at the age of forty, and he stayed in Mecca for fifteen years; sometime in peace and sometime in dread, and (lived) for ten years after his migration to Medina.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Yunus with the same chain of transmitters.