Majma al-Zawaid — Hadith 14026

Sayyiduna Hasan bin Ali (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates: I asked my maternal uncle, Hind bin Abi Halah al-Tamimi, who was skilled at describing, about the appearance of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and I longed for him to describe something of it to me that I could hold on to. He said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was grand and held in awe; his face shone like the moon on the night of the full moon. He was somewhat taller than a man of medium height and somewhat shorter than a very tall man. His head was large and his hair slightly wavy; if his hair parted by itself he would part it, otherwise, when he let it grow full, it would not go beyond the lobes of his ears. His complexion was radiant and his forehead broad. His eyebrows were arched, long and full, not joined together, and between them was a vein which anger would make swell. His nose was high-bridged and fine, with a light that rose above it; one who did not look carefully would think it was a raised nose. His beard was thick, his cheeks smooth, his mouth wide, his teeth fine and gleaming, with gaps between the front teeth, and he had a thin line of hair from the chest to the navel. His neck was like the neck of a statue, pure as silver. His body was well proportioned, full and firm; his belly and chest were level, his chest was broad, the distance between his shoulders was wide, the bones of his joints were large, and the parts of his body left uncovered were radiant. From the top of his chest to his navel there was a line of hair running like a stroke of a pen; apart from that, his breasts and belly were bare of hair. His forearms, shoulders and the upper part of his chest had hair. The bones of his forearms were long, his palms were broad, the long bones of his limbs were straight, his palms and feet were thick-fleshed, and his fingers and toes were long. The soles of his feet were hollowed in the middle, and his feet were smooth, so that water would run off them. When he walked he lifted his feet with strength, stepped forward leaning slightly, walked with dignity and took long strides; when he walked it was as if he were descending a slope. When he turned towards something, he turned with his whole body. He kept his gaze lowered; his looking at the ground was more than his looking at the sky, and most of his looking was a glance from the corner of the eye. He would walk behind his Companions, keeping them ahead of him, and he would be the first to greet with salam whomever he met.
I said: Describe his speech to me. He said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was continually sorrowful and constantly in reflection; he had no rest. He did not speak without need and remained silent for long. He began and ended his speech with the full of his mouth, and he spoke with comprehensive words (jawami' al-kalim); his speech was decisive, with neither excess nor deficiency in it. He was gentle-natured, neither harsh nor demeaning to anyone. He regarded a blessing as great even if it was small, and found fault with nothing of it; he neither found fault with any food nor praised it. Neither the world nor anything connected with it made him angry; but when the truth was opposed, no one could recognise him, and nothing could stand before his anger until he had secured the right. He did not become angry for his own sake, nor did he take revenge for his own sake. When he pointed, he pointed with his whole palm; when he was amazed, he turned it over; when he spoke, he joined his hand with his speech, striking the inner part of his right palm against the inner part of his left thumb. When he was angry he turned away and averted his face; when he laughed he lowered his gaze. Most of his laughter was smiling, and when he smiled his teeth gleamed like hailstones.
(Sayyiduna Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him) says:) I kept this hidden from Sayyiduna Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him) for some time; then I told him, and found that he had already come to know it before me. He had asked him about what I had asked, and I found that he had asked his father (Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him)) about the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) entering his home, his sitting, his going out and his manner, and he had not left out anything of it. Sayyiduna Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: I asked my father about the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) going into his home. He said: His going in was for himself, and he was permitted that. When he retired to his home, he divided his time into three parts: a part for Allah Almighty, a part for his family and a part for himself. Then he divided his own part between himself and the people, and he would pass its benefit on to the general people through the select few, holding back nothing from them. His way in the part for the Ummah was to give preference to the people of merit, with his permission, and to divide (his time) among them according to their merit in religion. Among them was one with a single need, one with two needs and one with many needs. He would occupy himself with them in matters that would set them right and suit them, and would tell them what was fitting for them, and he would say: "Let the one who is present convey this to the one who is absent. Strive in fulfilling the need of one who cannot present it, and convey to me the need of one who cannot convey his need to me, for whoever conveys to a ruler the need of one who cannot convey it himself, Allah Almighty will keep his feet firm on the Day of Resurrection." Nothing but such matters was mentioned in his presence, and he accepted nothing else from anyone. People came to him as seekers, did not go back without obtaining something, and went out with humility.
He narrates: I asked him about his going out, and what his practice was in it. He said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) held his tongue, speaking only what would benefit people. He brought people together and did not divide them (or he said: did not drive them away). He honoured the honourable man of every people and placed him in charge of them. He was cautious of people and guarded himself against them, yet he did not hide his inner self or his character from anyone. He looked after his Companions and asked people about the affairs of the people. He declared the good to be good and strengthened it, and declared the bad to be bad and weakened it. His affairs were balanced, without inconsistency. He was not heedless, for fear that people would become heedless or deviate. He had a preparation for every situation. He neither fell short of the truth nor went beyond it. Those of the people who stayed closest to him were the best of them. The most excellent of them in his eyes was the one most sincere in counsel, and the greatest of them in rank in his eyes was the one who did most in sharing others' burdens and supporting them.
I asked him about his gathering. He said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) neither sat nor stood except with the remembrance of Allah. He did not reserve any place for himself, and he forbade reserving places. When he came to a gathering, he sat wherever the gathering ended, and he commanded the same. He gave each person sitting with him his share, so that no one sitting with him thought that anyone else was more honoured by him than himself. Whoever sat with him or stood with him concerning a need, he bore with him patiently until that person himself went away. Whoever asked him for something, he sent him back only with that thing or with a gentle word. His open-heartedness and character embraced all people; he became like a father to them, and in matters of right they were all equal in his eyes. His gathering was a gathering of forbearance, modesty, patience and trustworthiness. Voices were not raised in it, women were not spoken of with ill in it, and its slips were not spread abroad. In it people treated one another as equals, enjoined one another to taqwa and were humble; they respected the elderly, showed mercy to the young, gave preference to the needy and looked after the stranger.
He narrates: I asked: How was his conduct with those who sat with him? He said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was always cheerful, easy-natured and gentle-mannered; he was neither harsh nor hard-hearted, nor clamorous in the markets, nor obscene, nor a fault-finder, nor given to much joking. He overlooked what he did not like; no one despaired of him, and he did not turn anyone away disappointed in it. He kept himself away from three things: argument, arrogance and what did not concern him. And he spared people from three things: he did not censure anyone, he did not shame anyone, and he did not search out anyone's faults. He spoke only of that in which he hoped for reward. When he spoke, those sitting with him lowered their heads as though birds were perched on their heads; when he was silent, they spoke. They did not dispute with one another in his presence. Whoever spoke, they all listened to him silently until he had finished. Their talk in his presence was like the talk of the first of them. He laughed at what they laughed at and wondered at what they wondered at. He was patient with the roughness of a stranger in his speech and his questions, so much so that his Companions would bring such people to him, and he would say: "When you see someone in need, guide him." He accepted praise only from one who was repaying a favour, and he did not cut short anyone's talk until that person went beyond the limit; then he would cut it short by forbidding him or by standing up.
He narrates: I asked: How was his silence? He said: The silence of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) rested on four things: forbearance, caution, measured judgement and reflection. As for his measured judgement, it lay in treating people equally in looking and listening; and as for his remembrance (or he said: his reflection), it concerned what remains and what perishes. Forbearance had been combined in him with patience: nothing troubled him or provoked him. And caution had been combined in him in four things: his adopting what is good so that people would follow him, his abandoning what is bad so that people would refrain from it, his exerting his judgement in what would reform his Ummah, and his undertaking what would bring together for people the good of this world and the Hereafter.
Abu Ubayd says: Abu Halah was the husband of Sayyidah Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her) before the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him); his name was al-Nabbash, and he belonged to the Banu Usayd bin Amr bin Tamim.
Ali bin Abd al-Aziz says: Al-Zubayr bin Bakkar told me: Umar bin Abi Bakr al-Mawsili told me: Abu Halah was Malik bin Zurarah, of the Banu Nabbash bin Zurarah.
Ali bin Abd al-Aziz says: I heard Abu Ubayd say: "Fakhm" means nobility and fullness of body together with beauty and majesty. "Marbu'" is the one between tall and short. "Mushadhdhab" is one who is excessively tall, and it has this sense for everything; Jarir said: "A long-veined, very tall one carried her off, as though he were perched upon a lofty watchtower." "Rajil al-sha'r" means hair that is not lank and completely straight with no wave in it, while "qatat" is very curly hair; he means that there was a wave in his hair between these two. "Aqisah" is twisted hair, which is like plaited hair; from it is the saying of Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): Whoever twists or plaits his hair must shave it. "Azajj al-hajibayn sawabigh": "zajaj" in the eyebrows is that they have an arch with length at their ends, and that is "subugh"; Jamil bin Ma'mar said:
"When the beautiful women come out one day, having shaped their eyebrows and their eyes." "Fi ghayr qarn": "qarn" is the meeting of the two eyebrows until they join; his were not like that, rather there was a gap between them. A man who is like this is called "ablaj", and al-Asma'i mentioned that the Arabs like this. "Baynahuma 'irq yudirruhu al-ghadab" means that when he became angry, the vein between the eyebrows would swell; its swelling means its thickening, standing out and filling. "Aqna al-'irnin" refers to the nose; "qana" is that the nose is fine with a rise in its bridge; from it one says "a man aqann" and "a woman qanwa'". "Ashamm" is that the nose is fine without any "qana" in it. "Kathth al-lihyah": "kuthuthah" is that the beard is neither thin nor long, but has thickness without being very large or long. "Dali' al-fam": I think it means fineness of the lips. "Ashnab" is one whose teeth have fineness and sharpness; from it one says "a man ashnab" and "a woman shanba'", and from it is the verse of Dhu al-Rummah:
"Dark-lipped, in her lips a slight dark tint, and in her gums and her canine teeth a sparkle."
"Mufallaj" is one who has gaps between his teeth. "Masrabah" is the hair from the top of the chest to the navel, that is, hair running like a line; al-A'sha said:
"Now, when the hair of my chest has turned white, and I bite with my canine upon my worn-down tooth."
"Jid dimnah": "jid" is the neck, and "dimnah" is an image. "Dakhm al-karadis": some said these are the bones, meaning that his bones were large; some take "karadis" to be the ends of the bones; and elsewhere "karadis" means battalions of an army. "Zandan" are the two bones of the forearms which join the palms; he is describing him as having long forearms. "Sabt al-qasab": "qasab" is every bone that has marrow, such as the shins, upper arms and forearms, and their "subut" is their length; he is describing him as having long bones; Dhu al-Rummah said:
"They place full, shapely limbs in the bara"; by "bara" he meant bracelets and anklets. "Shathn al-kaffayn wa al-qadamayn" means that there was some thickness in his palms and feet. The "akhmas" of the foot is on its underside, between its front and its heel; it is the part of the feet that does not touch the ground when walking; al-A'sha said, describing a woman's slowness in walking:
"As though the hollow of her foot were shod with thorns." "Khumsan" means that this part of his feet was raised and lifted away from the ground; it is taken from the "khumusah" of the belly, which is its leanness; from it one says "a man khumsan" and "a woman khumsanah". "Masih al-qadamayn" means that his feet were smooth, without any creases on their upper side; that is why it was said: "water ran off them", meaning water did not stay on them. "Idha khata takaffa'a" means leaning forward; it is taken from the leaning of ships. "Dhari' al-mishyah" means taking long strides. "As though descending a slope": I think he means that he was intent on what lay before him, keeping his gaze lowered and not raising it to the sky, as is the case with one who descends; then he explained it himself, saying: his gaze was lowered, his looking at the ground being more than his looking at the sky. "Idha iltafata iltafata jami'an" means that he did not turn his neck without his body, for there is some levity and frivolity in that. "Damith" means soft and easy; from it sand is called "damith", and from it is his hadith that he wished to urinate and so went over to soft ground. "Idha ghadiba a'rada wa ashaha": "ishahah" means earnestness, and it can also mean caution. "Yaftarru 'an habb mithl habb al-ghamam": he meant hail, likening the whiteness of his teeth to it; Jarir said:
"The tooth-stick runs over gleaming white teeth, as though they were hail that came down from the backs of the clouds."
"Yadkhulun ruwwadan": "ruwwad" are seekers, the singular being "ra'id"; from it is their proverb: The scout (ra'id) does not lie to his people. "Li kulli hal 'indahu 'atad" means preparation; he had prepared for it. "La yuwattin al-amakin" means that he did not fix for himself a place known as his; rather he sat wherever he could in the place where his need was; then he explained it, saying: he sat wherever the gathering ended. From it is his hadith (peace be upon him) that he forbade a man to fix a place for himself in the mosque as a camel fixes its place. His words about his gathering, "la tu'ban fihi al-hurum", mean that women were not described in it; from it is the hadith of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he forbade poetry in which women are spoken of with ill.
Abu Ubayd says: Abu Isma'il al-Mu'addib narrated to us from Mujalid, from al-Sha'bi, who said: Some men in the mosque were reciting poetry to one another. Ibn al-Zubayr came and said: In the sanctuary of Allah and beside the House of Allah you are reciting poetry to one another?! A man from the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: There is no harm in it, O Ibn al-Zubayr; the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) only forbade poetry in which women are spoken of with ill or through which people's wealth is extorted. "La tuntha falatatuhu": "falatat" are slips, which were not talked about; one says "nathawtu anthu", and the noun from it is "natha". The pronoun in "falatatuhu" refers back to the gathering; do you not see that at the start of the passage he asked him about his gathering? He also said that his gathering had no slips which anyone would need to relate; "falatatuhu" means the slips of the gathering, which they did not relate from one another.
Imam al-Tabarani recorded it, and its chain contains a narrator who is not named.