The description of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "My description is that I am Ahmad, the one who places his trust (in Allah); I am neither harsh-tempered nor hard-hearted. I am the one who repays good with good and does not repay evil (with evil); whose birthplace is Makkah and whose place of emigration is Madinah. The people of his Ummah will be those who praise (Allah) much; they will wear their lower garments to the middle of their shins and will wash their limbs in ablution. In their breasts I will be their light. They will form rows for prayer just as they form rows for battle. That by which they will draw near to Me is their lives (blood). They will be devout worshippers by night and lions (that is, fighters) by day."
Al-Tabarani recorded it, and its chain contains narrators whom I do not know.

Yazid al-Farisi narrates: In the time of Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), I saw the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in a dream. The narrator says: He used to write copies of the Qur'an. He says: I said to Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both): "I saw the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in a dream." Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, Satan does not have the ability to take on my form, so whoever sees me in a dream has truly seen me." (Then Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said:) "Are you able to describe to us the man whom you saw in the dream?" He replied: "Yes. I saw a man of medium height; his complexion was wheat-coloured, inclining towards white; he had a beautiful smile; his eyes looked as though kohl had been applied to them; his face was handsome; and his beard filled the area from here to here, as though it filled his whole chest." Awf says: I do not know what else he described besides this. The narrator says: Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: "Had you seen the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) while awake, you could not have described him (peace and blessings be upon him) better than this."
Ahmad recorded it, and its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy).

Yusuf bin Mazin narrates: A man asked Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him): "O Commander of the Believers, describe to us the appearance of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)." Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was not excessively tall; he was slightly above medium height. When he came with people, he stood out above them. He was white in colour, with a brilliant complexion; his head was large; his complexion was bright and radiant; his eyelashes were long; his palms and feet were fleshy. When he walked, he planted his feet firmly and walked briskly, as though he were descending from a height. The sweat on his face looked like pearls. I have not seen anyone like him before him or after him. May my mother and father be sacrificed for him (peace and blessings be upon him)." (Allamah al-Haythami says:) I say: Al-Tirmidhi has recorded a hadith from him, which is a long hadith, but this narration contains some additional content.
Abdullah recorded it with two chains: one of them contains a narrator who is not named, and the other is the narration of Yusuf bin Mazin from Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), whereas I think that Yusuf bin Mazin did not meet Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him).

Al-Bazzar recorded it in abridged form, and recorded these additional words: "His (peace and blessings be upon him) hair was beautiful and completely straight."

In one narration recorded by him the words are: "His (peace and blessings be upon him) eyes were large."

Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had a wheat-coloured complexion.
Ahmad, Abu Ya'la and al-Bazzar recorded it; the narrators of Abu Ya'la are the narrators of the Sahih.

Sayyidah Aishah Siddiqah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: I recited this verse as an illustration while Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) was listening silently: "A fair-complexioned man, by whose face rain is sought from the clouds; a guardian of the orphans and a protector of the widows." Then Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Such is the Messenger of Allah.
Imam Ahmad recorded it, and Imam al-Bazzar recorded it; its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy).

A man from the Banu Adawiyyah narrates: My grandfather told me: "I went to Madinah and camped at a place there. There were two men with a goat between them, and the buyer was saying to the seller: Deal fairly with me in the sale. The narrator says: I thought to myself: Is this that Hashimi man who has led people astray, is it he? When I looked carefully, he was a man with a handsome body, a broad forehead, a slender nose and fine eyebrows, and from his chest to his navel there was something like a line of black hair. Then the narrator mentioned the complete hadith."
Imam Abu Ya'la recorded it; I do not know the man from the Banu Adawiyyah, and the remaining narrators of this report have been declared trustworthy.

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.

Sayyidah Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) became angry, his (peace and blessings be upon him) face would turn red.
Imam al-Tabarani recorded it; its chain contains a narrator, Isma'il bin Amr al-Bajali, whom Ibn Hibban and others declared thiqah (trustworthy), while Imam al-Daraqutni (may Allah have mercy on him) and others called him da'if (weak); the remaining narrators of this report are the narrators of the "Sahih".

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) became angry, his (peace and blessings be upon him) cheeks would turn red.
Imam al-Tabarani recorded it; its chain contains a narrator, Isma'il bin Ibrahim Abu Yahya al-Taymi, and he is da'if (weak).

Sayyiduna Hakim bin Hizam (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: I went to Yemen, and there I bought the robe (hullah) of Dhu Yazan and presented it as a gift to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). This was during the period when the matter of the truce between him (peace and blessings be upon him) and Quraysh was in effect. He said: "I do not accept the gift of a polytheist." He returned it. I sold it, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) bought that robe and put it on. Then he came out to his Companions wearing that robe on his (peace and blessings be upon him) body, and I have never seen anything more beautiful in that robe than the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). At that time I composed these verses: "What are the arbiters waiting for in giving their judgment, when what has appeared is plain in its radiance and adornment? When they compare him with them in glory, they judge that he surpasses them (that is, the Prophet's opponents), like a man who draws water with a large bucket against a small bucket." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) heard these verses, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) smiled; then he (peace and blessings be upon him) went inside.
Imam al-Tabarani recorded it; its chain contains a narrator, Ya'qub bin Muhammad al-Zuhri, whom the majority declared da'if (weak), though he has also been declared trustworthy. (Allamah al-Haythami says:) I say: Before this,
this report has already passed as a longer narration in the chapter on giving gifts.

Muhammad bin Sulayman bin Salit narrates from his father, from his grandfather: "When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) set out for the Hijrah, with him were Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna Amir bin Fuhayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), the freed slave of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), and a man named Ibn Urayqit, who was guiding them on the road. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) passed by Sayyidah Umm Ma'bad al-Khuza'iyyah (may Allah be pleased with her). That woman did not recognise the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to her: O Umm Ma'bad! Do you have any milk? She said: By Allah! The goats have gone out to pasture (or: they have no milk). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: What about this goat which I see in the corner of the house? The woman said: This is a goat which has been left behind the other goats because of weakness. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Will you permit me to milk her? The woman said: By Allah, no male goat has ever mated with her; but do with her as you wish. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) passed his hand over that goat's udder, then he called for a vessel large enough for many people. He milked into it and filled it, then he gave his Companions to drink from it. Then he milked into it again, left that milk with the woman and departed. When the woman's husband came in the evening, he said to the woman: O Umm Ma'bad! Where has this milk come from, when there is no milking animal at all in the house and the goats had gone out? The woman replied: No! By Allah! The matter is that a man passed by us who had a handsome and well-formed figure. His face was beautiful, the hair of his eyelashes was long, his eyes were black and large, and his voice was imposing. He was of medium height and build: he did not seem lanky, nor did the eye find fault with him for shortness. He was not afflicted with fatness, nor was he very thin. His neck seemed to be made of silver. When he looked, prominence was apparent on him, and when he was silent, dignity was upon him. His speech was like a string of pearls. In appearance he was more handsome than all his companions, and his face was the most beautiful of them. He was one who could be envied, and he was not such as to have any flaw. His companions were with him, surrounding him; when he gave those companions a command, they hastened to it, and when he forbade those companions something, they desisted at his forbidding. The woman's husband said: This is the man connected with Quraysh. Had I seen him, I would have followed him, and now I will make every effort to do so. The narrator says: The people in Makkah did not know in which direction the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had gone, until people heard an unseen caller on the mountain of Abu Qubays saying: 'May Allah Almighty grant a goodly reward, and the giving of reward is in His hand, to the two companions who camped at the tent of Umm Ma'bad. The two of them stayed there with goodness, and then the two of them departed from there. Indeed, the one who became the companion of Sayyiduna Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) has succeeded. No one has ever ridden upon the saddle of a she-camel who did more good than him and (more) fulfilled his covenant. He clothed (people) with the cloak of the condition before its beginning; he placed that cloak on the head of the one who needed it. Congratulations to the Banu Ka'b for the place of their woman, whose dwelling became a safe place for the believers.'"
Imam al-Tabarani recorded it; its chain contains a narrator, Abd al-Aziz bin Yahya al-Madini, whom Imam al-Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) and others accused of lying, while Imam al-Hakim (may Allah have mercy on him) says: He is saduq (truthful), which is a cause for astonishment; the chain of this report also contains other majhul (unknown) narrators. This hadith has already passed before this through another chain in the chapter on "al-Maghazi", in the chapter on the Hijrah to Madinah.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates: When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) spoke, it seemed as though light was coming out from between his two front teeth.
Imam al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat; its chain contains a narrator, Abd al-Aziz bin Abi Thabit, and he is da'if (weak).

Sayyiduna Abu Qirsafah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: When we pledged allegiance to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) - I, my mother and my maternal aunt pledged allegiance - and we came back from him, my mother and my maternal aunt said to me: O my son! We have never seen anyone like this man, anyone more beautiful of face than him, or wearing cleaner clothes than him, or softer in speech than him; we saw as though light was coming out of his mouth.
Imam al-Tabarani recorded it; its chain contains narrators whom I do not know.

Sayyiduna Jubayr bin Mut'im (may Allah be pleased with him) reports about the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): He (peace and blessings be upon him) turned his blessed face towards us, and it was like a piece of the moon.
Imam al-Tabarani recorded it; its chain contains narrators whom I do not know.

Abu Ubaydah bin Muhammad bin Ammar bin Yasir narrates: I said to Sayyidah Rubayyi' bint Mu'awwidh bin Afra' (may Allah be pleased with her): Describe the appearance of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to me! She said: "Had you seen the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), it would have seemed as though the sun were rising."
Imam al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir and al-Mu'jam al-Awsat, and its narrators have been declared trustworthy.

Sayyiduna Abu al-Tufayl (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: On the day of the Conquest of Makkah I saw the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). I have not forgotten the whiteness of his face together with the blackness of his hair. Among the people there were some who were taller than him and some who were shorter than him. He was walking, and the people were walking around him. I asked my mother: Who is this man? She told me: This is the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). (Allamah al-Haythami says:) I say: A hadith is recorded from this Companion in the Sahih other than this report.
Imam al-Tabarani recorded it; its chain contains a narrator, Jabir al-Ju'fi, and he is da'if (weak). Imam al-Bazzar recorded this report in abridged form, and its narrators are the narrators of the "Sahih".

Sayyidah Umm Hani' (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: "Whenever I looked at the belly of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), the only thought that came to me was of sheets of paper (qaratis) laid one upon another."
Imam al-Tabarani recorded it; its chain contains a narrator, Jabir al-Ju'fi, and he is da'if (weak).

Sayyiduna Jabir bin Samurah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The fingers of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) were mutazahirah (prominent).
Abdullah recorded it; its chain contains a narrator, Salamah bin Hafs, and he is da'if (weak).

Sayyidah Maymunah bint Kardam (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: I saw the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him); his toe next to the big toe was slightly longer than the big toe. The narrator says: That lady meant that the toes of his foot were like this.
Imam al-Tabarani recorded it; its chain contains narrators whom I do not know.

Sa'id bin al-Musayyab narrates that he heard Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) describing the appearance of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). He said: "The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was of medium height and build, though he was closer to tallness. His complexion was very white and his beard was black. His hair was beautiful and the lashes of his eyes were long. The distance between his shoulders was wide. He walked planting both feet firmly, and the sole of his foot was completely flat. He would turn to face fully and turn away fully. I have not seen anyone like him (peace and blessings be upon him), before him or after him."
Imam al-Bazzar recorded it, and its narrators have been declared trustworthy.

It is reported about Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) that he was asked about the Seal of Prophethood of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) which was between his two shoulders. Pointing with his index finger, he said: Like this, some flesh which was raised between the two shoulders.
Imam Ahmad recorded it; its chain contains a narrator, Abdullah bin Maysarah, whom Ibn Hibban declared thiqah (trustworthy) and the majority called da'if (weak); the remaining narrators of this report are thiqat (trustworthy).

Sayyiduna Abu Zayd Amr bin Akhtab (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to me: "O Abu Zayd! Come near me and pass your hand over my back." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) removed the cloth from his back. I passed my hand over his back, and I placed my fingers on the Seal of Prophethood. The narrator says: He was asked: What is meant by the Seal of Prophethood? He replied: It was some hair gathered together.
Imam Ahmad, Imam Abu Ya'la and Imam al-Tabarani recorded it. In one of his narrations he recorded these additional words: "I saw the Seal of Prophethood on the back of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him); it was on his back like this, as though a seal had been stamped there." The narrators of one of its chains are the narrators of the "Sahih".

It is reported about Sayyiduna Abbad bin Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) that he used to serve the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Once a Jew was talking with him (peace and blessings be upon him), and meanwhile his cloak fell from his shoulder. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not like his Seal of Prophethood to be seen. I straightened his cloak. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: "Who did this?" I said: I did. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Come in front of me!" So I came and sat in front of him. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) placed his blessed hand on my head and passed it down to my face and chest. Then he said: "When something comes to us, come to me." When I came to him, he ordered that I be given a jadh'ah (a camel that has completed four years and entered its fifth). That Seal was towards the left shoulder of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him); it looked like the knee of a young goat (that is, it was a few hairs).
Imam al-Tabarani recorded it; its chain contains a narrator whom I do not know.

Sayyiduna Jabir bin Samurah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: I came towards the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) from behind, in order to look at the place of the Seal of Prophethood. When he (peace and blessings be upon him) looked at me, he removed his cloak, and I beheld it. (Allamah al-Haythami says:) I say: A hadith from this Companion about the Seal of Prophethood is mentioned in the "Sahih", other than this report.
Imam al-Tabarani recorded it, and its chain contains a narrator whom I do not know.

Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to have four braids in the hair of his head.
Imam al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Saghir, and its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy).

It is reported from him: The hair of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was long and curly.
Imam al-Bazzar recorded it; its chain contains a narrator, Muhammad bin al-Qasim al-Asadi, and he is da'if (weak).

Fadalah bin Ubayd narrates that he came to Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her), and Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) took out some hairs of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and showed them to him; they were red in colour and had henna applied to them.
Imam al-Tabarani recorded it, and its chain contains narrators whom I do not know.

Jahdam bin al-Dahhak narrates: I passed by the place "al-Raji'" and saw an elderly man there. The people said: This is Sayyiduna al-Adda' bin Khalid bin Hawdhah (may Allah be pleased with him). He said: I have seen the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). I said: Describe his appearance to me. He replied: He had a beautiful beard. The narrator says: The Arabs use the word "sabalah" for the beard.
Imam al-Tabarani recorded it, and its chain contains narrators whom I do not know.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates: When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) walked, he walked briskly and alertly; there was no sluggishness in him.
Imam Ahmad and Imam al-Bazzar recorded it, and (al-Bazzar) recorded these additional words: "He (peace and blessings be upon him) did not turn his attention here and there; from his (peace and blessings be upon him) walk it was apparent that there was no sluggishness or weakness in him (peace and blessings be upon him)." The narrators of Imam Ahmad are the narrators of the "Sahih", except that the Tabi'i is not named; Imam al-Bazzar named him, and he is Ikrimah, and he too is among the narrators of the Sahih.

Sayyiduna Abu Inabah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) walked, he walked as though he would break the rock.
Imam al-Bazzar recorded it; its chain contains a narrator, Abu Mahdi Sa'id bin Sinan, who has been declared trustworthy despite his weakness.

Sayyiduna Shaddad (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: I came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and took hold of his (peace and blessings be upon him) hand, and it was softer than silk and cooler than snow.
Imam al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir and al-Mu'jam al-Awsat. The narrators of al-Mu'jam al-Kabir are the narrators of the "Sahih", except for Musa bin Ayyub al-Nasibi, and he is thiqah (trustworthy).

Sayyiduna Buraydah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) smiled, his "ruba'iyah" (teeth) would become visible.
Imam al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat, and its narrators are the narrators of the "Sahih".

Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to come to the house of Sayyidah Umm Sulaym (may Allah be pleased with her) and sleep on her bedding, and his sleep was deep. After this the narrator recorded the complete hadith.
Imam Abu Ya'la recorded it, and its narrators are the narrators of the "Sahih".