In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

‘Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon our beloved Prophet Muhammad (s.a.s), all his blessed descendents and noble companions.’

                                        -Aameen.

Description of Prophet Muhammed (SAW) –His Noble features and unique style!

As we are going to know all about Sunnahs here, don’t you people want to know about the awesome personality whose way and life we are trying to follow Alhamdulillah? Have you never wondered how our Prophet (S.A.W) looked like?  And don’t tell me you are not the curious type…coz at one time or other we all would have tried to imagine and picture him. Wanna really know how our Prophet (S.A.W) looked like? Read on!

“It is related from Ibrahim bin Muhammad (Radiallahu anhu) who is from the sons (grand sons of Ali radiallahu anhu, that whenever Ali radiallahu anhu described the noble features of Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam), he used to say:

"Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) was neither very tall nor short, but of a medium stature among people.  His hair was neither very curly nor very straight, but had a slight wave in it.  And if his hair became parted naturally in the middle he left it so, otherwise he did not habitually make an effort to part his hair in the middle. He did not have a big body nor a round face, but his Mubarak face was slightly round (meaning he did not have a fully round face nor a fully elongated face, bur in between the two).  The complexion of Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) was white with redness in it.  The Mubarak eyes of Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) were extremely black.  His eyelashes were long.  When the hair of Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) was abundant, it used to pass over his ear- lobes). Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) had a very luminous complexion (colour), and a wide forehead. He had dense and fine hair on his eyebrows. Both eyebrows were separate and did not meet each other in the middle. There was a vein between them that used to expand when he became angry. His nose was prominent and had a noor and lustre on it. When one first looked at him, it seemed as if he had a large nose, but looking at it carefully showed that the lustre and beauty made it look large, otherwise in itself the nose was not large." 

His beard was full and dense. His cheeks were full and full of flesh. The mouth of Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) was moderately wide. (He did not have a small mouth). His teeth were thin and bright. The front teeth had a slight space between them. His neck was beautiful and thin, like the neck of a statue shaved clean, the colour of which was clear, shining and beautiful like silver.

All the parts of his body were of moderate size, and fully fleshed. His body was proportionately jointed. His chest and stomach were in line, but his chest was broad and wide. The space between his shoulders was wide. The bones of his joints were strong and large (denoting strength). When he removed his clothing, his body looked bright and had a lustre (or rather those parts of the body that were not covered by his clothing were also bright and shining, compared with those parts of the body that were covered by his clothing.) Between the chest and navel, there was a thin line of hair. Besides this line, neither the chest nor the stomach had other hair on it. Both sides, the shoulders and the upper portion of the chest had hair.

His forearm was long and palms were wide. The palms and both feet were fully fleshed. The fingers and toes were moderately long. The soles of his feet were a bit deep. His feet were smooth; because of their cleanliness and smoothness, the water did not remain there but flowed away quickly. When he walked, he lifted his legs with vigour, leaned slightly forward and placed his feet softly on the ground. He walked at a quick pace and took rather a long step. He did not take small steps. When he walked, it seemed as if he was descending to a lower place. When he looked at something, he turned his whole body towards it. He always looked down. His sight was focused more to the ground than towards the sky (A question may arise here that it is reported in Abu Dawood that Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) usually looked towards the sky. Both are reconciled thus: His habit was to look down towards the ground, but he also waited for the wahi (revelation), therefore while waiting he often looked towards the sky. Otherwise, he usually looked down towards the ground.

 His modest habit was to look at something with a light eye, i.e. he looked at a thing, with modesty and bashfulness, hence he did not stare at anything. While walking he asked the Sahabah (Radiallahu anhum) to walk in front, and he himself walked behind. He made Salaam to whomsoever he met.

When he addressed a person, he turned his whole body towards that person. (He did not only turn his face towards the person he addressed, as this is considered impolite, and sometimes, it even denotes pride.  Sayyidina Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) faced the person he spoke to, with his chest and body.  The seal of Prophet hood was situated between his shoulders. 

He was the last of all prophets.  He was the most generous and the most truthful.  He was the most kind-hearted and came from a most noble family.  (It means his character, family back-ground and everything else was of the best).  Any person who saw him suddenly would become awe-inspired. 

Sayyidina Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) had such a great personality and dignity, that the person who saw him for the first time, because of his awe-inspiring personality, would be overcome with a feeling of profound respect.  Firstly, there is a ro'b (awe) for physical beauty, with this when other Kamaalat are added what more could then be said of the ro'b (awe).  Besides the special attributes and qualities granted to Sayyidina Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam), ro'b (awe) is also one of the special qualities granted to him. 

Anyone who came in close contact with him, and knew his excellent character was smitten with the love of his excellent attributes.  Anyone who described his noble features can only say: "I have seen none like Muhammed (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) neither before nor after him ”

                           [-SHAMA'ILE TIRMIDHI by Imaam Tirmidhi]

I and my Didi (elder sister), often drool and discuss about these beautiful features and qualities of Prophet (S.A.W)…we sometimes also argue as to who really have wavy hair and black eyes. When she gleefully points out my eyes as brown, I refuse to admit it and say it is just a trick of the light! While she in turn refuses to accept her hair as curly and says, ‘But they have a wave in it…!’

And the courteous style in which he (S.A.W) talked, by facing completely the other person… Believe me, it is tough especially when you are already talking to someone and this, another person comes and asks you something, you pause and turn yourself completely to the new comer and reply to him/her. Alhamdulillah am trying to follow this style of Rasulullah (S.A.W) and I have seen the wonderful results because when I say ‘just a sec’ to the other person and face myself completely to the newcomer, their face immediately lights with a bright smile as this way of treating them shows that we appreciate and respect them.

No little deed of Prophet (S.A.W) was done in vain. Everything had a meaning and depth behind it, and whoever practices or tries to follow his Sunnah would never go astray!

Here is another delicious little Hadith describing our beloved Prophet (S.A.W),

It is related from Jaabir (Radiallahu anhu) that he said:

“I once saw Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) on the night of a full moon. On that night, he wore red clothing. At times, I looked at the full moon and at times at Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam). Ultimately I came to the conclusion that Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) was more handsome, beautiful and more radiant than the full moon."

Sayyidatina 'Aisha (Radiallahu anha) once said that,

“The women in Egypt cut their hands upon seeing Prophet Yusuf (Alayhis Salaam), but had they seen Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) they would have cut out their hearts.”

                          [-SHAMA'ILE TIRMIDHI by Imaam Tirmidhi]

The commentary to the above Hadith as given by Imam Ashraf Ali al-Thanawi (rahimahullah):

Beauty has different categories. There is one type of beauty that astonishes a person instantaneously, and then gradually its effect wears off.
The husn (beauty) of Yusuf (Alayhis Salaam)was of this category. So, Zuleykha had become accustomed to looking at Yusuf (Alayhis Salaam)'s beauty. On No occasion did she cut her hands.

There is another category of beauty. It does NOT enrapture a person at the first instant, but as a person reflects more and more on it, he begins to become more and more and more attracted to it, until he becomes restless and beyond control in this desire. The more he ponders on it, the more it enters his heart. The beauty of the Muhammed (S.A.W) was like this.

It did not manifest its excellence at the very first sight, because he (S.A.W) possessed the Allah SWT’s given Jalal (Glory) and esteem that at the first gaze, the JALAL would overpower the onlooker, and the onlooker would be subdued by this majestic presence. The newcomer would not even get time to look fully at the beauty due to being overpowered by this majesty, and hence wouldn’t have time to be enraptured.

In fact the women being enraptured by Yusuf (Alayhis Salaam)’s husn is recorded. But this is not such an amazing thing as it is partially a fitri (inborn) thing for young women to be enraptured by a beautiful man. But for our Messenger (S.A.W) even MEN fell in love with him! And not to forget those young children and old people who loved and sacrificed their lives for him… which is a most wondrous matter.

So the conclusion is had the women of zuleykha seen the beauty of our Prophet (S.A.W), they wouldn’t have cut their hands –they would have cut open their hearts!

In the commentary on the Shamai'le, Imam al-Kandehlewi states, "Books on Seerah and Hadith are replete with descriptions of his (S.A.W) beautiful qualities. Therein it is stated that Allah Ta’Ala bestowed fully on the Prophet (peace be upon him) all the inner Kamaalat (perfection) and Zaahiri (apparent) beauty."

Imam Qurtubi states in his Tafsir:

"The full beauty and elegance of Sayyidina Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) has not been made manifest in this world, otherwise it would not have been possible for man to look at him".

Everything of Prophet Muhammed (S.A.W) noble features was perfect and beautiful. In the manner that is, real and intrinsic beauty had reached its last stage, in the same manner his Zaahiri (apparent) beauty had also reached its fullest and proper stage.  I conclude this chapter by stating a narration from the great Sahabi, Sayyidina Hassan ibn Thabbit who said praising Rasulullah (S.A.W):

'More beautiful than you have my eyes never observed.
More handsome than you no mother has ever conceived.

You have been created free of all blemishes,
Created as though you have been created as you intended'.

Allahumma sali 'alaa Sayyidina Muhammadiw wa 'alaa aalihi biqadri husnihi wa jamaalihi! 

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Hope you loved and enjoyed reading how our Nabi (S.A.W) looked like... Then do Vote, comment and spread the Hadiths:))                 

                       With Duas and Salaam (Prayers and Peace),

                                      abdurRahman (Gudi:))