Shamâ´il al-Muhammadiyyah [Part 22] - The Prophet applying Kohl

3/52 Ahmad ibn Manî` narrated to us; Muhammad ibn Yazîd narrated to us; on the authority of Muhammad ibn Ishâq; on the authority of Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir; on the authority of Jâbir who said that the Messenger of Allâh (SAW) said,

Take to applying ithmid when you go to sleep for it gives strength to the sight and facilitates the growth of hair. [1]

"Take to applying ithmid," (Q) al-Hâfi* ibn Hajr said that the command here was one of recommendation by consensus, "when you go to sleep for it gives strength to the sight and facilitates the growth of hair," (Q) this wording contains a subtle indication that the Sunnah of applying kohl for men is only fulfilled if one has the intention of treatment and cure, not just the intention of adornment as in the case of women. It is for this reason that Imâm Mâlik was of the opinion that it was disliked for men to apply kohl unless it be for reason of treatment and cure.


4/53 Qutaybah ibn Sa`îd narrated to us; Bishr ibn al-Mufaddal narrated to us; on the authority of `Abdullâh ibn `Uthmân ibn Khuthaym; on the authority of Sa`îd ibn Jubayr; on the authority of ibn `Abbâs (RAA) who said that the Messenger of Allâh (SAW) said,

The best type of kohl with which you can smear your eyes is ithmid, it gives strength to the sight and facilitates the growth of hair. [2]

"The best type of kohl with which you can smear your eyes is ithmid," (Q) this proves that ithmid is a specific type of kohl. (M) They said that applying kohl was recommended and that the use of ithmid was best. "It gives strength to the sight and facilitates the growth of hair," (MS) The same hadîth is recorded by al-Bazzâr on the authority of Abû Hurayrah and the narrators are those of the ٹahîh.[3]


5/54 Ibrâhîm ibn al-Mustamirrî al-Baڑrî narrated to us; Abû `Aڑim narrated to us; on the authority of `Uthmân ibn `Abdu-l-Malik; on the authority of Sâlim; on the authority of ibn `Umar who said that the Messenger of Allâh (SAW) said, Take to applying ithmid for it gives strength to the sight and facilitates the growth of hair.[4] (Q) The point of mentioning these narrations with different chains of narration is to strengthen the basic narrative and show that it has a basis. This is because `Abbâd ibn Manڑûr is da`îf by consensus.

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1. ibn Mâjah [at-Ţibb].
2. an-Nasâ´î [az-Zînah], ibn Mâjah [at-Ţibb], and Abû Dâwûd [at-Ţibb].
3. al-Hâfi* al-Mundhirî, at-Targhîb wa-t-Tarhîb
4. ibn Mâjah [at-Ţibb]