§8. Sufyân bin Wakî`; narrated to us; Jumay` bin `Umayr bin `Abdur-Rahmân al-`Ijlî read to us from his book saying: A man from Banî Tamîl, from the sons of Abû Hâlah – the husband of Khadîjah – who was given the agonym of Abû `Abdullâh; from one of the sons of ibn Abû Hâlah; from al-Hasan bin `Alî (RAA) that he said,
I asked my uncle, Hind bin Abû Hâlah, [to describe the Prophet, sallAllâhu `alayhi wa sallam,] because it was his habit to do so and I ardently desired that he describe something of his characteristics so that I could relate to them and imitate them. He said,
‘The Messenger of Allâh, sallAllâhu `alayhi wa sallam, was imposing, dignified and one who was greatly honoured and respected. His face shone with resplendence like that of the moon when it was full. He was somewhat taller than a person of medium stature but shorter than a tall person. His head was large with slightly curly hair and if the hair on his forehead parted of its own accord, he would keep it parted, otherwise his hair, when at its longest, would reach the lobes of his ears. He was white skinned with a wide brow, thick curved eyebrows which were completely joined except in the place where they met. Between them was a vein that would throb when angry. He had a long, aquiline nose which shone with a light that would seem to elevate it, whoever did not carefully look at it would think it upturned. He had a thick and full beard with firm cheeks that were not raised. He had a wide mouth, evenly spaced teeth and had a fine line of hair extending from his chest to navel. His neck resembled that of an ivory statue’s, white in colour like smooth silver and he was of a goodly build, finely balanced. His chest and stomach were level and he had a wide chest with broad shoulders. His joints were large, and his skin that would normally be covered with clothes had a lustre about it. He had a line of hair extending from his upper chest to his navel, apart from that, his chest and stomach were bare. The upper part of his chest, his forearms and shoulders had a lot of hair on them. He had long forearms with wide palms and he had heavy and thick hands and feet. His fingers were long but not extremely so, he had high insteps and his feet were smooth and well proportioned because of which water would swiftly flow off them and quickly vanish. When he walked he walked briskly with strength of purpose but placed his feet on the ground softly. When he walked, he took large steps and it was if he was descending a slope. When he turned [to address someone], he turned his entire body. He would constantly lower his gaze looking more to the ground then he would to the sky. Most of the time he would merely glance at something, he would have his Companions walk in front of him and would hurry to greet whoever he met with the salâm.’ [1]
(Q,M) Jumay`: he was declared thiqah by ibn Hibbân but da`îf by others. Abû Dâwûd said, 'I fear he is a liar', adh-Dhahabı said he was feeble and quoted al-Bukhârı saying, 'He is problematic'. Ibn Hajr said about him, 'Da`îf, a râfidî.' (Q) A man from Banî Tamîm: ibn Hajr said, 'He is `Abdullâh at-Tamîmî: majhûl al-hâl'.
"The Messenger of Allâh, sallAllâhu `alayhi wa sallam, was imposing, dignified and one who was greatly honoured and respected. His face shone with resplendence like that of the moon when it was full," (Q) Comparing some of his attributes to things such the sun and moon is done simply because this is the habit of poets and the Arabs, or by way of approximation, for there is nothing that could compare to his attributes since they are loftier and more sublime than any object of creation. (M) Here ibn Abî Hâlah chose to compare his face to the moon because he, sallAllâhu `alayhi wa sallam, appeared when the world was steeped in the darkness of disbelief [and illuminated it just as the moon illuminates the night].
"He was somewhat taller than a person of medium stature but shorter than a tall person. His head was large with slightly curly hair and if the hair on his forehead parted of its own accord, he would keep it parted, otherwise his hair, when at its longest," (Q)
i.e. sometimes, "would reach the lobes of his ears," (Q) Ibn Hajr said, 'Bukhârî and Muslim record that he, sallAllâhu `alayhi wa sallam, would let his hair hang freely, as did the People of the Book, and the polytheists would part their hair. He liked to follow the practice of the People of the Book in those matters for which no command had come to him. Then, after this, the Messenger of Allâh, sallAllâhu `alayhi wa sallam, would part his hair. It is permissible to let the hair hang freely or part it, but parting is better as this is what he, sallAllâhu `alayhi wa sallam, did at the end.'
"He was white skinned," (Q) with a lustre to it and a red tinge. It is also possible that it means: the best skin colour.
"With a wide brow, thick curved eyebrows which were completely joined except in the place where they met," (Q) Meaning his eyebrows almost joined but did not. A joined eyebrow is not praiseworthy in the view of the Arabs but a gap is, and this is what is correct of his features in contrast to what is reported in the hadîth of Umm Ma`bad that his eyebrows were joined. Assuming that this report is authentic, it is possible to reconcile the two descriptions by saying that the gap between the eyebrows was very fine such as not to be noticed unless one carefully looked, as such in reality there was a gap even though at a glance it would seem that there was not.
"Between them was a vein that would throb when angry. He had a long, aquiline nose which shone with a light that would seem to elevate it, whoever did not carefully look at it would think it upturned. He had a thick and full beard," (Q) in one narration, "full beard" [2] and in another, "large beard." [3 ](M) az-Zayn al-`Irâqı said, 'This is how it was described by `Umar bin al-Khattâb, ibn Mas`ûd, Umm Ma`bad, and Hind. The narration of Humayd has, "His beard filled the area from here to here", and some of the narrators of this hadîth pointed from one side of the face to the other. The narration of Simâk from Jâbir has, "He, sallAllâhu `alayhi wa sallam, had thick hair of head and beard."'
"With firm cheeks that were not raised. He had a wide mouth, evenly spaced teeth," (Q) A later narration shows that he had evenly spaced incisors.[4] Ibn Hajr said, 'Ahmad and others record that he, sallAllâhu `alayhi wa sallam, drank from a bucket which was then lowered into a well, and after this it would diffuse an aroma like that of musk. Abû Nu`aym records that he, sallAllâhu `alayhi wa sallam, spat in a well in the house of Anas, after which there was no well to be found in Madınah that would give sweeter water than his. al-Bayhaqî records that on the Day of `آshûrâ´, he spat lightly in the mouths of those suckling infants with him and his daughter, Fâtimah and said not to feed them till nightfall, and his spit would suffice them.'
"His neck resembled that of an ivory statue’s," (Q) The purpose is to illustrate that the longness of his neck was finely balanced with his body and truly beautiful.
"White in colour like smooth silver and he was of a goodly build, finely balanced. His chest and stomach were level and he had a wide chest with broad shoulders. His joints were large, and his skin that would normally be covered with clothes had a lustre about it. He had a line of hair extending from his upper chest to his navel, apart from that, his chest and stomach were bare. The upper part of his chest, his forearms and shoulders had a lot of hair on them. He had long forearms with wide palms and he had heavy and thick hands and feet. His fingers were long but not extremely so, he had insteps," (M) This does not contradict the description mentioned in the hadîth of Abû Hurayrah that when he, sallAllâhu `alayhi wa sallam, walked, he walked with all his foot and he did not have insteps, [5]because he merely negated his having high insteps while those who affirmed them for him affirmed slight insteps. Moreover the context of the narration of Abû Hurayrah shows that he derived this description from looking at his footprints and did not rely upon any narration, as such his description would be viewed as the weaker of the two even though the isnâd of his report is stronger than this isnâd (Q) Mırak said, 'This is the most one can say in reconciling the two narrations, however the hadîth of Abû Hurayrah has strong isnâds being recorded by Ya`qûb bin Sufyân, al-Bazzâr, and others whereas this hadîth of Hind has weakness: Jumay` bin `Amr is da`ıf in the view of the researching scholars, even though ibn Hibbân mentioned him in ath-Thiqât, and it contains two unknown narrators.'
"And his feet were smooth and well proportioned because of which water would swiftly flow off them and quickly vanish. When he walked he walked briskly with strength of purpose but placed his feet on the ground softly. When he walked, he took large steps and it was if he was descending a slope. When he turned [to address someone], he turned his entire body. He would constantly lower his gaze looking more to the ground then he would to the sky," (M) meaning in his periods of silence. The reason for this is that such a posture aids more in contemplating and thinking, or it was because of his, sallAllâhu `alayhi wa sallam, great modesty before his Lord, or because he was sent to teach and cultivate the inhabitants of the earth not the inhabitants of the heaven. When understood in this light, this narration does not contradict the hadîth recorded by Abû Dâwûd that when he sat and spoke, he would frequently look at the sky.
"Most of the time he would merely glance at something, he would have his Companions walk in front of him," (Q) out of modesty and humbleness, and to show that he was like a shepherd guiding his flock, and out of his care for the weak such that he would be the last amongst them taking them and the poor into account. This practice refutes the habit of the arrogant, ostentatious and the ignoramuses seeking after status. ad-Dârimî records with a sahîh isnâd that the Messenger of Allâh, sallAllâhu `alayhi wa sallam, said, "Leave my back empty for the Angels." Ahmad records on the authority of Jâbir that the Companions of the Prophet, sallAllâhu `alayhi wa sallam, would walk in front of him and leave his rear for the Angels. Perhaps this is derived from His saying,
"And the Angels moreover are his assistants," [6] "And would hurry to greet whoever he met with the salâm," (M) This is a general statement but excludes the disbelievers, and perhaps the reason for not explicitly excluding them was because they are viewed to be of the same ranking as dumb animals, hence they cannot understand and therefore are not addressed. (Q) Meaning that he would rush to give the salâm immediately upon meeting as this is a sign of humility. al-`Isâm said, 'He did so to prefer those he met over himself with the greater reward, this is because responding to the salâm is obligatory and this is superior to the reward of a sunnah [i.e. initiating the greeting].' This is negligence on his part of the established principle that giving preference to others in matters of worship is not praiseworthy, (M) indeed it is reprehensible in the view of an-Nawawî who explained this in the chapter dealing with Tayammum in al-Majmû` and it is unlawful in the view of Imâm al-Haramayn. Ibn `Abdis-Salâm said: one cannot give preference in matters of worship because the goal of worship is to exalt and magnify Allâh; as such whoever gives preference to another in matters of worship has left magnifying Allâh. (Q) Moreover he has also overlooked the saying of the scholars that this sunnah is better than the obligation because it is a means to its attainment. (M) The principle that an obligation is superior to an optional deed does not hold true in every case, rather there are exceptions such as initiating the salâm which is a sunnah, the response to which is an obligation, and such as performing ablution before the time of prayer, this is sunnah and it is better than performing it in the time of prayer.
(M) Addendum: from amongst the virtues of the Prophet, sallAllâhu `alayhi wa sallam, is that Allâh has mentioned each of his limbs in the Qur´ân: He mentioned his face in,
"We have seen the turning of your face toward the heaven"[7]; his eyes in,
"Do not direct your eyes longingly to what We have given certain of them to enjoy"[8]; his tongue in,
"We have made it easy on your tongue so that you can give good news to those who have taqwâ"[9]; his hand and neck in
"Do not keep your hand chained to your neck and neither extend it to its full extent"[10]; his chest and back in,
"Did We not expand your breast for you and remove your load from you which weighed down your back"[11]; his heart in, "
The faithful spirit brought it down to your heart so that you would be one of the warners" [12]; and all of him in,
"Indeed you are truly vast in character"[13].
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1. (A) In one text the wording is, "He would initiate the salām." I say: perhaps this is the correct wording for this is what is mentioned in al-Bidāyah via the route of Ya'qūb bin Sufyān. Recorded by at-Ţabarānı and al-Bayhaqı with an isnād that is da'ıf jiddan: the man from Banı Tamım is majhūl and Jumay' is da'ıf and some accused him of lying. (T) But all that is mentioned in the ĥadıth is proven by other authentic aĥādıth, Allāh knows best. 2. an-Nasā'ı [az-Zınah]
3. al-Bayhaqı [Ra's Rasulillāh]
4. Ĥadıth #15.
5. al-Bayhaqı [Şifatu Bu'di Mā Bayna Mankibay Rasulillāh]
6. at-Taĥrım (66): 4
7. al-Baqarah (2): 144
8. al-Ĥijr (15): 88
9. Maryam (19): 97
10. al-Isrā' (17): 29
11. ash-Sharĥ (94): 1-3
12. ash-Shu'arā' (26): 194
13. al-Qalam (68): 4
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