The Best of Creation part 2

Description of the Beloved

Names

As for names, then he ﷺ said, ‘I am Muhammad [the OftalbApraised); I am Ahmad [the Most frequent in praising Allah]; 1. com am al-Māḥī [the Eliminator] through whom Allah will eliminate disbelief; I am al-Ḥāshir [the Gatherer], at whose feet people will gather; I am al-‘Ãqib [the Final (prophet)], after whom there is no prophet.’ Another narration states, “I am al-Muqaffă [the One followed], the Prophet of Repentance and the Prophet of Mercy.’ And in Şaḥīḥ Muslim: ‘and the Prophet of War.’

Allah called him in His book: a Bringer of Good News (Bashir), a Warner [of Allah’s punishment] (Nadhīr), an Illuminating Lamp (Sirāj munīr), the Compassionate, the Merciful, a Mercy to All worlds, Muḥammad, Aḥmad, Țaha, Yasīn, Muzzammil (the Shrouded one), Muddaththir (the Enwrapped one) and ‘Abd Allah (Allah’s servant). For example, ‘Yet when Allah’s servant (Abd Allah) stood, praying to Him’ [Qur’an 72: 19], and ‘And say, “I am the plain warner” [Qur’an 15: 89], and, ‘You are only one who reminds (mudhakkir)’ [Qur’an 88: 21]. Allah mentioned other names; however, most of these names are [in reality] attributes.

Physical description

It has been narrated that he was not excessively tall nor short, neither pale nor dark, nor was his hair wavy and tightly curled or straight. He passed away with no more than twenty white hairs on his head. He had a proportionate body: broad shouldered, with his hair generally reaching his shoulders, although on other occasions it reached his earlobes or the middle of his ears. He would let his hair hang over his forehead, but later [he began to] part it; he would comb his hair and beard. He would apply antimony to each eye thrice every night when going to sleep. He had a dense beard, a slight roundness to his face, and the pupils of his eyes were intensely black. He had long eyelashes and a fine line of hair stretching from his chest to his navel like a [thin] branch. He walked with determination as if walking downhill. His face would shine like the full moon. He had a pleasant voice. His cheekbones did not protrude, and his mouth was wide.¹9 His stomach and chest were in level. He had a quantity of hair on his shoulders, forearms and upper chest. He had long upper arms, wide palms and thick fingers. There was redness in the white part of his eyes. His heels were not fleshy. In between his shoulders there was the seal of Prophethood like the button of a curtain canopy or a pigeon’s egg. all when he walked, it was as if the earth folded up for him; they [his .com Companions] would exert themselves to keep up with him, while he would continue walking with ease. His favourite clothing was the tunic (qamis), white [garments] and ḥubrah (a type of redstriped upper garment). The Messenger of Allah’s ﷺ shirt-sleeves would reach his wrist. On various occasions, he wore a red-striped hullah [a two piece suit consisting of waist-wrapper and a wrapper for the upper body or a lined garment], two garments dyed with usfur, a tight sleeved quilted double upper garment (jubbah), a gown (qubā’), a black turban whose two tails he let hang over his shoulders, and a black mirț [an unstitched wraparound] made of [animal] hair. He would wear a ring, khuffs [leather socks] and sandals.

Physical strength

Just as he ﷺwas perfect in [spiritual] strength, fulfilling Allah’s rights by complying with His commandments and avoiding
His prohibitions, he was also perfect in physical strength, as numerous reports demonstrate. It is narrated that Rukānah ibn ‘Abd Yazīd ibn Hāshim ibn al-Muṭṭalib ibn ‘Abd Munāf was the strongest man amongst Quraysh, who, one day, happened to be alone with Allah’s Messengerﷺ in one of the mountain trails of Mecca, and so Allah’s Messengerﷺ said to him, ‘O Rukānah, do you not fear Allah and accept what I am inviting you to?’ He replied, ‘If I knew what you are saying is true, I would have followed you.’ So Allah’s Messenger ﷺreplied, “Tell me, if I wrestle you to defeat, will you realise what I am saying is true? He replied, ‘Yes’, so heﷺ said, ‘Stand up so that I can wrestle you.’ He [the narrator] said, ‘So Rukānah stood up to wrestle him.’ When Allah’s Messengerﷺ grabbed him, he ﷺthrew him down, as he [Rukānah] had lost control over himself. Then he said, ‘Do it again Muhammadﷺ,’ whereupon heﷺ threw him down again, to which he said, ‘This is amazing, you are [actually] throwing me down.’ So Allah’s Messengerﷺ replied, ‘I will show you something more astonishing if you fear Allah and follow me.’ He replied, ‘What?  The Messenger of Allahﷺ said, ‘What is more astonishing than  that, if you want me to show you, is to make this tree that you see come towards me.’ He said, ‘Call it,’ and so he called it and it came forward until it stood in front of Allah’s Messengerﷺ; then he said, “Tell it to return to its place,’ so he did, and it returned to its place. He [the narrator] said, ‘Rukānah went to his people and said, “O Bani Abd Munāf, challenge the inhabitants of the earth in magic with your companion; by Allah, I have not seen anyone more magical than him.” He then informed them of what he saw and what heﷺ [the Prophet] did. It is confirmed that he accepted Islam and won his [the Prophet’s] companionship