Day: December 5, 2024

Section 2 The description of the Prophet’s physic

It is impossible to turn a blind eye to the fact that Prophet Muhammad, praise and peace be upon him, is by far the most worthy and the greatest of all mankind, and that he is the most perfect of all, adorned with the most excellent virtues and qualities.

In this section Judge Eyad embarks upon detailing the perfection of the Prophet’s physical attributes and supplicates “May Allah illumine my heart and yours, and increase our love for this noble Prophet, praise and peace be upon him.” He then reminds the reader of the fact that the Prophet’s qualities were not acquired rather, they were gifted to him by the Creator.

His physical description and character have been reported by many of his Companions and we are told that he was the most handsome man ever created, surpassing the beauty of Prophet Joseph for whom the women of the city cut their hands, “When she heard of their sly whispers, she sent for them and prepared a banquet. To each she gave a knife, (then called Joseph saying,) ‘Come and attend to them.’ When they saw him, they were so taken

with him that they cut their hands, and said, ‘Allah save us! This is no mortal, he is no other but a noble angel!”

The complexion of Prophet Muhammad, praise and peace be upon him, was radiant. His eyes were black, deep, widely set, and naturally mascaraed with a slight tinge of pink, accentuated by long eyelashes. His nose was distinctive and his teeth evenly spaced. His face was round with a broad forehead. His beard was thick and reached his chest. As for his chest and abdomen they were equal in size and his shoulders were broad as was his chest. His bones were large as were his arms. The palms of his hands were thick as were the soles of his feet. His fingers were long and his skin tone fair. The hair between his chest and navel was fine. He was of medium stature, however, when a tall person walked by his side the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, appeared to be the taller. As for his hair it was neither curly nor straight and when he laughed his teeth were visible like a flash of lightning, or, they have been described as white as hailstones. His neck was balanced, neither broad nor fat, as for his body it was firm and did not lack firmness in any limb.

The following sayings are but a fraction of the multi narrations of the Companion’s description of the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, although they are but a sampling, they are sufficient to convey the perception of his handsomeness. Everyone who met him said they had never seen anyone like him. In the forthcoming sections we will, if Allah wills, report even more.

When the Companion Al Bara saw a lock of the Prophet’s hair resting on his red robe he commented, “I have never seen anyone with a more beautiful lock of hair than his resting on a red robe.”

Abu Hurayrah, said, “I have never seen anyone more handsome than the Messenger of Allah, it was as though the sun was shining upon his face and when he laughed it reflected from the wall.”

Someone asked Jabir, Samura’s son, “Was his face like a sword (meaning white and shinning)?” He replied, “No, it was like the sun and the moon, and round.”

Umm Ma’bad, the lady from whom the description of the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, was more profuse, said, “Even from a distance he was the most beautiful of people, and as he drew near it was apparent that he was the most handsome.”

Abi Hala’s son said, “His face glowed like the full moon.”

Imam Ali, may Allah honor his face, said at the end of his description of the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, “Anyone who came upon him by chance became filled with timidity towards of him and those who kept company with him loved him.”

There were three hundred prisoners in the jail in which Mansur was imprisoned. He asked them if they wanted to be released. They replied in the affirmative, hence Mansur made a sign and their fetters fell down laying open the gates of the cells and jail wide open.

When Mansur was imprisoned and people came to visit him in the jail cell on the first night, they could not find him in his room, He had physically disappeared. On the second night of their visit they found him at the spot but the jail had disappeared. On the third night they met him seated in his cell. They questioned him with regards to the previous two nights. He explained to them, on the first night I was in the presence of my Lord, on the second night the Lord had come here to visit me, and now I have been brought here to verify the words of the scriptures. i.e. A man when in control of his senses should never utter, “I am the Truth”, for so long as he is being (man) he can never be God. a

When Mansur was being killed, first his hands were chopped off. Then the executioner cut off his feet. In this state Mansur rubbed his face with the bloody stumps of his hands and remarked, ‘Today I feel happy as the martyrs powder is rubbed on my face’. Then he made an indication that he was in prayers. Following this his eyes were removed from his face, his tongue cut out of his mouth, then his head severed from his body. Before his head and tongue had been removed Mansur had prayed, “Oh Lord I am grateful to thee that you have kept me unperturbed and steadfast to the end. I only wish that you had bestowed this wealth on my assembled persecutors also”. Hearing these words the people began pelting him with stones. He uttered his last words; “The friendship of the One singles you out and makes you extraordinary.” At the moment when his head was severed from his body Mansur let out a burst of laughter and his soul passed to the Almighty. The severed limbs of the martyr then began to cry, “I am the Truth”. The Caliph ordered the

limbs to be collected together and burnt. When this was done the ashes began to produce the same sound ‘I am the Truth’ (Anal Haq). The ashes were then thrown into the River Dajla where they formed the words that read ‘

“I am the Truth”. The water of the river foamed and swelled to a great height. Anticipating that this was to occur Mansur had already told his servant to take his (Mansur’s) garments and spread them on the surface of the water, in order to appease the wrath of the river and save Baghdad from being flooded. The servant did as he had been commanded and the water subsided.

(Tadhkeratul Auliya)