The Book of Virtues

When revelation descended upon Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) even during the cold days, his forehead perspired.

How does the the wahi (inspiration) come to you? He said: At times it comes to me like the ringing of a bell and that is most severe for me and when it is over I retain that (what I had received in the form of wahi), and at times an Angel in the form of a human being comes to me (and speaks) and I retain whatever he speaks.

‘Ubida b. Samit reported that when wahi (inspiration) descended upon Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ), he felt a burden on that account and the colour of his face underwent a change.

‘Ubida b. Samit reported that when wahi descended upon Allah’s Apostle (ﷺ), he lowered his head and so lowered his Companions their heads, and when (this state) was over, he raised his head.

Ibn Abbas reported that the People of the Book used to let their hair fall (on their foreheads) and the polytheists used to part them on their heads, and Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) liked to conform his behaviour to the People of the Book in matters in which he received no command (from God) ; so Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) let fall his hair upon his forehead, and then he began to part it after this.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Ibn Shihab with the same chain of transmitters.

Al-Bara’ reported that Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) was of medium height, having broad shoulders, with his hair hanging down on the lobes of his ears. He put on a red mantle over him, and never have I seen anyone more handsome than Allah’s Apostle (ﷺ).

Never did I see anyone more handsome than Allah’s Apostle (ﷺ) in the red mantle. His hair had been hanging down on the shoulders and his shoulders were very broad, and he was neither very tall nor short-statured. Ibn Kuraib said he had hair.

Al-Bara’ reported that Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) had the most handsome face amongst men and he had the best disposition and he was neither very tall nor short-statured.

I asked Anas b. Malik: How was the hair of Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)? Thereupon he said: His hair was neither very curly nor very straight, and they hung over his shoulders and earlobes.

Anas reported that the hair of Allah’s Messenger (may. peace be upon him) came upon his shoulders.

Anas reported that the hair of Allah’s Apostle (ﷺ) reached half of the earlobe.

I said to Simak: What does this dali-ul-fam mean? And he said: This means broad face. I said: What does this ashkal mean? He said: Long in the slit of the eye. I said: What is this manhus-ul-aqibain? He said: It implies little flesh at the heels.

I said to Abu Tufail: Did you see Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)? He said: Yes, he had a white handsome face. Muslim b. Hajjaj said: Abu Tufail who died in 100 Hijra was the last of the Companions of Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ).

I saw Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) and there is one amongst the people of the earth who (are living at the present time and) had seen him except me. I said to him: How did you find him? He said: He had an elegant white color, and he was of an average height.

Anas b. Malik was asked whether Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) dyed his hair. He said: He had not become old enough to have white hair. Ibn Idris said that he had a few white hair. Abu Bakr and Umar, however, dyed hair with hina’ (henna).

I asked Anas b. Malik whether Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) dyed his hair. He said: He had not reached the stage when (he needed) dyeing (of his white hair). He had a few white hair in his beard. I said to him: Did Abu Bakr dye his hair? He said: Yes, with hina’ (henna).

I asked Anas b. Malik whether Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) dyed his hair. He said: He had but little white hair.

(They were so few) that if I so liked I could count their number in his head, and he further said: (That is) he did not dye. Abu Bakr, however, dyed them and so did ‘Umar dye them with pure henna.

Anas b. Malik did not like that a person should pick out his white hair from his head or beard, and Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) did not dye, and there was some whiteness in his hair at his chin, on his temples and very little on his head.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Muthanna through the same chain of transmitters.

Allah did not blemish him with white hair.

I saw Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) having some whiteness (in hair) at this place, and Zuhair placed one of his fingers at his chin. Juhaifa was asked how old he had been at that time. He said: I made arrows and put feathers to them (i. e. I had passed my childhood).

I saw Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) that he had white complexion and had some white hair, and Hasan b. ‘Ali resembled him.

This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Abu Juhaifa with a slight variation of wording.

When he oiled his head nothing was seen (as a mark of old age) and when he did not apply oil something (of the old age) became visible.

His face was as (bright) as the sword. Thereupon he (Jabir) said: No, it was round and like the sun and the moon. And I saw the seal near his shoulder of the size of a pigeon’s egg and its color was the same as that of his body.

I saw the seal on his back as if it were a pigeon’s egg.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Simak with the same chain of transmitters.

My mother’s sister took me to Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) and said: Allah’s Messenger, here is the son of my sister and he is ailing. He touched my head and invoked blessings upon me. He then performed ablution and I drank the water left from his ablution; then I stood behind him and I saw the seal between his shoulders.

I saw Allah’s Apostle (ﷺ) and ate with him bread and meat, or he said Tharid (bread soaked in soup). I said to him: Did Allah’s Apostle (ﷺ) seek forgiveness for you? He said: Yes, and for you, and he then recited this verse:” Ask forgiveness for thy sin and for the believing men and believing women” (xlvii. 19). I then went after him and saw the Seal of Prophethood between his shoulders on the left side of his shoulder having spots on it like moles.

Anas b. Malik reported that Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) was neither very conspicuously tall nor short-statured, and his color was neither glaringly white nor brown; his hair was neither very curly nor very straight; Allah commissioned him (as a Prophet) when he had reached the age of forty years, and he stayed in Mecca for ten years and for ten years in Medina; Allah took him away when he had just reached the age of sixty, and there had not been twenty white hair in his head and beard.

This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Anas b. Malik with this addition that instead of the word al-Amhaq there is the word Azhar.

Anas b. Malik reported that Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) died when he was sixty-three years old, and so was the case with Abu Bakr, and so was the case with Umar who was also sixty-three (when he died).

‘A’isha reported that Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) died when he had attained the age of sixty-three. And a hadith like this had been transmitted on the authority of Sa’id b. Musayyib.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Ibn Shihab through the same chain of transmitters.

I said to ‘Urwa: How long did Allah’s Apostle – (ﷺ) stay in Mecca? He said: For ten years. I said: Ibn ‘Abbas says (that he stayed in Mecca) for thirteen years.

I said to ‘Urwa: How long did Allah’s Apostle (ﷺ) stay in Mecca? He said: For ten years. I said: Ibn Abbas says it is some years above ten. He (‘Urwa) sought forgiveness for him and said: His statement is based on the verse of a poet.

Ibn ‘Abbas reported that Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) stayed in Mecca for thirteen years and he died when he had attained the age of sixty three years.

Ibn ‘Abbas reported that Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) stayed in Mecca for thirteen years (after he had received revelation) and stayed in Medina for ten years, and he was sixty-three when he died.

I was sitting with ‘Abdullah b. ‘Utba and there was a discussion about the age of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). Some of the persons said: Abu Bakr was older than Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ). ‘Abdullah said: Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) died when he was sixty-three, and Abu Bakr died when he was sixty-three and so ‘Umar fell as a martyr when he was sixty-three. A person from the people who was called ‘Amir b. Sa’d reported that Jabir had said: We were sitting with Mu’awiya that there was a discussion about the age of Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ). Thereupon Mu’awiya said: Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) died when he had attained the age of sixty-three, and Abu Bakr died when he had attained the age of sixty-three, and Umar fell as a martyr when he had attained the age of sixty-three.

Jabir reported that he heard Mu’awiya say in his address that Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) died at the age of sixty-three, so was the case with Abu Bakr and ‘Umar, and I (am now) sixty-three.

I asked Ibn ‘Abbas how old was he when death overtook the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). He said: I little know that such a thing is not known to a man like you who belong to his people. He said: I asked people about it but they differed with me, and I liked to know your opinion about it. He said: Do you know counting? He said: Yes. He then said: Bear this in mind very well that he was commissioned (as a Prophet) at the age of forty, and he stayed in Mecca for fifteen years; sometime in peace and sometime in dread, and (lived) for ten years after his migration to Medina.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Yunus with the same chain of transmitters.

Ammar, the freed slave of Banu Hashim, reported that Ibn ‘Abbas said that Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) died when he had attained the age of sixty-five.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Khalid with the same chain of transmitters.

Ibn ‘Abbas reported that Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) stayed in Mecca for fifteen years (after his advent as a Prophet) and he heard the voice of Gabriel and saw his radiance for seven years but did not see any visible form, and then received revelation for ten years, and he stayed in Medina for ten years.

I am Muhammad and I am Ahmad, and I am al-Mahi (the obliterator) by whom unbelief would be obliterated, and I am Hashir (the gatherer) at whose feet mankind will be gathered, and I am ‘Aqib (the last to come) after whom there will be no Prophet.

I have many names: I am Muhammad, I am Ahmad, I am al-Mahi through whom Allah obliterates unbelief, and I am Hashir (the gatherer) at whose feet people will be gathered, and I am ‘Aqib (after whom there would be none), and Allah has named him as compassionate and merciful.

I said to Zuhri: What does (the word) al-‘Aqib imply? He said: One after whom there is no Prophet, and in the hadith transmitted on the authority of Ma’mar and ‘Uqail there is a slight variation of wording.

I am Muhammad, Ahmad. Muqaffi (the last in succession), Hashir, the Prophet of repentance, and the Prophet of Mercy.