His ﷺ physical characteristics
His general description ﷺ — the hadith of Hind ibn Abi Halah
Hind ibn Abi Halah, radiyallahu 'anhu — and he was a describer — and the wording is from At‑Tirmidhi in his Shama'il with a hasan chain: 'The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was dignified and majestic; his face glittered like the full moon; he was taller than the marbūʿ and shorter than the mushadhhab (i.e., blessedly of moderate stature); lofty of bearing; his hair was rājil (neither long nor tightly curled); if his aqīqah (a lock) parted it separated, otherwise his hair did not go beyond the lobes of his ears when he let it grow; of a bright complexion; broad of brow; his eyebrows were full and met in a sweep without a horned arch, and between them a vein that would swell with anger; the two sides of his nose sloped and there was a light above it that would make one who did not look carefully imagine a scent; his beard was abundant; his cheeks smooth; his mouth broad; he was moustached; his teeth were slightly separated and white; there was a fine line of hair between the chest and the navel; his neck was like a well‑made piece of silver in its clarity.'
- Fakhman mufakhkhaman — noble, august in bearing and in the hearts and spirits
- His face glittered like the full moon — in splendor and light
- Taller than the marbūʿ and shorter than the mushadhhab — blessedly of moderate stature
- Rājil hair — neither flowing nor tightly curled, but a moderate wave
- Bright of complexion — radiant whiteness with a luminous rosy tint
- Aqnā al‑ʿarannayn — his noble nose had an elegant elevation and beauty
- Abundant beard — full, dense, and filling without curling
- Spacious mouth — a noble wide mouth, whose breadth signified eloquence and clear expression
- Moustached with slightly separated teeth — white teeth slightly spaced
- Fine masrubah — a delicate line of hair between the chest and the navel
The remainder of Hind ibn Abi Halah's description of the noble body
Hind, radiyallahu 'anhu, said: 'He was of balanced build, a well‑knit fleshy man; the abdomen and chest were even; broad of chest; wide between the shoulders; the pectoral muscles large; radiant when unveiled; connected between the breast and the navel by hair running like a line; the breasts and the abdomen otherwise bare; the arms, shoulders and upper chest were smooth; the forearms were long; the palms expansive; the flesh of the hands and feet full and not coarse; the limbs supple and even; the soles slightly hollowed; when water flowed from them it ran off.'
- Broad‑chested — a spacious noble chest, wide in mercy and forbearance
- Wide between the shoulders — great, noble shoulders
- Radiant when unveiled — when his body was uncovered it shone with brilliant light
- Concave soles — the sacred soles were slightly hollowed (the underside of the foot concave)
- Flat of the feet — there was no elevation in the middle of his foot, so water ran off them
- Shathn of the palms — full, soft flesh of the hands, not rough
Description by Ali ibn Abi Talib, radiyallahu 'anhu
Ali ibn Abi Talib, radiyallahu 'anhu, said: 'He ﷺ was neither excessively tall nor short of hesitation; he was a ruba'ah among the people (well‑built). He was neither tightly curled nor flowing long; his hair was wavy. He was neither flat‑faced nor harsh of mouth; there was roundness to his face. White with a tinge of redness. Deep, intensely black eyes with long lashes. Majestic in appearance and dignified in carriage, unclothed of ostentation, possessing a masrubah; shathn of the hands and feet. When he walked he set his feet down with a measured, dignified step as if descending from a height. When he turned he turned wholly. Between his shoulders was the Seal of Prophethood — the seal of the prophets.' — narrated by At‑Tirmidhi in the Shama'il.
- A ruba'ah of the people — neither tall nor short, of moderate stature
- Rājil hair — a handsome wave, neither tightly curled nor flowing long
- His face with roundness and tapering — neither fully rectangular nor perfectly round
- White tinged with red — a visible whiteness with a hidden rosy flush like a rose
- Deep, intensely black eyes
- Long‑lashed eyelids — the noble eyelids fringed with long lashes
- When he walked he placed his feet down with measured dignity as if descending from a height — the demeanor of the confident and majestic