Shamail
His Physical Description
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was neither very tall nor very short. He was of medium stature among people. His hair was neither curly nor completely straight. His face was not round nor fully elongated, but between the two. His complexion was white tinged with redness. His eyes were large and black, with long lashes. His joints were large, and between his shoulders was the Seal of Prophethood. He had no hair on his body except a thin line running from his chest to his navel. His hands and feet were large. When he walked, he walked with purpose, as though descending from a height.”
— Shamail al-Tirmidhi 1, Narrated by Ali ibn Abi Talib (RA)
Ali ibn Abi Talib (RA), who grew up in the Prophet's ﷺ household, described him with the eye of someone who had observed him closely for decades. What strikes the reader is the harmony of his description — neither extreme in any quality, yet unmistakably striking to all who saw him.
Shamail
His Manner of Walking
“I never saw anyone more handsome than the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. It was as though the sun was shining from his face. I never saw anyone walk faster than him; it was as though the earth was being folded up for him. We would exert ourselves walking while he seemed to walk with ease.”
— Shamail al-Tirmidhi 120, Narrated by Abu Hurayrah (RA)
The companions consistently noted that the Prophet ﷺ walked with purposeful energy — not casually or lazily, but with intention. This was itself a form of character. How a person carries their body reflects how they carry their soul.
Shamail
His Laughter Was a Smile
“I never saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ laughing fully such that his back teeth were visible. His laughter was only smiling.”
— Shamail al-Tirmidhi 224, Narrated by Aisha (RA)
The Prophet ﷺ was not a somber man — he was known for his warmth, his humor, and his smile. But even his joy was composed. He did not lose himself in laughter. This is a practice available to anyone: smile generously, laugh genuinely, but keep your composure.
Shamail
His Generosity
“The Prophet ﷺ was the most generous of people, and he was most generous during Ramadan when Jibril would meet him. Jibril used to meet him every night of Ramadan to revise the Quran with him. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was then more generous than a fast-blowing wind in doing good.”
— Sahih Bukhari 6, Narrated by Ibn Abbas (RA)
The comparison to wind is precise: wind gives to everything it passes without distinction or expectation of return. The Prophet's ﷺ generosity intensified in Ramadan — a reminder that the season of fasting is also the season of giving most abundantly.
Shamail
His Humility at Meals
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ never ate at a table, nor from small plates, nor was thin bread ever baked for him. Yunus asked: What did they eat on then? He said: On leather dining cloths spread on the ground.”
— Shamail al-Tirmidhi 126, Narrated by Anas ibn Malik (RA)
The Prophet ﷺ spent twenty-three years receiving divine revelation, leading a state, commanding armies — and he ate on the floor from a shared cloth. Power did not change how he sat or what he ate. This is a quiet and enduring lesson about the relationship between leadership and ego.
Shamail
His Speech Was Clear and Measured
“The speech of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was not rapid and continuous as your speech is now. Rather, his speech was clear, word by word, such that whoever sat with him would memorize it.”
— Shamail al-Tirmidhi 230, Narrated by Aisha (RA)
He did not rush his words. Each sentence was deliberate. One effect of this was that those with him could retain what he said — his speech was designed to be understood and remembered, not merely heard.
Trade & Business
The Honest Merchant's Reward
“The truthful, trustworthy merchant will be with the Prophets, the truthful, and the martyrs on the Day of Judgment.”
— Sunan al-Tirmidhi 1209, Narrated by Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (RA)
This hadith places the honest businessperson among the highest ranks of the Hereafter. Trade is not separate from worship — the same standards of truth and trust apply in the marketplace as in the mosque.
Trade & Business
Disclose the Defect
“It is not lawful for a Muslim to sell something knowing that it has a defect, without disclosing that defect to the buyer.”
— Sunan Abu Dawud 3459, Narrated by Uqbah ibn Amir (RA)
The default position in Islamic trade ethics is disclosure, not concealment. A seller who hides a defect to secure a higher price has committed a violation of trust. The buyer's right to full information is not optional — it is obligatory.
Trade & Business
Against Price-Fixing
“During the time of the Prophet ﷺ, the prices rose in Madinah. The people said: O Messenger of Allah, fix prices for us. He said: Indeed Allah is the One who fixes prices, who withholds and gives abundantly, and I hope to meet my Lord while none of you is seeking recompense from me for any wrong I have done in regard to blood or wealth.”
— Sunan al-Tirmidhi 1314, Narrated by Anas ibn Malik (RA)
The Prophet ﷺ refused to interfere with market prices even when asked by his companions. His reasoning was moral and theological: forced pricing is a form of injustice to either buyer or seller. The market's freedom is protected alongside the trader's honesty.
Trade & Business
The Cheater Is Not of Us
“The Prophet ﷺ passed by a pile of food in the market. He put his hand into it and felt moisture. He said: O owner of the food, what is this? The man said: Rain fell on it, O Messenger of Allah. He said: Why did you not put it on top of the food so people could see it? Whoever cheats us is not one of us.”
— Sahih Muslim 102, Narrated by Abu Hurayrah (RA)
He did not command the man to throw the food away or leave the market. He commanded transparency — put the wet food on top. The principle is not to avoid trade but to conduct it with complete honesty, even when concealment would go undetected.
Family Life
The Best of You to His Family
“The best of you is the best to his family, and I am the best of you to my family.”
— Sunan al-Tirmidhi 3895, Narrated by Aisha (RA)
He did not say the best Muslim is the one who prays the longest or fasts the most — he tied goodness directly to behavior in the home. The private life of a man with his family is his truest measure. The Prophet ﷺ then made himself the example.
Family Life
He Served His Own Household
“Aisha was asked: What did the Messenger of Allah ﷺ do in his house? She said: He was in the service of his family. When the time of prayer came, he would go out to pray.”
— Sahih Bukhari 676, Narrated by Aisha (RA)
He mended his own sandals. He sewed his own clothes. He milked his goat. The man who received revelation, led nations, and whose name would be uttered by a billion people chose to spend his time at home in service. This is not incidental — it is the model.
Family Life
Playing with His Grandchildren
“The Prophet ﷺ kissed his grandson Hasan ibn Ali while al-Aqra ibn Habis al-Tamimi was sitting with him. Al-Aqra said: I have ten children and I have never kissed any of them. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ looked at him and said: Whoever does not show mercy will not be shown mercy.”
— Sahih Bukhari 5884, Narrated by Abu Hurayrah (RA)
The Prophet's ﷺ response to a man boasting of coldness toward his children was not anger but a statement of divine law: tenderness is not weakness, it is a condition of receiving mercy. He kissed his grandchildren publicly, without apology.
Family Life
Treating Wives with Gentleness
“Treat women kindly. A woman is created from a rib, and the most curved part of the rib is its top. If you try to straighten it, you will break it, and if you leave it, it will remain bent. So treat women kindly.”
— Sahih Muslim 1468, Narrated by Abu Hurayrah (RA)
He acknowledged difference without using it as justification for harshness. The curved rib does not need to be broken into a straight line — it needs to be accepted and handled with care. This is a posture of wisdom, not patronization.
Social Life
He Greeted First
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to be the first to extend greetings to whoever he met.”
— Shamail al-Tirmidhi 235, Narrated by Anas ibn Malik (RA)
Greeting first is an act of generosity — it gives the other person the feeling of being seen and welcomed without requiring anything in return. The Prophet ﷺ, the most honored man in any room, was always first to say salam.
Social Life
Rights of the Neighbour
“Jibril kept urging me to treat neighbours well until I thought he would make them heirs.”
— Sahih Bukhari 6014, Narrated by Aisha (RA) and Ibn Umar (RA)
The repeated emphasis from Jibril — not once, but continuously — tells us how central neighbourly care is to the Islamic way of life. The Prophet ﷺ said elsewhere that the neighbour includes forty houses in every direction.
Social Life
Visiting the Sick
“Allah the Exalted will say on the Day of Judgment: O son of Adam, I fell ill and you did not visit Me. The person will say: O my Lord, how could I visit You when You are the Lord of the worlds? He will say: Did you not know that My servant so-and-so fell ill and you did not visit him? Did you not know that if you had visited him, you would have found Me with him?”
— Sahih Bukhari 5656, Narrated by Abu Hurayrah (RA)
This divine narration elevates visiting the sick from courtesy to a form of nearness to Allah. He is found, in some sense, at the bedside of the suffering. The one who visits the sick is not doing the sick person a favour — they are finding Allah.
Social Life
Feeding the Guest and the Hungry
“A man asked the Prophet ﷺ: Which Islam is best? He said: That you feed people and that you give the greeting of peace to those you know and those you do not know.”
— Sahih Bukhari 602, Narrated by Abdullah ibn Amr (RA)
When asked to define the best expression of Islam, he did not say the longest prayer or the hardest fast. He said feeding people and spreading peace — both of which are outward actions with direct effects on others. This is Islam as social generosity.
Spiritual Life
His Night Prayer Until His Feet Swelled
“The Prophet ﷺ used to stand in prayer at night until his feet would swell. I said: O Messenger of Allah, why do you do this when Allah has forgiven your past and future sins? He said: Should I not be a grateful servant?”
— Sahih Bukhari 1130, Narrated by Aisha (RA)
He did not pray to earn forgiveness — his forgiveness was already assured. He prayed as an expression of gratitude. This reframes the entire spiritual life: worship is not transaction but thanksgiving. How much more so for those of us who have not been given that assurance.
Spiritual Life
His Weeping in Prayer
“I came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ while he was praying, and his chest was making a sound like the sound of a boiling pot, due to weeping.”
— Sunan Abu Dawud 904, Narrated by Abdullah ibn al-Shikhkhir (RA)
The man who stood before Allah in prayer was moved to audible weeping — not as performance, but as the natural overflow of standing before the One who knows all things. His prayer was not mechanical recitation but encounter.
Spiritual Life
Morning Remembrance
“The Prophet ﷺ said: Say Surah al-Ikhlas and the two Mu'awwidhatayn (Surah al-Falaq and Surah al-Nas) three times every morning and evening — they will suffice you for everything.”
— Sunan Abu Dawud 5068, Narrated by Abdullah ibn Khubaib (RA)
Three short surahs, three times each — a practice that takes under two minutes. The Prophet ﷺ was consistent with small acts performed daily rather than large acts done occasionally. The structure of his spiritual life was built on sustainable regularity.
Spiritual Life
Dusting the Bed Before Sleep
“The Prophet ﷺ, when he came to his bed every night, would hold his hands together and blow into them, then recite Surah al-Ikhlas, Surah al-Falaq, and Surah al-Nas, then wipe his hands over whatever he could reach of his body, beginning with his head, face, and the front of his body. He did this three times.”
— Sahih Bukhari 6311, Narrated by Aisha (RA)
The last moments before sleep were spiritually intentional. He did not simply lie down — he prepared his body and his heart for the night with a ritual of remembrance and protection. The bed became a place of spiritual practice, not merely rest.
Private Life
The Miswak Before Sleep and Upon Waking
“We used to prepare the miswak and water for ablution for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Whenever Allah willed for him to wake up at night, he would use the miswak, perform ablution, and pray.”
— Sahih Bukhari 245, Narrated by Aisha (RA)
The first act upon waking — before conversation, before food — was purification of the mouth. This sequence (miswak → wudu → prayer) describes a morning that begins with the body's cleansing and the soul's orientation before anything else enters the day.
Private Life
Entering the Home with Salam
“The Prophet ﷺ said to me: O my son, when you enter your house, say the salam. It will be a blessing for you and for the people of your house.”
— Sunan al-Tirmidhi 2698, Narrated by Anas ibn Malik (RA)
The greeting of peace was not reserved for strangers on the street — it began at home, at the threshold. Entering with salam transforms the home from a private space into a place of divine remembrance, and sets the tone for every encounter inside.
Private Life
His Modesty in Private
“The Prophet ﷺ was more modest than a virgin behind her veil.”
— Sahih Bukhari 3562, Narrated by Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (RA)
His modesty was not an affectation in public — it was the character he carried at all times. The comparison to a veiled virgin is striking: she is modest in private, when no one sees, not performing modesty for an audience. So too was he.
Private Life
His Pattern of Sleep
“The Prophet ﷺ slept at the beginning of the night and rose in its latter portion to pray. Ibn Abbas said: I slept in the home of my aunt Maymunah. The Prophet ﷺ slept until midnight, or close to it. He woke up and began to wipe the sleep from his face with his hands, then recited the last ten verses of Surah Al Imran, then rose to a water skin hanging there and performed excellent ablution, then stood and prayed.”
— Sahih Bukhari 1132, Narrated by Ibn Abbas (RA)
Sleep early, wake in the latter night. This was not accidental scheduling but a deliberate spiritual architecture: the day's business ends, the first portion of night brings rest, and the final hours before dawn belong to private communion with Allah.