Ash-Shamā'il al-Muhammadiyya
The Shamā'il — compiled by Imam Abū ʿĪsā Muḥammad ibn ʿĪsā al-Tirmidhī (d. 279 AH / 892 CE) — is the book of what the Prophet ﷺ was like: how he looked, how he spoke, how he sat, ate, laughed, dressed and dealt with people. Where the books of law record what he taught, the Shamā'il records the man who taught it.
This page is a doorway into it, not a translation of it. Every narration below is quoted from Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī or Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim as this site holds them, with the number so you can check it.
What the Qur'ān says of him
“And indeed, you are of a great moral character.”
Sūrat al-Qalam 68:4Said of the Prophet ﷺ directly. The Shamāʿil is, in effect, the detail behind this verse.
“There has certainly been for you in the Messenger of Allah an excellent pattern.”
Sūrat al-Aḥzāb 33:21Why the details were recorded at all: a pattern can only be followed if it is known.
“So by mercy from Allah, you were lenient with them. And if you had been rude in speech and harsh in heart, they would have disbanded from about you.”
Sūrat Āl ʿImrān 3:159His gentleness is named as the reason people stayed.
“And We have not sent you except as a mercy to the worlds.”
Sūrat al-Anbiyāʿ 21:107The frame the whole collection sits inside.
His appearance
Al-Bara
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was the handsomest of all the people, and had the best appearance. He was neither very tall nor short
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 3549Anas
I have never touched silk or Dibaj (i.e. thick silk) softer than the palm of the Prophet (ﷺ) nor have I smelt a perfume nicer than the sweat of the Prophet
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 3561His bearing
'A'isha, the wife of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), reported: I never saw Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) laugh to such an extent that I could see his uvula-whereas he used to smile only-and when he saw dark clouds or wind, (the signs of fear) were depicted on his face. I said: Messenger of Allah, I find people being happy when they ace the dark cloud in the hope that it would bring rain, but I find that when you see that (the cloud) there is an anxiety on your face. He said: 'A'isha, I am afraid that there may be a calamity in it, for a people was afflicted with wind, when the people saw the calamity they said:" It is a cloud which would give us rain" (Qur'an. xlvi. 24).
Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1976Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri
The Prophet (ﷺ) was more shy than a virgin in her separate room. And if he saw a thing which he disliked, we would recognize that (feeling) in his face
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 6102His manner with people
Anas
I served the Prophet (ﷺ) for ten years, and he never said to me, "Uf" (a minor harsh word denoting impatience) and never blamed me by saying, "Why did you do so or why didn't you do so?
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 6038Masruq
We were sitting with `Abdullah bin `Amr who was narrating to us (Hadith): He said, "Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was neither a Fahish nor a Mutafahhish, and he used to say, 'The best among you are the best in character (having good manners)
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 6035`Aisha
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) never took revenge for his own self in any matter presented to him till Allah's limits were exceeded, in which case he would take revenge for Allah's sake
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 6853His generosity
Anas
The Prophet (ﷺ) was the best, the bravest and the most generous of all the people. Once when the people of Medina got frightened, the Prophet (ﷺ) rode a horse and went ahead of them and said, "We found this horse very fast
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 2820At home
Al-Aswad
I asked `Aisha what did the Prophet (ﷺ) use to do at home. She replied. "He used to keep himself busy serving his family and when it was time for the prayer, he would get up for prayer
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 6039'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported that there came a few desert Arabs to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and said: Do you kiss your children? He said: Yes. Thereupon they said: By Allah but we do not kiss our children. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: Then what can I do if Allah has deprived you of mercy? Ibn Numair said: (We has deprived) your heart of mercy.
Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 5871Take it with you
The same narrations as this page, set as a small A5 booklet — made to be printed, forwarded and read away from a screen.
- The four Qur'anic verses on his character
- His appearance, in the words of those who saw him
- His bearing, his manner with people, his generosity
- How he was at home
- Every narration cited by collection and number
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A 1080×1920 image made for phone screens — Stories, Status, Reels. It carries the heading and the link back here, so whoever you send it to can read the whole thing.
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