The Prophet’s Appearance i
Muhammad (PBUH) was of a height a little above the average. He was of sturdy build with long muscular limbs and tapering fingers. The hair of his head was long and thick with some waves in them. His forehead was large and prominent, his eyelashes were long and thick, his nose was sloping, his mouth was somewhat large and his teeth were well set. His cheeks were spare and he had a pleasant smile. His eyes were large and black with a touch of brown. His beard was thick and at the time of his death, he had seventeen gray hairs in it. He had a thin line of fine hair over his neck and chest. He was fair of complexion and altogether was so handsome that – Abu Bakr – composed this couplet on him:a
a“as there is no darkness in the moonlit night so is Mustafa, the well-wisher, bright.”a
His gait was firm and he walked so fast that others found it difficult to keep pace with him. His face was genial but at times, when he was deep in thought, there were long periods of silence, yet he always kept himself busy with something. He did not speak unnecessarily and what he said was always to the point and without any padding. At times he would make his meaning clear by slowly repeating what he had said. His laugh was mostly a smile. He kept his feelings under firm control – when annoyed, he would turn aside or keep silent, when pleased he would lower his eyes (Shamail Tirmizi).a
The Prophet’s (PBUH) nobility was visible through his eyes and that his chest reflected his bravery and awe. His face always remained radiant like the bright moon of the fourteenth night of the lunar month. The height above the waist was more, which made him appear tall.a
He had a big head and his hair was neither curly nor straight. The hair did not extend beyond the lower tip of his ears. When it grew longer, the Holy Prophet (PBUH) used to comb it from the middle and divide it on both the sides. His holy face was fair and radiant, forehead broad and eyebrows thin and extended like bows and not joined with one another. According to some narrations, they were joined. There was a nerve in the middle of the forehead, which swelled up at the time of anger.a
His nose was protracted and slender upraised in the middle wherefrom sprouted radiance. His holy beard was dense with hair well leveled – not spread here and there. The holy mouth was not very small. Teeth were very white, glittering and spacious. Very soft hair grew from chest to the navel. His neck was clean, shinning like silver and slender like an oriental jug. All the parts of his holy physique were quite appropriate and strong. His chest and belly were in a level.a
There was ample space between his two shoulders and all his joints were strong, a sign of courage and bravery, which was very popular in Arabia. His holy body was white and radiant. A tiny line of black shining hair between his chest and navel shone like silver because of cleanliness. There was no hair on his nipples and belly. There was hair on his shoulders and hands. His wrists were wide and palms broad and his hands and legs were strong; signs of male potency and strength.a
His fingers were long and arms and shins, clean and broad. The lower soles of his feet were long and his arms and shins, clean and broad. The lower soles of his feet were not leveled but hollow in the middle and did not touch the ground. The back of his feet was so soft and clean that if a drop of water fell on it, it did not remain but slipped down.a
While walking, he did not drag his feet on the ground but advanced lifting his feet. He used to lower his head as if descending from a height. He never tilted his head like arrogant persons. He walked with long steps and with soberness. While talking with others, he never looked at others sideways like proud and affluent persons but always faced them directly. He mostly kept his eyes downcast, more towards earth, not the sky.a
While looking he did not open his eyes fully but looked from corners. He greeted first whomsoever he met. He always remained in thought and never blank in mind and without engagement. He did not use to talk unnecessarily. While speaking, he never opened his mouth wide and yet his talk was always clear and understandable. His talk was comprehensive with few words and wide meaning clarifying the truth. Though not lengthy, his talk fully expressed the aim. His temperament was very soft without any harshness and adamancy.a
His dress generally consisted of a shirt, tamad (trousers), a piece of plain rectangular cloth wrapped around the shoulders and a turban. On rare occasions, he would put on costly robes presented to him by foreign emissaries in the later part of his life (Ahmed, musnad, hafiz bin qaiyyam). His blanket had several patches (Tirmizi). He had very few spare clothes, but he kept them spotlessy clean (Bukhari).a
“peace be upon him1“