None of us alive today has seen the Prophet ﷺ. Yet we can know how he looked, how he walked into a room, how he laughed, what he wore and how he spoke to a child, because the people who saw him described it with great care. That record is called the shamail: his features, qualities and habits. The best-known book on it is ash-Shama'il al-Muhammadiyyah by Imam at-Tirmidhi, and Sahih al-Bukhari also has whole chapters on his description. This article walks through what the Companions saw, with references, so that knowing him leads to loving him, and loving him leads to following him.
What does shamail mean and what is at-Tirmidhi's book?
The word shama'il is the plural of shimal, a person's nature or disposition. Scholars use it for everything that describes the Prophet ﷺ as a person: his body and face (khalq), his manners and character (khuluq), and his daily habits in eating, dressing, sleeping and worship. It is different from the seerah, which tells the story of his life in order of events. The seerah answers "what happened?"; the shamail answers "what was he like?"
The classic book is by Imam Abu 'Isa Muhammad ibn 'Isa at-Tirmidhi (d. 279 AH), the compiler of the Jami', one of the six famous books of hadith. He gathered about four hundred narrations into some fifty-six short chapters, each with a plain heading: his physical description, the seal of prophethood, his hair, his clothing, his ring, his sandals, his food and drink, his speech, his laughter, his worship, his humility, his character, his age and his death. Scholars have treasured it for over a thousand years because it is short, organised and full of direct eyewitness reports.
It has been explained many times. Among the best-known commentaries are Jam' al-Wasa'il by Mulla 'Ali al-Qari, a Hanafi scholar of Makkah, and al-Mawahib al-Laduniyyah by Shaykh Ibrahim al-Bayjuri. In the Urdu-speaking world the most loved is Khasa'il Nabawi by Shaykh Zakariyya Kandhlawi, a clear translation and explanation that many madrasas still teach. If you want to understand where at-Tirmidhi sits among the hadith collections, see our guide to the six books of hadith.
One honest note: not every narration in the shamail books has the same strength. The long, beautiful description narrated from Hind ibn Abi Halah, for example, has a weak chain, though scholars accepted it as a description because its details agree with stronger reports. In this article we rely on narrations from Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim wherever we can.
What did the Prophet look like in face and form?
The Companion al-Bara' ibn 'Azib, who saw him many times, summed him up in one line:
His height was balanced. He was not so tall that he towered over people, nor short, yet several Companions noted that in a gathering he seemed to stand above others. Al-Bara' also described his broad shoulders, his hair, and the red garment he once saw him in:
His face is described again and again by comparison with the moon. Al-Bara' was asked whether the Prophet's face was like a sword, meaning long and gleaming, and he said no, it was like the moon (Sahih al-Bukhari 3552). Ka'b ibn Malik said that when he was happy his face would shine as if it were a piece of the moon (Sahih al-Bukhari 3556). Jabir ibn Samurah said he once looked at the Prophet ﷺ on a moonlit night, wearing a red garment, then at the moon, and to him the Prophet was more beautiful than the moon (Jami' at-Tirmidhi).
His complexion was neither stark white nor dark, but a fair, healthy colour. Anas, who lived in his household, also remembered the feel of his hands and his scent:
Several narrations add that people would seek out his sweat for its fragrance, and that a person could tell he had passed through a street from the scent that lingered. This was not perfume alone; it was a gift Allah gave him.
What were the Prophet's hair and seal of prophethood like?
His hair was neither tightly curled nor completely straight, but gently wavy. Its length changed over time: reports describe it reaching his ear-lobes, between the ear-lobes and the shoulders, or near the shoulders, which scholars explain as different stages between trims. He usually parted it in the middle and took care of it, combing and oiling it.
He did not live to old age by the standards of his people. He died at sixty-three, and Anas reported that there were not even twenty white hairs in his head and beard (Sahih al-Bukhari). Other Companions said the few white hairs were mostly at the parting and on the lower lip. When Abu Bakr remarked that he had begun to turn grey, the Prophet ﷺ replied that Surah Hud and similar surahs had made him grey, a narration in Jami' at-Tirmidhi that scholars discuss for its chain; its meaning, that the serious themes of the Qur'an weighed on him, is widely quoted.
Between his shoulders was the seal of prophethood (khatam an-nubuwwah), a raised mark described in earlier scriptures as a sign of the final prophet. As-Sa'ib ibn Yazid, taken to the Prophet as a boy, saw it and compared it to the button of a canopy (Sahih al-Bukhari 190). Jabir ibn Samurah described it as about the size of a pigeon's egg and similar in colour to his body (Sahih Muslim). Salman al-Farsi, who had been told by Christian scholars to look for this sign, accepted Islam when he saw it.
What did the Prophet wear, and what were his ring and sandals like?
His clothing was simple and clean. He wore the waist-wrap (izar) with an upper sheet (rida), and sometimes a cloak or a Yemeni striped garment. Umm Salamah said that the garment he loved most was the qamis, the long shirt (Sunan Abi Dawud and Jami' at-Tirmidhi), because it covers well and is easy to wear. He liked white clothing and told his Companions to wear white and shroud their dead in it. He wore a turban, and he kept his lower garment above the ankles.
He did not seek luxury, but he did not reject good clothing when it came his way. His rule was modesty, cleanliness and avoiding pride. Men were forbidden silk and gold, a ruling the Hanafi school and all the schools follow.
- His ring. He had a silver ring engraved with three lines: "Muhammad", "Messenger", "Allah". He used it to seal his letters to kings, after being told that rulers would not accept an unsealed letter (Sahih al-Bukhari). In the Hanafi school a man may wear a silver ring, and scholars say its silver should be less than one mithqal in weight.
- His sandals. Anas described them as having two straps (Sahih al-Bukhari). He taught that one should put on the right sandal first and take off the left first.
- His kohl and grooming. He used kohl, trimmed the moustache, let the beard grow, loved the miswak and used it often, especially on waking and before prayer.
How did the Prophet speak and walk?
He did not speak quickly or in a rush of words. 'A'ishah said he spoke so clearly that if someone wanted to count his words, they could have done so (Sahih al-Bukhari). He chose few words that carried full meaning, a gift he called jawami' al-kalim. Anas reported that when he said something important he would repeat it three times so that it was understood, and when he greeted a group he would greet them three times (Sahih al-Bukhari 95).
He was silent for long periods and did not speak without need. When he did speak, he faced the person fully, giving them his whole attention, so that each Companion felt he was the most important person to him. He never interrupted unless someone spoke falsely.
His walk was purposeful. 'Ali described him in at-Tirmidhi's Shama'il as walking with a slight forward lean, as though coming down a slope, lifting his feet firmly rather than dragging them. Abu Hurayrah said he had never seen anyone walk faster: the earth seemed to fold up for him, while the Companions tired themselves trying to keep up. It was the walk of a man going somewhere with a reason, never a swagger.
What was the Prophet's character like with people?
His outward beauty matched an inner beauty that even his enemies could not deny. Allah says of him: "And indeed, you are of a great character" (Surah Al-Qalam, 68:4). His Companions noticed first of all his modesty:
Abu Sa'id added in the same report that when he disliked something, they could see it in his face. He did not humiliate people in public; if someone did wrong he would often say, "What is the matter with people who do such and such?" without naming them. His speech was always clean:
He was cheerful without being careless. Jarir ibn 'Abdullah said that from the time he accepted Islam, the Prophet ﷺ never saw him without smiling at him (Sahih al-Bukhari). Yet his laughter was gentle and controlled:
His gentleness with the weak was famous. Anas ibn Malik served him from boyhood for ten years and said that in all that time the Prophet never once said "uff" to him, never asked "Why did you do that?" about something he had done, nor "Why did you not do that?" about something he had left (Sahih al-Bukhari 6038). 'A'ishah said he never struck anyone with his hand, not a woman and not a servant, except when fighting in the path of Allah (Sahih Muslim 2328).
With children he was tender. He greeted children he passed in the street. He kissed his grandson al-Hasan, and when al-Aqra' ibn Habis said he had ten children and had never kissed any of them, the Prophet ﷺ replied, "Whoever does not show mercy will not be shown mercy" (Sahih al-Bukhari 5997). He shortened his prayer when he heard a baby crying, out of concern for its mother.
What was the Prophet like at home and at meals?
A man's true character shows most at home, where no one is watching to praise him. 'A'ishah was asked exactly this question:
Other reports from her explain what that service looked like: he mended his own clothes, repaired his sandals, milked his goat and did what any man of the house does. He joked kindly with his wives, raced 'A'ishah on a journey, and listened to their concerns. You can read more about his household in our page on the wives of the Prophet.
His meals were simple and often scarce. 'A'ishah said that a month or more could pass without a cooking fire being lit in their homes, and that they lived on dates and water. He never criticised food: if he liked it he ate it, and if not he left it without comment (Sahih al-Bukhari 3563). He ate with his right hand, began with Bismillah, ate from what was nearest him, ate with three fingers and licked them clean afterwards, and praised Allah at the end. He sat humbly to eat, often on the ground, and said:
Scholars explain this as avoiding the posture of the proud and of those who eat greedily. He drank in sips, usually sitting, and breathed outside the vessel rather than into it.
How did the Prophet sleep and worship at night?
He slept on a simple bed. 'A'ishah said his mattress was leather stuffed with palm fibre, and 'Umar once wept to see the marks of a woven mat pressed into his side. Before sleeping he performed wudu, lay on his right side with his right hand under his cheek, and said, "In Your name, O Allah, I die and I live." When he woke he said, "All praise is for Allah who gave us life after He caused us to die, and to Him is the return" (Sahih al-Bukhari). He would also blow into his cupped hands after reciting the last three surahs and wipe them over his body, a practice explained in our guide to the three Quls for protection.
He usually slept early after 'Isha and rose in the last part of the night for prayer. He stood so long in that prayer that his feet became swollen. When 'A'ishah asked why he did this when Allah had forgiven him, he answered, "Should I not be a grateful servant?" (Sahih al-Bukhari). His recitation at night was slow and measured, letter by letter, as Allah commanded in Surah Al-Muzzammil (73:4). He loved fasting Mondays and Thursdays, and he never left the two sunnah rak'ahs before Fajr, at home or travelling.
The same man, day and night
The Prophet ﷺ who stood half the night in prayer was the same man who mended his sandals, joked with his family and stopped to greet children. The shamail show that worship and good character were never two separate things in his life.
How can we live by the shamail of the Prophet today?
Allah says: "Say: if you love Allah, then follow me, and Allah will love you" (Surah Aal Imran, 3:31). Reading the shamail is not meant to stay as information. It is meant to grow love, and love that is true shows itself in following. Here are simple ways to begin.
- Read a little every week. Take one chapter of at-Tirmidhi's Shama'il or Khasa'il Nabawi each Friday, read it with your family, and pick one habit to practise that week.
- Start with the small sunnahs. Bismillah and the right hand at meals, the right side at sleep, the miswak, the right sandal first. These cost nothing and fill the day with his example.
- Copy his manners, not only his dress. Smile at people, give full attention when spoken to, never use foul words, and help at home.
- Be gentle with those under you. Children, workers and anyone who serves you deserve the patience Anas received for ten years.
- Send salawat often. Love for him grows each time we send blessings upon him, especially on Fridays.
He told us that whoever sees him in a dream has truly seen him, because Shaytan cannot take his form (Sahih al-Bukhari). Scholars add that the description in the shamail is how one knows the dream matched him. More importantly, he promised that a person will be with those they love. Learning how he looked and lived is one of the surest ways to love him.
For his life story in order, read our article on the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, the best of mankind. And for a family-friendly weekly reading plan, download the free Seerah printable series from our Library.
Sources
- The Qur'an, Surah Al-Qalam (68), verse 4; Surah Aal Imran (3), verse 31; Surah Al-Muzzammil (73), verse 4.
- Sahih al-Bukhari, hadith 3549, 3552 and 3556: al-Bara' and Ka'b ibn Malik on his face and form.
- Sahih al-Bukhari, hadith 190: as-Sa'ib ibn Yazid on the seal of prophethood.
- Sahih al-Bukhari, hadith 6038: Anas served him ten years and was never told "uff".
- Sahih al-Bukhari, hadith 5997: "Whoever does not show mercy will not be shown mercy."
- Imam at-Tirmidhi, ash-Shama'il al-Muhammadiyyah; Shaykh Zakariyya Kandhlawi, Khasa'il Nabawi.