Thursday 4 January 2007

The Noble Features of Rasulullah SAW 107

Saiyidina Hasan bin Ali RA reported:

"I inquired from my maternal uncle (Fatimah RA stepbrother) - Hind bin Abi Haalah (RA) about the noble features of Rasulullah (SAW). He had often described the noble features of Rasulullah (SAW) in detail. I felt that I should hear from him personally, some of the noble features of Rasulullah (SAW), so that I could make his discription a proof and testimony for myself and also memorise them, and, if possible, try to emulate and adopt them."

(The age of Saiyidina Hasan RA at the time of Rasulullah SAW's death was seven years. In view of his age he did not have the opportunity to realise fully the features of Rasulullah SAW.)

His uncle (RA) described the noble features by saying:

"He had great qualities and attributes in him, others also held him in high esteem. His mubarak face shone like the full moon. He was slightly taller than a man of middle height, but shorter than a tall person. His mubarak head was moderately large. His mubarak hair was slightly twisted. If his hair became parted naturally in the middle he left it so, otherwise he did not habitually make an effort to part his hair in the middle."

A question may arise that Rasulullah SAW habitually parted his hair as stated in Ahadith. The Ulama say that this was in the early periods where Rasulullah SAW did not make an effort to do so. It was the principal of Rasulullah SAW to oppose the ways of the non-believers, nor agree to the ways of the Ahlul Kitab, so thus Rasulullah SAW did not part his hair in the middle. For this reason, according to some Ulama, the best translation will be that he only parted his hair in the middle if it could be easily done, and when this could not be done easily, and a comb etc. was needed to do it, then he did not part his hair in the middle.

"Occasionally he used to part his hair in the middle with a comb etc. When the hair of Rasulullah (SAW) was abundant, it used to pass over his ear lobes. Rasulullah (SAW) had a very luminous complexion (colour), and a wide forehead. He had dense and fine hair on his eye brows. Both eye brows were seperate and did not meet each other in the middle. There was a vein between them that used to expand when he became angry. His nose was prominent and had a nur and lustre on it. When one first looked at him, it seemed as if he had a large nose, but looking at it carefully showed that the lustre and beauty made it look large, otherwise in itself the nose was not large."

"His beard was full and dense. The pupil of his eye was black. His cheeks were full and full of flesh. The mouth of Rasulullah (SAW) was moderately wide. (He did not have a small mouth). His teeth were thin and bright. The front teeth had a slight space between them. There was a thin line of hair from the chest to the navel. His neck was beautiful and thin, like the neck of a statue shaved clean, the colour of which was clear, shining and beautiful like silver. All the parts of his body were of moderate size, and fully fleshed. His body was proportionately jointed. His chest and stomach were in line, but his chest was broad and wide. The space between his shoulders was wide. The bones of his joints were strong and large (denoting strength). When he removed his clothing, his body looked bright and had a lustre (or rather those parts of the body that were not covered by his clothing were also bright and shining, compared with those parts of the body that were covered by his clothing."

"Between the chest and navel there was a thin line of hair. Besides this line neither the chest nor the stomach had other hair on it. Both sides, the shoulders and the upper portion of the chest had hair. His forearm was long and palms were wide. The palms and both feet were fully fleshed. The fingers and toes were moderately long. The soles of his feet were a bit deep. His feet were smooth, because of their cleanliness and smoothness the water did not remain there but flowed away quickly. When he walked, he lifted his legs with vigour, leaned slightly forward and placed his feet softly on the ground. He walked at a quick pace and took rather a long step. He did not take small steps. When he walked it seemed as if he was descending to a lower place. When he looked at something he turned his whole body towards it. He always looked down. His sight was focused more to the ground than towards the sky."

A question may arise here that it is reported in Abu Dawud that Rasulullah SAW usually looked towards the sky. Both are reconciled thus: His habit was to look down towards the ground, but he also waited for the wahi (revelation), therefore while waiting he often looked towards the sky. Otherwise he usually looked down towards the ground.

"His modest habit was to look at something with a light eye, i.e. he looked at a thing, with modesty and bashfulness, hence he did not stare at anything. While walking he asked the Sahabah RA to walk in front, and he himself walked behind. He made salaam to whomsoever he met."

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