49/4. Chapter:
Jami at-Tirmidhi 3623 — Physical Description of the Prophet
What Has Been Related About The Prophet's (saws) Advent [of Prophethood] And How Old He Was When He Was Sent
Physical Description of Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم
Jami at-Tirmidhi : 3623
Jami at-TirmidhiHadith Number 3623
حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، عَنْ مَالِكِ بْنِ أَنَسٍ، وَحَدَّثَنَا الأَنْصَارِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا مَعْنٌ، حَدَّثَنَا مَالِكُ بْنُ أَنَسٍ، عَنْ رَبِيعَةَ بْنِ أَبِي عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ أَنَسَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ، يَقُولُ لَمْ يَكُنْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِالطَّوِيلِ الْبَائِنِ وَلاَ بِالْقَصِيرِ الْمُتَرَدِّدِ وَلاَ بِالأَبْيَضِ الأَمْهَقِ وَلاَ بِالآدَمِ وَلَيْسَ بِالْجَعْدِ الْقَطَطِ وَلاَ بِالسَّبِطِ بَعَثَهُ اللَّهُ عَلَى رَأْسِ أَرْبَعِينَ سَنَةً فَأَقَامَ بِمَكَّةَ عَشْرَ سِنِينَ وَبِالْمَدِينَةِ عَشْرَ سِنِينَ وَتَوَفَّاهُ اللَّهُ عَلَى رَأْسِ سِتِّينَ سَنَةً وَلَيْسَ فِي رَأْسِهِ وَلِحْيَتِهِ عِشْرُونَ شَعْرَةً بَيْضَاءَ . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ .
Anas bin Malik Narrated from:
The Messenger Of Allah (ﷺ) Was Not Very Tall Nor Was He [Very] Short, Nor Was He Pale White, Nor Was He Brown, Nor Was The Wave Of His Hair Completely Curly Nor Straight. Allah Sent Him At The Beginning Of His Forties And He Stayed In Makkah For Ten Years, And In Al-Madinah For Ten Years. And Allah Took Him At The Beginning Of His Sixties, And There Were Not More Than Twenty White Hairs On His Head Or In His Beard.
Reference : Jami` at-Tirmidhi 3623In-book reference : Book 49, Hadith 19English translation : Vol. 1, Book 46, Hadith 3623
Summary of Jami at-Tirmidhi Hadith 3623
This Hadith gives a respectful physical description of Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم from Anas bin Malik. It says he was neither very tall nor very short. His complexion was not pale white and not brown. His hair was not completely curly and not straight, but between those descriptions. The narration also mentions that Allah sent him at the beginning of his forties, that he stayed in Makkah for ten years and in Al-Madinah for ten years, and that Allah took him at the beginning of his sixties. It also says there were not more than twenty white hairs on his head or beard. This Hadith is often searched as a hadith about the appearance of Prophet Muhammad, because it gives simple, direct details without adding extra stories.
What we learn from this hadith
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم is described with balanced physical features.
- His hair is described as neither fully curly nor fully straight.
- The narration mentions his years in Makkah and Al-Madinah.
- The report notes that he had only a small number of white hairs.
