Shama'il Muhammadiyah

"The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) used to be invited to a meal of barley bread and rancid oil, and he would accept the invitation. He once had a breastplate which was being held in pledge by a certain Jew, and he (the Prophet) died before he could repay the debt so as to release it from the Jew's possession.”

“Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) performed the Pilgrimage on a shabby camel saddle, on which there was a velvet sheet worth less than four silver coins, so he said: ‘O Allah, make it a Pilgrimage devoid of hypocritical ostentation and no notoriety!'”

that there was no person dearer to them than Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace). He said: "Nevertheless, when they saw him they would refrain from standing, because they knew how he abhorred having people rise for him.”

“I asked my maternal uncle, Hind ibn Abi Hala, who was an expert describer, about the finery of Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace), and I asked him to describe something of it for me, so he said: ‘Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) was an honored dignitary, whose face shone with the radiance of the moon on the night of the full moon.’" Then he related the tradition in its full length. Al-Hasan said: “I concealed it from al-Husain for some time, then I related it to him, so I found that he had beaten me to it.” He therefore asked him about what he had asked him about, and he found that he had asked his father about his entrance and his exit and his outward appearance, so he did not leave anything out of it. Al-Husain said: “I asked my father about the entry of Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace), so he said: ‘When Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) betook himself to his residence, he divided his entry into three sections: a section for Allah’s sake, a section for his family’s sake, and a section for his own sake. Then he divided his section between himself and the people, so he was assigning that in particular to the common folk, and he was not keeping anything from them. His conduct in the section of the Community included preference for the people of excellent merit, with his permission, and its allotment according to the value of their excellent merit in the religion, for among them was the one burdened with one need, and among them was the one burdened with two needs, and among them was the one burdened with multiple needs. He would therefore preoccupy himself with them, and preoccupy them with what would benefit them and the Community, including questioning them about it and informing them of what would be appropriate for them. He would say: 'Let the one of you who is present inform the absentee, and notify me of the need of someone who is incapable of notification, for if someone notifies a Sultan of the need of someone who is incapable of its notification, Allah will establish his feet firmly on the Day of the Resurrection. Nothing but that will be mentioned in His presence, and it will not be accepted from anyone other than him. They will enter as seekers, and they will not separate except on the strength of an intuition, and they will emerge as guides (meaning to goodness).’” He said: “Then I asked him about his exit: ‘How was he used to behaving in it?’ He said: ‘Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) used to hold his tongue with regard to anything that did not concern him. He used to bring people together and not alienate them. He would honor the noble, generous man of every community, and put him in charge of them. He would caution people and be wary of them, without concealing his good humor and his natural disposition from anyone among them. He would watch out for his Companions, and he would ask people about their affairs. He would present the beautiful in a favorable light and strengthen it, and he would reveal the ugly for what it was and weaken it. He was equitable, not argumentative. He remained vigilant lest others be negligent or deviate from the right path. He had a means of dealing with every situation. He would neither fall short of the truth, nor overstep it. Those who followed him were the best of people. The most meritorious in his sight were those most receptive to sincere advice and most elevated in status those most generous in consolation and support.’” He said: “Then I asked him about his session, so he said: ‘Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) would neither stand up nor sit down without observing the remembrance of Allah. When he eventually joined a group of people, he would take whatever seat was available, and he instructed others to do the same. He would give each of his sitting companions his share of time and attention, and every one of them would feel equally honored. If someone sat with him, or conferred with him about a need, he would bear with him patiently, so that the person who had sought him out would be the first to leave. If someone asked him for something he needed, he would not send him away without what he had requested, or least some comforting words. His munificence and his good nature encompassed people such that he became a father to them, and they became truly equal in his presence. His session was a session of knowledge, forbearance, modesty, trust and patience. Voices were not raised there, there was no talk of women, and people’s lapses were not broadcast. They were on a par with one another, contending with each other only in piety, humbly revering the elderly and showing compassion for the young. They were solicitous to the needy, and took good care of the stranger.’”

“Allah’s Messenger said (Allah bless him and give him peace): 'If a sheep’s trotter were given to me, I would receive it, and if I were invited to eat it at someone’s home, I would accept the invitation!'”

“Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) came to me riding neither a mule nor a hackney.”

"Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) named me Yusuf, and he sat me on his lap and stroked my head.”

“Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) performed the Pilgrimage on a shabby camel saddle and a tassled blanket, the price of which we reckoned to be four silver coins, so when his riding camel stood up straight with him, he said: ‘Doubly at Your service, with a Pilgrimage in which there is no notoriety and no hypocritical ostentation!'”

“A tailor invited Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) and served him a dish of sopped bread, meat and broth, with some gourd on it. Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) used to love gourd.” Thabit said; “Then I heard Anas say: ‘From then on, any dish that could be made with gourd was made for me!'”

“'A'isha was asked: ‘What was Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) accustomed to doing in his home?’ She said: ‘He was a normal human being. He used to examine his clothes for lice, milk his sheep and serve himself.’”

"A group entered the presence of Zaid ibn Thabit and said to him: 'Relate to us the traditions of Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace).' He said: 'What shall I relate to you? I was his neighbor, so when the revelation descended upon him, he notified me and I recorded it in writing for him. When we talked about this world, he would talk about it with us, when we talked about the Hereafter, he would talk about it with us, and when we talked about food, he would talk about it with us, so I shall relate to you what Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) had to say about all of this.'” .

"Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) used to speak directly with the worst of people, thereby winning their hearts. He used to do the same with me, so that I thought I was the best of the people, so I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, am I better, or Abu Bakr?' He said: 'Abu Bakr,' so I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, am I better, or 'Umar?' He said: ‘Umar,' so I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, am I better, or 'Uthman?' He said: 'Uthman!' Whenever I asked Allah’s Messenger, he told me the truth, so I wished I had not asked him!’”

"I served Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) for ten years, and he never said “Uff!” to me. He never asked me about something I had done, saying: “Why did you do it?” nor about something I had left undone, saying: “Why did you leave it undone?” Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) was the finest of human beings in character. I never felt any silk, or anything at all. that was softer than the palm of the hand of Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace). I never smelled any musk, nor any perfume, more fragrant than the sweat of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace)!”

According to Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace), there was a man in his presence with a trace of saffron upon him. Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) could hardly face someone with something on him that he found disgusting, so when he left, he said to the people: 'If only you would tell him to get rid of this saffron!'"

“Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) was neither obscene, nor profligate, nor boisterous in the markets, and he would not repay a misdeed with a misdeed, but would pardon and forgive.”

"Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) never struck anything with his hand unless he was struggling in the cause of Allah , nor did he ever strike a servant or a woman.”

"I never saw Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) take revenge for an outrage committed against him as long as none of the sacred prohibitions of Allah were violated, but if there was any violation of the sacred prohibitions of Allah, he would be enraged. Whenever he was given a choice between two matters, he would choose the easier of the two, provided it was not conducive to sin.”

"A man sought permission to come in to see Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) while I was in his presence, so he said: 'What a disagreeable man he is!' Then he gave him permission to enter, and when he came in, he spoke to him gently. After he had left, I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, you said what you said, then you spoke to him gently!' He said: 'O 'A'isha, some of the worst people are those who have been granted gentle treatment for fear of their ill manners.'”

“Al-Husain said: ‘I asked my father how the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) comported himself among his table companions, so he said: 'Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) was always good-humored, easy-going, mild- mannered, neither rude nor coarse, nor boisterous, nor obscene, nor slanderous, nor avaricious. He would take no interest in what he did not desire, he would not leave anyone who pleaded with him hopeless or disappointed. There were three things he avoided: hypocrisy, excess, and what did not concern him. Similarly, he would not blame someone, find fault with him, or invade his privacy. He would only utter that for which he hoped to earn a reward. When he spoke, his table companions bowed in silence as if birds had alighted on their heads, and only when he fell silent would they speak. They would not contest one another’s right to speak in his presence, and when someone spoke in his presence, they listened to him until he finished. Their speech in his presence was the speech of the best of them. He would laugh about whatever they laughed about, and marvel at whatever they marveled at. He used to exercise patience with a stranger's rough manner of speaking or making inquiries, even if his Companions were keen to attract them, saying: ‘If you find someone seeking something he needs, you must help him!’ He would only accept praise in moderation, and he would not interrupt someone who was speaking, until he transgressed a limit, in which case he would interrupt him with a prohibition or by standing up.”

‘Never did Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) say “No” to anyone who requested something of him.!”