The Beautiful Face and the Kindest Heart

In the last chapter, we learned about the special gifts that Allah gave to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, gifts He gave to no one else. There are about fifty of these special gifts, and we talked about some of them. Today, we will learn something amazing: what the Prophet ﷺ actually looked like, and, even more important, what kind of person he was on the inside.

Remember, this is just a sweet little treat before the main feast! Very soon we will begin his life story from the very start. But first, let us meet him.

A Face Like the Sun and the Moon

Here is something precious to know. Whenever Allah sends a prophet, He makes him excellent both inside and out: their manners are perfect, their hearts are pure, and even their faces are radiant. Allah does this so that people have no reason to turn away from His messengers.

You may remember Prophet Yusuf (Joseph), peace be upon him. He was incredibly handsome, and he was given half of the beauty of all mankind! But some scholars say he actually had half of the beauty of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.

But here is the amazing part. When the companions, the people who lived with him and loved him, tried to describe how he looked, they found it very hard. His beauty was simply too much for words.

One lady named Rubayyi’ was asked, many years later, “What was the Prophet ﷺ like?” She thought for a moment, then said, “My dear son, if you had seen him, you would have thought the sun had risen!” That was the best she could do, for he was like the rising sun.

Another companion, Ka’b ibn Malik, said that when the Prophet ﷺ was happy, his face would shine like the full moon. So one person compared him to the sun, and another to the moon, the two brightest lights they knew.

There was also a noble man named ’Amr ibn al-’As, who became Muslim later in his life. He said, “There was nothing I loved more than to look at the face of the Prophet ﷺ.” But then he said something surprising: “And yet, if you asked me to describe him, I could not. Because I felt such deep respect for him that I could never stare at him long enough to remember every detail.” His love pulled him to look, and his respect made him lower his eyes. That is how special the Prophet ﷺ was.

How He Looked

Some of the best descriptions come from those who were young when they knew him, because they were not too shy to look closely. Scholars later gathered all these descriptions of the Prophet ﷺ into special books, and the most famous of them is the Shama’il, written by Imam al-Tirmidhi.

A boy named Anas ibn Malik served the Prophet ﷺ for ten whole years, starting when he was only seven. Anas told us many things about him:

• He was of medium height, not so tall that he stood above everyone, and not so short that he would be missed in a crowd.
• His skin was a light, healthy brown.
• His hair was not tightly curly and not perfectly straight, but somewhere in between, and thick and full, reaching down to his earlobes.
• His beard was very bushy.
• His hands were softer than any silk or velvet Anas had ever touched.
• And Anas said he never smelled any perfume sweeter than the natural scent of the Prophet ﷺ.

His smell was so pleasant that one companion, Umm Salama, would collect his sweat in a small bottle to use as the finest perfume!

Another companion, al-Bara’ ibn ’Azib, remembered seeing the Prophet ﷺ one evening dressed in a red cloak, and he said he had never in his whole life seen anyone more beautiful than the Prophet ﷺ looked that night.

His cousin ’Ali ibn Abi Talib, who grew up in his home, added even more. He said the Prophet’s face was slightly oval, not too round. His eyes were large and deep black, with long lashes. His shoulders were broad and strong. He did not have hair all over his body, but he did have a fine line of hair extending from the chest to the navel. When he walked, he walked quickly and with purpose, as if he were stepping lightly down a soft hill. And when someone called him, he did not just turn his head. He turned his whole body to face them, giving them his full attention. (Even today, teachers of good manners tell us to do exactly this. The Prophet ﷺ was doing it fourteen hundred years ago!)

The Special Sign on His Back

Between his shoulders, the Prophet ﷺ had a special mark called the Seal of Prophethood. It was a small, raised sign with a little patch of hair of a different colour. It was one of the signs, foretold in the older scriptures, that showed he was truly the promised prophet.

There was a man named Salman al-Farsi who had travelled far and searched for a long time to find the true prophet. His christian teacher had told him one of the signs would be a special mark between the prophet’s shoulders. When Salman finally met the Prophet ﷺ, the Prophet quietly lowered his shirt from his shoulder, without a word, so that Salman could see the sign. The moment Salman saw it, he knew, and he became Muslim. We will hear his whole story later in our journey.

A Face You Could Trust

The Prophet ﷺ had a face that made people feel his honesty. When people who did not yet believe suddenly saw him, they would stop in awe. And once they got to know him, they could not help but love him.

One night, under a bright full moon, a companion named Jabir ibn Samura was walking home. Along the way he passed the Prophet ﷺ, who was wearing a fine red cloak. The sky above was glowing, the moon full and clear, but Jabir stopped where he stood. He looked up at the shining moon, then turned to look at the face of the Prophet ﷺ, and he kept glancing from one to the other. At last he said, “By Allah, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was more beautiful to my eyes than the full moon itself.”

And it was not only his companions who felt this. Even strangers seemed to know at once who he was. On the very first day the Prophet ﷺ arrived in the city of Madinah, the chief rabbi of the Jews there, a learned man named Abdullah ibn Salam, went to see what all the excitement was about. He was not planning to become Muslim. He only wanted to look. But the moment he saw the Prophet’s face, he said to himself, “This is not the face of a person who tells lies.” After just one conversation, he believed. That is how much truth shone from the Prophet ﷺ.

A Simple, Humble Life

The Prophet ﷺ was the leader of many people, yet he lived very simply. He did not want fancy things.

One day his friend ’Umar came to visit him and found him lying on a rough mat made of palm branches. The mat had left marks on the Prophet’s side. ’Umar looked around the little room (there was only a jug of water and this simple bed) and he began to cry. “O Messenger of Allah,” he said, “the kings of Rome and Persia sleep on soft, golden beds, and you, who are far greater than them, live like this?” But the Prophet ﷺ kindly taught him: “Are you not happy that they have this world, and we will have the next?”

Sometimes weeks would pass and no cooking fire was lit in his home, because there was nothing to cook. For long stretches, his family lived on just dates and water. He never once ate fine bread until he was completely full, not even a single day of his life. Later, when the companions became richer and were served meat and bread, some of them would cry, remembering how little the Prophet ﷺ had, even though he was the best of all people.

There is a delightful story about a hot afternoon when the Prophet ﷺ was sitting outside in the heat. His friends Abu Bakr and ’Umar were there too. Why were they all outside at such an hour? Because none of them had food at home, and it is hard to sit hungry indoors. Then a kind companion named Abul-Haytham ibn al-Tayhan found them, took them to his house, prepared a meal of meat and bread, and fed them. Afterwards the Prophet ﷺ reminded them calmly that, as Allah says in Surah at-Takathur, on the Day of Judgement we will all be asked about the good blessings we enjoyed, like cool water, tasty food, and a full stomach, so we should always be thankful.

The Kindest Manners

Little Anas, who served him for ten years, said something incredible: in all those years, the Prophet ﷺ never once scolded him. He never even said “uff,” the tiniest word people say when they feel annoyed. He never asked, “Why did you do that?” or “Why didn’t you do this?” Not once, in ten years.

Anas told a sweet story about himself. One day the Prophet ﷺ sent him on a chore. But on the way, Anas saw some children playing, and, being a child himself, he joined them and forgot all about the chore! After a while he felt a soft hand on the back of his neck. He turned around, and there was the Prophet ﷺ, smiling at him. He was not angry at all. That was his kindness.

The Prophet ﷺ was also humble in the way he treated others as equals. At the Battle of Badr, there were not enough camels, so three men had to share each one and take turns riding and walking. The Prophet ﷺ shared a camel with two young companions, ’Ali and Abu Lubaba. When it was his turn to walk, the two young men said, “O Messenger of Allah, you ride, and we will walk for you.” But he smiled and said, “You are not stronger than me, and I need the reward of walking just as much as you do.” So he walked his turn, just like everyone else.

He stayed calm even when people were rude to him. Once, some people came to him and, instead of saying “As-salamu alaykum” (“Peace be upon you”), they cleverly twisted it into “As-samu alaykum,” which means “death be upon you.” The Prophet ﷺ simply replied, “And upon you.” His wife ’Aisha had heard the nasty trick and answered them back sharply. But afterwards the Prophet ﷺ said to her, “Be gentle, ’Aisha. Whenever kindness is added to something, it makes it lovely; and whenever harshness is added, it makes it ugly.” He never lowered himself to be unkind.

Brave and Generous

The Prophet ﷺ was also very brave. One night, the people of Madinah heard a loud, frightening noise in the dark. They came out slowly and nervously, wondering what it was. But they found that the Prophet ﷺ had already ridden out toward the sound, all alone, on Abu Talha’s horse, without even a saddle, with his sword ready. He came back and calmed everyone: “Do not be afraid. I checked. There is nothing to fear.” He went first, so that others would feel safe.

And he was so generous that he almost never said “no” to anyone who asked him for something. Once he put on a glorious new cloak that had been given to him as a gift. A companion admired it and asked if he could have it. Right away, the Prophet ﷺ went inside, took it off, and gave it to him. (The companion later explained he had asked for a special reason: he wanted to be buried in something the Prophet ﷺ had worn.)

A Gentle Sense of Humour

The Prophet ﷺ also had a fine sense of humour. He liked to make people smile, but his jokes were always kind, clean, and true. He never told a lie, even in a joke.

Once an old woman came to him and asked him to pray that she would enter Paradise. The Prophet ﷺ looked at her and said, “Old ladies will not enter Paradise!” The poor woman began to cry. Then he smiled and comforted her, explaining what he really meant: no one enters Paradise as an old person, because Allah will make everyone young and full of life again. So she would enter Paradise as a happy young woman. What sounded like bad news was really the best news!

Another time, the Prophet ﷺ saw a companion named Zahir selling things in the market. He crept up quietly behind him and gave him a friendly hug from behind, calling out playfully, “Who will buy this servant from me?” Zahir laughed and said, “O Messenger of Allah, you will find I am not worth much!” But the Prophet ﷺ said kindly, “But to Allah, you are worth a great deal.” Even his jokes carried love and truth.

How Much He Loved His People

Now we come to the most touching part of all. The Prophet ﷺ loved his ummah, all of his followers, right up to you and me, with an enormous love.

Allah describes him in the Qur’an, in Surah at-Tawbah, with two very special words that usually describe Allah Himself: ra’uf (full of tender care) and rahim (full of mercy). The Prophet ﷺ cared for his people the way a loving parent cares for a child. When his people suffered, it hurt him. He always wanted good for them.

One day the Prophet ﷺ was reading the Qur’an and reached the prayer of Ibrahim for those who would follow him, and the prayer of Isa for his people. His heart filled up, and he raised his hands and began to cry, saying, “O Allah, my ummah! My ummah!” He was crying out of worry and love for us. Allah, who already knew why he was crying, sent the angel Jibril with a comforting message: “O Muhammad, We will please you concerning your ummah, and We will never make you sad.”

And here is the most touching sacrifice of all. Allah gave every prophet one special prayer that is always answered, one guaranteed wish. Every prophet before him used up that special prayer during their life. Nuh used his against his people who did not believe. Ibrahim used his to ask for a great messenger to be sent, and that prayer was answered by sending Prophet Muhammad ﷺ himself, which is why he said, “I am the answer to the prayer of my father Ibrahim.” Musa used his against the cruel Pharaoh. And Sulayman used his to ask for a kingdom like no other, so Allah gave him power over the wind and the jinn, and let him speak with the birds and the ants.

Do you know what did Prophet Muhammad ﷺ do with his prayer? He told us, “Every prophet was given a prayer that is always answered, and every one has used it, except me. I have saved mine for my ummah, for the Day of Judgement.” And on that day, he will lift his hands and beg, “O Allah, forgive my entire ummah.”

He gave up his one guaranteed wish for us. There is no greater gift a person could give than that.

Being With the One We Love

Once, a man asked the Prophet ﷺ, “When is the Day of Judgement?” Instead of answering, the Prophet ﷺ kindly asked him back, “And what have you prepared for it?” The man thought, and then said, “I do not have many good deeds… but I truly love Allah and His Messenger.” The Prophet ﷺ smiled and told him the words that made the companions happier than they had ever been: “You will be with the ones you love.”

Is that not beautiful? If we love the Prophet ﷺ, we can be with him. And Allah says in the Qur’an: “Say, if you truly love Allah, then follow me, and Allah will love you and forgive your sins.”

So let us love this kind, tender, radiant, brave, and generous Prophet ﷺ. Let us learn from him and follow his example. Now that we have met him and seen his warm face and his golden heart, we are ready. In the next chapter, our real story begins, with the world he was born into, long, long ago.