- Allah Almighty endowed His chosen Messenger, beloved Prophet ﷺ with sublime and noble traits, whether in his moral conduct, manifesting in his upright behavior, or his physical attributes, evident in his noble body and pure limbs. In this article, we highlight some of the Prophet’s physical characteristics as authentically narrated by those who saw and accompanied him.
The Physical Attributes of the Prophet ﷺ:
1. Height
The Prophet ﷺ was of moderate height, neither tall nor short. Al-Bara’ ibn Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
“The Prophet ﷺ was of medium stature, broad between the shoulders, with hair that reached the lobes of his ears. I saw him wearing a red garment, and I have never seen anything more beautiful than him.” (Narrated by Bukhari).
2. Complexion and Fragrance
The Prophet ﷺ was fair-skinned with a glowing complexion, and his hands were soft with a natural pleasant fragrance. Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was radiant in complexion. His sweat was like pearls, and when he walked, he walked with a forward lean. I have never touched silk or brocade softer than the palm of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, nor have I smelled musk or amber more fragrant than his scent.” (Narrated by Muslim).
- Radiant complexion (أزهر اللون): A luminous and attractive white skin tone.
- Sweat like pearls (كأن عرقه اللؤلؤ): Clear and white like pearls.
- graceful walk (إذا مشى تكفَّأ): Walked with a forward lean.
3. Sweat as Perfume
The sweat of the Prophet ﷺ was the finest of perfumes. Anas ibn Malik reported:
“The Prophet ﷺ stayed with us and slept in our home. He began to sweat, and my mother brought a bottle and collected his sweat in it. When the Prophet ﷺ woke, he asked, ‘What are you doing, O Umm Sulaym?’ She replied, ‘This is your sweat; we add it to our perfume because it is the best of scents.’” (Narrated by Muslim).
- Collected sweat (تسلت العرق): She gently wiped it off.
4. Pure and Fragrant Saliva
The saliva of the Prophet ﷺ was blessed and pure. Wa’il ibn Hujr (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
“A bucket of water was brought to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. He drank from it, then spit back into the well. The water then emitted a fragrance like musk.” (Narrated by Ahmad and graded as sound by Al-Arna’ut).
- Spat (مَجَّ): Ejected water lightly from his mouth.
5. Radiant Face
The Prophet ﷺ’s face was beautiful and radiant, especially when he was pleased. Ka‘b ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
“When I greeted the Messenger of Allah ﷺ after the Battle of Tabuk, his face was beaming with joy, as if it were a piece of the moon. When the Prophet ﷺ was happy, his face would shine like the moon, and we could tell by his expression.” (Narrated by Bukhari).
6. Round and Bright Face
The Prophet ﷺ’s face was round like the moon or the sun, and he had a thick beard. Al-Bara’ was asked:
“Was the face of the Prophet ﷺ like a sword?” He replied, “No, it was like the moon.” (Narrated by Bukhari).
Jabir ibn Samurah (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ had some gray hairs on the front of his head and beard. If he applied oil, they would not be visible, but when his hair was unkempt, they could be seen. He had a thick beard and a face like the sun and the moon, round in shape. Between his shoulders was the Seal of Prophethood, resembling a pigeon’s egg.” (Narrated by Muslim).
7. Hand Size and Hair
The Prophet ﷺ had large, strong hands, and his hair was beautifully wavy. Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
“The Prophet ﷺ had large hands, and I have never seen anyone like him. His hair was neither curly nor straight but in between.” (Narrated by Bukhari).
The Seal of Prophethood:
The Seal of Prophethood was a piece of raised flesh on his left shoulder, resembling the size of a pigeon’s egg. It was a distinguishing mark mentioned in earlier scriptures, as evidenced by the stories of the monk Bahira and Salman Al-Farisi’s conversion to Islam.
1. When Did the Seal Appear?
Scholars differ on when the Seal of Prophethood appeared. Authentic narrations suggest it was not present at birth but formed later, likely after the incident of his chest being cleansed when he was a little .
2. Hadiths Describing the Seal
- Sahih Bukhari and Muslim:
Al-Sa’ib ibn Yazid (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
“My aunt took me to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, my nephew is unwell.’ The Prophet ﷺ passed his hand over my head and prayed for blessings for me. Then he performed ablution, and I drank from the water of his ablution. I stood behind him and saw the Seal of Prophethood between his shoulders. It was like a pigeon’s egg.”
- Sahih Muslim:
Jabir ibn Samurah narrated:
“I saw the Seal on the back of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. It was like a pigeon’s egg.”
- Sunan Tirmidhi (authenticated by Al-Albani):
Abu Sa‘id Al-Khudri described the Seal as:
“A piece of raised flesh from his back.”
Musnad Ahmad:
Abu Zayd said:
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to me, ‘Come closer.’ I approached him, and he said, ‘Place your hand on my back.’ I did so, and my fingers touched the Seal of Prophethood. It was a small cluster of hairs between his shoulders.”
