Hasan bin Ali (Radiallahu anhu) reported:
"I inquired from my maternal uncle (Sayyiditina Fatimah Radiallahu anha's step
brother) Hind bin Abi Haalah (Radiallahu anhu) about the noble features of the
Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam). He had often described the noble
features of Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) in detail. I felt that I
should hear from him personally, some of the noble features of Raulullah (Sallallahu
alalihe wasallam), so that I could make his description a proof and testimony
for myself and also memorize them, and, if possible, try to emulate and adopt
them. (The age of Sayyidna Hasan (Radiallahu anhu) at the time of Rasulullah (Sallallahu
alaihe wasallam)'s death was seven years. In view of his age he did not have the
opportunity to realize fully the features of Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihe
wasallam). The uncle 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. (This is a more respected translation).
A question may arise that Sayyidina Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam)
habitually parted his hair as stated in Ahadith. The Ulama say that this was in
the early periods where Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) did not make an
effort to do so. According to this humble servant, the answer to this is bit
difficult, because it was the principal of Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihe
wasallam) to oppose the ways of the non-believers, and agree to the ways of
Ahlul Kitab, he 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 (Sallallalhu alaihe wasallallam) was abundant, it used to
pass over his ear-lobes). Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) had a very
luminous complexion (colour), and a wide forehead. He had dense and fine hair on
his eye brows. Both eye brows were separate 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 (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) 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. According to this humble servant the latter translation is more
appropriate). 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 vigor,
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 Daawud that Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam)
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 (Radiallahu anhum) to walk in front, and he himself
walked behind. He made salaam to whomsoever he met"
حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ بْنُ وَكِيعٍ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا جُمَيْعُ بْنُ عُمَرَ بْنِ
عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ الْعِجْلِيُّ، إِمْلاءً عَلَيْنَا مِنْ كِتَابِهِ، قَالَ:
أَخْبَرَنِي رَجُلٌ مِنْ بَنِي تَمِيمٍ، مِنْ وَلَدِ أَبِي هَالَةَ زَوْجِ خَدِيجَةَ،
يُكَنَى أَبَا عَبْدِ اللهِ، عَنِ ابْنٍ لأَبِي هَالَةَ، عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ،
قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ خَالِي هِنْدَ بْنَ أَبِي هَالَةَ، وَكَانَ وَصَّافًا، عَنْ
حِلْيَةِ رَسُولِ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم، وَأَنَا أَشْتَهِي أَنْ يَصِفَ لِي
مِنْهَا شَيْئًا أَتَعَلَّقُ بِهِ، فَقَالَ: كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صلى الله عليه
وسلم فَخْمًا مُفَخَّمًا، يَتَلأْلأُ وَجْهُهُ، تَلأْلُؤَ الْقَمَرِ لَيْلَةَ
الْبَدْرِ، أَطْوَلُ مِنَ الْمَرْبُوعِ، وَأَقْصَرُ مِنَ الْمُشَذَّبِ، عَظِيمُ
الْهَامَةِ، رَجِلُ الشَّعْرِ، إِنِ انْفَرَقَتْ عَقِيقَتُهُ فَرَّقَهَا، وَإِلا
فَلا يُجَاوِزُ شَعَرُهُ شَحْمَةَ أُذُنَيْهِ، إِذَا هُوَ وَفَّرَهُ، أَزْهَرُ
اللَّوْنِ، وَاسِعُ الْجَبِينِ، أَزَجُّ الْحَوَاجِبِ، سَوَابِغَ فِي غَيْرِ قَرَنٍ،
بَيْنَهُمَا عِرْقٌ، يُدِرُّهُ الْغَضَبُ، أَقْنَى الْعِرْنَيْنِ، لَهُ نُورٌ
يَعْلُوهُ، يَحْسَبُهُ مَنْ لَمْ يَتَأَمَّلْهُ أَشَمَّ، كَثُّ اللِّحْيَةِ، سَهْلُ
الْخدَّيْنِ، ضَلِيعُ الْفَمِ، مُفْلَجُ الأَسْنَانِ، دَقِيقُ الْمَسْرُبَةِ، كَأَنَّ
عُنُقَهُ جِيدُ دُمْيَةٍ، فِي صَفَاءِ الْفِضَّةِ، مُعْتَدِلُ الْخَلْقِ، بَادِنٌ
مُتَمَاسِكٌ، سَوَاءُ الْبَطْنِ وَالصَّدْرِ، عَرِيضُ الصَّدْرِ، بَعِيدُ مَا بَيْنَ
الْمَنْكِبَيْنِ، ضَخْمُ الْكَرَادِيسِ، أَنْوَرُ الْمُتَجَرَّدِ، مَوْصُولُ مَا
بَيْنَ اللَّبَّةِ وَالسُّرَّةِ بِشَعَرٍ يَجْرِي كَالْخَطِّ، عَارِي الثَّدْيَيْنِ
وَالْبَطْنِ مِمَّا سِوَى ذَلِكَ، أَشْعَرُ الذِّرَاعَيْنِ، وَالْمَنْكِبَيْنِ،
وَأَعَالِي الصَّدْرِ، طَوِيلُ الزَّنْدَيْنِ، رَحْبُ الرَّاحَةِ، شَثْنُ
الْكَفَّيْنِ وَالْقَدَمَيْنِ، سَائِلُ الأَطْرَافِ أَوْ قَالَ: شَائِلُ
الأَطْرَافِ خَمْصَانُ الأَخْمَصَيْنِ، مَسِيحُ الْقَدَمَيْنِ، يَنْبُو عَنْهُمَا
الْمَاءُ، إِذَا زَالَ، زَالَ قَلِعًا، يَخْطُو تَكَفِّيًا، وَيَمْشِي هَوْنًا،
ذَرِيعُ الْمِشْيَةِ، إِذَا مَشَى كَأَنَّمَا يَنْحَطُّ مِنْ صَبَبٍ، وَإِذَا
الْتَفَتَ الْتَفَتَ جَمِيعًا، خَافِضُ الطَّرْفِ، نَظَرُهُ إِلَى الأَرْضِ،
أَطْوَلُ مِنْ نَظَرِهِ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ، جُلُّ نَظَرِهِ الْمُلاحَظَةُ، يَسُوقُ
أَصْحَابَهُ، وَيَبْدَأُ مَنْ لَقِيَ بِالسَّلامِ.