A Portrait of the Prophet : Shama'il al-Muhammadiya

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A Portrait of the Prophet : Shama'il al-Muhammadiya

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A Portrait of the Prophet,
As Seen by His Contemporaries,
"Ash Shamail al-Muhammadiyya"
*[A5+] Paperback - 342 pages, : English & Arabic,
by Imam Abu 'Isa Muhammad al-Tirmidhi [d.297h],
Translated by Muhtar Holland,
Published by Fons Vitae, USA.

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Description :

In Islam, two sources are used to explain the religion and its laws: the Qur’an, a revered text, and the hadith, the sayings and activities of the Prophet Muhammad, ?, as reported by friends and followers during his lifetime.

This skilled translation, which includes the Arabic of one of the key Islamic texts, long-awaited in English, presents a fascinating selection of hadith compiled by the ninth-century scholar at-Tirmidhi, may Allah be pleased with him, that humanises the Prophet, ?, for modern audiences, presenting him through the eyes of contemporaries who comment not only on his spiritual demeanor and qualities but also on his physical appearance and mannerisms—including his hairdressing, his sitting posture, his sandals and turban, his armour, his favorite condiments, and his jests and laughter.

" The Kit?b al-Sham? il of Ab? ‘?s? Muhammad b. ‘?s? Sawra al-Tirmidh? (d. 297/892) has provided scholars, spiritual seekers, and more generally all those who love the Prophet, ?, with a living portrait of the man described in the Qur’?n as exemplifying the most noble character (Qur’?n 68:4). The Sham? il is a collection of 297 hadith presented under 55 chapter headings specifically dealing with the personal life of the Prophet Muhammad, ?, as seen by his contemporaries. In his autobiography, Ibn ‘Aj?ba (1747–1809), an important scholar and Sufi master of Morocco, in his autobiography (fahrasa) defines the study of the Sham? il as a science and writes that :

“The subject matter [dealt with in this science] is the distinguishing exalted spiritual states and the noble comportment of the Prophet, ?; his clothing and his sustenance, his sleep and his waking states, and other related topics, it is the science of the “beautiful qualities” (Sham? il).”

The scholars who dedicated their time and energy to the science of the Sham? il were central figures in both the exoteric and esoteric realms of Islamic discourse. For these scholars and the commentaries they composed, the study of the Sham? il was both a scholarly enterprise as well as an act of devotion to and reverence for the person of the Prophet, ?. The multifaceted nature of their scholarly endeavor and the variety of audiences they attracted illustrates the central role of the Sham? il in defining normative Islamic comportment, both its outward and inward facets.—_{Kenneth Honerkamp, University of Georgia}.

Table of Contents :

---Translators Foreword,
---Biography,
------Al-Imam al-Hafiz al-Tirmidhi,
--------His Date of Birth,
--------Was Imam al-Tirmidhi born blind?
--------The Scholars' Commendation of Him,
--------His Literary Works,
--------His Demise,
---Explanatory Preface,
------Explanatory Preface to the Book of Virtues [Kitab ash-Shama'il],
---Introduction,
------Kitab al-Shama'il,
------Summary,
------Author of the Introduction.

A Portrait of the Prophet, ?, "Ash Shamail al-Muhammadiyya"

---Chapter [1]. What has come to us concerning the Physical constitution [khalq] of Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and give him peace,

---Chapter [2]. What has come to us concerning the Seal of Prophethood [Khatam an-Nubuwwa],

---Chapter [3]. What has come to us concerning the Hair [sha'r] of Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and give him peace,

---Chapter [4]. What has come to us concerning the Combing [tarajjul] of Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and give him peace,

---Chapter [5]. What has come to us concerning the Grayness [shaib] of the Hair of Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and give him peace,

---Chapter [6]. What has come to us concerning the Dye [khidab] used by Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and give him peace,

---Chapter [7]. What has come to us concerning the Kohl [khul] used by Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and give him peace,

---Chapter [8]. What has come to us concerning the Clothing [libas] used by Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and give him peace,

---Chapter [9]. What has come to us concerning the Shoes [khuff] used by Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and give him peace,

---Chapter [10]. What has come to us concerning the Sandals [Na'l] used by Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and give him peace,

---Chapter [11]. What has come to us concerning the quality of the Signet Ring [Khatam] used by Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and give him peace,

---Chapter [12]. What has come to us concerning the fact that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and give him peace, used to wear a Signet Ring on his Right Hand,

---Chapter [13]. What has come to us concerning the quality of the Sword [saif] used by Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and give him peace,

---Chapter [14]. What has come to us concerning the quality of the Armour [dir'] of Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and give him peace,

---Chapter [15]. What has come to us concerning the quality of the Helmet [mighfar] of Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and give him peace,

---Chapter [16]. What has come to us concerning the Turban ['imama] of Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and give him peace,

---Chapter [17]. What has come to us concerning the quality of the Loincloth [izar] of Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and give him peace,

---Chapter [18]. What has come to us concerning the Gait [mishya] of Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and give him peace,

---Chapter [19]. What has come to us concerning the Veiling [taqannu'] of Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and give him peace,

---Chapter [20]. What has come to us concerning the Veiling [taqannu'] of Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and give him peace,

---Chapter [21]. What has come to us concerning the Supporting Prop [tuka'a] of Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and give him peace,

---Chapter [22]. What has come to us concerning the Leaning [ittika'] of Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and give him peace,

---Chapter [23]. What has come to us concerning the Subsistence ['aish] of Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and give him peace,

---Chapter [24]. What has come to us concerning the Manner of Eating [akl] of Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and give him peace,

---Chapter [25]. What has come to us concerning the quality of the Beard [khubz] of Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and give him peace,

---Chapter [26]. What has come to us concerning the Condiments [idam] of Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and give him peace,

---Chapter [27]. What has come to us concerning the nature of the minor ritual Ablution [wudu'] of Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and give him peace,

---Chapter [28]. What has come to us concerning the Saying [du'a] of Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and give him peace, Before and After a Meal,

---Chapter [29]. What has come to us concerning the Drinking Vessel [qadah] of Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and give him peace,

---Chapter [30]. What has come to us concerning the quality of the Fruits [fakiha] of Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and give him peace,

---Chapter [31]. What has come to us concerning the quality of the Beverage [sharab] of Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and give him peace,

---Chapter [32]. What has come to us concerning the Manner of Drinking [shurb] of Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and give him peace,

---Chapter [33]. What has come to us concerning the Perfuming [ta'attur] of Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and give him peace,

---Chapter [34]. What has come to us concerning the Manner of Speech [kalam] of Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and give him peace,

---Chapter [35]. What has come to us concerning the Laughter [dahik] of Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and give him peace,

---Chapter [36]. What has come to us concerning the pecularity of the Jesting [muzah] of Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and give him peace,

---Chapter [37]. What has come to us concerning the pecularity of the speech of Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and give him peace, about Poetry [shi'r],

---Chapter [38]. What has come to us concerning the speech of Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and give him peace, in Nighttime Conversations [samar]. The tradition [hadith] of Umm Zar.'

---Chapter [39]. What has come to us concerning the Manner of Sleep [nawm] of Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and give him peace,

---Chapter [40]. What has come to us concerning the Worship ['ibada] of Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and give him peace,

---Chapter [41]. What has come to us concerning the mid-morning ritual Prayer [salat ad-duha] of Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and give him peace,

---Chapter [42]. What has come to us concerning the voluntary ritual Prayer [salat at-tatawwu] of Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and give him peace, in the home,

---Chapter [43]. What has come to us concerning the Fasting [sawm] of Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and give him peace,

---Chapter [44]. What has come to us concerning the Qur'anic Recitation [qira'a] of Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and give him peace,

---Chapter [45]. What has come to us concerning the Weeping [buka'] of Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and give him peace,

---Chapter [46]. What has come to us concerning the Mattress [firash] of Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and give him peace,

---Chapter [47]. What has come to us concerning the Humility [tawadu'] of Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and give him peace,

---Chapter [48]. What has come to us concerning the Character [khuluq] of Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and give him peace,

---Chapter [49]. What has come to us concerning the Modesty [haya'] of Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and give him peace,

---Chapter [50]. What has come to us concerning the Cupping [hijama] of Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and give him peace,

---Chapter [51]. What has come to us concerning the Names [asma'] of Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and give him peace,

---Chapter [52]. What has come to us concerning the Age [sinn] of Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and give him peace,

---Chapter [53]. What has come to us concerning the Demise [wafat] of Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and give him peace,

---Chapter [54]. What has come to us concerning the Legacy [mirath] of Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and give him peace,

---Chapter [55]. What has come to us concerning the Vision [ru'ya] of Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and give him peace, in one's sleep,