Portrait of Human Perfection :
A Description of the Appearance and Character of the Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,
[A5] Paperback - 131 pages,
Compiled by : Shaykh Ahmad Muhammad al-Hawfi al-Misri,
English translation by : Abdalhaq Bewley.
Description :
The Prophet Muhammad,
peace and blessings be upon him, was more than a Messenger. As
Rasul Allah he is the embodiment of human perfection, and his character and behaviour form a vital part of his mission to mankind. His Lord said of him in the Holy Qur’an
: “And truly you are immense in character”; and he said of himself,
“I have been sent only to perfect nobility of character”.
Indeed his entire life was a perfect model and illustration of fineness of outlook and behaviour. This book explains in detail this perfection manifested itself in the daily life of the Blessed Prophet,
may Allah bless him and grant him peace. It also provides a vivid description of his physical appearance and attributes.
The reader will surely gain from it a deeper love for the bearer of Allah’s final Message and a greater understanding of the Message of Islam which he conveyed to mankind through his words and his deeds.
About the Author: The distinguished Egyptian scholar Shaykh Ahmad al-Hawfi began researching this work in Ramadan of 1386H. After gathering a great deal of material from a wide range of classical sources, he found himself torn between his desire to write the book and his fear of failing to do justice to the subject of the most perfect human being ever created. Whilst teaching at the Islamic University in Omdurman, Sudan he discussed the project with Shaykh Majdhub Hajjar. As the latter was encouraging him to proceed with it, Shaykh al-Hawfi shivered and heard a voice whisper in his right ear : ''Do not publish this book until you have stood before the Prophet Muhammad,
peace and blessings be upon him, and sought his permission.''
At that time political difficulties between Egypt and Saudi Arabia made it extremely difficult for Shaykh al-Hawfi to obey this instruction. Finally, however, all the obstacles were overcome and he was able to visit the
Hijaz. After first performing
'Umrah Shaykh al-Hawfi found himself in
al-Madina t'al-Munawwara. Standing before the blessed tomb, he petitioned our Master Muhammad, Emissary of Allah, for permission to write the book, and then entered a semi-conscious state from which he emerged with his doubts fully resolved. Shaykh al-Hawfi then returned to Egypt to complete the book, a task which took thirteen years. May Allah Almighty reward him.
Table of Contents :
---Preface,
Chapter [1]. His Physical Description,
---Description of his Face,
---His Head, Hair, Beard, White Hair and use of Hair dye,
---His Stature,
---His Eyes, Eyelashes, Mouth, Cheek, Eyebrows, Nose and Teeth,
---His Palms, Feet, Armpits and Arms,
---His Shoulders,
---The Seal of Prophethood,
---His Manner of Walking,
---His Manner of Reclining and Sitting,
---His Manner of Eating and Drinking,
---His Laughing, Jesting and Weeping,
---His Sleep,
---His Worship.
Chapter [2]. His Character,
---More from Hadith,
Chapter [3]. His Steadfastness,
---Steadfastness in the Qur'an,
---Manifestation of Steadfastness in the Prophet's Life,
Chapter [4]. His Forbearance,
---What is Forbearance?
---Difference between Forbearance and Steadfastness,
---It's Manifestations,
---The Anger of the Forbearing,
---Praise of his Forbearance,
---His Encouraging Forbearance in Others,
Chapter [5]. Pardon,
---Manifestations of Pardon in the Prophet's,
may Allah bless him & grant him peace, Life,
Chapter [6]. His Preference for Peace,
---Peace in the Qur'an,
---Manifestation of the Desire for Peace in the Life of the Prophet,
---Passive resistance to the
Quraysh,
---Active resistance to the
Quraysh,
---Preference for Peace with the Jews,
---Preference for Peace with the Christians,
Chapter [7]. His Good Companionship,
---The Manifestation of Good Companionship in the Life of the Prophet,
---With his Wives,
---With his Companions,
---With Servants and Slaves,
---His Encouraging others to be Good Companions,
Chapter [8]. His Cheerfulness and Joking,
---Some of his jests,
---His accepting jokes,
Chapter [9]. His Other Qualities,
---Maintaining Ties of Kinship,
---Justice, Decency, Trustworthiness and Truthfulness,
---Sedateness, Silence, Deliberation and manly Virtue.
---Conclusion.
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