Shama'il Muhammadiyya
الشمائل المحمدية
Shama'il is the hadith genre gathering what is transmitted of the Prophet ﷺ's form and character — his hair, gait, speech, food, gathering, laughter and weeping: the complete physical and moral portrait as his family and Companions conveyed it. Its most famous compilation is al-Tirmidhi's Shama'il Muhammadiyya, with which he closed his Jami', until it circulated and was commented on as a discipline of its own.
At a glance
- Era
- Abbasid Fragmentation
- Region
- Persia & Central Asia
- Review
- Draft Completeness 1/5 · Help complete it
Overview
What the chapter gathers
It covers his hair, his gait, his speech, his food, his gatherings, his laughter, and his weeping: his physical and moral description as transmitted by his family and companions. 1
Al-Tirmidhi's book
The best known of his works is the Shama'il Muhammadiyya, with which al-Tirmidhi concluded his Jami'. It came to be circulated and explained independently, until it became a discipline in its own right. 1
Its origin
The core of the chapter is the description of Anas ibn Malik (may God be pleased with him) in al-Bukhari, who said that he was of medium height among the people, neither tall nor short, with a fair complexion that was neither dazzlingly white nor dark. He said that there were not twenty white hairs on his head and beard. 2
For young visitors
Hadith scholars wrote books that describe what the Prophet looked like and how he behaved, so that Muslims could know his manners.
Connections
- Based on
- Bukhari 3547 — Anas's description of the Prophet
- Mentioned in
- Muslim 2307 — The bravest of people; the night fright of Medina· Muslim 2308 — More generous with good than the blowing wind· Muslim 2309 — I served him ten years; he never said 'uff' to me· Muslim 2311 — He was never asked a thing and said no· Muslim 2330 — Radiant of colour, his sweat like pearls· Muslim 2347 — His appearance, mission age, and age at death
- Related to
- Muhammad· Hadith
People and things also explored
Muhammad· Anas ibn Malik· The Prophetic sira· Hadith· Bukhari 3547 — Anas's description of the Prophet· Muslim 2307 — The bravest of people; the night fright of Medina· Muslim 2308 — More generous with good than the blowing wind· Muslim 2309 — I served him ten years; he never said 'uff' to me
Sources
- Jami' al-Tirmidhi
- Sahih al-Bukhari, 3547
Cite this page
islam.museum contributors. “Shama'il Muhammadiyya”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/concept/al-shamail-al-muhammadiyya/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed 2026-10-17.