‘Ummu Ma^bad to describe the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ

والصَّلَاةُ والسَّلاَمُ عَلَى سَيّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ أَشْرَفِ اْلمُرْسَلِيْنَ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ الطَّيّبِيْنَ الطَّاهِرِيْن

Then, after they departed, ‘Abu Ma^bad, the husband of ‘Ummu Ma^bad arrived. His name was ‘Aktham. He came with some sheep, but they were emaciated. He had with him sheep that were weak, tired, and ewes devoid of milk. Not a single one had any milk.

When ‘Abu Ma^bad saw the milk and the container full of it, he was astonished and asked her, "Where did this milk come from when there are no milk-giving ewes in the house? She replied, "A blessed man passed by us!” And she informed him of what had transpired. He then said to her, "Describe him to me."

Despite having only a few moments with the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ when she saw his face, ‘Ummu Ma^bad began to describe him accurately with eloquent expressions, reflecting the strength of the Arabs in eloquence: “He was a paragon of beauty, his face radiant and luminous. His character was impeccable. He was neither marred by a protruding, sagging belly nor flawed by a disproportionately small head. Instead, he was the epitome of handsomeness, as if beauty itself had chosen him as its emblem.

Each feature of his face was perfectly balanced. His wide eyes, a striking contrast of intense black and white, were framed by long eyelashes. His voice carried a slight, endearing huskiness, and his neck was elegantly long. He wore a thick, full beard, and his eyes were a mesmerising blend of pure black irises against an intensely white sclera. His eyelids were naturally dark as if delicately lined with kohl, and his eyebrows were arched and full, nearly meeting in the middle. His hair was a deep, rich black.

In silence, he exuded a profound gravitas and dignity; when he spoke, he commanded attention with an air of eminence and distinction. From afar, he was the most beautiful and imposing figure one could behold; up close, he was the most handsome and enchanting. His speech was sweet and articulate, each word distinct and eloquently structured, neither too brief nor overly verbose. It was as if his words were pearls, strung together in perfect harmony, rolling smoothly from his lips.

He was of medium height, perfectly proportioned, neither too tall to be unappealing nor too short to be disregarded. He stood as a graceful branch among two others -‘Abu Bakr  and ^Amir ibnu Fuhayrah -, the most striking and well-proportioned of the three. His companions gathered around him. When he spoke, they listened intently; when he commanded, they rushed to fulfil his wishes. He was revered and constantly surrounded by his followers, never frowning; his words were always profoundly beneficial and imbued with wisdom".

Upon hearing this, ‘Abu Ma^bad exclaimed, "By Allah, he is indeed the one sought by Quraysh,  the one who has been mentioned to us!" Meanwhile, the Prophet ﷺ continued his journey towards Medina.

Next: "From the valley of Wada^ the full moon has risen over us" the women praised