Shama'il Muhammadiyah

Read the ahadith in Shama'il Muhammadiyah by al-Tirmidhi with Muslim and Quran! The Shama'il Muhammadiyah is a comprehensive collection of authentic Hadiths describing the beloved Messenger of Allah, Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ). Each section of this book is dedicated to a particular feature or attribute of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ). This collection is an invaluable source of information about our beloved Prophet (ﷺ) and emulate his example in life. 

Browse and explore the work by al-Tirmidhi with Muslim and Quran's accessible and convenient platform that provides the most user-friendly features, with navigation tools and a searchable database. Our exceptional Muslim and Quran application features allow learners of all levels to customize the content according to their learning needs. Make your journey of authentic Islamic learning accessible by choosing our platform.

Shama'il Muhammadiyah

الشمائل المحمدية

Shamā'il Muhammadiyyah ("The Sublime Qualities of Muhammad") is a collection of hadiths compiled by Tirmidhi regarding the intricate details of Prophet (ﷺ) life including his appearance, his belongings, his manners, and much more. The book contains 399 narrations from the successors of Prophet (ﷺ).

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Current Location: Islamabad, Pakistan

Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) commanded those who believe in the message of Islam through the Quran to obey Him (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) and His Messenger (ﷺ). Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) says, “O believers! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. Should you disagree on anything, then refer it to Allah and His Messenger if you ⸢ truly ⸣ believe in Allah and the Last Day. This is the best and fairest resolution." [Surah Nissa 4:59].

Muslims are guided foremost by the teachings of the Quran. The Quran is the word of Allah, sent down upon the Prophet Muhammad and narrated by him word to word. The hadith is the second most important source of knowledge. It is the record of the sayings and sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad. The life (Sunnah) of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) was in observance of the will of Allah. He was the perfect human, and he did everything in the best of ways, according to the will of Allah. Therefore, it makes sense to follow his example and live life as lived by him to please Allah and gain His favor.

Zayd ibn Thabit (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) narrated that he heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say, "May Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) brighten a man who hears a tradition from us, gets it by heart, and passes it on to others. Many a bearer of knowledge conveys it to one who is more versed than he is, and many a bearer of knowledge is not versed in it." (Grade: Sahih (Al-Albani) Sunan Abi Dawud 3660).

Taking this hadith as their inspiration, the scholars dedicated their whole lives to developing an accurate methodology of preserving and verifying the narrators (Isnad) for authenticity. They compiled authentic hadiths into written books to save us several lifetimes of struggle to authenticate narrations of the Prophet (ﷺ).

Ash-Shama'il al-Muhammadiyya

Ash-Shama'il al-Muhammadiyya (Arabic: الشمائل المحمدية; literally: Virtues of Muhammad) is a treasured compilation of very selected hadiths that describe the physical appearance, character traits, habits, and honorable virtues of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) narrated from those closest to him.

The renowned 9th-century Islamic scholar Imam al-Tirmidhi compiled the particularly descriptive hadiths of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) for this collection. The collection is extremely important in classical Islamic literature for being an insightful window into the exemplary character of the Prophet (ﷺ), serving as a guide for Muslims seeking to learn and adopt his noble traits.

Shama'il Muhammadiyah is part of the Islamic studies curriculum globally and remains widely studied among personal readers seeking a connection with the beloved Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). Selected passages from the book have also been adopted into Hilya, a religious genre of Ottoman Turkish art/literature, in particular the physical description of the Prophet (ﷺ).

It is the most well-known narration in Shama'il Muhammadiyah is attributed to Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ), the cousin and son-in-law to the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ). Other well-known narrators are the wife of the Prophet, Aisha (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهَا), his grandson Hasan ibn Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ), and other Sahaba such as `Abd Allah ibn `Abbas (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ), Abu Hurairah (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ), including a woman named Umm Ma'bad.

About Imam Tirmidhi

The author of this esteemed Hadith collection is Muhammad ibn Isa al-Tirmidhi (Arabic: محمد بن عيسى الترمذي, romanized: Muḥammad ibn ʿĪsā at-Tirmidhi; 824 – 9 October 892 CE / 209 - 279 AH), conventionally referred to as Imām at-Termezī/Tirmidhi. He was an accomplished and reputable Islamic scholar and collector of hadith from Termez (early Khorasan and in present-day Uzbekistan).

He is known for the authentic collection al-Jami` as-Sahih (Jami` at-Tirmidhi), among the most reliable hadith compilations in Islamic literature. Some say that his Jami has slightly overshadowed his other works, such as Shama'il Muhammadiyah (also known as Shama'il at-Tirmidhi). As a youngster, Imam At-Tirmidhi was known for being impressively well-versed in Arabic grammar and being particularly interested in literary Arabic. He favored the school of Kufa due to its preservation of Arabic poetry as his primary source of learning over Basra.

The Structure of Ash-Shama'il al-Muhammadiyya

Shama'il Muhammadiyah is divided into 56 chapters, with 399 to 415 or 417 narrations, depending on the edition or translation. Here are some examples of the titled chapters regarding particular traits of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)

  • Chapter 1: The Noble Features of Rasoolullah
  • Chapter 10: The Shoes of Rasoolullah
  • Chapter 28: The Cup of Rasoolullah
  • Chapter 49: Modesty of Sayyidina Rasoolullah

The following key terms in Hadiths are important to know before going through the Shama'il Muhammadiyah.

  • Hadith: narrations of the sayings, actions, or approvals of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ)
  • Isnad: Chain of transmission, the narrators who transmitted the hadith
  • Matn: the essential text or content of a hadith
  • Sahih: Authentic 
  • Da'if: Weak

Shama'il Muhammadiyah is a reader-friendly book, sectioned into chapters titled according to characteristics of the Prophet Muhammad's (ﷺ) disposition and habits. It is important to note, however, that to understand classic Arabic literature and the depth of each Hadith narration requires expert knowledge of the Arabic language and the Hadith methodology.

Seek a proficient scholar in the field of Hadith interpretation and Islamic studies who will guide and instruct you on how to correctly interpret the texts. Furthermore, you must respect the general content copyright and usage rights when accessing or sharing the content and give credit to the author for their work.

Read Ash-Shama'il al-Muhammadiyya with Muslim and Quran

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Users can search ahadith by collection, book, chapter, or hadith number. Moreover, users can read the Arabic text of the hadith along with the translation. Users also have the option to increase and decrease the size of the font. Simplify your learning with a search feature to look for any particular hadith according to its precise number, topic, or word.

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