Glimpses from the life of a man that Allah himself has called "Khairul Bashar" !!!

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The physical and behavioural characteristics of Nabi-e-kareem Hazrat Mohammad al-

Mustafa (SAW) are related from various sources as follows :

He was neither tall nor short, rather slightly more than average height. His
complexion was not too fair nor too brown. His body was slim and attractive, broad
chested with prominent bones. The head was broad with a proportionate forehead.
His hair was thick, dark and curly, extending to the ears, with the thin eyebrows
arching and conjoined. His gentle facial features were elongated to the side,
being very prominent and attractive. His deeply penetrating and large black eyes
were highlighted by thick black eyebrows. The delicately risen proportionate nose,
with wide teeth and soft clear skin, gave him a gentle and delicate disposition.
And he had a deep contemplative expression on his face.

He would wear his clothes starting from the right. He would use three applications
of Surma in each of his eyes at night. He preferred thick clothing and used skin
bed sheets filled with date leaves instead of cotton filling. His shoes were of
two strings and he would wear a silver ring on his right hand, which was carved
with he words "Mohammad the messenger of Allah". He possessed two armors which he
wore on the day of the conquest of Makkah and he also wore a black turban (Amama)
on that day. The handle of his sword was silver crested. His main personal
belongings were no more than a sheet and a waist cloth with many patches, and he
was buried in these two possessions. He used a table cloth made of skin and his
other possession was a wooden bowl hung together with metal chains from which he
mostly drank. He never had a full course of meal with bread and meat, and had no
preference for thin soft bread. He mixed dates with cucumber, and loved the smell
of Itar. He never refused Itar when offered and often said "Perfume is from
heaven".

His walk was brisk with calculated steps, and he collected his body while walking,
as if climbing down a mountain. He spoke softly, briefly, and eloquently, but
always meaningfully - never more or less than required. He never criticized or
over-appreciated food or the host. He spoke slowly and firmly, separating out the
words for clarity. In public speech he would repeat the phrases two or three times
for full comprehension by all.

He would turn his face when angered, and extend a smile for approval. He would
never express his disapproval openly, using the phrase instead "What is wrong with
this person"; or when annoyed, "May the dust be on your forehead"! For his own
sake he would never get angry or take revenge, but when Islam was offended nothing
could stop his wrath. He used his entire hand for calling someone close, never
using only the fingers, for he considered pointing fingers as a sign of arrogance.
He would join his fingers to express his amazement.

He mostly wore a black turban whose edges lay between his shoulders or on one
side. A flat cap hugged his head under the turban instead of a taller high edged
cap, prevalent in those times. The sandals on his feet were flat and single-soled,
with double straps. He showed a dislike for the color red and suggested refrain
from using this color for men, and instead liked the colors white and green. He
performed his own chores including sewing and patching his clothes, and tending
the sheep and milking them.

He never pointed at people's mistakes directly, always referring in third person,

terms like "Some people do such and such a thing". He never used foul language or
spoke loudly or returned a bad deed with another. He never said 'No' to the needy
- especially during Ramazan when his charity was most evident. Everyone who spoke
with him admired him instantly, and considered himself most worthy.
He would join the laborers carrying heavy loads and wouldn't mind doing all the
work. Once, during a journey with his companions, arrangements were being made for
the slaughter of a sheep. The companions had assigned chores to each other and the
Holy Prophet insisted on work for himself. During the journey, he took an open
bath at a water hole while a companion held a cover for him; and in turn the
Prophet held a cover for the companion, saying "Why should I be exempted from my
responsibilities."

He never had any major possessions even though most of Arabia had been conquered
towards the end of his life. At the time of his death, his armor was pawned to a
Jew for three meager coins and this was at a time when the Islamic lands included
Syria and Yemen, and there was lot of prosperity among the Muslim ummah.
Allah-u-Akbar, there was never before or after born such a man, who Allah himself
has called "Khairul Bashar" in the Holy Quran!