Depictions of Prophet Muhammad (s)
Depictions of Prophet Muhammad (s), also known as Iconography of the Prophet (s), is a branch of sira-writing (biography of the Prophet (s) that describes the physical characteristics and moral virtues of the Prophet Muhammad (s). The reason for the emergence of such writings is considered to be the introduction of Prophet Muhammad (s) as a role model in the Qur'an.
Based on some works of Depictions of Prophet Muhammad (s) The content of these works includes reports on physical features, certain personal behaviors, and the quality of some personal belongings and the manner of the moral and religious behaviors of the Prophet (s).
Among the existing books in the field of Depictions of Prophet Muhammad (s) the first and best Commanding is considered to be the book Shamaʾil al-Nabi, written by Abu 'Isa Muhammad b. 'Isa al-Tirmidhi. Among the works attributed to some Shi'a scholars, books with titles related to Depictions of Prophet Muhammad (s) have been reported, including the book Awsaf al-Nabi by al-Shaykh al-Saduq (d. 381/991-2).
The historical context for the development of Depictions of Prophet Muhammad (s) is considered to take place at the same time as the revival of the movement focused on religious tradition of Ahl al-Hadith during the era of al-Mutawakkil al-'Abbasi: Ahl al-Hadith, by carefully exploring the reports of the Prophet's (s) era and the Rashidun Caliphs,sought to eliminate the methods characteristic of the era of Muʿtazilite influence. Accordingly, they tried to present the Sira of the Prophet (s) he replaced the Mu'tazila's intellectual methods by writing various collections and relying only on the narrative (traditional) sources.
Definition and Historical Context
Depictions of Prophet Muhammad (s) is a branch of Sira writing,[1] in which efforts have been made to portray the physical characteristics of the Prophet (s) and describe his moral virtues..[2] The word "Shama'il" (Arabic: شمائل) is the plural of "shimal" and is considered to mean character (moral characteristics) and appearance (physical features).[3]It is often stated that these kinds of writings, in addition to Shamaʾil al-Nabi (s), have also been called by other titles such as Akhlaq al-Nabi (s).[4]
The historical context for the appearance of Depictions of Prophet Muhammad (s) is considered to be happening together with the return of the Traditional movement of Ahl al-Hadith after the decline of the Logical person Mu'tazila, during the era of Al-Mutawakkil al-Abbasi:[5] In this period, by exploring the reports of the Prophet's (s) era and the Rashidun Caliphs, Ahl al-Hadith sought to eliminate the method of the era of Mu'tazila Influence (during the era of Al-Ma'mun al-Abbasi); Spread of scientific knowledge and philosophical ideas borrowed from various cultures and nation.[6]
Accordingly, Ahl al-Hadith tried to present the Sira of the Prophet (s) as an alternative to the Muʿtazilite reasoned approach, through the composition of various assemblies and Sole relianceon the narrative tradition.[7] This factor is considered to be the reason whyDepictions of Prophet Muhammad (s)'books are considered closer to hadith books than to Sira writing.[8]
Depictions of Prophet Muhammad (s)' among Shi'as
The contribution of Shi'as in Depictions of Prophet Muhammad (s) Following Sira writing, is considered less than that of Sunnis; because general works on the Prophetic Sira (s), as far as broad statements are concerned, were agreed upon by both sects (Shi'a and Sunni), and Shi'a, as a minority, focused more on specific points of disagreement.[9]
Nevertheless, among the works attributed to some Shi'a scholars, in addition to works centered on Tirmidhi's Shama'il al-Nabi, books with titles related to Depictions of Prophet Muhammad (s) have been reported, including:
- The book Sirt al-Nabi' by Wahb b. Wahb al-Qurashi, known as Abu al-Bakhtari (d. 200/816);[10]
- The book Awsaf al-Nabi by al-Shaykh al-Saduq (d.381/ 991);[11]
- A part of the book Ma'arij al-nubuwwa fi madarij al-futuwwa written by Mu'in al-Din Muhammad Miskin Farahi (d. 907/1501 );[12]
- A Persian formal writing titled Shama'il al-Nabi, a copy of which is preserved in the Mar'ashi Najafi Library;[13]
- The book Sharḥ baʿḍ awṣaf al-Nabi (s) written by Mirza Abi 'Abd Allah b. Mirza Abu l-Qasim Musawi Zanjani (d. 1313/1895 );[14]
- The book Sunan al-Nabi written by al-Sayyid Muhammad Husayn Tabataba'i (d. 1360 ).[15]
Also, among Shi'a works, books with titles related to Depictions of Prophet Muhammad (s)' have been recorded in which the title Shama'il is used regarding the Ahl al-Bayt (a); including the book al-Shama'il al-'Alawiyya wa al-khisal al-Murtaḍawiyya written by Baqir b. Isma'il Wa'iz Kujuri Tehrani (d. 1313 AH).
Reason for Emergence
The reason for the Manifestation of such writings is shown in the Muslims' perspective on the personality of Prophet Muhammad (s); because the personality of the Prophet (s) is introduced in religious texts (for example, the Verse of Uswa) as a role model whose words and actions Muslims must follow.[16] This motivation is considered a reason for Muslims to explore how the Prophet (s) spoke and acted in all aspects of life and at all moments of the day and night.[17]
Also, since awareness of the physical appearance of the Prophet (s), like his behavioral Sira, was of great importance to Muslims, the description of his physical appearance also attracted the attention of many of them.[18] These factors are considered to have caused many Shi'a and Sunni scholars over the past centuries to strive to describe the face of the Prophet (s), alongside describing his moral characteristics; an effort that resulted in the compilation of numerous independent and non-independent works in this field.[19]
| “ | Description of the Prophet's (s) morals from the book Sunan al-Nabi (s): The Messenger of God (s) would patch his clothes and shoes, milk his sheep, eat with slaves, sit on the ground, ride a donkey... His Modesty did not prevent him from personally providing his necessities from the market and carrying them home himself. He would shake hands with the rich and the poor... He would greet anyone he met, whether rich or poor, old or young. He would not consider anything he was invited to as small, even if it was the lowest type of dates. His Holiness was low-cost, high-minded, good-natured, and cheerful He always had a smile on his lips, did not laugh loudly, and sometimes appeared sad, yet he was neither frowning nor grumpy. He was humble but would not belittle himself; he was generous, but would not be Excessive. He was tender-hearted and kind to all Muslims.[20] | ” |
Content of Depictions of Prophet Muhammad (s)
Based on some Depictions of Prophet Muhammad (s) works, the content of these works is reported as follows:
- Physical characteristics of the Prophet (s); including the quality of his face, skin color, Seal of Prophethood, and hair and how he styled them.
- The manner of some personal behaviors of the Messenger of God (s); including sitting, walking, leaning on objects and persons, sleeping, eating, drinking, stews, drinks, how to wash hands before and after meals.
- The quality of some personal belongings of the Prophet (s); including clothes, shoes, slippers, turban, cloak, izar (loincloth), seal, and ring.
- Report on the quality of the Prophet's (s) Defensive equipment including sword, armor, and Mighfar (helmet).
- The manner of the moral and religious behaviors of the Prophet (s); including speech, laughter, joking, humility, modesty, worship, helping others, dyeing, applying kohl, cupping, using perfume and scented oils.[21]
Examples
| “ | The Messenger of God (s) was very great and precious. He appeared great and dignified in the eyes and was dear and treasured in the hearts. His blessed face shone like the moon of the fourteenth night... He had large black eyes, thin and arched eyebrows, a large skull, and a moderate and medium stature. His blessed forehead was high and his nose was thin and narrow[22] | ” |
| — Description of the Prophet's (s) appearance in Sunan al-Nabi (s) | ||
Among the existing books in the field of Depictions of Prophet Muhammad (s), the first[23] and best[24] of them is considered to be the book Shamāʾil al-Nabī (or Al-Shamaʾil al-Nabawiyya wa al-khasaʾil al-Muṣṭafawiyya), written by Abu 'Isa Muhammad b. 'Isa al-Tirmiḍhi (d. 279 AH). According to some researchers, various descriptions have been written about this book turned into poetry, translated, and its narrations have been quoted in Shi'a and Sunni books;[25] in Shi'a works, its narrations have been quoted in Ibn Shahrashub's Manaqib and Bihar al-anwar, and Shaykh 'Abbas Qumi, a Shi'a muhaddith, has prepared a summary of it titled Mukhtasar al-Shamāʾil al-Muḥammadiyya.[26]
Other examples of Shama'il writing include:
- Akhlaq al-Nabi' by Ibn Abi l-Shaykh (d. 369/976 )
- Shamāʾil al-Nabī by Ja'far b. Muhammad al-Mustaghfiri (d. 432/1040)
- Al-Shifāʾ bi-taʿrīf ḥuqūq al-Muṣṭafā by Qadi 'Iyad (d. 544 /1149)
- Al-Shamāʾil bi-l-nur al-saṭiʿ al-kamil by Ali b. Muhammad al-Gharnati (d. 552 /1157)
- Zahr al-khaaʾil ʿala al-shamaʾil by Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti (d. 911 /1505)
- Al-Wafā li-sharḥ shamail al-Muṣṭafa by Ali b. Ibrahim al-Halabi (d. 1044 /1634)[27]
Notes
- ↑ Naṣṣar, Taḥawwul-i sīra-nigārī-yi Payāmbar (ṣ), 1399 Sh, p. 339.
- ↑ Ibn Kathīr, Al-Bidāya wa al-nihāya, 1407 AH, vol. 6, p. 11.
- ↑ Tirmidhī, Shamāʾil al-Nabī, 1372 Sh, translator's introduction, p. 14-15; Muḥammadī, "Jamāl-i āftāb: shamāyil-shināsī-yi Rasūl-i Khudā (s)", p. 162.
- ↑ Naṣṣār, Taḥawwul-i sīra-nigārī-yi Payāmbar (s), 1399 Sh, p. 339.
- ↑ Naṣṣār, Taḥawwul-i sīra-nigārī-yi Payāmbar (s), 1399 Sh, p. 339.
- ↑ Naṣṣār, Taḥawwul-i sīra-nigārī-yi Payāmbar (s), 1399 Sh, p. 339-340.
- ↑ Naṣṣār, Taḥawwul-i sīra-nigārī-yi Payāmbar (s), 1399 Sh, p. 339-340.
- ↑ Naṣṣār, Taḥawwul-i sīra-nigārī-yi Payāmbar (s), 1399 Sh, p. 340.
- ↑ Jaʿfariyān, Manābiʿ-i tārīkh-i Islāmī, 1393 Sh, p. 358.
- ↑ Najāshī, Rijāl al-Najāshī, 1418 AH, p. 430.
- ↑ Āghā Buzurg Tihrānī, Al-Dharīʿa, 1403 AH, vol. 2, p. 478.
- ↑ Āghā Buzurg Tihrānī, Al-Dharīʿa, 1403 AH, vol. 21, p. 184.
- ↑ Āghā Buzurg Tihrānī, Al-Dharīʿa, 1403 AH, vol. 14, p. 220.
- ↑ Āghā Buzurg Tihrānī, al-Dharīʿa, 1403 AH, vol. 13, p. 126.
- ↑ Pārsā, Kitāb-shināsī-yi Payāmbar (s), 1386 Sh, p. 273-274.
- ↑ Naṣṣār, Taḥawwul-i sīra-nigārī-yi Payāmbar (s), 1399 Sh, p. 339.
- ↑ Naṣṣār, Taḥawwul-i sīra-nigārī-yi Payāmbar (s), 1399 Sh, p. 339.
- ↑ Muḥammadī, "Jamāl-i āftāb: shamāyil-shināsī-yi Rasūl-i Khudā (s)", p. 162.
- ↑ Ibn Kathīr, Al-Bidāya wa al-nihāya, 1407 AH, vol. 6, p. 11; Muḥammadī, "Jamāl-i āftāb: shamāyil-shināsī-yi Rasūl-i Khudā (s)", p. 162.
- ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, Sunan al-Nabī, 1381 Sh, p. 33-34.
- ↑ Tirmidhī, Shamāʾil al-Nabī, 1372 Sh, translator's introduction, p. 19.
- ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, Sunan al-Nabī, 1381 Sh, p. 13.
- ↑ Sakhāwī, Al-Iʿlān bi-l-tawbīkh, p. 168.
- ↑ Ibn Kathīr, Al-Bidāya wa al-nihāya, 1407 AH, vol. 6, p. 11; Muḥammadī, "Jamāl-i āftāb: shamāyil-shināsī-yi Rasūl-i Khudā (s)", p. 162.
- ↑ Munajjid, Muʿjam mā ullifa ʿan Rasūl Allāh (s), p. 192-195; Muḥammadī, "Jamāl-i āftāb: shamāyil-shināsī-yi Rasūl-i Khudā (s)", p. 162.
- ↑ Tirmidhī, Shamāʾil al-Nabī, 1372 Sh, translator's introduction, p. 13; Jamʿī az niwīsandigān, Shinākht-nāma-yi Muḥaddith Qummī, 1389 Sh, p. 21.
- ↑ Ḥājī Khalīfa, Kashf al-ẓunūn, 1941, vol. 2, p. 1059; Munajjid, Muʿjam mā ullifa ʿan Rasūl Allāh (s), p. 192-195; Naṣṣār, Taḥawwul-i sīra-nigārī-yi Payāmbar (s), 1399 Sh, p. 347-353.
References
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- Ṭabāṭabāʾī, Sayyid Muḥammad Ḥusayn. Sunan al-Nabī. Translated by Ḥusayn Ustādwalī. Tehran, Payām-i Āzādī, 1381 Sh.
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