The Prophet’s (s.a.w.) Hands were Beautiful

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Dr. Muhammad Muswthafa al-Badawi said, physically, the hands of the Prophet (s.a.w.) were as beautiful and pleasing to gaze upon as everything else about him.  They were white and fleshy, with slightly tapering fingers.  His servant, Sayyidina Anas ibn Malik (r.a.), said on more than one occasion, “I have never touched any silk or brocade that is softer than the palm of the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.), nor have I ever smelled musk or scent more fragrant than the fragrance of the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.).”  This is found in the Shaykhayn. 

Sayyidina Wa’il ibn Hajr (r.a.) said, “Whenever I shook hands with the Prophet (s.a.w.), or my skin touched his skin, I smelled the scent of musk on my hand for three days.”  This is found in Imam Shibab ad-Din Abu al-‘Abbas Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Hajr al-Haytsami’s (r.a.) Majma’ az-Zawa’id wa Manba’ al-Fawa’id. 

Another companion, Sayyidatina ‘Umayrah bint Sahl (r.a.), also a child at the time, recounted how her father once took her to the Prophet (s.a.w.), asking him to touch her head and pray for both of them for barakah, since she was his only child.  “The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.), placed his hands on my head.  I swear by Allah that I could feel the coolness of the hand of the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) in my liver!”  This was recorded by Imam Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn Husayn al-Bayhaqi (r.a.), and Imam ‘Ali ibn al-Hasan ibn ‘Asakir (r.a.).  It is also found in Majma’ az-Zawa’id wa Manba’ al-Fawa’id. 

Sayyidina Jabir ibn Samurah (r.a.) said, “I prayed with the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.), the first prayer, then he went out and I went out with him.  He was met by some children and rubbed their cheeks one by one.  As for myself, he rubbed my cheek and I found that his hand was cool and fragrant, as if he had just taken it out of a perfume vendor’s bag.”  This is recorded in Swahih Muslim. 

The Prophet (s.a.w.) used his right hand for his ritual purification, food, and beverage, and his left hand for less clean things.  “He never touched the hand of a woman,” said, ‘Aishah (r.a.).  “When he accepted their allegiance, he accepted it verbally.”  This is found in Sunan Abu Dawud, Sunan al-Bayhaqi, and the Shaykhayn.