In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. Any goodness and benefit found in this book is by
the grace and mercy of Allah alone, and any mistakes or shortcomings are from myself. This work
is an Amanah (trust) from Allah, and I pray that it is fulfilled with sincerity and integrity. May
Allah accept this effort and make it beneficial for all who read it.
Copyright © 2024 Umm Salamah

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or

For permission requests, write to the publisher:

Sisters of Hadith
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 Chapter One: Introduction

Allah made a powerful prophecy in the Qur'an about the prophet: "And We raised your

remembrance." This promise has not only been fulfilled but continues to unfold to this

very day.

There is not a single second except that, the name of Prophet Muhammad (‫ )ﷺ‬is

mentioned around the world. It is the most common name globally, with over 133 million

people named Muhammad. His name is recited in the Shahadah and during Salah, the five

daily prayers. If just half of the Muslim population prays five times a day, his name is

mentioned at least 26 billion times daily.

So, whether it’s through prayer, the millions of people named Muhammad, or the

constant mention of his name in Islamic practices, his remembrance is continuous and

non-stop, just as Allah promised over 1400 years ago.

The Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬had many names—some given by his companions, and some by Allah

Himself. And the names chosen by Allah are the most profound.

He (‫ )ﷺ‬said: “I have a number of names: I am Muhammad. I am Ahmad. I am al-Mahi—the one by

whom Allah erases disbelief. I am al-Hashir—the one after whom people will be resurrected. I am

al-‘Aqib—the one after whom there will be no Prophet. I am the Prophet of Mercy. I am the Prophet

of Repentance. I am al-Muqaffa—the one who completes a long chain [of Prophets]. And I am the

Prophet of Malahim (Trials).”

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Each name is a reflection of his mission. Al-Mahi—The Eraser of Disbelief. In a short time,

the world transformed under his message. Al-Hashir—The One after whom people will be

resurrected, for his coming signals the nearing of the Last Day. Al-‘Aqib—The Final

Messenger, after whom there will be no prophet. Both names come from the word praise in

Arabic, Muhammad means the one who is constantly praised, and Ahmad is the one who

praises Allah the most. So, he is the most praised by humans and the human who praises

Allah the most. Muhammad (‫ )ﷺ‬is the most praised human in history—praised by Allah,

by the angels, by the Prophets before him, by every believer who ever lived, and by every

human on the day of judgement.

On the day of judgement, every Person will rush to the prophets for help, they will rush

to Adam ‫ﻋﻠﯿﮫ اﻟﺴﻼم‬, then to Nuh, to Ibrahim, to Musa, to ‘Isa—each one turning them away,

saying, “Myself, myself.”

And then they will come to Muhammad (‫)ﷺ‬, and he will say: “This is my responsibility.”

On that Day, humanity will witness the greatest praise of all. He will be raised to al-Maqam

al-Mahmud—the highest station. And all of creation will praise him.

• He is the last of the Prophets.

• He is the only Prophet sent to all of humanity.

• The only Prophet sent directly to the Jinn.

• The leader of all of mankind.

• His nation is the largest nation.

• The first to be resurrected on the Day of Judgment.

• He will be the first to cross over the bridge on the day of judgement.

• The first to enter Paradise.

• And he will be given the highest level of Jannah.

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Characteristics

Throughout history, Allah has chosen His Prophets with the most perfect attributes—

both inside and out. They weren’t just wise and righteous; they were physically striking, a

reflection of their nobility.

The Companions who saw him were captivated by his presence, but when asked to put it

into words, they struggled. because his beauty wasn’t just about physical features—it was

awe-inspiring, overwhelming.

Ka‘b ibn Malik said that when the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬was happy, his face would light up like the

full moon. Al-Rubayyi’ bint Mu’awwidh ‫ رﺿﻲ ﷲ ﻋﻨﮭﺎ‬said if you had seen him, you would

have thought the sun itself had risen. And ‘Amr ibn al-‘As ‫—رﺿﻲ ﷲ ﻋﻨﮫ‬once a staunch

enemy of Islam—admitted, “I loved looking at his face, but if you asked me to describe

him, I couldn’t. I lowered my gaze out of sheer awe.”

Anas ibn Malik ‫رﺿﻲ ﷲ ﻋﻨﮫ‬, who served the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬from childhood, tells us: He (‫)ﷺ‬

was neither too tall nor too short. His skin was not too pale nor too dark, but had a

radiant glow. His hair was neither curly nor straight, but flowed in soft waves. His scent—

more fragrant than the finest musk.

‘Ali ibn Abi Talib ‫ رﺿﻲ ﷲ ﻋﻨﮫ‬says, his face wasn’t fleshy, nor completely round, but

perfectly balanced. His eyes—large, with deep black pupils framed by long lashes.

His walk? It had purpose, as if he were descending a slope with ease. When he turned to

someone, he turned with his whole body, giving them his full attention. Between his

shoulders, there was the Seal of Prophethood, a mark the size of a pigeon’s egg, as

described in previous scriptures, signifying the final Prophet.

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This birth mark was one of the reasons that the great companion Salman al-Farisi became

Muslim.

Salman al-Farisi said:

I was from a village in Persia. My father was the village chief, and I was his most beloved

child. He kept me close to him, away from people, and I grew up working in the Magian

religion. Eventually, I became the keeper of the fire, ensuring it never went out. One day,

my father asked me to check on his garden while he was busy with some construction. On

my way, I passed by a Christian church and heard their prayers. Curious, I went in and

was deeply moved by what I saw. I thought, "This is better than our religion." I stayed

there until sunset, forgetting about my father’s garden.

When I returned home, my father was upset and asked where I had been. I told him what I

saw, and he dismissed it, saying our religion was better. He became worried about me and

locked me up. Later, I heard about Christian merchants from Syria, and I asked them to

inform me when they would leave. When they were ready to return, I escaped and went

with them to Syria. There, I asked who was the best person in their religion, and they

directed me to a bishop. I stayed with him, but I soon realized he was a greedy man who

kept the charity money for himself. After he died, I exposed his hidden treasure, and the

people crucified him.

Next, I joined another Christian man who was truly pious. He too passed away, advising

me to find another man in Mosul who followed the right path. I went to Mosul, but he

died too, telling me to find a man in Nasayyibeen. The cycle continued until I reached a

man in ‘Ammooriyyah, who told me there was a prophet soon to appear in the land of the

Arabs. He described him, mentioning that the prophet would have the Seal of

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Prophethood between his shoulders. I waited, and eventually, a group of merchants took

me to the land of the Arabs, where I was sold as a slave.

While working as a slave, I learned that the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬had arrived in Madinah. I went to

meet him to test him with three tests, that he doesn’t take charity, that he can take gifts

and that the has the seal of prophet hood between his shoulders. I brought hum some

charity. He didn’t eat it but gave it to his companions. I thought, "This is one sign." Later,

I brought him a gift, and this time, he ate, confirming a second sign. Then, I saw the

Prophet in the cemetery and I tried to look at his shoulders, he noticed I was looking so

he lowered his upper garment so I could see what I was looking for, and there it was I

recognised the seal of prophecy I began to cry and told the prophet the whole story, he

then instructed one of the companions to buy my freedom from slavery.

The Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬said to me: "Write, O Salman!" So, I wrote with my companion on the

condition of planting 300 date palms and irrigating them with a small amount of water,

and giving forty ounces of silver. The Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬said, "Help your brother!" So, the

companions helped me by contributing date palms—one man contributed thirty, another

twenty, another fifteen, and another ten—until I had collected 300 date palms.

The Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬then said to me, "Go, O Salman! Dig the holes for planting the trees.

When you are done, come to me, and I will plant them with my own hands." So, I dug the

holes, and my companions helped me. When I finished, I went to him and informed him.

The Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬came out with me, and we began placing the saplings in the holes, and he

planted them with his own hands. By the One in Whose Hand is my soul, not a single one

of them died. I paid the date palms, but the money was still owed. Then the Prophet (‫)ﷺ‬

was brought a piece of gold, the size of a hen’s egg, from some of the spoils of war. He

asked, "What happened to the Persian who made the contract?"

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I was called, and he said, "Take this and use it to settle what you owe, O Salman!" I asked,

"How will this small amount cover what I owe, O Messenger of Allah?" He replied, "Take

it, for Allah, the Almighty, will settle your debt with it." I took it, and by the One in Whose

Hand is my soul, I weighed out forty ounces of gold from it and paid off my debt. I was

freed, and I participated with the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬in the Battle of the Trench, and from then

on, I never missed any battle with him.

The way the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬made everyone around him feel was what made him beloved by

everyone.

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The Humility of Prophet Muhammad (‫)ﷺ‬

Prophet Muhammad (‫ )ﷺ‬is known for his immense impact on history, but his life was one

of simplicity and humility. Despite being the final messenger of Allah, he lived with

minimal possessions, teaching us the value of contentment over material wealth.

One day, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab, a close companion of the Prophet (‫)ﷺ‬, entered his room.

Upon entering, ‘Umar was shocked by what he saw. The Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬was resting on a

simple bed made from rough date palm branches, with only a jug of water beside him.

The marks from the rough bed were visible on his back as he stood up to greet ‘Umar.

‘Umar, deeply moved and unable to understand, questioned the Prophet (‫)ﷺ‬: “O

Messenger of Allah, don’t you deserve better? Look at the luxurious lives of the Roman

and Persian leaders. They live in comfort and wealth, while you live so simply.” ‘Umar

could not understand why the Prophet (‫)ﷺ‬, who had been chosen by Allah as the

Messenger, chose to live with so little.

In response, the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬conveyed a powerful lesson: “Aren’t you happy that they

have this world, and we have the next?” With this statement, the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬reminded

‘Umar of the importance of valuing the eternal life of the Hereafter over the temporary

pleasures of this world. His response reflected the principle that the Prophet (‫)ﷺ‬

prioritized contentment with what Allah had provided and believed in the ultimate

reward in the life after death.

This exchange between the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬and ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab highlights the

simplicity with which the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬lived. His life serves as a reminder that worldly

wealth and comfort are temporary, and the true focus should be on seeking the rewards

of the Hereafter through contentment and faith in Allah.

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When a person once asked A’ishah (ra), “How did you used to live?” She simply replied,

“We sufficed with the two black things: dates and water.” Imagine, a household with the

Prophet (‫)ﷺ‬, the leader of the world, enduring such hardship, yet his faith remained

unshaken.

The Prophet Muhammad (‫ )ﷺ‬went out one day or night and found Abu Bakr and Umar

there. He asked, "What has brought you out at this time?" They replied, "It is hunger."

The Prophet said, “the same reason brought me out too. Get up." They all went together

to an Ansari’s house, but he was not home. His wife welcomed them, and the Prophet

asked, "Where is so and so?" She replied, "He has gone to fetch some fresh water." When

the Ansari returned and saw the Prophet and his companions, he said, "Praise be to Allah,

no one has more honourable guests than me today." He then brought them a bunch of

ripe dates, dry dates, and fresh dates and said, "Eat some of them." He also took a long

knife to slaughter an animal, but the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬warned him not to kill an animal that

has milk. The Ansari slaughtered a sheep for them. After they ate and drank until they

were full, the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬told Abu Bakr and Umar, "You will be questioned about this

blessing on the Day of Judgment. Hunger brought you out of your house, and you didn't

return until you were satisfied with this bounty. The Prophet’s (‫ )ﷺ‬humility was not

limited to his companions—it extended to everyone.

One day, a Jewish leader came to him and said, “Al-sammu ‘alaykum,” a play on the

Islamic greeting that meant “death be upon you.”

A’ishah (ra) was furious, ready to rebuke the man for his disrespect. But the Prophet (‫)ﷺ‬

simply replied, “Wa ‘alaykum” (And to you too), maintaining his composure.

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When A’ishah (ra) reacted angrily, the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬reminded her, “Calm down, O A’ishah.

Don’t you know that whatever is gentle is beautiful? Whenever gentleness is in

something, it makes it beautiful, and whenever harshness is in something, it makes it

ugly.” The Prophet’s (‫ )ﷺ‬kindness, even in the face of disrespect, was a testament to his

unparalleled character.

The Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬was a man of the people—humble, approachable, and always ready to

help. A female companion once said, “It was possible for any little girl to grab the hand of

the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬and ask him to do any chore for her.” He was always ready to serve and

engage with those around him.

The Prophet Muhammad (‫ )ﷺ‬was the embodiment of humility, kindness, and compassion.

Yet, he was also strong, courageous, and dependable—a leader whose character continues

to inspire us to this day. May Allah allow us to benefit from this seerah.

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