ibn Rajab al Hanbali

It is related in the Sahihain of al-Bukhari and Muslim, rahimahumallaah, from Anas, radhiallahu `anhu, that the Prophet, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, said: “None of you truly believes until I am more beloved to him than his father, his child and all of mankind.”

And in the same sources we find that `Umar ibn al Khattab, radhiallahu `anhu, said to Allah’s Messenger, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, “O Rasoolullah, you are more beloved to me than anything except my own self.” Allah’s Messenger, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, then told him, “No, by the One in Whose Hand is my soul, not until I am more beloved to you than your own soul.” `Umar then told him, “By Allah, now you are more beloved to me than my own soul.” Allah’s Messenger, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, then told him that now he had the complete and correct faith.

Ibn Rajab says about love of the Messenger sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam:

Love for the Messenger sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam is at two levels.

The first level is obligatory. This is the love that requires one to accept whatever the Messenger sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam brought from Allah and to receive it with love, pleasure, esteem and submission, without seeking guidance from any other source whatsoever. This is then followed by excellent following of him in whatever he conveyed from his Lord and to affirm whatever he has reported of obligations, to remain away from anything he has prohibited of forbidden acts, to give support for his religion and to strive against those who oppose him according to one’s ability. All of this are necessary components that one must possess and a person’s Faith is not complete without them.

The second level is superior [and not an absolutely necessary component of Faith]. This type of love requires following his example in an excellent way and fulfilling the following of his Sunnah with respect to his behavior, manners, voluntary deeds, superogatory actions, eating, drinking, dressing, excellent behaviour with his wives and other aspects of his perfect manners and pure behavior. It also includes learning about his life and days. It also includes the heart trembling when mentioning him, saying prayers and blessings upon him often out of what resides in the heart of love for him, esteem for him and respect for him. It also includes loving to listen to his words and preferring them over the words of others of the creation. And one of the greatest aspects of this love is to follow him in his abstinence of this world, his being suffices with a little and his turning to and desiring of the everlasting Hereafter.

The Miracles of the Prophet Muhammad [salAllahu alayhi wa salam]
Imâm an-Nawawî
From ‘Life of the Messenger’

The Messenger of Allâh possesses many manifest miracles and signs demonstrating [his veracity], reaching thousands and they are well known.

From amongst them was the Qur’ân, the manifest and clear miracle and brilliant proof, falsehood cannot approach it from before it or behind it. It is a revelation from One Who is All-Wise and Praiseworthy. It incapacitated the most eloquent of people in the most eloquent of times to produce a single chapter than would be comparable to it, even if the whole of creation were to gather for that purpose. Allâh, the Exalted says,

“Say: if the whole of mankind and the jinn gathered in order to produce the like of this Qur’ân, they could not produce the like of it, even if they assisted each other.” [Al-Isrâ' (17):88]

It challenged them to this despite their large numbers, their eloquence and their severe enmity, and it challenges them to this day.

As for the other miracles, it is not possible to enumerate them all due to their huge number and renewing and increasing nature. I will mention some examples:

The splitting of the moon, water flowing from between his fingers, increasing the quantity of food and water, the glorification of the food, the palm tree yearning for him, stones greeting him, the talking of the poisoned leg [of roasted sheep], trees walking towards him, two trees that were far apart coming together and then parting again, the barren [and therefore dry] sheep giving milk, his returning the eye of Qatâdah bin an-Nu’mân to its place with his hand after it had slipped out, his splitting lightly into the eye of ‘Alî when it had become inflamed and its being cured almost immediately, his wiping the leg of ‘Abdullâh bin ‘Atîq whereupon he was immediately cured.

His informing of the places of death of the polytheists on the Day of Badr saying, ‘this is the place of such-and-such a person.’ His informing of his killing Ubayy ibn Khalaf, that a group of his nation would traverse an ocean and Umm Harâm would be amongst them and this occurred. That all was drawn together for him of the ends of the earth and displayed to him would be opened for his nation, that the treasures of Chosroes would be spend by his nation in the Way of Allâh, the Mighty and Magnificent. That he feared for his nation that they would be tempted by the wealth and allurement of this world and that the treasures of the Persians and Romans would be ours and that Surâqah bin Mâlik would wear the trousers of Chosroes.

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Food and Eating Habits According to the Sunnah
Imaam Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (d.751H)

It is sufficient for the son of Aadam to eat a few mouthfuls, to keep him going. If he must do that (fill his stomach), then let him fill one third with food, one third with drink and one third with air.
FOOD:

[1]: When he put his hand in the food, he would say, “Bismillaah (with the Name of Allaah),’’ and he told people to say this when eating. He said, “When any one of you eats, let him mention the name of Allaah. If he forgets to mention the name of Allaah at the beginning, let him say ‘Bismillaahi fee awwalihi wa aakhirihi,’ (with the name of Allaah, at its beginning and at its end).” [2] The correct view is that it is obligatory to mention the name of Allaah (say Bismillaah) when eating. The ahaadeeth which state this are saheeh (authentic) and are clear, with no contradictions in them.

[2]: When he raised the food to his mouth, he would say, “Al-hamdu lillaahi hamdan katheeran tayyiban mubaarakan feehi ghayri makfiyyin wa laa muwadda’ wa laa mustaghni ’anhu Rabbanaa ’azza wa jall (Allaah be praised with an abundant, beautiful, blessed praise. He is the One Who is Sufficient, Who feeds and is never fed, The One Who is longed for, along with that which is with Him, and the One Who is needed. He is Our Lord, may He be glorified). [3]

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Description of the Prophet (SAW) #1
by Imâm Abû ‘Isâ at-Tirmidhî (d. 279 AH / n/a CE)

With Annotated Notes from the Commentaries of al-Hāfidh al-Munāwī (d. 1003H) «M» and Mullā ‘Alī al-Qārī (d. 1014H) «Q»

With the Name of Allâh, the All-Merciful, the Most Merciful

al-Hâfidh Abû ‘Isâ Muhammad bin ‘Isâ bin Sawrah at-Tirmidhî said:
Chapter One
The Stature and Physical Characteristics of the Messenger of Allâh (SAW)
§1. Abû Rajâ’, Qutaybah bin Sa’îd informed us; from Mâlik bin Anas; from Rabî’ah bin Abû ‘Abdur-Rahmân; that he heard Anas bin Mâlik (RA) saying,

The Messenger of Allâh (SAW) was neither very tall, such that he would be clearly noticed, nor was he short. He was not extremely white and neither was he very brown. His hair was neither very curly nor completely straight.
Allâh commissioned him towards the end (ra’s) of his fortieth year. He remained in Mecca for ten yearsand in Madînah for ten years. Allâh caused him to pass away at the turn of his sixtieth yearand there were not to be found [as much as] twenty white hairs on his head and beard.

* The Messenger of Allâh (SAW) was neither very tall, such that he would be clearly noticed, nor was he short

«Q» Meaning that he was of medium height. His being short has been categorically negated but only his being so tall as to be clearly noticed has been negated, in this lies an indication that he (SAW) was indeed of medium height but leaning towards being described as tall and this is what has been reported about him (SAW) by al-Bayhaqî. There is no contradiction between this and the forthcoming description that he (SAW) was of medium stature because such a statement is relative. This understanding is strengthened by the report of al-Barâ’a, ‘he (SAW) was of medium stature but closer to being described as tall.’ al-Bayhaqî and ibn ‘Asâkir mention that, ‘none would be perceived to be taller than he (SAW), sometimes two tall men would stand on either side of him and he would seem taller than them, yet when they parted he would seem to be of medium height.’ Ibn Saba’, al-Khasâ’is, mentions that when he (SAW) sat, his shoulder was higher than all those sitting around him. It is said in explanation to this, ‘perhaps it was that none could be perceived to be physically above him just as none was spiritually and morally above him.’

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Wrestling is From the Sunnah
Al-Furoosiyyah by Imaam Ibnul-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah

CHAPTER: HIS(SAW) WRESTLING

And as for his (SAW) wrestling, in the Sunan of Aboo Daawood, upon the authority of Muhammad Ibn ’Alee Ibn Rukaanah, who said, “Verily Rukaanah wrestled the Prophet (SAW), and the Prophet (SAW) took him down.” And this hadeeth has a story surrounding it that we will now mention. Our Shaykh, Abul-Hajjaaj al-Haafidh in his book Tahdheebul-Kaamil mentions:

‘‘Rukaanah Ibn ’Abd-Yazeed al-Qurayshee was from those who accepted Islaam upon the conquering of Makkah. And he was the one who wrestled the Prophet (SAW), and the Prophet (SAW) took him down twice or three times. That was before he accepted Islaam. It is said that this was without a doubt the reason he accepted Islaam. This hadeeth is the most firmly established report of the Prophet’s (SAW) wrestling, however, as for what has been mentioned about the Prophet(SAW) wrestling Aboo Jahl, that is baseless.’’

Az-Zubayr Ibn Bukkaar said in his book an-Nasab, ‘‘Rukaanah Ibn ’Abd-Yazeed was the one who wrestled the Prophet(SAW) in Makkah before he embraced Islaam. He was from the strongest and harshest of the people. He said, “If you can take me down, I will believe in you.” So the Prophet (SAW) wrestled him and took him down. He then proclaimed, “I testify that you are a magician!” Later he accepted Islaam.

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