The Description He Left
The description attributed to al-Harith ibn Abi Hala, transmitted through the chain: al-Harith → Fatima al-Zahra → al-Hasan ibn Ali → the traditions, describes the Prophet as:
- Stature: neither too tall nor too short; above medium height with a well-proportioned frame
- Face: luminous (mutallil al-wajh), like the full moon; broad forehead; long eyelashes; fine eyebrows that did not join; a slight raise at the bridge of the nose; a dense beard; broad shoulders
- Movement: when he walked, he inclined slightly forward, moving with energy as if descending a slope
- Character: always composed (mutawassi’ al-sadri); when he smiled, his teeth shone like hailstones; he was not loud or harsh but dignified and unhurried
This description became the foundation of the hilya literary genre — the verbal portrait of the Prophet — which later traditions elaborated and which was displayed in Ottoman manuscripts as a devotional text.
The Genre He Founded
The hilya (verbal portrait) genre, in which the Prophet’s appearance and character are described in words for the reader to form an inner image, derives substantially from the al-Harith tradition. In Ottoman Turkish piety, calligraphic hilya panels — rendering this description in beautiful script — were framed and displayed as a substitute for pictorial depictions.
See also: Seerah Khadijah, Seerah Jafar Ibn Abi Talib, Seerah Sad Ibn Muadh, Ilm Al Sirah, Seerah Imran Ibn Husayn