Description of Umm Ma’bad (R.

A) of Rasulullah ‫ﷺ‬

The description of Umm Ma’bad is by far the most comprehensive and

detailed narration we have of Rasulullah ‫ﷺ‬. Umm Ma’bad, who would take
care of travellers who passed by her tent, only saw Rasulullah ‫ ﷺ‬once. During
the Hijrah of Rasulullah ‫ﷺ‬, he stopped by her tent with his companions for
some rest and food.

“It was narrated that Rasulullah ‫ ﷺ‬his servant, a guide and Abu Bakr ra, left
Makkah, passing a tent of an elderly lady called Umm Ma’bad. She would sit
close to the tent and would give food and drink to travellers. So, they asked
her if they could buy some meat or dates from her but she could not find
anything. Rasulullah ‫ ﷺ‬looked towards a sheep next to the tent. They had run
out of provisions and were hungry. Rasulullah ‫ ﷺ‬asked Umm Ma’bad, “What is
wrong with this sheep, dear Umm Ma’bad?”

Umm Ma’bad replied, “The sheep is fatigued and is weaker than the other
sheep.”

Rasulullah ‫ ﷺ‬said, “Does it milk?”

Umm Ma’bad replied, “I swear by your mother and father, if I saw milk from it
then I would milk it.” Rasulullah ‫ ﷺ‬called the sheep and moved his hand over
its udder; he pronounced the name of Allah and praised him. Then he called
Umm Ma’bad when the sheep steadied its feet and its udder filled. He asked
for a large container and milked it until it was filled. The lady drank until full;
his companions (meaning satisfied) drank until full, then the others drank.
Then it was milked for a second time until the container was full and they left
her and continued on their journey.

After a short while, the husband of Umm Ma’bad (Abu Ma’bad) returned from
herding goats that were swaying from weakness. Abu Ma’bad saw the milk
and said to his wife, “Where did you get this milk from, dear Umm Ma’bad.
The sheep is single and there is no milk in the house!”

She replied, “I swear by Allah, a blessed man came to us today”

Abu Ma’bad said, “Describe him to me.”

Umm Ma’bad then began her description on the physical and characters while
you may imagine Rasulullah ‫ ﷺ‬with this description below:
 ‫الَ ض‬
‫َاءة‬ ‫ظاهر ض‬

“His cleanliness was apparent”, the first thing she noticed about Rasulullah ‫ﷺ‬
is that his cleanliness is apparent. Imagine the situation of traveling during that
time; the travellers would be bound to get some dirt on him, yet Rasulullah ‫ﷺ‬
was so clean that it was the first thing noticeable.

‫أ بَْض جُ الَجه‬

“His face was luminous”

‫حسن ال جَُجق‬

“Handsome disposition”

‫لم تعْه ُججب َضة‬

“He did not have a protruding stomach”

‫َ بعَضة‬
‫َلم ت ج بْ رر ْه ض‬

“Nor did he have a small head”

‫سيم‬
‫َ ر‬

“Handsome”

‫َض ر‬
‫سيم‬

“Well proportioned”

‫في َينيه عَ عَج‬

“His eyes had wideness”

‫َفي أشفاره ضَ ضَف‬

“His eyelashes were long”

‫َ ضَل‬
‫َفي ََته ض‬

“And in his voice was raspiness/crackle”

‫س ضَع‬
‫َفي عنقه ض‬

“And his neck was long”

‫أحب ضَر‬

“The white of his eyes is extremely white, and the black of his eyes is
extremely black”

‫أ بْ ضحل‬

“It was as if he had kohl (eyeliner the Arabs used) on naturally”

ّ ‫ض‬
‫أْ ج‬

“Natural arching of his eyebrows”

‫بأَ ضرن‬

“Looked like his two eyebrows met”, this was mentioned by Umm Ma’bad
keeping in mind that she saw him once, other companions said “laysa bi
aqran” he did not have any hair between his eyebrows but it was a vein that
would show when he would be angry. This does not mean that he necessarily
was angry during his stay with Umm Ma’bad but anything that causes blood to
rush to your head, (such as lowering it, to milk a goat for example) could have
caused that.”

‫شديد سَاد الشعر‬

“His hair was extremely black”

‫إذا َمت عله الََار‬

“When he was silent, he would be enveloped in an aura of respect”

‫َإن تَْم عله الْض ضَاء‬

“And if he spoke it was like a light protruding from him”

‫أجمل الناس َأَْاهم من ْعيد‬

“The most beautiful of people from far”

‫َأحسنه َأحله من َريب‬

“And the most beautiful from close”

‫حََ المنَق‬

“His speech was sweet”

‫ل نض بْر‬

“Not short”, Tazar means someone who is very short and brief in their speech;
they do not give you more than a ‘yes/no’ answer. When Rasulullah ‫ ﷺ‬spoke,
he did not speak in this manner.

‫َل ضه ضذر‬

“Not very long”, Hathar is the opposite of Tazar; it is to be very long and
detailed in speech, to keep talking and talking, so much so that it can get
annoying. Likewise, the Prophet Muhammad (Peace and Blessings of Allah
Be upon Him) was not this way.”

‫ْأن منَقه ضُ ضر ضْات نظمن يضتضحددرن‬

“It was as if his speech were beads of a necklace cut”, meaning that his words
fall in order after one another and that his speech was organized.”

‫ َأحسنَم َد ربرا‬،‫ فََ أ بن ضظر الُلُة منظرار‬،‫َنضيبن‬ ‫َُبن ْين ج‬

‫ُ ب‬ ‫ ج‬،‫ َل تشنؤه من ََل‬،‫ل تقحمه عينمن َرَضر‬

“His height does not harm and the eye is not taken over by him, a branch
between two branches, he is more radiant than them and he is most
respected.”

‫له رفقاء يحفَن ْه‬

“His companions would surround him”

‫إذا َال استمعَا لقَله‬

“When he spoke, they would listen attentively to his speech”

‫َإذا أمر تْادرَا إلى أمره‬

“And if he orders they hasten to it fully”

‫ل عضاْرس َل جمفضندد‬