A complete translation of the Classical Text Al-Sham'ail al-Muhammadiyyah By Imam Muhammad Ibn Isa Al-Tirmidhi (d.297H), With accompanying Biography of the Prophet By Imam Nawawi (d. 676H)
If we truly love Allah, the Most High, it is incumbent that we obey his chosen Messenger, the best of Mankind and the seal of all Prophets. Allah, the Most High instructs him to inform the people: "Say, "If you love Allah, then follow me, Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Most Forgiving and Merciful." Aali Imran 3:31
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessing be upon him) said; "None of you will truly believe until I am more beloved to him than his family, his wealth and all of mankind." Muslim 67
Loving him means following him in all matters, mundane and sacred. This love can only be achieved by knowing about his beautiful qualities, habits, demeanour and commandments.
This precious work, penned by the famous scholar Imam at-Tirmidhi, in which he collected hadiths relating to the Messenger (peace and blessing be upon him). This landmark work shines light on the beauty of the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him). It describes his noble appearance, persona and attributes. You will come to know the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessing be upon him) through the lens of his exalted companions who were devoted to him. They were nurtured by him and spent their lives emulating him. He was their role model and an excellent example for all those who came after them. Allah, the most High, has raised his mention - he is praised in the heavens and here on earth.
Knowing the final Messenger (peace and blessing be upon him) is a requirement for every seeker of truth. This book is a must for every Muslim household, a text that should be studied in every school and madrassah.
Imam At-Tirmidhi (210H - 279H), may Allah have his mercy on his soul, was born during the caliphate of Abbasid khalifa Al-Ma'mmun Abdullah ibn Harun Ar-Rashid, who started the fitna that Quran was a creation of Allah and not His speech. During his lifetime 9 Muslim Khalifas ruled with some being pious and noble while some committing evil and innovations.
Imam At-Tirmazi traveled a lot in quest for seeking knowledge which gave him the expertise needed to become a Faqih and muhadith of his time. Imam At-Tirmizi has related from likes of Imam Bukhari and Muslim. He was one of the outstanding students of Imam Bukhari and also studied under Imam Muslim. Imam Tirmidhi learned extensively from Imam Malik and became known as one of his staff due to his dedication in his learning the knowledge of ahadith.
Many of the scholars of past have highly praised Imam At-Tirmadhi. His book Al-Jami' At-Tirmidhiii is one of the most invaluable books of hadith available to date. Al-Hafiz ibn Al-Athir states in Jami al-Usul: "His sahih book is the best of books, the greatest of them in benefit, the best of them in organization, and the least of them in repetition." Imam Tirmidhi also gained a high status in other sciences of knowledge including Tafsir, Fiqh, and history.
