All praise is due to Allāh with Whose grace all good deeds are realised and the Salāh and Salām of Allāh be upon His Messenger, his family, his companions and all of his loyal followers.
The methodology followed in this book is intended to make the book more appealing to all people and so an in-depth research was made to present to the readers selective gems from a wide array of books and references. The diversity of quotes and texts researched and included therein are intended to enrich the content and allow non-Arabic speakers access to classical books and references that are not yet translated. The commentaries used are taken from the works of early and contemporary scholars from the main four schools of thought (i.e. Hanafi, Shafi’ī, Maliki and Hanbali). This diversity of scholars is hoped to bring people closer and make them more accepting and respectful to the scholars without whom we could not have access to this knowledge. It is also hoped that this work will unite the hearts of people from different backgrounds and it is from Allāh’s favours upon us that He united us upon the love of His Prophet. To this effect, the selection criteria of commentaries used in this book is based on the added value and benefit that will be brought forth. To make the book more interesting, the quotes were researched based on the subject matter of the hadīth and this required researching tens of classical books and references that covered a wide array of areas such as history, fiqh, commentaries, creed, tazkiyyah etc. Emphasis was placed upon providing new gems of knowledge (to the English reader) and to present a book with rich content that covers different topics related to fiqh, creed, spirituality and hadīth so as to make it more interesting and to suit all tastes.
The references of the hadīths of the Shama’il were taken from the book of al-Shaykh Abdul Razzaq but as some hadīths were not referenced in his book, I researched the references and gave the reference based on the text and not the chain of narrators, and in the case where the exact words were not found in other sources, I would use the reference of a similar hadīth that has the exact same meaning but may have additions or different wording.
Overall, over forty works were used for the commentary. The commentary was based around the books of four main scholars, two of whom are from the contemporary scholars and the other two from the early scholars: (i) Abdul Razzaq ibn Abdul Muhsin al-Badr, (ii) Ibrahim ibn Muhammad al-Bajūrī al-Shafi’ī, (iii) Ibn Hajar al-Haytamī, (iv) al-Mulla Alī ibn Sultan Muhammad al-Qārī. Below is a list of the main books from which commentaries were selected and translated:
1. Sharh Shama’il al-Nabi, Abdul Razzaq al-Badr (the book consists of the explanation of this book that the Shaykh gave over forty five lessons in the Masjid of the Prophet).
2. Al-Mawahib al-Laduniyyah ‘Ala al-Shama’il al-Muham-madiyyah, Ibrahīm ibn Muhammad al-Bajūrī al-Shaf’ī (1198 H.–1277 H.), 2nd Edition (2007), Dar al-Minhaj, Jeddah.
3. Ashraf al-Wasā’il Ila Fahm al-Shama’il, Shihab al-Dīn Ahmad Ibn Hajar al-Haytamī (974 H.), 1st Edition (1998), Dār al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut.
4. Jam’ al-Wasa’il Fi Sharh al-Wasa’il, Ali ibn Sultan Muhammad, Abu al-Hasan, Noor al-Dīn al-Mulla al-Qārī (1014 H.), al-Matb’āh al-Sharafiyyah (1901), Egypt.
5. Fathul Bāri Sharh Sahīh al-Bukhārī, al-Hafidh Ahmad ibn Hali ibn Hajar, Abu al-Fadl al-‘Asqalānī (852 H.), Dār al-Salam, al-Riyadh and Dār al-Fayhaa, Damascus, 3rd Edition (2000).
6. Al-Minhāj Bi Sharh Sahīh Muslim ibn al-Hajjāj, Muhiy al-Dīn ibn Yahya ibn Sharaf al-Nawawī (676 H.), Dār Ibn Hazm, Beirut, 1st Edition (2002).
7. Tuhfatul Ahwadhi bi Sharh Jami’ al-Tirmidhi, Abu al ‘Ula Muhammad ‘Abdul Rahman ibn Abd al-Rahīm al-Mubarakfuri (1353 H.), Dār al-Hadīth, Cairo, 1st Edition (2001).
8. Al-Istidhkār al-Jāmi’ Li Madhahib Fuqahā al-Amsār wa ‘Ulamā’ al-Aqtaar, Yūsuf ibn Abdullāh ibn Mohammed ibn Abdul Barr, Abu Umar al-Namari al-Andalusi al-Qurtubi al-Maliki (463 H.), Dār Qutaybah, Damascus, 1st Edition (1993).
9. Zād al-Ma’ād fi Hady Khayril ‘Ibād, Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr ibn Ayyob ibn Sa’d Shams al-dīn, Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (751 H.), Mu’assasatu al-Risalah, Beirut, 27th Edition (1994).
10. Zahratu al-Khama’il ‘Ala al-Shama’il, ‘Abdul Rahman ibn Abi Bakr, Jalal al-Deen al-Suyūti (911 H.), Maktabatu al-Quran, Cairo, (1988).
11. Sharh Riyād al-Salihīn, Muhammad ibn Salih ibn Muhammad al-‘Uthaymīn (1421 H.), Daar al-Watan, al-Riyadh (1426 H.).
12. Sharh Musnad Abu Hanifah, Ali ibn Sultan Muhammad, Abu al-Hasan, Nūr al-Dīn al-Mulla al-Qārī (1014 H.), Dār al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1st Edition (1985).
13. Subul al-Salām Sharh Bulūgh al-Maram, Muhammad ibn Ismail ibn Salah al-Amīr al-Kahlani al-San’āni (1182 H.), Dār al-Hadīth, Cairo.
14. Sharh Sahih al-Bukhāri, Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Khalaf ibn ‘Abdil Malik, Ibn Battal, (449 H.), Maktabtu al-Rushd, Al-Riyadh, 2nd Edition (2003).
15. Kifayatu al-Hajah fi Sharh Sunan Ibn Majah, Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Hādi al-Tatawi, Abu al-Hasan Nūr al-Dīn al-Sindi (1138 H.), Dār al-Jīl, Beirut.
16. Faydul Qadīr Sharh al-Jāmi’ al-Saghīr, Zain al-Dīn Muhammad, ‘Abdil Ra’ūf ibn Tāj al-‘Arifyīn ibn ‘Ali ibn Zain al-‘Abidīn al-Minnawi (1031 H.), al-Maktabah al-Tijāryyah al-Kubra, Egypt, 1st Edition (1356 H.).
17. Libāb al-Ta’wīl Fi Ma’ani al-Tanzīl, ‘Alā al-Dīn Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Ibrahim ibn Umar, Abu al-Hasan, also known as al-Khazin (741 H.), Dār al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1st Edition (1415 H.).
18. Muntaha al-So’l ‘Ala Wasa’il al-Wussūl Ila Shama’il al-Rasūl, Abdullah ibn Sa’īd ibn Muhammad al-Hadrami al-Makki (1410 H.), Dār al-Minhāj, Jeddah, 3rd Edition (2005).
19. Adwā al-Bayān Fi Iydāh al-Quran bil Qurān, Muhammad al-Amīn ibn Muhammad al-Mukhtaar al-Shanqīti (1393 H.), Dār al-Fikr, Beirut (1995).
20. Buhjat al-Mahafil wa Bughyat al-Amāthil Fi Talkhīs al-Mu’jizat wal Siyar wal Shama’il, Yahya ibn Abi Bakr Ibn Muhammad ibn Yahya al’Amri (893 H.), Dār Sādir, Beirut.
21. Latā’if al-Ma’ārif fima lima wasim al-‘Aam min al-Wadha’if, Zain al-dīn ‘Abdul Rahmān ibn Ahmad ibn Rajab al-Hanbali (795 H.), Dār Ibn Hazm, 1st Edition (2004).
22. Nail al-Awtār, Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Abdullah al-Shawkani (1250 H.), Dār al-Hadīth, Egypt, 1st Edition (1993).
23. Ihyā’ ‘Ulūm al-Dīn, Abu Hamid, Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Ghazali (505 H.), Dār al-Ma’rifah, Beirut.
24. Madārij al-Salikīn Bayna Manazil Iyyaka Na’bud wa Iyyak Na’sta’īn, Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr ibn Ayyūb ibn Sa’d Shams al-Dīn, Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (751 H.), Dar al-Kitāb al-Arabi, Beirut, 3rd Edition (1996).
25. ‘Uyūn al-Athar Fi Funūn al-Maghazi wal Shama’il wal Siyar, Muhammad ibn Muhammad, Ibn Sayyid al-Nās (734 H.), Dār al-Qalam, Beirut, 2nd Edition (1993).
26. Mukhtasar al-Shama’il al-Muhammadiyyah, Nasiruddin al-Albani, Maktabat al-Marif, Riyadh.