The most handsome
of men in form,
Most truthful in
word and deed;
The poet spoke
true when he said:
No woman has
given birth
To a child more
beautiful than you;
How can our words
capture your beauty,
Your splendour,
your majesty and your perfection
When the likes of
your companions
Resorted to
create new words
To describe you;
O Messenger of
Allah, from a tradition of warriors,
You were broad,
strong and awe-inspiring.
They said you
were of average height,
And yet when you
walked amongst giants
Like Hamza and
Umar,
You were taller,
for you were their master.
O Messenger of
Allah, O Ruby amongst stones,
Your face was
radiant like the full moon,
Just as the moon
guides us in darkness,
So too your noble
face liberates us,
From the darkness
of our own selves;
O Messenger of
Allah, they said
Your hands were
large, full and smooth,
How we yearn for
those hands, for that touch
For that
security, safety and gentleness;
An aquiline nose,
beautiful and radiant
Wide set eyes,
large and oriental at their ends;
O Universal
Prophet, O Prophet of Mercy
Even your eyes
encaptured
The diversity of
your nation;
As did your
complexion, neither white nor black
Rather fair, with
a tinge of redness;
Your blessed
hair, neither coarse nor lank
But rather
between the two;
You are after
all, the Prophet of
The “ummat al-wasata”; the middle
nation;
O Messenger of
Allah, O seal of Prophets
The seal between
your shoulders,
A protection for
your heart,
A guidance for
Salman, a sign for Buhaira
That pigeon-egg
sized mark,
How we yearn to
see it, to witness it
To behold its
light and beauty
And press our
lips against it.
Let us be of
those who behold you
Let us be sincere
in that wish,
And in our desire
to love;
Let us recognise
you at the hawd, Let us drink
From your blessed
hands;
May we work for
you in this world, may we meet you
And you are
pleased with us;
How we yearn for
that smile, that illumination
That would stop
time and light up
The heavens, all
the earth,
And the universe
of our souls.