Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
tirmidhi:3623Qutaybah > Mālik b. Anas > al-Anṣārī > Maʿn > Mālik b. Anas > Rabīʿah b. Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥman > Anas b. Mālik

"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was not very tall nor was he [very] short, nor was he pale white, nor was he brown, nor was the wave of his hair completely curly nor straight. Allah sent him at the beginning of his forties and he stayed in Makkah for ten years, and in Al-Madinah for ten years. And Allah took him at the beginning of his sixties, and there were not more than twenty white hairs on his head or in his beard."  

Abū ʿĪsá said that this Ḥadīth is Ḥasan-Ṣaḥīḥ.
الترمذي:٣٦٢٣حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ عَنْ مَالِكِ بْنِ أَنَسٍ وَحَدَّثَنَا الأَنْصَارِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا مَعْنٌ حَدَّثَنَا مَالِكُ بْنُ أَنَسٍ عَنْ رَبِيعَةَ بْنِ أَبِي عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ

أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ أَنَسَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ يَقُولُ لَمْ يَكُنْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِالطَّوِيلِ الْبَائِنِ وَلاَ بِالْقَصِيرِ الْمُتَرَدِّدِ وَلاَ بِالأَبْيَضِ الأَمْهَقِ وَلاَ بِالآدَمِ وَلَيْسَ بِالْجَعْدِ الْقَطَطِ وَلاَ بِالسَّبِطِ بَعَثَهُ اللَّهُ عَلَى رَأْسِ أَرْبَعِينَ سَنَةً فَأَقَامَ بِمَكَّةَ عَشْرَ سِنِينَ وَبِالْمَدِينَةِ عَشْرَ سِنِينَ وَتَوَفَّاهُ اللَّهُ عَلَى رَأْسِ سِتِّينَ سَنَةً وَلَيْسَ فِي رَأْسِهِ وَلِحْيَتِهِ عِشْرُونَ شَعْرَةً بَيْضَاءَ  

قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ

See similar narrations below:

Collected by Bukhārī, Muslim, Mālik, Aḥmad, Ibn Ḥibbān
bukhari:3547Ibn Bukayr > al-Layth > Khālid > Saʿīd b. Abū Hilāl > Rabīʿah b. Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥman

I heard Anas bin Malik describing the Prophet ﷺ saying, "He was of medium height amongst the people, neither tall nor short; he had a rosy color, neither absolutely white nor deep brown; his hair was neither completely curly nor quite lank. Divine Inspiration was revealed to him when he was forty years old. He stayed ten years in Mecca receiving the Divine Inspiration, and stayed in Medina for ten more years. When he expired, he had scarcely twenty white hairs in his head and beard." Rabiʿa said, "I saw some of his hairs and it was red. When I asked about that, I was told that it turned red because of scent. "  

البخاري:٣٥٤٧حَدَّثَنِي ابْنُ بُكَيْرٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي اللَّيْثُ عَنْ خَالِدٍ عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ أَبِي هِلاَلٍ عَنْ رَبِيعَةَ بْنِ أَبِي عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ قَالَ

سَمِعْتُ أَنَسَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ يَصِفُ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَالَ كَانَ رَبْعَةً مِنَ الْقَوْمِ لَيْسَ بِالطَّوِيلِ وَلاَ بِالْقَصِيرِ أَزْهَرَ اللَّوْنِ لَيْسَ بِأَبْيَضَ أَمْهَقَ وَلاَ آدَمَ لَيْسَ بِجَعْدٍ قَطَطٍ وَلاَ سَبْطٍ رَجِلٍ أُنْزِلَ عَلَيْهِ وَهْوَ ابْنُ أَرْبَعِينَ فَلَبِثَ بِمَكَّةَ عَشْرَ سِنِينَ يُنْزَلُ عَلَيْهِ وَبِالْمَدِينَةِ عَشْرَ سِنِينَ وَلَيْسَ فِي رَأْسِهِ وَلِحْيَتِهِ عِشْرُونَ شَعَرَةً بَيْضَاءَ قَالَ رَبِيعَةُ فَرَأَيْتُ شَعَرًا مِنْ شَعَرِهِ فَإِذَا هُوَ أَحْمَرُ فَسَأَلْتُ فَقِيلَ احْمَرَّ مِنَ الطِّيبِ  

bukhari:3548ʿAbdullāh b. Yūsuf > Mālik b. Anas > Rabīʿah b. Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥman > Anas b. Mālik > Samiʿah

Messenger of Allah ﷺ was neither very tall nor short, neither absolutely white nor deep brown. His hair was neither curly nor lank. Allah sent him (as an Apostle) when he was forty years old. Afterwards he resided in Mecca for ten years and in Medina for ten more years. When Allah took him unto Him, there was scarcely twenty white hairs in his head and beard.  

البخاري:٣٥٤٨حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ يُوسُفَ أَخْبَرَنَا مَالِكُ بْنُ أَنَسٍ عَنْ رَبِيعَةَ بْنِ أَبِي عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ ؓ

أَنَّهُ سَمِعَهُ يَقُولُ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لَيْسَ بِالطَّوِيلِ الْبَائِنِ وَلاَ بِالْقَصِيرِ وَلاَ بِالأَبْيَضِ الأَمْهَقِ وَلَيْسَ بِالآدَمِ وَلَيْسَ بِالْجَعْدِ الْقَطَطِ وَلاَ بِالسَّبْطِ بَعَثَهُ اللَّهُ عَلَى رَأْسِ أَرْبَعِينَ سَنَةً فَأَقَامَ بِمَكَّةَ عَشْرَ سِنِينَ وَبِالْمَدِينَةِ عَشْرَ سِنِينَ فَتَوَفَّاهُ اللَّهُ وَلَيْسَ فِي رَأْسِهِ وَلِحْيَتِهِ عِشْرُونَ شَعْرَةً بَيْضَاءَ  

bukhari:5900Ismāʿīl > Mālik b. Anas > Rabīʿah b. Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥman > Anas b. Mālik > Samiʿah

The Prophet ﷺ was neither conspicuously tall, nor short; neither, very white, nor tawny. His hair was neither much curled, nor very straight. Allah sent him (as an Apostle) at the age of forty (and after that) he stayed for ten years in Mecca, and for ten more years in Medina. Allah took him unto Him at the age of sixty, and he scarcely had ten white hairs on his head and in his beard.  

البخاري:٥٩٠٠حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي مَالِكُ بْنُ أَنَسٍ عَنْ رَبِيعَةَ بْنِ أَبِي عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ ؓ

أَنَّهُ سَمِعَهُ يَقُولُ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لَيْسَ بِالطَّوِيلِ الْبَائِنِ وَلاَ بِالْقَصِيرِ وَلَيْسَ بِالأَبْيَضِ الأَمْهَقِ وَلَيْسَ بِالآدَمِ وَلَيْسَ بِالْجَعْدِ الْقَطَطِ وَلاَ بِالسَّبْطِ بَعَثَهُ اللَّهُ عَلَى رَأْسِ أَرْبَعِينَ سَنَةً فَأَقَامَ بِمَكَّةَ عَشْرَ سِنِينَ وَبِالْمَدِينَةِ عَشْرَ سِنِينَ وَتَوَفَّاهُ اللَّهُ عَلَى رَأْسِ سِتِّينَ سَنَةً وَلَيْسَ فِي رَأْسِهِ وَلِحْيَتِهِ عِشْرُونَ شَعَرَةً بَيْضَاءَ  

muslim:2347aYaḥyá b. Yaḥyá > Mālik > Rabīʿah b. Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥman > Anas b. Mālik > Samiʿah

Anas b. Malik reported that Messenger of Allah ﷺ was neither very conspicuously tall nor short-statured, and his color was neither glaringly white nor brown; his hair was neither very curly nor very straight; Allah commissioned him (as a Prophet) when he had reached the age of forty years, and he stayed in Mecca for ten years and for ten years in Medina; Allah took him away when he had just reached the age of sixty, and there had not been twenty white hair in his head and beard.  

مسلم:٢٣٤٧aحَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى قَالَ قَرَأْتُ عَلَى مَالِكٍ عَنْ رَبِيعَةَ بْنِ أَبِي عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ

أَنَّهُ سَمِعَهُ يَقُولُ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لَيْسَ بِالطَّوِيلِ الْبَائِنِ وَلاَ بِالْقَصِيرِ وَلَيْسَ بِالأَبْيَضِ الأَمْهَقِ وَلاَ بِالآدَمِ وَلاَ بِالْجَعْدِ الْقَطَطِ وَلاَ بِالسَّبِطِ بَعَثَهُ اللَّهُ عَلَى رَأْسِ أَرْبَعِينَ سَنَةً فَأَقَامَ بِمَكَّةَ عَشْرَ سِنِينَ وَبِالْمَدِينَةِ عَشْرَ سِنِينَ وَتَوَفَّاهُ اللَّهُ عَلَى رَأْسِ سِتِّينَ سَنَةً وَلَيْسَ فِي رَأْسِهِ وَلِحْيَتِهِ عِشْرُونَ شَعْرَةً بَيْضَاءَ  

malik:49-1Mālik > Rabīʿah b. Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥman > Anas b. Mālik > Samiʿah

Yahya related to me from Malik that Rabia ibn Abi Abd ar-Rahman heard Anas ibn Malik say, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was not excessively tall or short. He was not very pallid nor dark. He did not have curly hair or lank hair. Allah commissioned him at the age of forty. He stayed in Makka ten years and at Madina for ten years and Allah the Mighty, the Majestic made him die when he was sixty. There were not twenty white hairs in his hair or beard ﷺ."  

مالك:٤٩-١حَدَّثَنِي عَنْ مَالِكٍ عَنْ رَبِيعَةَ بْنِ أَبِي عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَهُ

يَقُولُ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لَيْسَ بِالطَّوِيلِ الْبَائِنِ وَلاَ بِالْقَصِيرِ وَلَيْسَ بِالأَبْيَضِ الأَمْهَقِ وَلاَ بِالآدَمِ وَلاَ بِالْجَعْدِ الْقَطَطِ وَلاَ بِالسَّبِطِ بَعَثَهُ اللَّهُ عَلَى رَأْسِ أَرْبَعِينَ سَنَةً فَأَقَامَ بِمَكَّةَ عَشْرَ سِنِينَ وَبِالْمَدِينَةِ عَشْرَ سِنِينَ وَتَوَفَّاهُ اللَّهُ ﷻ عَلَى رَأْسِ سِتِّينَ سَنَةً وَلَيْسَ فِي رَأْسِهِ وَلِحْيَتِهِ عِشْرُونَ شَعْرَةً بَيْضَاءَ ﷺ  

ahmad:13519Abū Salamah al-Khuzāʿī > Sulaymān b. Bilāl > Rabīʿah b. Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥman

[Machine] He heard that Anas ibn Malik used to describe the Prophet ﷺ in whatever way he pleased. He said, "Then I heard Anas saying, 'The Prophet ﷺ was a quarter of the people's height, neither short nor tall, with a blooming complexion that wasn't pale nor dark. He had hair that wasn't curly nor straight. He was sent as a prophet at the age of forty and he stayed in Makkah for ten years and in Madinah for ten years. He passed away at the age of sixty, with only twenty white hairs on his head and beard.'"  

أحمد:١٣٥١٩حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو سَلَمَةَ الْخُزَاعِيُّ أَخْبَرَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ بِلَالٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي رَبِيعَةُ بْنُ أَبِي عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ

أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ أَنَسَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ يَنْعَتُ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ بِمَا شَاءَ أَنْ يَنْعَتَهُ قَالَ ثُمَّ سَمِعْتُ أَنَسًا يَقُولُ وَكَانَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ رَبْعَةً مِنَ الْقَوْمِ لَيْسَ بِالْقَصِيرِ وَلَا بِالطَّوِيلِ الْبَائِنِ أَزْهَرَ لَيْسَ بِالْآدَمِ وَلَا بِالْأَبْيَضِ الْأَمْهَقِ رَجِلَ الشَّعْرِ لَيْسَ بِالسَّبْطِ وَلَا الْجَعْدِ الْقَطَطِ بُعِثَ عَلَى رَأْسِ أَرْبَعِينَ أَقَامَ بِمَكَّةَ عَشْرًا وَبِالْمَدِينَةِ عَشْرًا وَتُوُفِّيَ عَلَى رَأْسِ سِتِّينَ سَنَةً لَيْسَ فِي رَأْسِهِ وَلِحْيَتِهِ عِشْرُونَ شَعَرَةً بَيْضَاءَ  

ذِكْرُ وَصْفِ سِنِّ الْمُصْطَفَى ﷺ

ibnhibban:6387ʿUmar b. Saʿīd b. Sinān al-Ṭāʾī Bimanbij And al-Ḥusayn b. Idrīs b. al-Mubārak al-Anṣārī Biharāh > Aḥmad b. Abū Bakr > Mālik > Rabīʿah b. Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥman > Anas b. Mālik > Samiʿah

Anas b. Malik reported that Messenger of Allah ﷺ was neither very conspicuously tall nor short-statured, and his color was neither glaringly white nor brown; his hair was neither very curly nor very straight; Allah commissioned him (as a Prophet) when he had reached the age of forty years, and he stayed in Mecca for ten years and for ten years in Medina; Allah took him away when he had just reached the age of sixty, and there had not been twenty white hair in his head and beard. (Using translation from Muslim 2347a)  

ابن حبّان:٦٣٨٧أَخْبَرَنَا عُمَرُ بْنُ سَعِيدِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ الطَّائِيُّ بِمَنْبِجَ وَالْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ إِدْرِيسَ بْنِ الْمُبَارَكِ الْأَنْصَارِيُّ بِهَرَاةَ قَالَا حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ أَبِي بَكْرٍ عَنْ مَالِكٍ عَنْ رَبِيعَةَ بْنِ أَبِي عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ

أَنَّهُ سَمِعَهُ يَقُولُ «كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لَيْسَ بِالطَّوِيلِ الْبَائِنِ وَلَا بِالْقَصِيرِ وَلَيْسَ بِالْأَبْيَضِ الْأَمْهَقِ وَلَيْسَ بِالْآدَمِ وَلَا بِالْجَعْدِ الْقَطَطِ وَلَا السَّبْطِ بَعَثَهُ اللَّهُ جَلَّ وَعَلَا عَلَى رَأْسِ أَرْبَعِينَ سَنَةً فَأَقَامَ بِمَكَّةَ عَشْرَ سِنِينَ وَبِالْمَدِينَةِ عَشْرَ سِنِينَ وَتَوَفَّاهُ اللَّهُ جَلَّ وَعَلَا عَلَى رَأْسِ سِتِّينَ سَنَةً وَلَيْسَ فِي رَأْسَهِ وَلِحْيَتِهِ عِشْرُونَ شَعْرَةً بَيْضَاءَ ﷺ»