Reading a research paper on the description of 'Isa (peace be upon him).
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The student: In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, upon whom we rely and from whom we seek help, and may prayers and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and all his Companions. As for what follows, this is some of what I have compiled regarding the description of 'Isa (peace be upon him).
Al-Bukhari narrated in his Sahih, in the Book of Prophets, in the chapter on the saying of Allah the Exalted:[Maryam 19:16].
He said: Ibrahim ibn Musa narrated to us, saying: Hisham informed me, from Ma'mar... and Mahmud informed me... saying: 'Abd al-Razzaq narrated to us, saying: Ma'mar informed me, from al-Zuhri, saying: Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib informed me, from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), saying: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said.
The Shaykh : May Allah send prayers and peace upon him.
The student: On the night of the Ascension:Jami` at-Tirmidhi 3130Sahih (Darussalam) He said: So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) described him, saying: Sahih al-Bukhari 3437.
He said: Muhammad ibn Kathir narrated to us, saying: Isra'il informed us, saying: Uthman ibn al-Mughirah informed us, from Mujahid, from Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both), saying:Sahih al-Bukhari 3438.
And he said: Ibrahim ibn al-Mundhir narrated to us, saying: Abu Dhamrah narrated to us, saying: Musa narrated to us, from Nafi'... 'Abdullah:Sahih al-Bukhari 3439, 3440 the hadith.
And in it also:Sahih al-Bukhari 3439, 3440. 'Ubayd Allah followed him, from Nafi'.
And he said: Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Makki narrated to us, saying: I heard Ibrahim ibn Sa'd, saying: al-Zuhri narrated to me, from Salim, from his father, saying: the hadith. ... the Dajjal.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The student: And I found in the Book of the Beginning of Creation, in the chapter on the mention of the angels...
The Shaykh : Beginning, the beginning of creation.
The student: In the Book of the Beginning of Creation, in the chapter on the mention of the angels, from Abu al-'Aliyah, from Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), it is in the chain... from Abu al-'Aliyah, from Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both)... the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sahih al-Bukhari 3239.
The Shaykh : Smooth-haired.
The reciter: Thus, the descriptions of 'Isa (peace be upon him) are gathered: he was of medium stature and reddish in complexion, as narrated by Abu Hurayrah; he was reddish, with curly hair and a broad chest, as narrated by Mujahid from Ibn 'Abbas; Adam had rough hair, as narrated by 'Ubayd Allah from Nafi' from Ibn 'Umar; Adam had smooth hair, as narrated by Salim from Ibn 'Umar; and he was of medium build, with a complexion between red and white, and smooth hair, as narrated by Abu al-'Aliyah from Ibn 'Abbas.
And Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned in al-Fath, commenting on his saying:Sahih al-Bukhari 3394, that the intended meaning is describing him with the clarity of color, the freshness of the body, and the abundance of moisture in the face, as if he had been in a bath and came out of it. And he said: It is possible that the literal meaning is intended, due to the narration of Ibn 'Umar: "His head drips with water" and "Water drips from his head." And it is possible that it is an allusion to the extra freshness of his face, supported by the narration of Abu Hurayrah in Ahmad: "Water drips from his head, even though he has not been wetted."
And his saying: "Rajil al-sha'r" means he oiled and combed his hair. And it was mentioned in the narration of Salim that he was smooth-haired, and in the narration of Ibn 'Abbas that he was curly. Curly is the opposite of smooth, so it is possible to reconcile them by saying he was smooth-haired, and the description of curliness applies to his body, not his hair, meaning its density and compactness. This difference is similar to the difference in whether he was dark-complexioned or reddish.
And "reddish" among the Arabs means intense whiteness with a touch of redness, while "dark-complexioned" means brownish. And it is possible to reconcile them by saying he was reddish in color due to fatigue, while his original complexion was brownish.
Then he said: Abu Hurayrah agreed that 'Isa was reddish, so it appears that Ibn 'Umar denied something that others had preserved. As for al-Dawudi's statement that the narration of those who said he was dark-complexioned is more established, I do not know where he got that from, given the agreement of Abu Hurayrah and Ibn 'Abbas in contradicting Ibn 'Umar. And in the narration of 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Adam from Abu Hurayrah in the description of 'Isa, it is stated: "He was of medium stature, leaning toward redness and whiteness."
And regarding the part that occurred from Ibn 'Umar, Ibn Hajar said: "The explanation of reconciling what Ibn 'Umar denied and what others affirmed has been mentioned previously. And in it is the permissibility of swearing an oath based on a predominant suspicion, because Ibn 'Umar suspected that the description had been confused by the narrator, and that the one described as reddish was the Dajjal, not 'Isa. And it is close to the fact that both are called al-Masih. It is a description of praise for 'Isa and a description of blame for the Dajjal, as mentioned previously. And it seems that Ibn 'Umar heard a definitive report in the description of 'Isa that he was dark-complexioned, so it was permissible for him to swear to that..."
The Shaykh : Swearing.
The reader: Swearing to that, because it was predominant in his suspicion that the one who described him as reddish was mistaken.
As for al-Nawawi, he said in his commentary on Muslim, Book of Faith, Part Two: "It is permissible to interpret 'reddish' as 'dark-complexioned,' and the intended meaning is not the literal darkness or redness, but what is close to them, and Allah knows best" .
And in al-Qastallani's commentary, he said regarding the hadith in the Beginning of Creation, in his saying: "Neither of them was intense" .
And he said in the Book of Prophets: "As for 'Isa, he was reddish, meaning the color, and among the Arabs this means intense whiteness with a touch of redness" .
And also in 'Umdat al-Qari, meaning he mentioned what was previously stated...
The Shaykh : And Allah is closer to the truth, and Allah knows best, that his brownishness was not intense and his redness was not intense, so he was in between. So whoever stated he was reddish did so because of his closeness to redness, and whoever stated he was dark-complexioned did so because of his closeness to brownishness. And this is better than the saying of Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him): "Perhaps something occurred to him that made his face redden," for the original state is the opposite of that. Yes?
Al-Bukhari narrated in his Sahih, in the Book of Prophets, in the chapter on the saying of Allah the Exalted:
And mention, [O Muhammad], in the Book [the story of] Mary, when she withdrew from her family to a place toward the east.
وَاذكُر فِي الكِتابِ مَريَمَ إِذِ انتَبَذَت مِن أَهلِها مَكانًا شَرقِيًّاHe said: Ibrahim ibn Musa narrated to us, saying: Hisham informed me, from Ma'mar... and Mahmud informed me... saying: 'Abd al-Razzaq narrated to us, saying: Ma'mar informed me, from al-Zuhri, saying: Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib informed me, from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), saying: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said.
The Shaykh : May Allah send prayers and peace upon him.
The student: On the night of the Ascension:
I met Musa." He described him saying: "He was a man who was" and I think he said: "A thin man, whose hair was as if he was a man from Shanu'ah."
لقيت موسى، قال: فنعته، فإذا رجل - حسبته قال - مضطرب رجِل الرأس، كأنه من رجال شنوءةAnd I met 'Isa
ولقيت عيسىHe was one of moderate height and was red-faced as if he had just come out of a bathroom. I saw Abraham whom I resembled more than any of his children did.
ربعة أحمر، كأنه خرج من ديماس - يعني الحمام -، ورأيت إبراهيم وأنا أشبه ولده بهHe said: Muhammad ibn Kathir narrated to us, saying: Isra'il informed us, saying: Uthman ibn al-Mughirah informed us, from Mujahid, from Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both), saying:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "I saw Moses, Jesus and Abraham (on the night of my Ascension to the heavens). Jesus was of red complexion, curly hair and a broad chest. Moses was of brown complexion, straight hair and tall stature as if he was from the people of Az-Zutt."
قال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلّم: رأيت عيسى وموسى وإبراهيم، فأما عيسى فأحمر جعد عريض الصدر، وأما موسى، فآدم جسيم سبط، كأنه من رجال الزطAnd he said: Ibrahim ibn al-Mundhir narrated to us, saying: Abu Dhamrah narrated to us, saying: Musa narrated to us, from Nafi'... 'Abdullah:
The Prophet (ﷺ) mentioned the Masih Ad-Dajjal in front of the people saying, Allah is not one-eyed while Masih Ad-Dajjal is blind in the right eye and his eye looks like a bulging out grape. While sleeping near the Ka`ba last night, I saw in my dream a man of brown color the best one can see amongst brown color and his hair was long that it fell between his shoulders. His hair was lank and water was dribbling from his head
ذكر النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم، يوما بين ظهري الناس المسيح الدجال، فقال: إن الله ليس بأعور، ألا إن المسيح الدجال أعور العين اليمنى، كأن عينه عنبة طافية، وأراني الليلة عند الكعبة في المنام، فإذا رجل ءادم، كأحسن ما يُرى من أدم الرجال، تضرب لمّته بين منكبيه، رجِل الشعر، يقطر رأسه ماءAnd in it also:
Behind him I saw a man who had very curly hair and was blind in the right eye, resembling Ibn Qatan (i.e. an infidel) in appearance. He was placing his hands on the shoulders of a person while performing Tawaf around the Ka`ba. I asked, 'Who is this? 'They replied, 'The Masih, Ad-Dajjal.'
ثم رأيت رجلا جعدا قططا أعور العين اليمنى، كأشبه من رأيت بابن قطن، واضعا يديه على منكبي رجل يطوف بالبيت، فقلت: من هذا؟ قالوا: المسيح الدجالAnd he said: Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Makki narrated to us, saying: I heard Ibrahim ibn Sa'd, saying: al-Zuhri narrated to me, from Salim, from his father, saying:
No, by Allah, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not say that 'Isa was red, but he said: “While I was sleeping and circumambulating the Ka'bah, I saw a man of reddish-brown complexion, with straight hair, being supported between two men, his head dripping with water. I said: ‘Who is this?’ They said: ‘The son of Maryam.’ Then I moved, and there was a red, large man, with curly hair, one-eyed in his right eye.”
لا والله ما قال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلّم لعيسى أحمر، ولكن قال: بينما أنا نائم أطوف بالكعبة، فإذا رجل ءادم، سبط الشعر، يُهادى بين رجلين، ينطف رأسه ماء، فقلت: من هذا؟ قالوا: ابن مريم، فذهبت، فإذا رجل أحمر جسيم، جعد الرأس، أعور عينه اليمنىThe Shaykh : Yes.
The student: And I found in the Book of the Beginning of Creation, in the chapter on the mention of the angels...
The Shaykh : Beginning, the beginning of creation.
The student: In the Book of the Beginning of Creation, in the chapter on the mention of the angels, from Abu al-'Aliyah, from Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), it is in the chain... from Abu al-'Aliyah, from Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both)... the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
On the night of my Ascent to the Heaven, I saw Moses who was a tall brown curlyhaired man as if he was one of the men of Shan'awa tribe, and I saw Jesus, a man of medium height and moderate complexion inclined to the red and white colors and of lank hair.
رأيت ليلة أسري بي موسى رجلا ءادم طوالا جعدا، كأنه من رجال شنوءة، ورأيت عيسى رجلا مربوعا، مربوع الخلق، إلى الحمرة والبياض، سبِط الرأسThe Shaykh : Smooth-haired.
The reciter:
With straight hair.
سبط الرأسAnd Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned in al-Fath, commenting on his saying:
as if he had just come out of a bathroom
كأنما خرج من ديماسAnd his saying: "Rajil al-sha'r" means he oiled and combed his hair. And it was mentioned in the narration of Salim that he was smooth-haired, and in the narration of Ibn 'Abbas that he was curly. Curly is the opposite of smooth, so it is possible to reconcile them by saying he was smooth-haired, and the description of curliness applies to his body, not his hair, meaning its density and compactness. This difference is similar to the difference in whether he was dark-complexioned or reddish.
And "reddish" among the Arabs means intense whiteness with a touch of redness, while "dark-complexioned" means brownish. And it is possible to reconcile them by saying he was reddish in color due to fatigue, while his original complexion was brownish.
Then he said: Abu Hurayrah agreed that 'Isa was reddish, so it appears that Ibn 'Umar denied something that others had preserved. As for al-Dawudi's statement that the narration of those who said he was dark-complexioned is more established, I do not know where he got that from, given the agreement of Abu Hurayrah and Ibn 'Abbas in contradicting Ibn 'Umar. And in the narration of 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Adam from Abu Hurayrah in the description of 'Isa, it is stated: "He was of medium stature, leaning toward redness and whiteness."
And regarding the part that occurred from Ibn 'Umar, Ibn Hajar said: "The explanation of reconciling what Ibn 'Umar denied and what others affirmed has been mentioned previously. And in it is the permissibility of swearing an oath based on a predominant suspicion, because Ibn 'Umar suspected that the description had been confused by the narrator, and that the one described as reddish was the Dajjal, not 'Isa. And it is close to the fact that both are called al-Masih. It is a description of praise for 'Isa and a description of blame for the Dajjal, as mentioned previously. And it seems that Ibn 'Umar heard a definitive report in the description of 'Isa that he was dark-complexioned, so it was permissible for him to swear to that..."
The Shaykh : Swearing.
The reader: Swearing to that, because it was predominant in his suspicion that the one who described him as reddish was mistaken.
As for al-Nawawi, he said in his commentary on Muslim, Book of Faith, Part Two: "It is permissible to interpret 'reddish' as 'dark-complexioned,' and the intended meaning is not the literal darkness or redness, but what is close to them, and Allah knows best" .
And in al-Qastallani's commentary, he said regarding the hadith in the Beginning of Creation, in his saying:
Leaning toward redness and whiteness.
إلى الحمرة والبياضAnd he said in the Book of Prophets: "As for 'Isa, he was reddish, meaning the color, and among the Arabs this means intense whiteness with a touch of redness" .
And also in 'Umdat al-Qari, meaning he mentioned what was previously stated...
The Shaykh : And Allah is closer to the truth, and Allah knows best, that his brownishness was not intense and his redness was not intense, so he was in between. So whoever stated he was reddish did so because of his closeness to redness, and whoever stated he was dark-complexioned did so because of his closeness to brownishness. And this is better than the saying of Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him): "Perhaps something occurred to him that made his face redden," for the original state is the opposite of that. Yes?