The Shama’il of Imām al-Tirmidhī is one of the most extensive and celebrated works on the description and attributes of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh). The 415 narrations were carefully selected by the great muhaddith to craft a vivid depiction of the Prophet (pbuh). Through this, a portrait of his blessed physical appearance, habits, worship, daily routine, spirituality and much more is painted by those most beloved to him: his noble companions and family members.

To aid the reader in extracting the maximum beauty and wisdom from the narrations, we have carefully selected explanatory gems from over forty classical and contemporary works. Some of the scholars from whom we have taken include: Abdul Razzaq al-Badr, Ibn Hajar al-Asqalanī, Alī al-Qārī, Al-Bajūrī, Ibn Hajar al-Haytamī, Abū Bakr ibn al-‘Arabī , Al-Nawawī, Ibn al-Uthaymīn, Al-Ghazālī, Qadī ‘Iyyād, Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibn al-Qayyim, Al-Shawkānī, Muhammad Amīn al-Shanqītī, Ibn Abdul Barr, Ibn Rajab, Al-Qastalanī, Ibn Kathīr, Abdul Rahman al-Mubarakfūrī, Abū Hafs al-Sūhrawardī, Ibn al-Jawzī, Abdul Muhsin al-Abbad, Al-Suyūtī, Hafith al-Iraqī, Al-San’anī, Ibn Battal, Nasiruddīn al-Albānī and many more.

Ibn Kathīr said, “Scholars authored many titles on the depiction of the Prophet (pbuh), some of which were dedicated books and some of which were chapters in books. From the best books authored about the depiction of the Prophet (pbuh) is the book of Abū 'Īsa, Muhammad ibn 'Īsa al-Sulamī al-Tirmidhi, known as al-Shama'il” [Al -Bidaya wal Nihayah 8/385].

Abdul Razzaq al-Badr said, "This blessed book is from the best and most beneficial books written about the character and depiction of the Prophet (pbuh) and its author made it such an excellent work through his structuring of it and the hadiths he included therein. This is the reason why many scholars praise the book and consider it from the best books authored about this topic."

Muslims all over the world see Muhammad as God's last messenger to mankind, and, for every community that wants to live under God's guidance, the Prophet Muhammad's character and conduct is the light showing the way to God's pleasure. The Prophet's miracle was to give to humanity a system of life that provides for all the needs of body, mind and soul, and elevates man's aspirations towards a sublime ideal. Through his actions, he showed the way to achieve all this in a very simple, direct and truthful manner. He built a state that was dedicated to truth and justice and to the liberation of man throughout the world. He wrote to emperors, kings and rulers, calling on them to believe in God and to follow His message, yet, at the same time, he lived a life of poverty, leaving aside the riches that were offered to him.

This beautiful presentation of the Prophet Muhammad's (s) teachings engages the reader in a moment of daily reflection. With 365 traditions covering the whole year, this is a must for every home. Apart from setting out the Islamic worldview, as reflected in the Prophet's sayings, it is hoped that this work will serve as a useful volume for reflection, for soul-searching and for self -development as a single hadith appears on each of its pages, it has been designed to engage readers in a few moments of daily self-reflection throughout the year.
Abdur Raheem Kidwai is Professor of English at the Aligarh Muslim University in India and the well-known author of many works on the Qur'an and Islam.

Named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most important innovators of the century, Tariq Ramadan is a leading Muslim scholar, with a large following especially among young European and American Muslims. Now, in his first book written for a wide audience, he offers a marvelous biography of the Prophet Muhammad, one that highlights the spiritual and ethical teachings of one of the most influential figures in human history. Here is a fresh and perceptive look at Muhammad, capturing a life that was often eventful, gripping, and highly charged. Ramadan provides both an intimate portrait of a man who was shy, kind, but determined, as well as a dramatic chronicle of a leader who launched a great religion and inspired a vast empire. More important, Ramadan presents the main events of the Prophet's life in a way that highlights his spiritual and ethical teachings. The book underscores the significance of the Prophet's example for some of today's most controversial issues, such as the treatment of the poor, the role of women, Islamic criminal punishments, war, racism, and relations with other religions. Selecting those facts and stories from which we can draw a profound and vivid spiritual picture, the author asks how can the Prophet's life remain -- or become again -- an example, a model, and an inspiration? And how can Muslims move from formalism -- a fixation on ritual -- toward a committed spiritual and social presence? In this thoughtful and engaging biography, Ramadan offers Muslims a new understanding of Muhammad's life and he introduces non-Muslims not just to the story of the Prophet, but to the spiritual and ethical riches of Islam.

Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall was an English traveler, novelist, polemicist, and educationist who embraced Islam in 1917. His travels throughout the Muslim world formed the basis of several of his novels set in the Middle East and allowed him to become fluent in Arabic, Turkish, and Urdu.

After his conversion, he served as the acting imam of the London Mosque (Notting Hill), worked for 15 years with Muslims in the Indian subcontinent as the editor of Islamic Culture (Hyderabad, India), and served as the Nizam's advisor and publisher. He wrote and published more than 25 books. Among them was his well-known work The Meaning of the Glorious Qur' an: Explanatory Translation.