“He was not deemed blameworthy for thujlah.”
Abū ʿUbayd said: “Thujlah refers to a large belly.” Others held that it means a large head. Abū ʿUbaydah rejected the variant reading, “He was not censured for nuḥlah,” nuḥlah being thinness or frailty.

I say: This is the interpretation adopted by al-Bayhaqī, yet the correct opinion is that of Abū ʿUbayd. Even if one were to contend that it signifies largeness of head, the wording would still be cogent, for she next says: “nor did ṣuʿlah detract from him,” and ṣuʿlah, by unanimous agreement, is smallness of head. From this root the ostrich chick is called ṣuʿl because of its small head; it is also dubbed ẓalīm.

Al-Bayhaqī, however, narrates: “He was not faulted for nuḥlah”—that is, weakness—“nor slighted for ṣuʿlah,” which he glosses as narrowness of the flanks, intending thereby that he was a well-proportioned man, neither swollen nor emaciated. He adds: “It is also transmitted as ‘He was not reproached for thujlah,’ meaning a large belly, ‘nor discredited for ṣuʿlah,’ meaning a small head.”

As for wasīm, it denotes handsome appearance, and the same applies to qasīm. Daʿaj describes the deep blackness of the pupil, while waṭaf is the length of the eyelashes. Al-Qutaybī recorded the phrase “in his lashes was ʿaṭaf,” and al-Bayhaqī followed him; Ibn Qutaybah remarked, “I do not recognize this, for an error has crept into his text and he was left perplexed in explaining it. The correct reading is what we have stated, and Allah knows best.”

“In his voice there was ṣaḥal”—that is, a slight, pleasing huskiness, preferable to a sharp pitch. Abū ʿUbayd noted that gazelles are praised for ṣaḥal. Whoever transmitted “in his voice was ṣahal” erred, for ṣahal pertains only to horses and is never applied to human beings. I say: this is the very wording al-Bayhaqī cited, before adding, “Another reading is ṣaḥal.” The sound view is Abū ʿUbayd’s, and Allah knows best.

Her saying “aḥwar” is unusual in describing the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. Ḥawar is a whiteness that beautifies the eye; it is unlike strabismus, which mars it. Her word “akḥal” has already been substantiated. Concerning “azajj,” Abū ʿUbayd explained that it signifies arched eyebrows; and “aqran,” he said, refers to eyebrows that meet at the bridge of the nose. He added that this description of the Prophet, ﷺ, occurs only in this ḥadīth, whereas the well-known portrayal of him, ﷺ, is that his eyebrows were ablaǧ—distinct and separated.

“In his neck was saṭaʿ.” Abū ʿUbayd said this means length; others said it means radiance. I say: both senses may, indeed must, be combined.

Her statement, “When he was silent, dignity enveloped him,” means that awe rested upon him in his silence; “when he spoke, he rose above all,” that is, he towered over the people; “and splendour clothed him,” meaning while addressing them.

“Sweet of speech, distinctly articulated,” that is, eloquent and precise, clearly separating his words; “neither terse nor verbose,” i.e., his speech was neither scant nor—