I say: This chain of transmission is weak. Concerning Ṣāliḥ ibn Abī al-Akhḍar, al-Ḥāfiẓ said: “He is weak, but his reports may be considered for corroboration.”

I say: The hadith has also come in separate portions from a number of Companions. The first is Anas ibn Mālik, who said:

“The hair of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was moderately wavy—neither straight nor tightly curled—and reached between his ears and his shoulders.”

It was narrated by al-Bukhārī (4/97), Muslim (7/83), and Aḥmad (3/135 and 203), through Qatādah from him. Rabīʿah ibn Abī ʿAbd al-Raḥmān also corroborated him, saying: I heard Anas ibn Mālik describe the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace: “He was of medium stature, neither tall nor short; he had a radiant complexion, neither extremely pale nor dark-complexioned; his hair was neither tightly curled nor straight, but moderately wavy ...” the hadith.

It was narrated by al-Bukhārī (2/391–392), Muslim (7/87), al-Tirmidhī in al-Shamāʾil (pp. 8–10), al-Bayhaqī in Dalāʾil al-Nubuwwah (3/154–155), and Aḥmad (3/240), the latter being the source of the additional wording. Amhaq means intensely white. Thus, he, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was fair-skinned, but not intensely so.

The second is ʿAlī, may Allah be pleased with him, who said: “He was neither excessively tall nor extremely short, but was of medium stature ... His hair was curly and moderately wavy ... and he was fair-skinned with a ruddy complexion ...” the hadith.

It was narrated by al-Tirmidhī (2/286–287), in al-Shamāʾil (pp. 17–19), and by Ibn Saʿd (1/411). Al-Tirmidhī said: “A good, singular hadith; its chain of transmission is not continuous.” I say: Ibn Saʿd has several routes for it, in some of which: