Sun, Brightness Face of Muhammad ﷺ Night His Black Hair

 بِسۡمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحۡمٰنِ الرَّحِیۡمِ

‌قُدُّوسٌ ‌قُدُّوسٌ ‌قُدُّوسٌ

الصلاة والسلام عليك يا سيدي يا رسول الله

In the Name of Allah, the Rahman, the Merciful

Holy, Holy, Holy

Allah says:

وَالشَّمۡسِ وَضُحٰہَا

By the Sun and its brightness

(Surah 91, Ayah 1)

وَالَّیۡلِ اِذَا یَغۡشٰی

By the night when it covers

(Surah 92, Ayah 1)

وَالضُّحٰی

وَالَّیۡلِ اِذَا سَجٰی

By the forenoon brightness

And the night when it darkens

(Surah 93, Ayah 1 & 2)

Traditionally, Sunni Muslims have understood these references to the Sun, brightness to mean the radiant face of the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم and the night and its darkness to mean his intensely black hair. Abu Hurairah رضى الله عنه says:

مَا رَأَيْتُ شَيْئًا أَحْسَنَ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَأَنَّ الشَّمْسَ تَجْرِي فِي وَجْهِهِ

I have not seen anything more beautiful than the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, as though the Sun flowed in his face (Tirmidhi)

Fakhr ud-Din ar-Razi رحمة الله عليه has mentioned this tafsir:

السُّؤَالُ الْخَامِسُ هَلْ أَحَدٌ مِنَ المذكرين فَسَّرَ الضُّحَى بِوَجْهِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَاللَّيْلَ ‌بِشَعْرِهِ وَالْجَوَابُ نعم

Fifth question: “Has anyone explained Ad-Duha as the Face of Muhammad and Wal-Lail as his hair?” Answer: “Yes” (Tafsir ul-Kabir aw Mafatih ul-Ghaib; v.16, p.213)

For this reason, it is quite common for Islamic devotionals to quote these passages of the Quran in praising the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم with respect to his luminous face and his long black hair.