تجلّيات المحبّة الربانية في الخطاب القرآني للنبيّ المصطفى ﷺ

MANIFESTATIONS OF DIVINE LOVE IN THE QUR’ANIC DISCOURSE ADDRESSED TO THE PROPHET ﷺ

Abstract

This study analyzes representations of the physical beauty of the Prophet Muḥammad (ﷺ) as an expression of divine light within Qur’anic discourse, Prophetic tradition, and classical Sufi thought. Adopting a descriptive–analytical methodology, it examines selected Qur’anic verses, authenticated ḥadīth—particularly from al-Shamāʾil al-Nabawiyya—and Sufi interpretations to demonstrate that prophetic beauty functions as a symbolic sign of inner illumination and moral perfection rather than mere physical description. The findings reveal that physical beauty in prophetic representation is inseparable from ethical excellence, that Qur’anic rhetorical imagery links aesthetic form with moral meaning, and that Sufi perspectives emphasize harmony between outward appearance (ẓāhir) and inward reality (bāṭin). The study recommends further interdisciplinary research on Qur’anic aesthetics and greater engagement with Sufi hermeneutics to deepen contemporary understandings of prophetic representation. It concludes that the Prophet Muḥammad (ﷺ) embodies an ideal unity of physical grace and moral perfection, reflecting the model of al-Insān al-Kāmil in Islamic intellectual tradition.

Conflict of Interest:

The author(s) declare that there are no competing or potential conflicts of interest regarding the research, authorship, and publication of this article.

Participant Consent:

Not applicable. This study does not involve human participants.

Data Fabrication/Falsification Statement:

The author(s) declare that no data have been fabricated, falsified, or manipulated in this study.

Copyright:

Copyright (c) 2025 Dr. Yasmeen Akhtar