Al-Hilya Sharif

A PIECE OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD TO KEEP WITHIN OUR HOMES, TO BLESS THEM AND PROTECT THEM 
 
"Once [the Prophet] ﷺ becomes the one who is most spoken about, most remembered, most revered, and most praised in our homes, we will find that our homes become a different place. We will find that within our homes, we have Gardens of Paradise."
 
What is the Hilya Shareef?
 
The Arabic word “hilya” appears in chapter 1, hadith 8 of the Imam al-Tirmidhi’s Al-Shama’il al-Muhammadiyya.
 
Hasan ibn Ali رضي الله عنه reported: “I asked my maternal uncle, Hind ibn Abi Hala, who was skilled in describing features (wassaf), about the beautiful description (hilya) of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. I desired for him to describe some of his features to me so I could cherish and hold on to them...”
 
What does the HILYA consist of?
 
The basmala, often translated as “In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate” at the top
A large central disc, typically containing the description of the Prophet ﷺ found in hadith 7 of the Shama’il
Four smaller discs containing the names of the four rightly-guided caliphs
A verse of the Qur’an containing a description of the Prophet ﷺ, often verse 21:107 or 68:4, below the discs
The remainder of the text of hadith 7 of the Shama’il at the bottom, followed by prayers and blessings upon the Prophet ﷺ