Is it correct to say that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was given the beauty of the entire universe?
Question

                What exactly is meant by saying that the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was given the beauty of the entire universe?
Praise be to Allah.
		Firstly: 

	Love of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon 
	him) and mentioning his good attributes, both in his physical appearance and 
	in his character, is part of faith. But exaggerating in praising him is 
	something that he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) forbade. Al-Bukhaari 
	(3445) narrated from ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: I 
	heard the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) say: “Do not 
	exaggerate in praising me as the Christians exaggerated in praising the son 
	of Maryam, for I am but a slave, so say: the slave of Allah and His 
	Messenger.” 

	What is meant by exaggeration is going to extremes in 
	praising and overstepping the mark in that regard. 

	Imam Ahmad (12551) narrated from Anas ibn Maalik that a man 
	said: O Muhammad, O our master (sayyid) and the son of our master, the best 
	of us and the son of the best of us. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and 
	peace of Allah be upon him) said: “O people, you should fear Allah and do 
	not let the Shaytaan make you get carried away. I am Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah, 
	the slave of Allah and His Messenger. By Allah, I do not like for you to 
	raise me above my station to which Allah appointed me.”

	Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in as-Saheehah (1097) 

	And there are many similar hadiths. 

	Secondly: 

	The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was 
	the most beautiful and handsome of people in appearance. 

	Al-Bukhaari (3549) and Muslim (2337) narrated that al-Bara’ 
	said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was 
	the most handsome of people in face and body. 

	At-Tirmidhi (2811) narrated – and classed it as saheeh – from 
	Jaabir ibn Samurah, who said: I saw the Messenger of Allah (blessings and 
	peace of Allah be upon him) on a moonlit night, and I started looking at the 
	Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and at the 
	moon, and he was wearing a red suit, and in my view he was more beautiful 
	than the moon.

	Al-Bukhaari (3556) and Muslim (2769) narrated that Ka‘b ibn 
	Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) said: When the Messenger of Allah 
	(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was happy, his face would shine, 
	as if it were a piece of the moon, and we would recognize that. 

	Please see also the answer to question no.
	10452 

	The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was 
	given the most perfect of good characteristics and sublime attitudes, in 
	addition to his perfect piety, worship and fear of Allah, such that no one 
	exceeded him or even came close to him. 

	Al-Bukhaari (6203) and Muslim (659) narrated that Anas said: 
	The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was the 
	best of people in attitude. 

	At-Tirmidhi (2820) and Muslim (2307) narrated that Anas (may 
	Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace 
	of Allah be upon him) was the best of people, and he was the most courageous 
	of people and the most generous of people. 

	Al-Haafiz (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

	He attained the pinnacle of rational thinking, the pinnacle 
	of courage and the pinnacle of generosity, and beauty is connected to a 
	balanced temperament, which leads to a sense of tranquillity, which in turn 
	leads to sound reasoning and intellect. Therefore he may be described as 
	beautiful in all of these aspects. 

	Thirdly: 

	In addition to what is mentioned above, describing the 
	Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) as having been given the 
	beauty of the entire universe is something that is unknown in the Islamic 
	texts and in the words of the scholars. Moreover, it is a statement that 
	requires further discussion. Beauty in the universe is relative; humans have 
	their own kind of beauty, animals have their own kind of beauty, birds have 
	their own kind of beauty, plants have their own kind of beauty, buildings 
	have their own kind of beauty, the stars have their own kind of beauty, and 
	so on. 

	The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was 
	given of human beauty that which was appropriate for one such as him 
	(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). So he was the most perfect of 
	them in terms of physical appearance and character. To suggest anything 
	other than that comes under the heading of the devils making some people get 
	carried away and overstep the mark, and there is no need for that. Moreover, 
	that has nothing to do with beneficial knowledge or righteous deeds. 

	Please see also the answer to question no. 
	4509. 

	And Allah knows best.