The coloring of the Arab race is a reddish-white complexion like that of our Prophet (saas). The Prophet’s (saas) complexion is described as follows in accounts:
Hazrat Mahdi (as) is Arab in coloring… (Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi `Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntadhar, p. 15-75)
Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) coloring is Arab. (Al-Barzanji, Al-Isha'ah li-ashrat al-sa'ah, p. 163)
The Arab complexion is a mixture of red and white.
Our Prophet (saas) had a reddish-white complexion. However, the visible parts of his skin were nearer to dark because of the Sun and the wind. Hazrat Mahdi (as) will be the same color as the Prophet (saas), whose complexion is described thus:
• Anas ibn Malik (ra) narrates: "Our Prophet (saas) was of medium height; he was not tall and not short; he had a pleasant appearance. His hair was neither curly nor straight. The color of his mubarak [something on which Divine goodness has been bestowed] face was a saintly white.” (At-Tirmidhi, Imam Abu `Isa Muhammed ibn `Isa Tirmidhi, Shamail Sharif, p. 7-8)
• Hazrat Hassan (ra) narrates: "The Messenger of Allah (saas) was innately imposing and majestic. His hair was between curly and straight; if it was parted in two, he hang it down on either side of his head, if not, he did not. If he allowed it to grow, it passed the fleshy part of his ears. Our Prophet’s (saas) coloring was whitish and bright, that is saintly white. His forehead was clear. His eyebrows were crescent-like, thick and close to one another. His neck had a silvery transparency like that of statues made of pure marble. All his limbs were in proportion and very handsome..." (At-Tirmidhi, Imam Abu `Isa Muhammed ibn `Isa Tirmidhi, Shamail Sharif, p. 18-22-23)
• Anas ibn Malik (ra) narrates: "The Messenger of Allah (saas) was neither tall, nor short. His complexion was neither pure white, nor too dark. His hair was neither straight nor curly. ... When he bade farewell to this mortal world, there were not 20 white hairs in his hair and beard." (Sunan at-Tirmidhi, Vol. 4, p. 201)
• “Our Master was a whitish pink in color. His eyes were black and his eyelashes thick and long." (Hazrat Ali (ra), Ahmad Diya ad-Din al-Kamushkhanawi, Ramuz al-Ahadith, Vol. 2, p. 519/4)
• Anas ibn Malik said this about the Prophet’s (saas) complexion: He was white, but a darkish white. (Ibn Kathir, Shamail ar-Rasul, p. 28)
