Peygamber'in fiziksel özellikleri, güzel ahlakı, tavır ve hareketlerinin anlatıldığı eserlerdir. Peygamber'in resmini yapmak yerine, onun kişisel özelliklerini yazı ile anlatmayı tercih etmişlerdir. Hilyeler mecmua formunda hazırlanıp hürmet nişanesi olarak göğüs cebinde taşınırken, Hafız Osman'ın (1642-1698) levha tasarımından sonra bu tarz klasikleşerek, vazgeçilmez olmuştur. Ali'den rivâyet edi
len Hilye-i Şerif metni söyledir: "Hz. Peygamber'in boyu ne çok kısa ne çok uzundu, orta boyluydu. ne kıvırcık kısa ne düz uzun saçlıydı; saçı kıvırcıkla düz arasındaydı. Değirmi yüzlü, duru beyaz tenli, iri ve siyah gözlü ve uzun kirpikliydi. İri kemikli ve geniş omuzluydu. Göğsü ortadan karnına kadar kılsızdı. İki avucu ve tabanları dolgundu. yürüdüğü zaman, sanki yokuş aşağı iner gibi rahatlıkla giderdi. Sağına ve soluna baktığında bütün vücuduyla dönerdi. İki omuz arasında "nübüvvet mührü" vardı. Bu, O'nun son peygamber oluşunun nişanesi idi. O, insanların en cömert gönüllüsü, en doğru sözlüsü, en yumuşak huylusu ve en arkadaş canlısı idi. Kendilerini ansızın görenler heybeti karşısında sarsılırlar, fakat bütün vasıflarını bilerek sohbetinde bulunanlar, O2nu her şeyden çok severlerdi. O'nun üstünlüklerini ve güzelliklerini tanıtmaya çalışan kimse : "Ben gerek O'ndan önce gerekse O'ndan sonra, Resûllullah gibi birisini görmedim.." demek sureti ile, O'nu övmek hususundaki aczini ve yetersizliğini itiraf ederdi. Allah'ın salat ve selamı O'nun üzerine olsun. The world Hilye means "decoration" or "ornamentation" but in constructions such as Hilye-i Şerife (Noble Hilye), Hilye-i Saâdet (Felicitous Hilye) and Hilye-i Nebevîye (Prophetic Hilye), the term acquired another, distinct denotation. The description of the Prophet was, for many years, writtenin small scale with naskh script for carrying in one's breast pocket as a token of homage; at the hand of the calligraphic genius Hâfız Osman Efendi (1052-1110 AH/1642-1698 CE), this text was re-presented in a new and admirable graphic arrangement. The earliest examples of this new composition appeared from 1090 AH/1679-1680 CE onward, and they most often contained the account of the Prophet's appearance and character transmitted by the Caliph 'Ali. That text is as follows: [It is relat ed] from 'Ali (may god be pleased with him) that when he described the attributes of the Prophet (may prayers to God and peace be upon him), he said: He was not too tall, nor was he too short, he was of medium height amongst the nation. His hair was not short and curly, nor was it lank, it would hang down in waves. His face was not overly plump, nor was it fleshy, yet it was somewhat circular. His complexion was rosy white. His eyes were large and black, and his eyelashes were long. He was large-boned and broad-shoul dered. His torso was hairless except for a thin line that stretched down his chest to his belly. His hands and feet were rather large. when he walked, he would lean forward as if going down a slope. when he looked at someone, he would turn his entire body towards him. Between his two shoulders was the Seal of Prophethood, and he was the last of the prophets. He was the most generous of men, the truest of people in his words, the most mild-mannered, and the noblest in companionship. Those who first saw him would be awed, and those who knew him personally loved him. Anyone who described him would say 'I never saw the like of him, either before or since'. May God bless him and grant him peace. This is followed by the calligrapher's signature and the date the work was completed.
