Sahih Muslim: Book 41: The Book of Poetry

2255a. ‘Amr b. Sharid reported his father as saying: One day when I rode ehind Allah’s Messenger ﷺ, he said (to me): Do you remember any Poetry of Umayya b. Abu Salt. I said: Yes. He said: Then go on. I recited a couplet, and he said: Go on. Then I again recited a couplet and he said: Go on. I recited one hundred couplets (of his poetry). This hadith has been reported on the authority of Sharid through another chain of transmitters but with a slight variation of wording.

2255c. ‘Amr b. Sharid reported on the authority of his father that Allah’s Messeniger ﷺ asked him to recite poetrv, the rest of the hadith is the same, out with this addition:” He (that is Umayya b. Abu Sharid was about to become a muslim and in the hadith transmitted on the authority, of Ibn Mahdi (the words are)” He was almost a Muslim in his poetry.”

2256a. Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger ﷺ as saying: The truest word spoken by an Arab (pre-Islamic) in poetry is this verse of Labid:” Behold! apart from Allah everything is vain.”

2256b. Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger ﷺ as saying: The truest word uttered by a poet is this verse of Labid:” Behold! apart from Allah everything is vain,” and Umayya b. Abu Salt was almost a Muslim.

2256c. Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger ﷺ as saying: The truest verse recited by a poet is: Beliold! apart from Allah everything is vain,” and Ibn Abu Salt was almost a Muslim.

2256d. Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Apostle ﷺ as saying: The truest couplet recited by a poet is:” Behold! apart from Allah everything is vain,” and he made no addition to it.

2256e. Abu Huraira reported: I heard Allah’s Messenger ﷺ as saying: The truest word which the poet stated is the word of Labid:” Behold! apart from Allah everything is vain.”

2257. Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger ﷺ as saying: It is better for a man’s belly to be stuffld with pus which corrodes it than to stuff) one’s mind with frivolous poetry. Abd Bakr has reported it with a slight variation Of wording.

2258. Sa’d reported Allah’s Apostle ﷺ as saying: It is better for the belly of any one of you to be stuffed with pus rather than to stuff (one’s mind) with poetry.

2259. Abu Sa`id Khudri reported: We were going with Allah’s Messenger ﷺ. As we reached the place (known as) Arj there met (us) a poet who had been reciting poetry. Thereupon Allah’s Messanger ﷺ said: Catch the satan or detain the satan, for filling the belly of a man with pus is betting than stuffing his brain with poetry.

2260. Buraida reported on the authority of his father that Allah’s Apostle ﷺ said: He who played chess is like one who dyed his hand with the flesh and blood of swine.