The Book of Poetry

كتاب الشعر

11 hadith in this book; 11 translated into English.

Chapter 1باب ‏‏

Authentic No. 2255a

One day when I rode behind 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…

هَلْ مَعَكَ مِنْ شِعْرِ أُمَيَّةَ بْنِ أَبِي الصَّلْتِ شَيْئًا ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قُلْتُ نَعَمْ قَالَ ‏"‏ هِيهِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَأَنْشَدْتُهُ بَيْتًا فَقَالَ ‏"‏ هِيهِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ ثُمَّ أَنْشَدْتُهُ بَيْتًا فَقَالَ ‏"‏ هِيهِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ حَتَّى…

Narrated by Ash-Sharīd ibn Suwayd + 1 other version

Authentic No. 2255c

"He (that is Umayya b. Abu Salt) 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."

وَحَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى، أَخْبَرَنَا الْمُعْتَمِرُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا زُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ مَهْدِيٍّ، كِلاَهُمَا عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ…

Narrated by Ash-Sharīd ibn Suwayd

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) No. 2256a

The truest word spoken by an Arab (pre-Islamic) in poetry is this verse of Labid: "Behold! apart from Allah everything is vain."

أَشْعَرُ كَلِمَةٍ تَكَلَّمَتْ بِهَا الْعَرَبُ كَلِمَةُ لَبِيدٍ أَلاَ كُلُّ شَىْءٍ مَا خَلاَ اللَّهَ بَاطِلٌ ‏"

Narrated by Abu Hurayrah + 17 other versions

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) No. 2256b

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.

أَصْدَقُ كَلِمَةٍ قَالَهَا شَاعِرٌ كَلِمَةُ لَبِيدٍ أَلاَ كُلُّ شَىْءٍ مَا خَلاَ اللَّهَ بَاطِلٌ

Narrated by Abu Hurayrah + 17 other versions

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) No. 2256c

The truest verse recited by a poet is: "Behold! apart from Allah everything is vain," and Ibn Abu Salt was almost a Muslim.

أَصْدَقُ بَيْتٍ قَالَهُ الشَّاعِرُ أَلاَ كُلُّ شَىْءٍ مَا خَلاَ اللَّهَ بَاطِلٌ

Narrated by Abu Hurayrah + 17 other versions

Authentic No. 2256d

The truest couplet recited by a poet is: "Behold! apart from Allah everything is vain," and he made no addition to it.

أَصْدَقُ بَيْتٍ قَالَتْهُ الشُّعَرَاءُ أَلاَ كُلُّ شَىْءٍ مَا خَلاَ اللَّهَ بَاطِلٌ ‏"‏

Narrated by Abu Hurayrah + 1 other version

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) No. 2256e

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."

إِنَّ أَصْدَقَ كَلِمَةٍ قَالَهَا شَاعِرٌ كَلِمَةُ لَبِيدٍ أَلاَ كُلُّ شَىْءٍ مَا خَلاَ اللَّهَ بَاطِلٌ ‏"

Narrated by Abu Hurayrah + 17 other versions

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) No. 2257

It is better for a man's belly to be stuffed with pus which corrodes it than to stuff (one's mind) with frivolous poetry. Abu Bakr has reported it with a slight variation of wording.

لأَنْ يَمْتَلِئَ جَوْفُ الرَّجُلِ قَيْحًا يَرِيهِ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَنْ يَمْتَلِئَ شِعْرًا ‏"

Narrated by Abu Hurayrah + 11 other versions

Authentic No. 2258

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.

لأَنْ يَمْتَلِئَ جَوْفُ أَحَدِكُمْ قَيْحًا يَرِيهِ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَنْ يَمْتَلِئَ شِعْرًا ‏"

Narrated by Sa‘d + 6 other versions

Authentic No. 2259

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 Messenger (ﷺ) said: Catch the satan or detain the satan, for filling the belly of a man with pus is better than stuffing his brain with poetry.

خُذُوا الشَّيْطَانَ أَوْ أَمْسِكُوا الشَّيْطَانَ لأَنْ يَمْتَلِئَ جَوْفُ رَجُلٍ قَيْحًا خَيْرٌ لَهُ مِنْ أَنْ يَمْتَلِئَ شِعْرًا ‏"

Narrated by Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri + 2 other versions

Chapter 2Chapter: The Prohibition Of Playing Nardashir

Authentic No. 2260

He who played Nardashir (a game similar to backgammon) is like one who dyed his hand with the flesh and blood of swine.

مَنْ لَعِبَ بِالنَّرْدَشِيرِ فَكَأَنَّمَا صَبَغَ يَدَهُ فِي لَحْمِ خِنْزِيرٍ وَدَمِهِ ‏"

Narrated by Buraydah + 6 other versions

The Book of Poetry

Chapter 1باب ‏‏

One day when I rode behind 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…

"He (that is Umayya b. Abu Salt) 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."

The truest word spoken by an Arab (pre-Islamic) in poetry is this verse of Labid: "Behold! apart from Allah everything is vain."

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.

The truest verse recited by a poet is: "Behold! apart from Allah everything is vain," and Ibn Abu Salt was almost a Muslim.

The truest couplet recited by a poet is: "Behold! apart from Allah everything is vain," and he made no addition to it.

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."

It is better for a man's belly to be stuffed with pus which corrodes it than to stuff (one's mind) with frivolous poetry. Abu Bakr has reported it with a slight variation of wording.

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.

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 Messenger (ﷺ) said: Catch the satan or detain the satan, for filling the belly of a man with pus is better than stuffing his brain with poetry.

Chapter 2Chapter: The Prohibition Of Playing Nardashir

He who played Nardashir (a game similar to backgammon) is like one who dyed his hand with the flesh and blood of swine.

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Chapter 1باب ‏‏

Chapter 2Chapter: The Prohibition Of Playing Nardashir

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