Sunan Abi Dawud
Sunan Abi Dawud 5008
What has been narrated about eloquent speech
Arabic hadith text
حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْحَمِيدِ الْبَهْرَانِيُّ، أَنَّهُ قَرَأَ فِي أَصْلِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ عَيَّاشٍ وَحَدَّثَهُ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ ابْنُهُ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي ضَمْضَمٌ عَنْ شُرَيْحِ بْنِ عُبَيْدٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو ظَبْيَةَ أَنَّ عَمْرَو بْنَ الْعَاصِ قَالَ يَوْمًا وَقَامَ رَجُلٌ فَأَكْثَرَ الْقَوْلَ فَقَالَ عَمْرٌو لَوْ قَصَدَ فِي قَوْلِهِ لَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَهُ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ "لَقَدْ رَأَيْتُ أَوْ أُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَتَجَوَّزَ فِي الْقَوْلِ فَإِنَّ الْجَوَازَ هُوَ خَيْرٌ "
Translation
One day when a man got up and spoke at length Amr ibn al-'As said If he had been moderate in what he said
It would have been better for him. I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: I think (or, I have been commanded) that I should be brief in what I say, for brevity is better.