The Book of Poetry

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.

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 hadith has been reported on the authority of Sharid through another chain of transmitters but with a slight variation of wording.

"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 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.

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.

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.

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

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 the belly of any one of you to be stuffed with pus rather than to stuff (one's mind) with poetry.