---
title: "Sahih Muslim — Chapter 41: The Book of Poetry"
description: "Chapter 41 of Sahih Muslim, containing 12 hadiths in Arabic and English with full references."
last_updated: "2026-06-19"
---

# Sahih Muslim — Chapter 41: The Book of Poetry

> Chapter 41 of [Sahih Muslim](https://randomhadith.com/pages/books/sahih-muslim.md), containing 12 hadiths in Arabic and English with full references.

*كتاب الشعر*

## Hadiths

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

حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرٌو النَّاقِدُ، وَابْنُ أَبِي عُمَرَ، كِلاَهُمَا عَنِ ابْنِ عُيَيْنَةَ، قَالَ ابْنُ أَبِي عُمَرَ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ مَيْسَرَةَ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ الشَّرِيدِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، قَالَ رَدِفْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَوْمًا فَقَالَ ‏"‏ هَلْ مَعَكَ مِنْ شِعْرِ أُمَيَّةَ بْنِ أَبِي الصَّلْتِ شَيْئًا ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قُلْتُ نَعَمْ قَالَ ‏"‏ هِيهِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَأَنْشَدْتُهُ بَيْتًا فَقَالَ ‏"‏ هِيهِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ ثُمَّ أَنْشَدْتُهُ بَيْتًا فَقَالَ ‏"‏ هِيهِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ حَتَّى أَنْشَدْتُهُ مِائَةَ بَيْتٍ ‏.‏ وَحَدَّثَنِيهِ زُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، وَأَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَبْدَةَ، جَمِيعًا عَنِ ابْنِ عُيَيْنَةَ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، بْنِ مَيْسَرَةَ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ الشَّرِيدِ، أَوْ يَعْقُوبَ بْنِ عَاصِمٍ عَنِ الشَّرِيدِ، قَالَ أَرْدَفَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم خَلْفَهُ ‏.‏ فَذَكَرَ بِمِثْلِهِ ‏.‏

*Reference: Sahih Muslim, Chapter 41 — The Book of Poetry, Hadith 2255a.*

### Sahih Muslim 2255b

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.

حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرٌو النَّاقِدُ، وَابْنُ أَبِي عُمَرَ، كِلاَهُمَا عَنِ ابْنِ عُيَيْنَةَ، قَالَ ابْنُ أَبِي عُمَرَ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ مَيْسَرَةَ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ الشَّرِيدِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، قَالَ رَدِفْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَوْمًا فَقَالَ ‏"‏ هَلْ مَعَكَ مِنْ شِعْرِ أُمَيَّةَ بْنِ أَبِي الصَّلْتِ شَيْئًا ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قُلْتُ نَعَمْ قَالَ ‏"‏ هِيهِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَأَنْشَدْتُهُ بَيْتًا فَقَالَ ‏"‏ هِيهِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ ثُمَّ أَنْشَدْتُهُ بَيْتًا فَقَالَ ‏"‏ هِيهِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ حَتَّى أَنْشَدْتُهُ مِائَةَ بَيْتٍ ‏.‏ وَحَدَّثَنِيهِ زُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، وَأَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَبْدَةَ، جَمِيعًا عَنِ ابْنِ عُيَيْنَةَ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، بْنِ مَيْسَرَةَ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ الشَّرِيدِ، أَوْ يَعْقُوبَ بْنِ عَاصِمٍ عَنِ الشَّرِيدِ، قَالَ أَرْدَفَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم خَلْفَهُ ‏.‏ فَذَكَرَ بِمِثْلِهِ ‏.‏

*Reference: Sahih Muslim, Chapter 41 — The Book of Poetry, Hadith 2255b.*

### Sahih Muslim 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 الطَّائِفِيِّ، عَنْ عَمْرِو، بْنِ الشَّرِيدِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ، قَالَ اسْتَنْشَدَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏.‏ بِمِثْلِ حَدِيثِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ مَيْسَرَةَ وَزَادَ قَالَ ‏"‏ إِنْ كَادَ لَيُسْلِمُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ وَفِي حَدِيثِ ابْنِ مَهْدِيٍّ قَالَ ‏"‏ فَلَقَدْ كَادَ يُسْلِمُ فِي شِعْرِهِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

*Reference: Sahih Muslim, Chapter 41 — The Book of Poetry, Hadith 2255c.*

### Sahih Muslim 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 ‏"

*Reference: Sahih Muslim, Chapter 41 — The Book of Poetry, Hadith 2256a.*

### Sahih Muslim 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 وَكَادَ أُمَيَّةُ بْنُ أَبِي الصَّلْتِ أَنْ يُسْلِمَ ‏"

*Reference: Sahih Muslim, Chapter 41 — The Book of Poetry, Hadith 2256b.*

### Sahih Muslim 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 وَكَادَ ابْنُ أَبِي الصَّلْتِ أَنْ يُسْلِمَ ‏"

*Reference: Sahih Muslim, Chapter 41 — The Book of Poetry, Hadith 2256c.*

### Sahih Muslim 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 ‏"

*Reference: Sahih Muslim, Chapter 41 — The Book of Poetry, Hadith 2256d.*

### Sahih Muslim 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 ‏"

*Reference: Sahih Muslim, Chapter 41 — The Book of Poetry, Hadith 2256e.*

### Sahih Muslim 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.

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا حَفْصٌ، وَأَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ ح وَحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو كُرَيْبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ، كِلاَهُمَا عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو سَعِيدٍ الأَشَجُّ، حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ، حَدَّثَنَا الأَعْمَشُ، عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ لأَنْ يَمْتَلِئَ جَوْفُ الرَّجُلِ قَيْحًا يَرِيهِ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَنْ يَمْتَلِئَ شِعْرًا ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ إِلاَّ أَنَّ حَفْصًا لَمْ يَقُلْ ‏"‏ يَرِيهِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

*Reference: Sahih Muslim, Chapter 41 — The Book of Poetry, Hadith 2257.*

### Sahih Muslim 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 ‏"

*Reference: Sahih Muslim, Chapter 41 — The Book of Poetry, Hadith 2258.*

### Sahih Muslim 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 ‏"

*Reference: Sahih Muslim, Chapter 41 — The Book of Poetry, Hadith 2259.*

### Sahih Muslim 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 ‏"

*Reference: Sahih Muslim, Chapter 41 — The Book of Poetry, Hadith 2260.*

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