41/1. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 2255a — Poetry in Islam and Meaningful Words
Chapter
Poetry in Islam: The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم Listening to Umayya’s Verses
Sahih Muslim : 2255a
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 2255a
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 .
`Amr b. Sharid reported his father as saying: 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.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 2255a, bIn-book reference : Book 41, Hadith 1USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 28, Hadith 5602
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 2255a
This Hadith about poetry shows that poetry was listened to when it contained words worth hearing. Amr b. Sharid reports from his father that he once rode behind Allah's Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم asked whether he remembered any poetry of Umayya b. Abu Salt. When Sharid said yes, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم told him to continue. Sharid recited one couplet, then another, and the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم kept saying, “Go on,” until he had recited one hundred couplets. The Hadith does not say that every poem is praised. It simply shows that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم listened to this poetry and allowed the recitation to continue. For the search term poetry in Islam, this report gives a balanced view: words are judged by what they carry, not by the mere form of verse.
What we learn from this hadith
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم asked about a specific poet’s verses.
- Sharid recited many couplets while the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم listened.
- The Hadith shows that poetry was not rejected simply because it was poetry.
- Words should be weighed by their meaning and effect.
