41/1. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 2255b — Poetry in Islam and Good Meaning
Chapter
Hadith About Poetry: Listening to Words with Good Meaning
Sahih Muslim : 2255b
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 2255b
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 2255b
This Hadith about poetry repeats the same report through another chain with a slight change in wording. Sharid says that he rode behind Allah's Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم, and the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم asked him if he had memorized any poetry of Umayya b. Abu Salt. When Sharid answered yes, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم encouraged him to recite. Sharid read one couplet, then another, and the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم continued to say, “Go on,” until one hundred couplets were recited. The meaning is easy to grasp. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم listened to poetry when it was being recited and did not stop it in this setting. For people searching for hadith about poetry, this narration is a helpful reminder to speak with care and value words that carry good meaning.
What we learn from this hadith
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم asked Sharid to recite poetry he knew.
- Sharid recited one hundred couplets in the Prophet’s presence.
- The narration shows patience in listening to meaningful speech.
- The wording differs slightly through another chain, while the main event remains the same.
