52/19. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 2821a — Avoiding Boredom in Sermons
Moderation In Preaching
Hadith About Avoiding Boredom in Sermons
Sahih Muslim : 2821a
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 2821a
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ، وَأَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ ح وَحَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ نُمَيْرٍ، - وَاللَّفْظُ لَهُ - حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ شَقِيقٍ، قَالَ كُنَّا جُلُوسًا عِنْدَ بَابِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ نَنْتَظِرُهُ فَمَرَّ بِنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ مُعَاوِيَةَ النَّخَعِيُّ فَقُلْنَا أَعْلِمْهُ بِمَكَانِنَا . فَدَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ فَلَمْ يَلْبَثْ أَنْ خَرَجَ عَلَيْنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ فَقَالَ إِنِّي أُخْبَرُ بِمَكَانِكُمْ فَمَا يَمْنَعُنِي أَنْ أَخْرُجَ إِلَيْكُمْ إِلاَّ كَرَاهِيَةُ أَنْ أُمِلَّكُمْ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ يَتَخَوَّلُنَا بِالْمَوْعِظَةِ فِي الأَيَّامِ مَخَافَةَ السَّآمَةِ عَلَيْنَا .
Shaqiq Narrated from:
We were sitting at the door of Abdullah (b. Mas'ud) waiting for him (to come out and deliver a sermon to us). It was at this time that there happened to pass by us Yazid b. Mu'awiya an-Nakha'i. We said: Inform him ('Abdullah b. Mas'ud) of our presence here. He went in and Abdullah b. Mas'ud lost no time in coming out to us and said: I was informed of your presence here but nothing hindered me to come out to you but the fact that I did not like to bore you (by stuffing your minds with sermons) as Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) did not deliver us sermon on certain days fearing that it might prove to be boring for us.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 2821aIn-book reference : Book 52, Hadith 80USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 39, Hadith 6775
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 2821a
This hadith about sermons teaches balance in giving religious reminders. Shaqiq reports that people were waiting for Abdullah b. Mas'ud. When he came out, he explained that he did not delay because he disliked teaching them. Rather, he feared making them bored by giving too many sermons. He then mentioned that Allah's Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم did not give sermons every day, because he feared it might become tiring for the listeners. The message is very practical. Good teaching is not only about speaking often. It is also about knowing when people are ready to listen. This hadith on Islamic reminders shows kindness, wisdom, and care for the hearts of the audience.
What we learn from this hadith
- Religious reminders should be given with wisdom and good timing.
- A teacher should care about the listener's energy and attention.
- Too much speech may make people tired, even when the topic is good.
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم gave reminders in a balanced way.
