The Book of Poetry (Kitab Al-Sh`ir)

Chapter 1:

'Amr b. Sharid reported his father as saying: One day when I rode ehind Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him), 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.

'Amr b. Sharid reported on the authority of his father that Allah's Messeniger (may peace be upon him) asked him to recite poetrv, the rest of the hadith is the same, out with this addition:" He (that is Umayya b. Abu Sharid 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."

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: The truest word spoken by an Arab (pre-Islamic) in poetry is this verse of Labid:" Behold! apart from Allah everything is vain."

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: 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.

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: The truest verse recited by a poet is: Beliold! apart from Allah everything is vain," and Ibn Abu Salt was almost a Muslim.

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) as saying: The truest couplet recited by a poet is:" Behold! apart from Allah everything is vain," and he made no addition to it.

Abu Huraira reported: I heard Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: The truest word which the poet stated is the word of Labid:" Behold! apart from Allah everything is vain."

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be opon him) as saying: It is better for a man's belly to be stuffld with pus which corrodes it than to stuff) one's mind with frivolous poetry. Abd Bakr has reported it with a slight variation Of wording.

Sa'd reported Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) as saying: 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.

Abu Sa`id Khudri reported: We were going with Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him). As we reached the place (known as) Arj there met (us) a poet who had been reciting poetry. Thereupon Allah's Messanger (may peace be upon him) said: Catch the satan or detain the satan, for filling the belly of a man with pus is betting than stuffing his brain with poetry.

Chapter 2: IT IS PROHIBITED TO PLAY CHESS

Buraida reported on the authority of his father that Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) said: He who played chess is like one who dyed his hand with the flesh and blood of swine.