Al-Adab Al-Mufrad, Book of Words

Ibn 'Umar said, "Two men came from the east as orators in the time of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. They stood up, spoke and then sat down. Thabit ibn Qays, the orator of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood up and spoke and the people liked what he said. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood up and said, 'O people, say what you have to say. seeking to present words is the best manner is from Shaytan.' Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, 'There is some magic in eloquence.'"

حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَامِرٍ الْعَقَدِيُّ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا زُهَيْرٌ عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَسْلَمَ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ ابْنَ عُمَرَ يَقُولُ: قَدِمَ رَجُلاَنِ مِنَ الْمَشْرِقِ خَطِيبَانِ عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ، فَقَامَا فَتَكَلَّمَا ثُمَّ قَعَدَا، وَقَامَ ثَابِتُ بْنُ قَيْسٍ، خَطِيبُ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَتَكَلَّمَ، فَعَجِبَ النَّاسُ مِنْ كَلاَمِهِمَا، فَقَامَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ يَخْطُبُ فَقَالَ: يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ، قُولُوا قَوْلَكُمْ، فَإِنَّمَا تَشْقِيقُ الْكَلاَمِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ، ثُمَّ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ: إِنَّ مِنَ الْبَيَانِ سِحْرًا.

Anas said, "A man gave a speech in the presence of 'Umar and said a lot. 'Umar said, 'Too many words in orations comes from the skills of shaytan.'"

حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدُ بْنُ أَبِي مَرْيَمَ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنِي حُمَيْدٌ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ أَنَسًا يَقُولُ: خَطَبَ رَجُلٌ عِنْدَ عُمَرَ فَأَكْثَرَ الْكَلاَمَ، فَقَالَ عُمَرُ: إِنَّ كَثْرَةَ الْكَلاَمِ فِي الْخُطَبِ مِنْ شَقَاشِقِ الشَّيْطَانِ.

Abu Yazid or Ma'n ibn Yazid reported that the Prophet ﷺ said, "Gather in your mosques. When the people are gathered, come and tell me.' The first of those to whom he came was us and he sat down. One of the speakers spoke and said, 'Praise be to Allah. No praise can be directed to anyone except Him nor is there any escape without Him.' The Prophet got angry, stood up and we blamed one another. Then he went to another mosque and sat in it. We sent to him and spoke to him. He came with us and sat where he had been sitting or near to it. Then he said, 'Praise be to Allah who puts whatever He wishes before Him and whatever He wishes behind Him. There is some magic in eloquence.' Then he commanded us and taught us."

حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ حَمَّادٍ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَوَانَةَ، عَنْ عَاصِمِ بْنِ كُلَيْبٍ قَالَ: حَدَّثَنِي سُهَيْلُ بْنُ ذِرَاعٍ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ أَبَا يَزِيدَ أَوْ مَعْنَ بْنَ يَزِيدَ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَالَ: اجْتَمِعُوا فِي مَسَاجِدِكُمْ، وَكُلَّمَا اجْتَمَعَ قَوْمٌ فَلْيُؤْذِنُونِي، فَأَتَانَا أَوَّلَ مَنْ أَتَى، فَجَلَسَ، فَتَكَلَّمَ مُتَكَلِّمٌ مِنَّا، ثُمَّ قَالَ: إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي لَيْسَ لِلْحَمْدِ دُونَهُ مَقْصَدٌ، وَلاَ وَرَاءَهُ مَنْفَذٌ. فَغَضِبَ فَقَامَ، فَتَلاَوَمْنَا بَيْنَنَا، فَقُلْنَا: أَتَانَا أَوَّلَ مَنْ أَتَى، فَذَهَبَ إِلَى مَسْجِدٍ آخَرَ فَجَلَسَ فِيهِ، فَأَتَيْنَاهُ فَكَلَّمْنَاهُ، فَجَاءَ مَعَنَا فَقَعَدَ فِي مَجْلِسِهِ أَوْ قَرِيبًا مِنْ مَجْلِسِهِ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي مَا شَاءَ جَعَلَ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ، وَمَا شَاءَ جَعَلَ خَلْفَهُ، وَإِنَّ مِنَ الْبَيَانِ سِحْرًا، ثُمَّ أَمَرَنَا وَعَلَّمَنَا.

'A'isha said, "The Prophet ﷺ was sleepless one night and said, 'Would that a man of righteous action among my Companions would come and guard me tonight!' Then he heard the sound of weapons. He asked, 'Who is it?' 'Sa'd,' came the answer. Sa'd said, 'Messenger of Allah, I have come to guard you.' The Messenger of Allah ﷺ slept and we heard him snore."

حَدَّثَنَا خَالِدُ بْنُ مَخْلَدٍ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ بِلاَلٍ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ اللهِ بْنَ عَامِرِ بْنِ رَبِيعَةَ يَقُولُ: قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ: أَرِقَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ ذَاتَ لَيْلَةٍ فَقَالَ: لَيْتَ رَجُلاً صَالِحًا مِنْ أَصْحَابِي يَجِيئُنِي فَيَحْرُسَنِي اللَّيْلَةَ، إِذْ سَمِعْنَا صَوْتَ السِّلاَحِ، فَقَالَ: مَنْ هَذَا؟ قَالَ: سَعْدٌ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ، جِئْتُ أَحْرُسُكَ، فَنَامَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ حَتَّى سَمِعْنَا غَطِيطَهُ.

Anas ibn Malik, "There was some alarm in Madina and the Prophet ﷺ borrowed a horse belonging to Abu Talha called al-Mandub. He rode it, and when he returned he said, 'We did not see anything and he found the horse to be a sea."

حَدَّثَنَا آدَمُ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ أَنَسَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ يَقُولُ: كَانَ فَزَعٌ بِالْمَدِينَةِ، فَاسْتَعَارَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ فَرَسًا لأَبِي طَلْحَةَ، يُقَالُ لَهُ: الْمَنْدُوبُ، فَرَكِبَهُ، فَلَمَّا رَجَعَ قَالَ: مَا رَأَيْنَا مِنْ شَيْءٍ، وَإِنْ وَجَدْنَاهُ لَبَحْرًا.

Nafi' said, "Ibn 'Umar used to strike his son for making grammatical mistakes."

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو نُعَيْمٍ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللهِ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ قَالَ: كَانَ ابْنُ عُمَرَ يَضْرِبُ وَلَدَهُ عَلَى اللَّحْنِ.

'Abdu'r-Rahman ibn 'Ajlan said, "'Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, passed by two men who were shooting. One man said to another, 'Do hit it (using the letter seen instead of saad).' 'Umar observed, 'A bad grammatical mistake is worse than a bad shot.'"

حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ كَثِيرٍ أَبِي مُحَمَّدٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ عَجْلاَنَ قَالَ: مَرَّ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ بِرَجُلَيْنِ يَرْمِيَانِ، فَقَالَ أَحَدُهُمَا لِلْآخَرِ: أسَبْتَ، فَقَالَ عُمَرُ: سُوءُ اللَّحْنِ أَشَدُّ مِنْ سُوءِ الرَّمْيِ.

'A'isha, the wife of the Prophet ﷺ said, "People asked the Prophet ﷺ about soothsayers. He told them, 'They are nothing.' They said, But, Messenger of Allah, they speak about things which are true!' The Prophet ﷺ responded, 'That is a word which Shaytan steals and then he mumbles it into the ear of his protege with a sound like the clucking of a chicken. Then they mix a hundred lies with it.'"

حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ صَالِحٍ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا عَنْبَسَةُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا يُونُسُ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنِي يَحْيَى بْنُ عُرْوَةَ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ عُرْوَةَ بْنَ الزُّبَيْرِ يَقُولُ: قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ زَوْجُ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ: سَأَلَ نَاسٌ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ عَنِ الْكُهَّانِ، فَقَالَ لَهُمْ: لَيْسُوا بِشَيْءٍ، فَقَالُوا: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ، فَإِنَّهُمْ يُحَدِّثُونَ بِالشَّيْءِ يَكُونُ حَقًّا؟ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ: تِلْكَ الْكَلِمَةُ مِنَ الْحَقِّ يَخْطَفُهَا الشَّيْطَانُ، فَيُقَرْقِرُهُ بِأُذُنَيْ وَلِيِّهِ كَقَرْقَرَةِ الدَّجَاجَةِ، فَيَخْلِطُونَ فِيهَا بِأَكْثَرَ مِنْ مِئَةِ كِذْبَةٍ.

Anas ibn Malik said, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was on one of his journeys and the camel-drive was chanting (to make the camels move). The Prophet ﷺ said, 'Gently, Anjasha! Be careful with the glass vessels (meaning the women).'"

حَدَّثَنَا آدَمُ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ ثَابِتٍ الْبُنَانِيِّ، عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ قَالَ: كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ فِي مَسِيرٍ لَهُ، فَحَدَا الْحَادِي، فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ: ارْفُقْ يَا أَنْجَشَةُ وَيْحَكَ بِالْقَوَارِيرِ.

'Umar said, "A man is reckoned to be lying when he gives voice to all that he hears." He said, "As for cases of indirect allusion, are they enough to keep a Muslim from lying?"

حَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عُمَرَ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا مُعْتَمِرٌ قَالَ أَبِي: حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ عُمَرَ، عَنْ عُمَرَ، فِيمَا أَرَى شَكَّ أَبِي، أَنَّهُ قَالَ: حَسْبُ امْرِئٍ مِنَ الْكَذِبِ أَنْ يُحَدِّثَ بِكُلِّ مَا سَمِعَ.

Mutarrif ibn 'Imran ibn ash-Shakhir said, "I accompanied 'Imran ibn Husayn to Basra. Every day he used to recite poetry to us and he said, 'Indirect allusions give ample scope to avoid lying.'"

حَدَّثَنَا آدَمُ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، عَنْ مُطَرِّفِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ الشِّخِّيرِ قَالَ: صَحِبْتُ عِمْرَانَ بْنَ حُصَيْنٍ إِلَى الْبَصْرَةِ، فَمَا أَتَى عَلَيْنَا يَوْمٌ إِلاَّ أَنْشَدْنَا فِيهِ الشِّعْرَ، وَقَالَ: إِنَّ فِي مَعَارِيضِ الْكَلاَمِ لَمَنْدُوحَةٌ عَنِ الْكَذِبِ.

'Amr ibn al-'As said, "I am astonished at a man who flees from fate when he is all the time attacking it and who sees the mote in his brother's eye and not the trunk in his own eye. He uncovers the rancour in his brother's heart and not the rancour in himself. I have never entrusted anyone with a secret of mine and then blamed him for divulging it. How could I blame him when I have given him something he is incapable of doing?"

حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ صَالِحٍ قَالَ: حَدَّثَنِي مُوسَى بْنُ عَلِيٍّ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِ قَالَ: عَجِبْتُ مِنَ الرَّجُلِ يَفِرُّ مِنَ الْقَدَرِ وَهُوَ مُوَاقِعُهُ، وَيَرَى الْقَذَاةَ فِي عَيْنِ أَخِيهِ وَيَدَعُ الْجِذْعَ فِي عَيْنِهِ، وَيُخْرِجُ الضَّغْنَ مِنْ نَفْسِ أَخِيهِ وَيَدَعُ الضَّغْنَ فِي نَفْسِهِ، وَمَا وَضَعْتُ سِرِّي عِنْدَ أَحَدٍ فَلُمْتُهُ عَلَى إِفْشَائِهِ، وَكَيْفَ أَلُومُهُ وَقَدْ ضِقْتُ بِهِ ذَرْعًا؟.