Shama'il al-Muhammadiya, Book of Description Of The Saying Of Prophet of Allah ﷺ On Poetry

Someone enquired from Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her):
Did Messenger of Allah ﷺ recite poetry? She replied, He sometimes as an example recited the poetry of Abdullah ibn Rawahah (and sometimes of other poets). He sometimes recited this couplet of Tarfah: "Sometimes that person brings news to you whom you have not compensated."

حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ حُجْرٍ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا شَرِيكٌ، عَنِ الْمِقْدَامِ بْنِ شُرَيْحٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، قَالَتْ: قِيلَ لَهَا: هَلْ كَانَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ، يَتَمَثَّلُ بِشَيْءٍ مِنَ الشِّعْرِ؟ قَالَتْ: كَانَ يَتَمَثَّلُ بِشِعْرِ ابْنِ رَوَاحَةَ، وَيَتَمَثَّلُ بِقَوْلِهِ: يَأْتِيكَ بِالأَخْبَارِ مَنْ لَمْ تُزَوَّدِ.

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) anhu reports that Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
"The most truthful couplet recited by a poet is that of Labeed bin Rabi'ah: 'verirly be aware, besides the Almighty everything else is futile'. And Ummayyah bin Abis-Sault was about to accept Islaam"

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ مَهْدِيٍّ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ الثَّوْرِيُّ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ بْنِ عُمَيْرٍ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ: إِنَّ أَصْدَقَ كَلِمَةٍ قَالَهَا الشَّاعِرُ، كَلِمَةُ لَبِيدٍ: أَلا كُلُّ شَيْءٍ مَا خَلا اللَّهَ بَاطِلٌ، وَكَادَ أُمَيَّةُ بْنُ أَبِي الصَّلْتِ أَنْ يُسْلِمَ.

Jundub bin Sufyaan (may Allah be pleased with him) relates:
"Once a stone hit the Mubaarak fingers of Messenger of Allah ﷺ and injured them, they became covered in blood. Messenger of Allah ﷺ thereupon recited this couplet: 'You are but a finger, no damage has overcome you, besides covering you in blood. This is not fruitless, for reward has been obtained in the path of Allah'".

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنِ الأَسْوَدِ بْنِ قَيْسٍ، عَنْ جُنْدُبِ بْنِ سُفْيَانَ الْبَجَلِيِّ، قَالَ: أَصَابَ حَجَرٌ أُصْبُعَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَدَمِيَتْ، فَقَالَ: هَلْ أَنْتِ إِلا أُصْبُعٌ دَمِيتِ وَفِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ مَا لَقِيتِ.

Baraa ibn Aazib (may Allah be pleased with him) was once asked, You all deserted Messenger of Allah ﷺ and ran away in the Battle of Hunayn? He replied, No, Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not turn away, except a few people in the army who were in a hurry (many of whom were from the tribe of Sulaym and a few newly converted youth of Makkah) turned away when the people of the tribe of Hawaazin began to shower arrows. Messenger of Allah ﷺ (with whom there naturally were the great Sahaabah (may Allah be pleased with him)m) was riding a mule Abu Sufyan ibn Al-Haarith ibn Abdul Muttalib (may Allah be pleased with him) was leading it by its reins. Sayyidina Messenger of Allah ﷺ was reciting the following couplet:
Verily, without doubt I am a Prophet. I am from the children (grandsons) of Abdul Muttalib

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ الثَّوْرِيُّ، قَالَ: أَنْبَأَنَا أَبُو إِسْحَاقَ، عَنِ الْبَرَاءِ بْنِ عَازِبٍ، قَالَ: قَالَ لَهُ رَجُلٌ: أَفَرَرْتُمْ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ يَا أَبَا عُمَارَةَ؟ فَقَالَ: لا وَاللَّهِ مَا وَلَّى رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ، وَلَكِنْ وَلَّى سَرَعَانُ النَّاسِ، تَلَقَّتْهُمْ هَوَازِنُ بِالنَّبْلِ، وَرَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ، عَلَى بَغْلَتِهِ، وَأَبُو سُفْيَانَ بْنُ الْحَارِثِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ آخِذٌ بِلِجَامِهَا، وَرَسُولُ اللهِ يَقُولُ: أَنَا النَّبِيُّ لا كَذِبْ أَنَا ابْنُ عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبْ.

Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that Messenger of Allah ﷺ went to Makkah for Umratul Qada. Abdullah ibne Rawahah (may Allah be pleased with him) (throwing his sword over his shoulder and holding the reins of the camel of Sayyidina Messenger of Allah ﷺ) was walking ahead of him reciting these couplets:
"O non-believers clear his path (and leave today. Do not prohibit Sayyidina Messenger of Allah ﷺ from entering Makkah as you had done last year) for today we shall smite you. We will take such action against you that we will separate the brain from its body. And will make a friend forget a friend."Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) stopped him and said, O Ibne Rawahah, in the presence of Messenger of Allah ﷺ and the Haram of Allah you are reciting poetry?Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, Leave him O Umar, these couplets are more forceful than showering arrows onto them

حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ مَنْصُورٍ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا جَعْفَرُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا ثَابِتٌ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ: أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ دَخَلَ مَكَّةَ فِي عُمْرَةِ الْقَضَاءِ، وَابْنُ رَوَاحَةَ يَمْشِي بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ، وَهُوَ يَقُولُ: خَلُّوا بَنِي الْكُفَّارِ عَنْ سَبِيلِهِ الْيَوْمَ نَضْرِبُكُمْ عَلَى تَنْزِيلِهِ ضَرْبًا يُزِيلُ الْهَامَ عَنْ مَقِيلِهِ وَيُذْهِلُ الْخَلِيلَ عَنْ خَلِيلِهِ فَقَالَ لَهُ عُمَرُ: يَا ابْنَ رَوَاحَةَ، بَيْنَ يَدِي رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ، وَفِي حَرَمِ اللهِ تَقُولُ الشِّعْرَ، فَقَالَ ﷺ: خَلِّ عَنْهُ يَا عُمَرُ، فَلَهِيَ أَسْرَعُ فِيهِمْ، مِنْ نَضْحِ النَّبْلِ.

Jabir ibn Samurah (may Allah be pleased with him) says, I attended the assemblies of Messenger of Allah ﷺ more than a hundred times, wherein the Sahaabah (may Allah be pleased with him)m recited poetry and related stories of the Jaahiliyyah (pre-Islamic era). Messenger of Allah ﷺ silently listened to them (and did not forbid them). At times he smiled with them

حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ حُجْرٍ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا شَرِيكٌ، عَنْ سِمَاكِ بْنِ حَرْبٍ، عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ سَمُرَةَ، قَالَ: جَالَسْتُ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ، أَكْثَرَ مِنْ مِائَةِ مَرَّةٍ، وَكَانَ أَصْحَابُهُ يَتَنَاشَدُونَ الشِّعْرَ، وَيَتَذَاكَرُونَ أَشْيَاءَ مِنْ أَمْرِ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ، وَهُوَ سَاكِتٌ وَرُبَّمَا تَبَسَّمَ مَعَهُمْ.

Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) relates from Messenger of Allah ﷺ that the best words from among the poets of Arabia is that of Labeed, "Verily be aware, that everything besides the Almighty Allah will perish."

حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ حُجْرٍ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا شَرِيكٌ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ بْنِ عُمَيْرٍ، عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ، قَالَ: أَشْعَرُ كَلِمَةٍ تَكَلَّمَتْ بِهَا الْعَرَبُ كَلِمَةُ لَبِيدٍ: أَلا كُلُّ شَيْءٍ مَا خَلا اللَّهَ بَاطِلٌ.

Amr ibn Shareed (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that his father said, I once accompanied Messenger of Allah ﷺ and sat behind him on a conveyance. I recited a hundred couplets of Umayyah ibn Sault to Messenger of Allah ﷺ. After reciting a couplet Messenger of Allah ﷺ said "continue" till I recited a hundred couplets. In the end Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "He (Umayyah) was close to accepting Islam."

حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مَنِيعٍ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا مَرْوَانُ بْنُ مُعَاوِيَةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ الطَّائِفِيِّ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ الشَّرِيدِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، قَالَ: كُنْتُ رِدْفَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ، فَأَنْشَدْتُهُ مِائَةَ قَافِيَةٍ مِنْ قَوْلِ أُمَيَّةَ بْنِ أَبِي الصَّلْتِ الثَّقَفِيِّ، كُلَّمَا أَنْشَدْتُهُ بَيْتًا، قَالَ لِيَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ: هِيهْ حَتَّى أَنْشَدْتُهُ مِائَةً يَعْنِي بَيْتًا، فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ: إِنْ كَادَ لَيُسْلِمُ.