Part of Al-Shama'il Al-Muhammadiyah (the series is completed)
· Lesson 22 of 40
Al-Shamail Al-Muhammadiya | Episode (22) | Chapter on what was mentioned in the words of the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, regarding poetry
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Transcript
Machine translation — may contain errors
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In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
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With the pens of longing and the ink of love,
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We record lines more precious than gold,
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In describing the master of all creation, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
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The Prophetic characteristics (Shama'il).
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Chapter: What has been narrated regarding the description of the speech of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, concerning poetry.
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The status of poetry is the same as the status of all other speech.
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This is because poetry is measured, rhymed speech.
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So, whatever of it is good in its wording and its meaning,
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It is good and wholesome.
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It is permissible to recite it and to listen to it.
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And whatever of it is otherwise,
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It is evil, and it is not permissible to recite it or to listen to it.
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Al-Bukhari, may Allah have mercy on him, narrated in Al-Adab al-Mufrad,
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On the authority of Abdullah Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both,
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That the Prophet, peace be upon him, said:
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"Poetry is like other forms of speech;
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Its good is like the good of speech,
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And its evil is like the evil of speech."
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Ibn Majah and others narrated on the authority of Ubayy Ibn Ka'b, may Allah be pleased with him,
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That the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
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"Indeed, there is wisdom in poetry."
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Meaning, some poetry is wisdom,
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And some of it is not.
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It was said to the Mother of the Believers, Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her:
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"Did the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,
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Ever recite any poetry?"
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She said:
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"He used to recite the poetry of Ibn Rawahah,
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And he would recite his saying:
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'And news will come to you from one you did not provide with provisions.'"
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In this hadith,
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I said to the Mother of the Believers, Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her—
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Or rather, she was asked:
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"Did the Prophet, peace be upon him,
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Ever recite any poetry?"
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Meaning, did he ever chant any poetry?
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She said:
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"He used to recite the poetry of Ibn Rawahah."
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Meaning that he, peace be upon him,
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Would sometimes recite the poetry of the noble Companion,
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Abdullah Ibn Rawahah, may Allah be pleased with him.
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And her saying:
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"Like his saying:
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'And news will come to you from one you did not provide with provisions,'"
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Means that he would sometimes recite the words of others,
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Like his saying:
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"And news will come to you from one you did not provide with provisions."
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This is a hemistich from a verse by Tarafa Ibn al-Abd,
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In his famous Mu'allaqa, in which he says:
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"The days will reveal to you that which you were ignorant of,
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And news will come to you from one you did not provide with provisions."
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The meaning of this verse,
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As Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, explains,
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Is that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,
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When he was delayed in receiving news,
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Would recite Tarafa's verse:
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"And news will come to you from one you did not provide with provisions."
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Meaning: The days will reveal to you that which you were heedless of,
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And one to whom you gave no provisions will bring you the news.
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On the authority of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, he said:
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The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
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"The truest word spoken by a poet
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Is the word of Labid:
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'Indeed, everything except Allah is false.'"
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And Umayya Ibn Abi al-Salt almost accepted Islam.
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The Prophet, peace be upon him, said:
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"The truest word spoken by a poet."
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The intent by "word"
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Is a complete, meaningful sentence.
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And it is here a hemistich of a verse spoken by Labid:
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"Indeed, everything except Allah is false."
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And its completion is: "And every blessing will inevitably vanish."
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Labid is Labid Ibn Rabi'ah al-'Amiri.
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He was a poet among the most eloquent of poets.
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He came to the Prophet, peace be upon him, with his people,
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So he accepted Islam, and his Islam was sincere.
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He stopped composing poetry,
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And said: "Allah has replaced poetry for me with Surah al-Baqarah."
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And his saying: "Indeed, everything except Allah is false,"
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The intent by "false"
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Is that which is perishable and transient.
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It was considered the truest speech of the poets
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Because it conforms to the saying of Allah the Exalted:
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“Everyone that is thereon will pass away;” (55:26)
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And his saying: "And Umayya Ibn Abi al-Salt almost accepted Islam,"
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Means Umayya Ibn Abi al-Salt was close to entering Islam,
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Because he used to speak the truth in his poetry.
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He was a devout person during the Jahiliyyah (pre-Islamic era),
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And he would worship and believe in the Resurrection.
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However, he lived to see Islam but did not accept it.
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On the authority of Jundub Ibn Sufyan al-Bajali, may Allah be pleased with him, he said:
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A stone struck the finger of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,
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And it bled.
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So he said: "You are but a finger that has bled,
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And what you have suffered is in the path of Allah."
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In this hadith,
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The Prophet, peace be upon him,
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Went out one time on an expedition,
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And a stone struck his finger, causing it to bleed.
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Meaning his finger was wounded,
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And blood appeared from it.
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The intent by "finger" here is the finger of a man.
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So he, peace be upon him, addressed it metaphorically,
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Or literally, to console it,
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Meaning: "Be steadfast,
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For you are being tested with some pain and injury,
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Yet you have bled,
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And what you have encountered is for the sake of Allah,
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So do not worry, but rather rejoice,
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For the trial is small,
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And the reward is great."
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In this is evidence that a Muslim has a reward
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For everything that befalls him if he seeks the reward from Allah.
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Some scholars have said
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That this verse was recited by the Prophet, peace be upon him,
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From the poetry of Ibn Rawahah, may Allah be pleased with him.
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On the authority of Al-Bara' Ibn 'Azib, may Allah be pleased with them both, he said:
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A man said to him:
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"Did you flee from the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,
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O Abu 'Amarah?"
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He said: "No, by Allah,
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The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, did not turn his back,
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But the hasty people turned their backs,
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And Hawazin met them with arrows.
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The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, was on his mule,
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And Abu Sufyan Ibn al-Harith Ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib
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Was holding its bridle,
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And the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, was saying:
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'I am the Prophet, there is no lie,
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I am the son of 'Abd al-Muttalib.'"
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A man asked Abu 'Amarah,
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Who is Al-Bara' Ibn 'Azib, may Allah be pleased with them both, saying:
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"Did you flee from the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him?"
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He meant on the day of Hunayn.
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So he answered him, saying:
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"No, by Allah, the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, did not turn his back,
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But the hasty people turned their backs."
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Meaning the first of the people who rush toward something,
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And advance toward it quickly.
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That was when Hawazin met them with arrows,
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Meaning with spears and arrows.
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Hawazin is a large tribe of the Arabs,
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And they were the people of Ta'if.
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They were among the best of people at archery,
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And the greatest of them in their attention to it.
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And his saying:
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"And the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, was on his mule,
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And Abu Sufyan Ibn al-Harith Ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib was holding its bridle."
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This Abu Sufyan
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Is the cousin of the Prophet, peace be upon him,
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And his foster brother.
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He accepted Islam before the conquest of Makkah,
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And his Islam was sincere.
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He stood firm with the Prophet, peace be upon him, on the day of Hunayn,
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And he took hold of the bridle of the mule of the Prophet, peace be upon him,
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So that it would not advance toward the enemies.
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And the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, was saying:
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"I am the Prophet, there is no lie,
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I am the son of 'Abd al-Muttalib."
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This is the point of evidence from the hadith,
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Meaning: I am a Prophet sent by the Lord of the worlds, in truth.
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Allah the Exalted has promised His Prophets clear victory.
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And his saying:
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"I am the son of 'Abd al-Muttalib,"
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He attributed himself to his grandfather instead of his father, Abdullah,
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As if it were due to the fame of 'Abd al-Muttalib among the people,
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Because of the nobility of his reputation and his long life,
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Unlike his father, Abdullah,
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For he died young.
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That is why many of the Arabs would call him,
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"O son of 'Abd al-Muttalib."
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On the authority of Anas, may Allah be pleased with him,
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That the Prophet, peace be upon him,
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Entered Makkah during the 'Umrat al-Qada' (the compensatory pilgrimage),
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And Ibn Rawahah was walking before him, saying:
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"Clear the way, sons of the disbelievers, for his path,
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Today we shall strike you for its revelation,
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With a strike that removes heads from their resting places,
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And makes a friend forget his friend."
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So Umar said to him:
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"O Ibn Rawahah,
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In front of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,
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And in the sanctuary of Allah,
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You recite poetry?"
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So he, peace be upon him, said:
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"Leave him be, O Umar,
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For it is faster against them than the striking of arrows."
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The Prophet, peace be upon him, entered
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Makkah during the 'Umrat al-Qada',
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Which is the pilgrimage agreed upon
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In the terms of the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah.
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And the poet of the Prophet, peace be upon him,
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The noble Companion Abdullah Ibn Rawahah,
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May Allah be pleased with him,
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Was walking before him, saying:
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"Clear the way, sons of the disbelievers, for his path."
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Meaning: Move aside, O you disbelievers,
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From the path of the Prophet, peace be upon him.
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And his saying:
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"Today we strike you for its revelation,"
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Meaning: Today we fight you over the ruling of its revelation,
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"A strike that removes the head from its resting place."
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"Al-ham" is the plural of "hamma,"
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Which is the forelock, the top of the head.
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And "al-maqil" is the place.
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The meaning is: Today we strike you a blow
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That removes the head from its position and place.
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And his saying:
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"And makes the intimate friend forget his intimate friend,"
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Meaning: That strike makes the intimate friend forget his intimate friend.
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'Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, objected to Ibn Rawaha,
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Saying in the presence of the Messenger of Allah,
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"Do you recite poetry in the sanctuary of Allah?"
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As if he considered the recitation of poetry to be a grave matter
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In this place.
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The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said to him,
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"Leave him be, O 'Umar,
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For it is swifter against them than the piercing of arrows."
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Meaning: Let him proceed with his poetry,
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For it affects them with an impact
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Faster than the impact of arrows.
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It is understood from the hadith
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That poetry is a powerful weapon
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If used properly,
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And it is a form of jihad with the tongue.
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The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said,
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"Strive against the polytheists with your wealth,
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Your hands, and your tongues."
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On the authority of Jabir Ibn Samura, may Allah be pleased with him, he said:
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I sat with the Prophet, peace be upon him,
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More than a hundred times.
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His Companions would recite poetry to one another,
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And recall things from the affairs of the Jahiliyyah,
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While he remained silent,
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And sometimes he would smile with them.
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In this hadith,
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Jabir Ibn Samura, may Allah be pleased with him, mentions
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That he sat with the Prophet, peace be upon him,
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More than a hundred times.
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His intent in mentioning this large number of times
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That he sat with the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,
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Is to emphasize to the listener the matter he is about to mention.
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And his saying:
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"His Companions would recite poetry to one another,"
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Meaning: In his presence, peace be upon him,
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Where some would recite to others some of the poetry they had memorized.
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They would talk and engage in discussions about the affairs of the Jahiliyyah,
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Meaning: By way of criticism or as a narrative,
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Due to the benefit or other reasons contained therein.
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And the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,
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Would sit with them while remaining silent,
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And sometimes he would smile.
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His silence, peace be upon him, and his smiling
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Indicate his approval of their action,
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Because he would not remain silent regarding falsehood.
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On the authority of 'Umar Ibn al-Sharid, from his father, who said:
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I was riding behind the Prophet, peace be upon him,
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And I recited to him a hundred rhymes from the poetry of Umayya Ibn Abi al-Salt al-Thaqafi.
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Every time I recited a verse,
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The Prophet, peace be upon him, would say to me,
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"Go on," until I had recited a hundred, meaning verses.
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Then the Prophet, peace be upon him, said,
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"He almost became a Muslim."
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In this hadith, al-Sharid Ibn Suwayd al-Thaqafi, may Allah be pleased with him, mentions
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That he was riding behind the Prophet, peace be upon him, on his mount.
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This is a sign of his humility, peace be upon him,
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For he would often let some of his Companions ride behind him on his mount.
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Abu Zakariyya Yahya Ibn Manda compiled
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The names of those whom the Prophet, peace be upon him, let ride behind him,
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And their number reached about forty people.
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He says: "I recited to him a hundred rhymes,"
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Meaning: Of poetry,
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From the words of Umayya Ibn Abi al-Salt al-Thaqafi,
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Who was a poet of the Jahiliyyah.
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Some of his poetry contained glorification of Allah the Exalted,
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Praise of Him, glory be to Him,
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And mention of the Resurrection and the like.
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Al-Sharid says:
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"Every time I recited a verse,
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The Prophet, peace be upon him, would say to me,
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'Go on,'" meaning: Add more.
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Until I had recited a hundred verses,
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Which is not a small number.
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Then the Prophet, peace be upon him, said,
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"He almost became a Muslim."
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The call of the Prophet, peace be upon him, had reached him,
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And he was close to becoming a Muslim,
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But he died in a state of disbelief.
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The matter belongs to Allah, before and after.
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On the authority of 'A'isha, may Allah be pleased with her, she said:
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The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,
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Used to set up a pulpit in the mosque for Hassan Ibn Thabit,
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Upon which he would stand,
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Boasting on behalf of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,
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Or he said:
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Defending the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him.
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And he would say:
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"Allah the Exalted supports Hassan with the Holy Spirit
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As long as he defends or boasts on behalf of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him."
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In this hadith,
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The Prophet, peace be upon him,
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Ordered a pulpit to be set up for Hassan Ibn Thabit,
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May Allah be pleased with him, in the mosque,
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So that he could stand upon it to recite poetry.
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Hassan, may Allah be pleased with him,
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Was the poet of the Prophet, peace be upon him,
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And one of the most eloquent poets.
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He would stand in the mosque on that pulpit
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To boast on behalf of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,
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Or to defend him.
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This is a doubt from the narrator.
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The meaning of "yufakhir" (boasting)
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Is that he would mention the glories of the Prophet, peace be upon him,
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And his virtues and high status.
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And "al-munafaha"
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Is the defense,
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And the protection of the noble Messenger, peace be upon him.
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This is a form of jihad with the tongue.
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And her saying:
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"And the Prophet, peace be upon him, says:
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'Allah supports Hassan with the Holy Spirit
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As long as he defends or boasts on behalf of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,'"
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Meaning: Allah supports Hassan with the Holy Spirit
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As long as he is occupied with supporting the religion of Allah
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And strengthening the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him.
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The Prophet, peace be upon him, said
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To Hassan Ibn Thabit:
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"Satirize the polytheists,
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For the Holy Spirit is with you."
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And in one wording:
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"And Jibril is with you."
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It is clear from this that the intended meaning of the Holy Spirit is Jibril, peace be upon him.
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So Jibril, peace be upon him,
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Would support Hassan, may Allah be pleased with him, in his poetry
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In support of the religion of Allah the Exalted,
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And in defense of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him.
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The hadith has more to follow, if Allah wills.
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And Allah knows best.
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May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon our Prophet Muhammad,
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And upon all his family and companions.