One day when I rode behind Messenger of Allah ﷺ, 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.  

رَدِفْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَوْمًا فَقَالَ هَلْ مَعَكَ مِنْ شِعْرِ أُمَيَّةَ بْنِ أَبِي الصَّلْتِ شَيْئًا قُلْتُ نَعَمْ قَالَ هِيهِ فَأَنْشَدْتُهُ بَيْتًا فَقَالَ هِيهِ ثُمَّ أَنْشَدْتُهُ بَيْتًا فَقَالَ هِيهِ حَتَّى أَنْشَدْتُهُ مِائَةَ بَيْتٍ وَحَدَّثَنِيهِ زُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ وَأَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَبْدَةَ جَمِيعًا عَنِ ابْنِ عُيَيْنَةَ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ مَيْسَرَةَ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ الشَّرِيدِ أَوْ يَعْقُوبَ بْنِ عَاصِمٍ عَنِ الشَّرِيدِ قَالَ أَرْدَفَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ خَلْفَهُ فَذَكَرَ بِمِثْلِهِ  

"He (that is Umayya b. Abu Salt) 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."  

اسْتَنْشَدَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِمِثْلِ حَدِيثِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ مَيْسَرَةَ وَزَادَ قَالَ إِنْ كَادَ لَيُسْلِمُ وَفِي حَدِيثِ ابْنِ مَهْدِيٍّ قَالَ فَلَقَدْ كَادَ يُسْلِمُ فِي شِعْرِهِ  

The truest word spoken by an Arab (pre-Islamic) in poetry is this verse of Labid: "Behold! apart from Allah everything is vain."  

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ أَشْعَرُ كَلِمَةٍ تَكَلَّمَتْ بِهَا الْعَرَبُ كَلِمَةُ لَبِيدٍ أَلاَ كُلُّ شَىْءٍ مَا خَلاَ اللَّهَ بَاطِلٌ  

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.  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَصْدَقُ كَلِمَةٍ قَالَهَا شَاعِرٌ كَلِمَةُ لَبِيدٍ أَلاَ كُلُّ شَىْءٍ مَا خَلاَ اللَّهَ بَاطِلٌ وَكَادَ أُمَيَّةُ بْنُ أَبِي الصَّلْتِ أَنْ يُسْلِمَ  

The truest verse recited by a poet is: "Behold! apart from Allah everything is vain," and Ibn Abu Salt was almost a Muslim.  

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ أَصْدَقُ بَيْتٍ قَالَهُ الشَّاعِرُ أَلاَ كُلُّ شَىْءٍ مَا خَلاَ اللَّهَ بَاطِلٌ وَكَادَ ابْنُ أَبِي الصَّلْتِ أَنْ يُسْلِمَ  

The truest couplet recited by a poet is: "Behold! apart from Allah everything is vain," and he made no addition to it.  

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ أَصْدَقُ بَيْتٍ قَالَتْهُ الشُّعَرَاءُ أَلاَ كُلُّ شَىْءٍ مَا خَلاَ اللَّهَ بَاطِلٌ  

I heard Messenger of Allah ﷺ as saying: The truest word which the poet stated is the word of Labid: "Behold! apart from Allah everything is vain."  

سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ إِنَّ أَصْدَقَ كَلِمَةٍ قَالَهَا شَاعِرٌ كَلِمَةُ لَبِيدٍ أَلاَ كُلُّ شَىْءٍ مَا خَلاَ اللَّهَ بَاطِلٌ مَا زَادَ عَلَى ذَلِكَ  

It is better for a man's belly to be stuffed with pus which corrodes it than to stuff (one's mind) with frivolous poetry. Abu Bakr has reported it with a slight variation of wording.  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لأَنْ يَمْتَلِئَ جَوْفُ الرَّجُلِ قَيْحًا يَرِيهِ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَنْ يَمْتَلِئَ شِعْرًا قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ إِلاَّ أَنَّ حَفْصًا لَمْ يَقُلْ يَرِيهِ  

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.  

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ لأَنْ يَمْتَلِئَ جَوْفُ أَحَدِكُمْ قَيْحًا يَرِيهِ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَنْ يَمْتَلِئَ شِعْرًا  

We were going with Messenger of Allah ﷺ. As we reached the place (known as) ʿArj there met (us) a poet who had been reciting poetry. Thereupon Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Catch the satan or detain the satan, for filling the belly of a man with pus is better than stuffing his brain with poetry.  

بَيْنَا نَحْنُ نَسِيرُ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِالْعَرْجِ إِذْ عَرَضَ شَاعِرٌ يُنْشِدُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ خُذُوا الشَّيْطَانَ أَوْ أَمْسِكُوا الشَّيْطَانَ لأَنْ يَمْتَلِئَ جَوْفُ رَجُلٍ قَيْحًا خَيْرٌ لَهُ مِنْ أَنْ يَمْتَلِئَ شِعْرًا