Prohibition of poetry recitation, embellishing speech, and harming a believer

This excerpt is taken from the Arabic book Al-Awamer wal-Nawahi by Sheikh Hussain bin Mubarak Al-Mawsili, whose Urdu translation has been done by Muhammad Sarwar Gohar Sahib under the title Ahkamat o Mamnooat.

Prohibition of Poetry Recitation​

​

① It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
لأن يمتلئ جوف أحدكم قيحا حتى يريه، خير له من أن يمتلئ شعرا
"If the stomach of any one of you is filled with pus until it reaches the lungs, it is better than his stomach being filled with poetry."

Reference: Bukhari, Book of Adab 6155, Muslim, Book of Poetry 7/2257.

② Sayyiduna Abu Saeed Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that we were traveling with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), and when we reached the place called Arj, a poet began to recite poetry, so the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
خذوا الشيطان، أو أمسكوا الشيطان، لأن يمتلئ جوف رجل قيحا خير له من أن يمتلئ شعرا
"Seize the devil or restrain the devil; if a man's stomach is filled with pus, it is better than his stomach being filled with poetry."

Reference: Muslim, Book of Poetry 2259/9, Musnad Ahmad, and the Musnad of the Most Frequent Narrators 12/1, Hadith 11063.

Prohibition of Adorning Speech​

​

① It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه that the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said:
من تعلم صرف الكلام ليسبي به قلوب الرجال أو الناس لم يقبل الله منه يوم القيامة صرفا ولا عدلا
"Whoever learns the art of embellishing speech (such as mimicry, tricks, etc.) to captivate men or people's hearts, then on the Day of Judgment Allah will neither accept his obligatory deeds nor his voluntary deeds."

Reference: Abu Dawood, Kitab al-Adab 5006.

Prohibition of harming a believer​

​

① It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiq رضي الله عنه that the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said:
ملعون من ضار مؤمنا أو مكر به
"Cursed is the one who harms a believer and deceives him."

Reference: Tirmidhi, Kitab al-Birr wal-Silah 1941, Abu Nu'aym Fi al-Hilyah 49/3.

② It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Sarmah رضي الله عنه that the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said:
من ضار مؤمنا ضار الله به، ومن شاق مؤمنا شاق الله عليه
"Whoever harms a believer, Allah causes him to suffer harm because of it, and whoever puts a believer in hardship, Allah puts him in hardship."

Reference: Abu Dawood, Kitab al-Aqdiyah 3635, Tirmidhi, Kitab al-Birr wal-Silah 1940.