What is Sahih Muslim 5743 about?

This hadith from Sahih Muslim (Book of The Book of Poetry), narrated by Sa`d reported Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) as saying:, states: "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."

Is this hadith authentic?

This hadith is graded Sahih. Sahih hadiths are considered the most authentic grade in hadith classification.

Which collection is this hadith from?

This hadith is from Sahih Muslim, which contains 7,459 hadiths across 57 books. It is hadith number 5743 in the Book of The Book of Poetry.

I searched for a different number — is this the right hadith?

Hadith numbering varies across editions and translations (USC-MSA, Dar as-Salam, Fath al-Bari, and others). If you followed a link citing a different number but landed here, you may have been redirected to the canonical version in our library. If you were looking for a different hadith entirely, use the search bar to find it by text.

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#5742

#5743

Sahih Muslim

#5744

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Sahih Muslim #5743

The Book of Poetry

Sahih

The Arabic includes the chain of narration (sanad) and the collector's commentary; the English translation shows the Prophet's words only.

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، عَنْ يُونُسَ بْنِ جُبَيْرٍ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ، عَنْ سَعْدٍ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ لأَنْ يَمْتَلِئَ جَوْفُ أَحَدِكُمْ قَيْحًا يَرِيهِ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَنْ يَمْتَلِئَ شِعْرًا ‏"‏ ‏.‏

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.

Narrated by Sa`d reported Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) as saying:

Context

In this hadith, Sa`d reports that the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) stated that it is better for a person's stomach to be filled with pus than to be filled with poetry. This statement reflects the Prophet's concern about the potential negative influence of poetry and the importance of focusing on beneficial knowledge.

Modern Application

In modern times, individuals are often inundated with various forms of entertainment and media. This hadith encourages people to prioritize enriching and beneficial content over distractions that may not contribute positively to their lives.

Topics

This hadith is tagged with Prophetic Teachings because it conveys the Prophet's guidance on prioritizing beneficial knowledge over frivolous pursuits.

Prophetic Teachings