What is Sunan Ibn Majah 3496 about?

This hadith from Sunan Ibn Majah (Book of Etiquette), narrated by It was narrated from Sad bin Abu Waqas that the Prophet(ﷺ) said:, states: ""If a man were to fill his stomach completely with pus until it destroyed him, that would be better for him than filling (his mind) with poetry.""

Is this hadith authentic?

This hadith is graded Hasan. Hasan hadiths are considered good and acceptable in hadith classification.

Which collection is this hadith from?

This hadith is from Sunan Ibn Majah, which contains 4,345 hadiths across 38 books. It is hadith number 3496 in the Book of Etiquette.

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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#3495

#3496

Sunan Ibn Majah

#3497

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Sunan Ibn Majah #3496

Etiquette

Hasan

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 بَشَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، حَدَّثَنِي قَتَادَةُ، عَنْ يُونُسَ بْنِ جُبَيْرٍ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سَعْدِ بْنِ أَبِي وَقَّاصٍ، عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ أَبِي وَقَّاصٍ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ قَالَ ‏ "‏ لأَنْ يَمْتَلِئَ جَوْفُ أَحَدِكُمْ قَيْحًا حَتَّى يَرِيَهُ خَيْرٌ لَهُ مِنْ أَنْ يَمْتَلِئَ شِعْرًا ‏"‏ ‏.‏

"If a man were to fill his stomach completely with pus until it destroyed him, that would be better for him than filling (his mind) with poetry."

Narrated by It was narrated from Sad bin Abu Waqas that the Prophet(ﷺ) said:

Context

In this hadith, the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) emphasizes the importance of focusing on beneficial knowledge rather than frivolous pursuits. He uses a stark metaphor, suggesting that even if a person were to fill their stomach with pus, it would be preferable to filling their mind with poetry, which may not serve any constructive purpose. The takeaway here is the value of prioritizing meaningful knowledge and actions over distractions.

Modern Application

In today's world, many people are inundated with entertainment and distractions that do not contribute to personal growth. This hadith encourages individuals to seek knowledge and engage in activities that are beneficial for their spiritual and intellectual development, rather than getting lost in trivial pursuits.

Topics

This hadith is tagged with Warning and Prophetic Teachings because it warns against the dangers of engaging in unproductive activities and teaches the importance of prioritizing beneficial knowledge.

Warning Prophetic Teachings