“A good hadith.” Al-Hakim said: “Authentic according to the criteria of Muslim,” and al-Dhahabi agreed with him. It is as they said, except that Usamah ibn Zayd al-Laythi has received some slight criticism; thus, its chain of transmission is good.

The first part of it has a corroborating report from the hadith of Shahr ibn Hawshab, from Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri, who said: “A man came to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said to him: ‘Advise me.’” He then mentioned it and added: “For it encompasses all good.” Shahr had poor retention despite his truthfulness, so someone like him may be cited as corroborative evidence. It has previously appeared through another route under no. 555.

1731 — “In some eloquence there is sorcery, and in some poetry there is wisdom.”

Al-Bukhari recorded it in al-Adab al-Mufrad (872), as did Abu Dawud (5011), Ibn Majah (3756)—but only the second part—Ibn Hibban (2009), and Ahmad (1/269, 273, 303, 309, 313, 327, and 332), through several routes from Simak ibn Harb, from ‘Ikrimah, from Ibn ‘Abbas: “A Bedouin came to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and spoke with eloquence”—and in Ahmad’s version: “he began praising him”—whereupon the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said the above.

I say: This is a good chain of transmission, and it meets Muslim’s criteria, though Simak has received some slight criticism. Al-Hakam ibn ‘Utaybah also corroborated it, from Miqsam, from Ibn ‘Abbas, with an additional account; however, the chain leading to it is unsound. Al-Hakim recorded it (3/613) through Abu Sa‘d al-Haytham ibn Mahfuz, from Abu al-Muqawwim al-Ansari, from Yahya ibn Abi Yazid, from him. Al-Hakim and al-Dhahabi made no comment on it.