Bukhari and Muslim both relate—on the authority of Ibn ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with them)—that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Some kinds of eloquence are a form of sorcery.” (1)

Eloquence here refers to polished, persuasive speech.
“A form of sorcery” means that such speech can do what sorcery does: it casts truth in the mold of falsehood and falsehood in the guise of truth, thereby winning over the hearts of the uninformed.

Overall meaning of the ḥadīth: The Prophet ﷺ identifies another variety of sorcery—namely, rhetorical eloquence—because of the powerful effect it can have on hearts and ears, to the point that it may present truth as falsehood and falsehood as truth. The ḥadīth condemns this kind of discourse, which cloaks truth with falsehood and deceives the listener.

Connection to the chapter: The narration points out a type of sorcery that lies in certain forms of eloquent speech.

Lessons derived from the ḥadīth:

1. Persuasive speech that misleads the listener is counted among the forms of sorcery.
2. This kind of discourse is censured—whereas eloquence that clarifies and affirms the truth, refutes falsehood, and defeats it is praiseworthy.