The reader: Sarih ibn Yunus narrated to us, saying: Abd al-Rahman ibn Abd al-Malik ibn Abjar narrated to us from his father, from Wasil ibn Hayyan, who said: Abu Wa'il said:
Ammar delivered a sermon to us, and he was concise and eloquent. When he descended, we said: O Abu al-Yaqzan, you have indeed been eloquent and concise; if only you had paused for breath. He said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: The length of a man's prayer and the brevity of his sermon are a sign of his understanding. So lengthen the prayer and shorten the sermon, and know that some eloquence is sorcery.
خطبنا عمار فأوجز وأبلغ فلما نزل قلنا يا أبا اليقظان لقد أبلغت وأوجزت فلو كنت تنفست فقال إني سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول: إن طول صلاة الرجل وقصر خطبته مئنة من فقهه فأطيلوا الصلاة واقصروا الخطبة وإن من البيان سحراً
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