Good Poetry Is Beneficial

Question:
It has become customary and widespread among some tribes to bring in what they call debate poets. For example, they might bring two poets, each from a different tribe, in exchange for a sum of money at wedding celebrations and similar events. The two poets keep the night alive, as they say, with two facing rows of men, where each poet has a row that collectively repeats what the poets say, with loud voices, clapping, dancing, and swaying. Each poet boasts of his lineage and ancestry, while attacking the other poet. What is the ruling on all of this?

Answer:
As for women singing at weddings with hand drums, this is part of announcing the marriage, and it is prescribed. Beating the hand drum at a marriage is specifically for women; there is no free mixing of men and women, and ordinary songs do not contain anything wrong. This is prescribed for women and is part of announcing the marriage. It was done during the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and his wives and others would attend.
As for men, there is nothing wrong with engaging in Arabic poetry, gathering to listen to it, provided it contains no harm, no backbiting, no cursing, no insulting, and does not cause enmity or hatred. This must be without drums and without any other wrong, such as criticizing the faults of a specific tribe or another tribe in a way that causes enmity; this is not permissible.
However, if they attend good poetry, such as the poetry of Hassan and other good poems and odes that contain goodness and call to goodness, or if a poet calls them to goodness, generosity, kindness, and good deeds, and another poet does the same, calling to goodness, noble morals, and excellent deeds, there is nothing wrong. As he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: , and he said to Hassan: , and he said: . Hassan used to satirize them, and his poetry was great and good. So too was Abdullah ibn Rawahah, and Ka'b ibn Malik, and those who came after them among the good poets. Among the poetry is the "Nuniyyah" of Ibn al-Qayyim, which is one of the greatest and most beneficial poems; it is a good, great, and beneficial ode. There is also the "Nuniyyah" of al-Qahthani, a good and beneficial poem on creed. And so with good poetry that contains a call to goodness, noble morals, and excellent deeds; this is good, whether at a wedding or otherwise.
However, if two or more poets stand up to boast, to disparage one another, or to curse one another, this is wrong. Or if one curses the tribe of the other, this is wrong. But if the poetry is about what benefits people, in calling to noble morals and excellent deeds, dutifulness to parents, maintaining family ties, obedience to Allah and His Messenger, obedience to those in authority in what is right, and caution against the sins of Allah, all of this is good and has an effect on the hearts.
There is nothing wrong with paying a singer at a wedding for her work, or a poet who has good poetry, inviting him to recite the good poetry that benefits people, and giving him a reward; there is nothing wrong with that. But the one who calls for the backbiting of so-and-so, the backbiting of so-and-so, the disparagement of so-and-so, and the praise of so-and-so, to stir up enmity, hatred, and animosity among people, this is wrong and not permissible.