Hadith #241
Arabic Text
حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ عَنْ زَائِدَةَ عَنْ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ بْنِ عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَصْدَقُ بَيْتٍ قَالَهُ الشَّاعِرُ أَلَا كُلُّ شَيْءٍ مَا خَلَا اللَّهَ بَاطِلُ وَكَادَ ابْنُ أَبِي الصَّلْتِ يُسْلِمُ
English Translation
It was narrated from Abu Hurayra (رضي الله عنه) — via Sufyan, from Za'ida, from 'Abd al-Malik ibn 'Umayr, from Abu Salama — from the Prophet ﷺ: 'The truest verse ever spoken by a poet is: "Indeed, everything other than Allah is vain [batil]." And Ibn Abi al-Salt nearly embraced Islam.' [The verse is from the poet Labid. Umayya ibn Abi al-Salt was a pre-Islamic Arab poet who acknowledged monotheism but did not accept the Prophet ﷺ.]
Quran References
Reference: Musnad Ahmad, Book 17, Hadith 241
Sunnah.com ref: Musnad Ahmad 7079
Islam.wiki ID: IWH-43469