Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَامِرٍ عَبْدُ الْمَلِكِ بْنُ عَمْرٍو حَدَّثَنَا زُهَيْرٌ عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَسْلَمَ سَمِعْتُ ابْنَ عُمَرَ قَالَ قَدِمَ رَجُلَانِ مِنْ الْمَشْرِقِ خَطِيبَانِ عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَامَا فَتَكَلَّمَا ثُمَّ قَعَدَا وَقَامَ ثَابِتُ بْنُ قَيْسٍ خَطِيبُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَتَكَلَّمَ ثُمَّ قَعَدَ فَعَجِبَ النَّاسُ مِنْ كَلَامِهِمْ فَقَامَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ قُولُوا بِقَوْلِكُمْ فَإِنَّمَا تَشْقِيقُ الْكَلَامِ مِنْ الشَّيْطَانِ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِنَّ مِنْ الْبَيَانِ سِحْرًا.
English Translation
Abu Amir Abd al-Malik ibn Amr told us, Zuhayr told us, from Zayd ibn Aslam: I heard Ibn Umar say: Two men came from the East as orators, in the time of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. They stood and spoke, then sat down; then Thabit ibn Qays, the orator of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, stood and spoke, then sat down. The people were amazed at their speech. Then the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, stood up and said, "O people, speak in your ordinary way, for elaborate speech is from Satan." The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "Indeed some eloquence is like magic."