[2] Poets and Poetry

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

Allah, The Exalted, said:

وَمَا عَلَّمْنَٰهُ ٱلشِّعْرَ وَمَا يَنۢبَغِى لَهُۥٓ إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكْرٌ وَقُرْءَانٌ مُّبِينٌ

And We have not taught him (Muhammad) poetry, nor is it befitting for him. This is only a Reminder and a plain Quran. [Yasin 69]

Allah, The Exalted, clears His Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, of the accusations made by the polytheists that he is a poet, and that what he brought forth is poetry. He said:

وَمَا عَلَّمْنَاهُ الشِّعْرَ وَمَا يَنْبَغِي لَهُ

“And We have not taught him (Muhammad) poetry, nor is it befitting for him” to be a poet. This in essence is an impossibility for him, as he is guided and righteous, while poets are misguided and are followed by the misguided. Allah eliminated all doubts which the misguided attributed to His Messenger, and that neither could he write nor read poetry, and that poetry is not something He has taught him, nor is it fitting for him.

إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكْرٌ

“This (i.e. what he recites) is only a Reminder”.

Meaning, this matter he has brought is nothing other than a reminder through which those who possess understanding are reminded all the religious (obligations and recommendations) comprehensively. It reminds the intellects to reflect on what Allah has instilled in them regarding the command of all that is good and the prohibition of all that is repugnant (or evil).

وَقُرْآنٍ مُبِينٍ

“and a plain Quran”.

Meaning, clear in what requires explanation. Thus, the subject has been omitted to indicate that it elucidates all truth through detailed and general proofs, (as well as clarify in detail and general) the falsehoods and their refutations, and also revealed to His Messenger.

An Excerpt from “Tafsir As-Sadi”.