{"id":140346,"date":"2020-05-15T15:40:07","date_gmt":"2020-05-15T15:40:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/?p=140346"},"modified":"2020-05-15T15:40:12","modified_gmt":"2020-05-15T15:40:12","slug":"the-case-of-poetry-in-surah-al-shuara-the-poets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/?p=140346","title":{"rendered":"The Case of Poetry in Surah al-Shuara (the Poets)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Spahic Omer<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As an art, Arabic poetry is the earliest and\nperhaps most prominent form of Arabic literature. One thing is the present\nknowledge of Arabic poetry, which dates back approximately to the 6th<\/sup>\ncentury, but the other is oral poetry which is believed to predate that by many\ncenturies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Poetry was the only medium of literary expression in pre-Islamic Arabia. In point of fact, it was the only form of art. One of the reasons for that was the remarkable Semitic respect for the word and its inherent potentials and beauties. In addition, the cultural and civilisational identities of the Semites throughout history, whereby they appeared to be more cultured than civilised, played also a role. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even during some ancient biblical times, the Arabs\nwere known for their poetry and for what the scholars sometimes call \u0153gnomic\nwisdom\u009d. King Solomons (Prophet Sulayman) wisdom is said to have been so\nmagnificent that it outshined the wisdom of all the people of the East and all the wisdom of\nEgypt (Peterson, 2017). By the \u0153people of the East\u009d, it is meant the Arabs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And Jobs (Prophet Ayyub) wise\nfriends, its clear, come from north Arabian groups. Indeed, the Book of Job as\na whole has been argued by some commentators to have an Arabian origin\n(Peterson, 2017). It is described as the greatest poem of ancient and modern\ntimes. The Book of Job is in the Ketuvim<\/a> (“Writings”) section of the Hebrew\nBible<\/a> (Tanakh<\/a>),\nand the first poetic book in the Old\nTestament<\/a> of the Christian Bible<\/a> (Seow, 2013).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Quran is not poetry, and the\nProphet (pbuh) was not a poet <\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reference of surah<\/em> al-Shuara<\/em>\nto the poets and its entire context are twofold. Firstly, it proves that the\nQuran is not a work of poetry and that Muhammad (pbuh) is not a poet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Secondly, it asserts that poetry and other forms of art are a double-edged sword. In principle, they are neither good nor bad, and they cannot be generalised and declared as either prohibited or permitted. It all depends on a number of internal and external factors which pertain to the worldview and intention of an artist, his overall conduct and the substance, purpose as well as objective of his art.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The polytheistic Arabs (mushriks<\/em>) stopped at nothing trying to justify their rejection of the Prophet (pbuh) and his revelation, the Holy Quran. Given that the city of Makkah since time immemorial was a large scale religious hub and a centre of pilgrimage, the Makkans had to continuously explain the case of Muhammad (pbuh) to the visitors and pilgrims that flocked to the city. They had to cautiously disapprove and deride his case so that the other people could become convinced and do the same yet before meeting him. His fascinating and enthralling religious preaching had to be thwarted at all cost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the charges levelled against the Prophet\n(pbuh) was that he was no more than an extraordinarily skilful poet and the\nQuran nothing more than the product of his great poetic skill and artistry.\nTherefore, the Quran hastened to repudiate such baseless allegations. It\nhighlighted that the Prophet (pbuh) was an unlettered man who had never learned\nhow to read and write (al-\u02dcAnkabut, 48). Moreover, the Quran was officially\nhis greatest and permanent miracle. It explicitly challenged anybody from among\nthe Jinns or humankind, in any place and age, and individually or collectively,\nto come up with anything that could rival yet the shortest chapters (surahs<\/em>)\nof the Quran in terms of their beauty, style, content, meaning and\nimplications for thought and life (al-Baqarah, 23-24). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The logic goes to the effect that if the Prophet\n(pbuh) was a poet and the Quran poetry, then many great poets from various\ntimes and locations would have taken up the challenge and do away with the\nmenace of Muhammad (pbuh) and Islam once and for all. However, nothing ever to\nthat effect came to pass. Everyone felt so overwhelmed and incapacitated by the\nstyle and spirit of the Quranic message that nobody even dared to try. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the context of its defence of the Prophet (pbuh)\nand his heavenly mission, the Quran articulates once the words \u0153poetry (al-shir<\/em>)\u009d\nand \u0153poets (al-shuara<\/em>)\u009d and four times the word \u0153poet (shair<\/em>)\u009d.\nThe kernel of the Qurans defence is the following verse from surah<\/em> Ya\nSin<\/em>: \u0153And in no way\ndid We teach him (the Prophet) poetry; and in no way does it behove him.\nDecidedly (this revelation) it is nothing (else) except a Remembrance and an\nevident Quran\u009d (Ya Sin, 69).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The message of surah<\/em> al-Shuara<\/em>\nconcerning the rejection of the charge that the Prophet (pbuh) was a poet and\nthe Quran poetry is as follows. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The (dishonest and wrong) poets are\nfollowed only by the erring ones (al-ghawun<\/em>) (verse 224). Such is the\ncase because the poets speak indiscriminately about basically every subject\nwithout seriously considering if they are right or wrong. They roam confusedly\nand aimlessly \u0153through all the valleys of words and thoughts\u009d (verse 225). They\noften talk about sensual pleasures. They tend to excessively jest, parody,\nglorify and criticise. If situations demand and their personal objectives\nwarrant, they and their poetry also arouse the feelings of hatred, enmity and\nvengeance against others. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The poets are often loose cannons,\nsubmitting themselves to no spiritual and moral restrictions or authority.\nTheir absolutely free and intensely imaginative and fantasising minds and souls\nare the only sources of legitimacy to them. Every knowledge or initiative ought\nto be turned to that frame of reference for its authentication and endorsement.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In their world, there is no place\nfor the higher standards and nobler ends of life. Hence, the surah<\/em>, apart from\nalluding to the fact that the poets \u201c and many other artists \u201c are lost and\nblind, accentuates the inconsistency between what they say and do (verse 226),\nwhich is a serious deficiency most commonly found among hypocrites. The verse thus\nalso indicates the inconsistency between the ideas, creativity and dreams of\nthe poets and the implications of living a real life (Maududi, 1982).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If this is the case with the (immoral) poets, the same holds true for their sympathisers and followers. They complement and sustain each other. They make up an exclusive sphere of concepts, traditions and mores under the guise of art (poetry). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indeed, he who is in demand and is\nfollowed dictates the religious convictions and ethical behavioural paradigms\nof those who pursue and follow him. Correct is the Latin phrase: \u0153Cuius\nregio, eius religio\u009d<\/em>,which is translated as \u0153whose realm, his\nreligion\u009d. Ibn Khaldun also rightly observed that the common people follow the\nreligion (creed) of their rulers, or leaders, in every sense of every word in\nthe idiom. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who are \u0153al-ghawun<\/em>\u009d, \u0153the\nerring ones\u009d?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The passionate followers of the\n(immoral) poets are called \u0153al-ghawun<\/em>\u009d, which broadly means \u0153the erring\nones\u009d. The term, in fact, implies any type or category of people who are\nmisguided and live in error. In that case, the poets are guilty of a dual\nspiritual misdemeanour: being misguided themselves and misguiding the others. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In order to underscore the\nseriousness and profundity of the matter, the surah<\/em> uses the same\nterm twice more, apart from the case of the poets in verse 224. That is in\nverses 91 and 94. Both instances are mentioned in connection with Hellfire and the\nconditions of its inhabitants. The verse 91 reads: \u0153And Hell will appear\nplainly to the erring ones (or those who were straying in Evil or were lost in\ngrievous error) (al-ghawin<\/em>)\u009d (al-Shuara, 91). And the verse 94 reads:\n\u0153Then they will be thrown headlong into the (Hellfire) they and those who were\n(lost) in (grievous) error (al-ghawun<\/em>)\u009d (al-Shuara, 94).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is also interesting to note that\nthe same word with its derivatives is employed elsewhere in the Quran\npredominantly in the context of Satan and his unceasing scheming that aims at\ndeceiving man and causing his fall. Therefore, whoever does the same thing and\nadopts the similar deceptive strategies follows in the footsteps of Satan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, those who follow\nthe Prophet (pbuh) constitute together with him a community that possesses a highly\ncultured, refined and kind behavioural paradigm. Its existential purpose and\nmission are rooted in universal righteousness, God-consciousness, a sense of\ncommitment for higher ontological ideals and ends, and a high regard for the\nrights of others. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Topping the list of its priorities\nare fairness, justice and comprehensive excellence. To its people, life is an\nextremely serious business with correspondingly serious consequences. No human\npursuit is to deviate, even in the slightest, from this outlook and the\naction-plans that emanate therefrom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is in relation to this that the surah<\/em> asserts that\nthe Quran is Gods speech and His revelation (verse 192). By describing\nHimself in the same verse as \u0153the Lord of the worlds\u009d as the source of the\nrevealed Quran, God wants to suggest that His revelation is total,\nencompassing the whole truth, and universal, aiming at everyone and every\ncircumstance and everywhere till the end of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trustworthiness, protection\n(security) and truth<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

God sent the Quran down through the\narchangel Jibril (Gabriel) who is His trustworthy messenger from the realm of\nangels (verse 193). Thus, the Quran came from Almighty God, the Creator and\nLord of the universe, through the trustworthy archangel Jibril (al-Amin<\/em>)\nand to the Prophet (pbuh), who as well was nicknamed al-Amin<\/em> (the\ntrustworthy). The project started in Makkah, which was dubbed the city of\nprotection and security (al-balad al-amin<\/em>) (al-Tin, 3). The concepts of\n\u0153trustworthiness (al-amanah<\/em>)\u009d and \u0153protection (al-amn<\/em>)\u009d are\ninterrelated, overlapping each other in many respects. It is almost as though\nthere can be no one without the other. The root of both words is the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All that by no means is a coincidence. The whole case of the Prophet (pbuh) rested on the absolute and divine authority and on the premises of total trustworthiness, authenticity, integrity and infallibility. It aimed to create generations of people who will epitomise in their deeds, words and attitudes trustworthiness, virtue and honesty. Being thus at peace with themselves, they could become a source of peace, motivation and guidance to others. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The same is true with regard to\nevery other prophet. Trustworthiness (al-amanah<\/em>) was the paramount\nquality of each and every one of them. The reliability and integrity of every\nstage and aspect of revelation had to be ensured and substantiated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Five of the seven prophets whose\nstories are featured in surah<\/em> al-Shuara<\/em> are reported in the same surah<\/em> to have\nconveyed to their respective communities the following message: \u0153Will you not\nfear (be conscious of) Allah? I am a trustworthy messenger (rasul<\/em> amin<\/em>)\nto you. So fear (be conscious of) Allah, keep your duty to Him, and obey me.\u009d\nThe five prophets are Nuh (verses 106-108), Hud (verses 124-126), Salih (verses\n142-144), Lut (verses 161-163) and Shuayb (verses 177-179).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Owing to this, the surah<\/em> categorically\nstates that \u0153it is not devils who have brought it (the Quran) down. Neither\nwould it suit them, nor can they (produce it). Verily, they have been removed\nfar from hearing it\u009d (al-Shuara, 210-212). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The two-sidedness of poetry <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, putting forward that every\nideological alternative that tends to rival the Quran and its straight path is\npartly or completely Satans business, the surah<\/em> conveys:\n\u0153Shall I inform you (O people!) on whom it is that devils (the evil ones)\ndescend? They descend on every lying wicked person. (Into whose ears) they pour\nhearsay vanities and most of them are liars\u009d (al-Shuara, 221-223). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That the case of the poets follows\nimmediately after the latter set of verses clearly shows how tricky,\ndouble-sided and devious poetry \u201c and other art forms \u201c could be. As a means,\nrather than end, its legitimacy, or otherwise, depends on how and for what\npurposes it is used. Just as it can procure much goodness, it likewise can\ngenerate much harm. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That the allusion to the negative\nsides of poetry precedes the allusion to the positive ones may suggest that the\nformer outweighs the latter in its potency, effects and scope. It may also\nsuggest that the former is more needed by falsehood and disbelief to establish\nthemselves and thrive, than the latter by the truth. The truth is objective and\nself-governing. A great deal of the creativity and resourcefulness of the\nwicked and dishonest poets – and of other artists – which is proportionately\nwicked and dishonest, is nothing but Satans whispers. As equal partners, they\nmove together and cooperate towards the same ungodly ends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, there is much room for appropriate poetry and art in Islam and its civilisation, provided the divine criteria are duly observed. Those criteria are clearly spelled out in verse 227 where God speaks about the exceptions to the previously stated poetry trends and its proponents: \u0153Save those (poets) who believe and do good works, and remember Allah much, and vindicate themselves after they have been wronged. Those who do wrong will come to know by what a (great) reverse they will be overturned!\u009d (al-Shuara, 227).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This verse is the last verse in surah<\/em> al-Shuara<\/em>.\nIts role is akin to the final and parting emphasis on the most important thing\nthat permeates virtually every section of the surah<\/em>, that is, the\nidentity of the truth and its salient features. The truth must set up a\nbackdrop for every human activity. Its essence must be its beginning, means and\nend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Abdullah Yusuf Ali further\nelaborates: \u0153Poetry and the fine arts which are to be commended are those which\nemanate from minds steeped in faith, which try to carry out in life the fine\nsentiments they express in their artistic work, aim at the glory of Allah\nrather than at self-glorification or the fulsome praise of men with feet of\nclay, and do not (as in jihad<\/em>) attack anything except aggressive evil.\nIn this sense a perfect artist should be a perfect man. Perfection may not be\nattainable in this life, but it should be the aim of every man, and especially\nof one who wishes to become a supreme artist, not only in technique but in\nspirit and essentials.\u009d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Prophet (pbuh) was not against\npoetry as such <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nobody disputes the innate permissibility of poetry. It is like any other form of speech: what is good is good, and what is evil is evil. In view of that, the Prophet (pbuh) was never against proper and beneficial poetry. Yet, he himself sometimes recited certain poetry verses, or he asked someone to recite to him. However, his interest in poetry was lukewarm and he never memorised whole poems verbatim, nor did he intend to. He is reported to have said that in some poetry, truly, there is wisdom. He also remarked about a non-Muslim poet that he is almost a Muslim in his poetry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Likewise, some of the Prophets\ncompanions were fond of the subject. Some mastered it and were renowned poets.\nHowever, they used their talent only for defending and promoting the truth and\nits people. No inappropriate aims found their way into their poetry interests\nand hobbies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A companion Hassan b. Thabit was one of the most\noutstanding poets of the Prophet (pbuh). He used to recite poetry inside the\nMosque of the Prophet (pbuh) and in the presence of the Prophet (pbuh) who once\nsaid: \u0153O Hassan! Reply on behalf of Allahs Messenger (to the attacks of the polytheists\nby means of poetry). O Allah! Support him with the Holy Spirit (angel Jibril or\nGabriel)\u009d (Sahih al-Bukhari).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not only that. The Prophet (pbuh) even set up a pulpit (minbar<\/em>) for Hassan b. Thabit in his Mosque to defend him and his mission, and to lampoon or compose satirical poetry defaming the infidels and their agendas against the Prophet (pbuh) and his Islamic cause. According to a report, once a man started abusing Hassan b. Thabit in front of \u02dcAishah, the wife of the Prophet (pbuh), whereupon she said: \u0153Do not abuse him, for he used to defend the Prophet (pbuh) (with his poetry)\u009d (Sahih al-Bukhari).***<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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