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Islamic Concept of Poetry

By: Professor Maqsood Jafri

In Greek language poet means a seer and Arabic word shair means the man of

consciousness and wisdom. Hence it can be said that poets are the sensitive people with

higher senses and sensibilities. William Wordsworth says that poetry is intermittent

inspiration and overflow of powerful emotions expressed in tranquility. Matthew Arnold

regards poetry as the criticism of life. Some critics consider poetry as creation of higher and

nobler human ideals. God has created Prophets, poets and philosophers. No one can make

them in factories, workshops and academies.

Poets are born poets. Then why there is a general consensus that the Quran has condemned

poets and poetry is something to be despised or rejected. Many people ask me about poetry.

They pose the same traditional question which the dry priests tell them. Poetry is prohibited

in the Quran. Is it? Let us briefly shed light on this subject.

First of all we must understand that out of context we can never arrive at our destination. The

Quran should be read and understood in totality of its message and spirit. Its verses are local

and universal. Some verses are in local environments but leave universal and eternal

message. Similar is the case with the Quranic verses revealed about poets. There are two

main verses dealing with the subject of poets. In Sura Yasin in verse 69 the Quran says: We

have not instructed the (Prophet) in poetry, not is it meet for him; this is no less than a

message and a Quran making things clear. Why this verse was revealed to the Prophet?

Simply because the Quranic idiom, language and style are so unique that none can excel it. It

is neither poetry nor prose. Its lucid, lyrical and mellifluous style is not less than any

miracle. The heretics regarded this rhythmic and musical idiom of the Quran as poetry and

magic. The infidels leveled three false charges against the Prophet (PBUH) of Islam. They

said; he is a magician; he is a poet; he is a madman; he is an epileptic. God negates their

accusations and in Sura Najm by saying; By the star when it goes down, your companion is

neither astray nor being mislead. Nor does he say (anything) of (his own) desire. It is no less

than inspiration sent down to him. He was taught by one Mighty in Power, endued with

wisdom.

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These verses of Sura Yasin and Sura Najm clearly exhibit the truth that God rejected the

claim of the infidels who regarded the Quran as the book of poetry and Prophet Mohammad

as a poet. The poets in general are not condemned in Sura Yasin. It is an apt reply to the

infidels that the Quran is a message from God with a serious mission and motto. During the

life time of the Prophet the Arabs were known for their poetic eloquence and excellence.

They named all non-Arabs as Ajamy which means the dumb. The Arabs were much proud

of their poetry and oratory. They used to challenge others in the matters of eloquence. IT is

the way of God that He conferred special miraculous powers to different prophets as required

by time. During the time of David the work of smithy was in boom. God gave the power of

melting iron by hand to David. It was a miracle. The necromancy and sorcery were at height

in the period of Moses. God gave him a staff which showed miracles. It devoured the snakesof the magicians and also parted the sea in to two making route for his men. In the time of

Jesus Christ the people were expert in treating the patients through herbs and through

spiritual incantations. God gave miraculous power to Jesus to spiritually treat the lepers and

the blind. He even raised the dead in to life. Similarly during the period of Prophet

Mohammad (PBUH) the poets used to paste or hang their writings on the walls of Kaaba and

prove their excellence. Saba Moalleqat were very much popular writings hung on the walls

of Kaaba. Each year there was a poetry contest at Mecca in which great poets from all over

Arabia used to participate. Under such circumstances the Prophet also hung the Sura Al-

Kausar on the wall of Kaaba. A man of letters after reading the Sura Al-Kausar wrote

underneath: This is not the word of man. This was the reason that the heretics out of shear

jealousy, heresy and infidelity called the Prophet a poet which was defied by God. The

poets is full chapter in the Quran. In it God says; And the poets, - it is those straying in

evil, who follow them; dont you see that they wander distracted in every valley? And that

they say what they do not practise. Except those who believe, work righteousness, engage

much in the remembrance of Allah, and defend themselves only after they are unjustly

attacked. These verses divide poets in to two classes. The evil ones and the righteous ones.

The poets who spread evil are condemned. The poets who preach nobility are praised. Here

one question arises. Is it only for poets? Is it not for prose writers? Or is it not for all

humans? If somebody preaches profanity in prose will he be appreciated? Sacrilegious ideas

or deeds have to be condemned. When the Quran talks about the poets it is in local as well as

in universal context. God told the people that Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) was not a day

dreamer or idle claimer. Rather he is a Prophet, an activist and a dynamic soul with practical

mission. Good and positive poetry is not condemned. They Holy Prophet used to ask

people to recite the holy poetry of Hazrat Abu Talib. Hassan bin Sabit used to recite Naat

in the presence of the Prophet. Hazrat Ali was a poet. In Muslim literature the spiritual and

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didactic poetry of Saadi, Rumi, Sanai, Attar, Amir Khusroo and Allama Iqbal has special

places. In western literature the Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained of Milton; The Faerie

Queen of Edmund Spenser and the Metaphysical Poems of John Donne have high place.

These writers justified the ways of God to Man. They enhanced the divine mission of the

prophets through their facile pen and noble spirit. Hence in the light of above brief

dissertation we can profess that Islam does not oppose poetry if it is written on didactic and

divine lines.