CHAPTER 26
Al-Shu‘arå’: The Poets
(REVEALED AT MAKKAH: 11 sections; 227 verses)
The title of this chapter, The Poets, is taken from a reference to the poets in v. 224,
where arguments are given that the Holy Qur’ån is not the work of a poet. In fact, the
whole chapter deals with this oft-repeated allegation of the opponents by showing that
the Holy Prophet’s work and preaching were similar in detail to the work and preaching
of preceding prophets, bearing no resemblance whatever to the work of poets.
While the prophets spoken of here are identical with those in the 7th chapter, where
they are mentioned chronologically, their order in this chapter is different, Moses coming
first, the object being to draw attention to a repetition of the history of Moses in the histo-
ry of the Prophet. In the opening section of the chapter the Holy Prophet is given consola-
tion, and told not to grieve too much on account of the disbelief of the people, nor yet to
despair of their reformation. The history of Moses is taken up in the next three sections
from the time of his message to Pharaoh to that of Pharaoh’s drowning, together with his
hosts, in the Red Sea. The fifth section takes us back to Abraham, because that patriarch
gives us the connecting link between the houses of Israel and Ishmael, or between the two
great prophets, Moses and Muƒammad. The next five sections are devoted to the narra-
tives of Noah, H∂d, ˝åliƒ, Lot, and Shu‘aib in chronological order; the fate of the oppo-
nents of each of these prophets being, as it were, a warning to the opponents of the Holy
Prophet; and this is clearly indicated in the concluding section of the chapter.
The three chapters, 26th, 27th and 28th, form a group, not only connected in subject,
but also belonging to the same period, and may be called the Ôå sßn mßm group. All three
belong to the middle Makkan period. The chief point in each is the story of Moses, with
which they all begin, although the 27th chapter makes only a brief reference to it. In each
case that story begins with Moses being called to prophethood at Mount Sinai with a special
message for Pharaoh, ending with Pharaoh being drowned in the Red Sea: the later wander-
ings of the Israelites are not referred to in any of them. This common thread of the narrative
in all three chapters gives us a clue to the subject-matter and to their connection with what
has gone before. The 25th chapter speaks of the Furqån, or the great distinctive sign that
was given to the Holy Prophet, and these three chapters really supply the furqån or distinc-
tive sign given to Moses, which, as shown in 2:53a, was the drowning of the Egyptians in
the Red Sea; hence the narrative is in all cases brought to an end with that incident.
730
Part 19] THE PROPHET IS CONSOLED 731
SECTION 1: The Prophet is consoled
In the name of Allåh, the Beneficent,
the Merciful.
1 Benignant, Hearing, Knowing
God.a
2 These are the verses of the Book
that makes manifest.a
3 Perhaps thou wilt kill thyself with
grief because they believe not.a
4 If We please, We could send
down on them a sign from heaven, so
that their necks would bend before it.a
5 And there comes not to them a
new Reminder from the Beneficent
but they turn away from it.
6 They indeed reject, so the news
will soon come to them of that at
which they mock.a
7 See they not the earth, how many
of every noble kind We cause to
grow in it?
1a. The interpretation I adopt is based on the remark, which is traceable to I‘Ab, that
these letters are the names of the Divine Being. I take Δå as standing for LaΔßf, meaning
Benignant, sßn as standing for Samß‘, meaning Hearing, and mßm as standing for ‘Alßm, mean-
ing Knowing. I may, however, suggest another interpretation. These chapters speak in particu-
lar of the calling of Moses at Mount Sinai, Δå sßn may stand for Ô∂r Sßnå’, or Mount Sinai, and
mßm may stand for Moses; attention is thus called in these letters to the revelation granted to
Moses at Mount Sinai, which bears testimony to the truth of the Prophet. This is corroborated
by the plain statement made in the last chapter of this group, that the disbelievers called the
revelations of Moses and Mu√ammad two enchantments backing up each other (28:48).
2a. The Holy Qur’ån makes manifest all that is needed for a right development of
the human faculties, and it also makes manifest the whole truth.
3a. The Prophet was informed by Divine revelation of the doom of an evil genera-
tion, but instead of cursing it, he exerted himself heroically to save his people by bring-
ing about a mighty transformation among them, a transformation for which he was so
anxious that he is described here as almost killing himself with grief.
4a. Such a sign was sent in the battle of Badr and again in the conquest of Makkah.
In the former place their chiefs were laid low, and in the latter they accepted submission.
6a. It was the prophecies of their own vanquishment and of the predominance of
Islåm at which they mocked.
732 Ch. 26: THE POETS [Al-Shu‘arå’
8 Surely in this is a sign; yet most
of them believe not.
9 And surely thy Lord is the
Mighty, the Merciful.a
SECTION 2: Moses is called and sent to Pharaoh
10 And when thy Lord called Moses,
saying: Go to the iniquitous people —
11 The people of Pharaoh. Will
they not guard against evil?
12 He said: My Lord, I fear that
they will reject me.
13 And my breast straitens, and my
tongue is not eloquent,a so send for
Aaron (too).
14 And they have a crime against
me, so I fear that they will kill me.a
15 He said: By no means; so go
you both with Our signs; surely We
are with you, Hearing.
16 Then come to Pharaoh, and say:
We are bearers of a message of the
Lord of the worlds:
17 Send with us the Children of
Israel.
9a. Seven prophets in all are spoken of in this chapter, and it is related how the
enemies of every one of them were exterminated in the final triumph of the Truth. Yet to
give an indication of the fate of the Prophet’s opponents each prophet’s mention is
ended with the two attributes of the Divine Being mentioned here, the Mighty, the
Merciful, the first of these indicating that Truth will, even now, be made to overcome all
opposition and the second that the dealing with the opponents of the Prophet would be a
merciful dealing. The Prophet’s opponents were vanquished indeed but they were not
destroyed and a reformed people rose again to power.
13a. In 20:27 Moses prays to God: And loose the knot from my tongue. Here the
same idea is expressed by the words: And my tongue is not eloquent; see 20:27a.
14a. The reference is to the killing of the Egyptian, as mentioned in 28:15. It is
stated here that the people of Pharaoh charged Moses with a crime, not that he was
actually guilty; see 20a and 28:15a.
Part 19] MOSES IS CALLED AND SENT TO PHARAOH 733
18 (Pharaoh) said: Did we not
bring thee up as a child among us,
and thou didst tarry (many) years of
thy life among us?
19 And thou didst (that) deed of
thine which thou didst and thou art of
the ungrateful ones.
20 He said: I did it then when I was
of those who err.a
21 So I fled from you when I feared
you, then my Lord granted me judg-
ment and made me of the messengers.
22 And is it a favour of which thou
remindest me that thou hast enslaved
the Children of Israel? a
23 Pharaoh said: And what is the
Lord of the worlds?
24 He said: The Lord of the heav-
ens and the earth and what is
between them, if you would be sure.
25 (Pharaoh) said to those around
him: Do you not hear?
26 He said: Your Lord and the
Lord of your fathers of old.
27 (Pharaoh) said: Surely your mes-
senger, who is sent to you, is mad.
28 He said: The Lord of the East
and the West and what is between
them, if you have any sense.
20a. The circumstances in which Moses’ act of striking an Egyptian with his fist led
to the death of the Egyptian are related in 28:15. There was no intention to kill the man,
nor did Moses use any weapon with which death could be caused. Rz explains ˙åll here
as meaning one perplexed, being unable to know what was incumbent on him. He used
his fist against the oppressor, and death was simply accidental.
22a. The Israelites were employed only in menial work by Pharaoh and the
Egyptians; it is this subjection to hardship which is here called enslavement.
734 Ch. 26: THE POETS [Al-Shu‘arå’
29 (Pharaoh) said: If thou takest a
god besides me, I will certainly put
thee in prison.a
30 He said: Even if I show thee
something plain?
31 (Pharaoh) said: Show it, then, if
thou art of the truthful.
32 So he cast down his rod, and lo!
it was an obvious serpent;
33 And he drew forth his hand, and
lo! it appeared white to the
beholders.a
SECTION 3: Moses and the Enchanters
34 (Pharaoh) said to the chiefs
around him: Surely this is a skilful
enchanter,
35 Who desires to turn you out of
your land with his enchantment.
What is it then that you counsel?
36 They said: Give him and his
brother respite and send heralds into
the cities
37 That they bring to thee every
skilful enchanter.
38 So the enchanters were gathered
together for the appointment of a
well-known day,
39 And it was said to the people:
Will you gather together?
29a. The gods of the Egyptians were innumerable. There were the abstract gods, the
cosmic gods, the human gods, and the animal gods. Their god-cult may be summed up
briefly in the words of the En. Br. (vol. ix, p. 51): “Truly it might have been said in
ancient Egypt, Of the making of gods there is no end”. Pharaoh’s claim to divinity among
a people who were willing to deify anything has therefore nothing strange about it.
33a. See 7:108a; 20:20a, 22a.
Part 19] MOSES AND THE ENCHANTERS 735
40 Haply we may follow the
enchanters, if they are the vanquishers.
41 So when the enchanters came,
they said to Pharaoh: Will there be a
reward for us, if we are the vanquish-
ers?
42 He said: Yes, and surely you
will then be of those who are nearest
(to me).
43 Moses said to them: Cast what
you are going to cast.
44 So they cast down their cords
and their rods and said: By Pharaoh’s
power we shall most surely be victo-
rious.
45 Then Moses cast down his rod,
and lo! it swallowed up their fabrica-
tion.
46 And the enchanters were thrown
down prostrate —
47 They said: We believe in the
Lord of the worlds,
48 The Lord of Moses and Aaron.
49 (Pharaoh) said: You believe in
him before I give you leave; surely
he is the chief of you who taught you
enchantment, so you shall know.
Certainly I will cut off your hands
and your feet on opposite sides, and I
will crucify you all.
50 They said: No harm; surely to
our Lord we return.
51 We hope that our Lord will for-
give us our wrongs because we are
the first of the believers.
736 Ch. 26: THE POETS [Al-Shu‘arå’
SECTION 4: Moses is delivered and Pharaoh drowned
52 And We revealed to Moses, say-
ing: Travel by night with My ser-
vants — you will be pursued.
53 And Pharaoh sent heralds into
the cities (proclaiming):
54 These are indeed a small band,
55 And they have surely enraged us:
56 And we are truly a vigilant mul-
titude.
57 So We turned them out of gar-
dens and springs,
58 And treasures and goodly
dwellings —
59 Even so. And We gave them as
a heritage to the Children of Israel.a
60 Then they pursued them at sun-
rise.
61 So when the two hosts saw each
other, the companions of Moses cried
out: Surely we are overtaken.
62 He said: By no means; surely my
Lord is with me — He will guide me.
63 Then We revealed to Moses:
March on to the sea with thy staff.a
So it parted, and each party was like
a huge mound.b
59a. The pronoun them refers to gardens and springs, etc., in general, and not to the
particular gardens, etc., from which the Egyptians were turned out. The heritage of gar-
dens and treasures was given to the Israelites in the land of Canaan, the promised land
flowing with milk and honey.
63a. The words i˙rib bi-‘a©å-ka-l-ba√ra are on all fours with the words i˙rib bi-
‘a©å-ka-l-√ajara occurring in 2:60; see 2:60a. Elsewhere the same idea is expressed by
saying: “Strike for them a dry path in the sea, not fearing to be overtaken, nor being
afraid” (20:77); see 20:77a, 2:50a.
63b. The sea had gone back, thus leaving a dry path (20:77) for the Israelites. The
meaning may be that each wave, as it receded, was like a huge mound. The word Δaud, it
Part 19] HISTORY OF ABRAHAM 737
64 And there We brought near the
others.
65 And We saved Moses and those
with him, all.
66 Then We drowned the others.
67 Surely there is a sign in this; yet
most of them believe not.
68 And surely thy Lord is the
Mighty, the Merciful.
SECTION 5: History of Abraham
69 And recite to them the story of
Abraham.
70 When he said to his sire and his
people: What do you worship?
71 They said: We worship idols, so
we shall remain devoted to them.
72 He said: Do they hear you when
you call (on them),
73 Or do they benefit or harm you?
74 They said: Nay, we found our
fathers doing so.
75 He said: Do you then see what
you worship —
76 You and your ancient sires?
77 Surely they are an enemy to me,
but not (so) the Lord of the worlds,
78 Who created me, then He shows
me the way,
79 And Who gives me to eat and to
drink,
80 And when I am sick, He heals me,
may be noted, means a mountain, as well as an elevated or overlooking tract of land
(LL), and is even applied by a poet to a camel’s hump (LL).
738 Ch. 26: THE POETS [Al-Shu‘arå’
81 And Who will cause me to die,
then give me life,
82 And Who, I hope, will forgive me
my mistakes on the day of Judgment.a
83 My Lord, grant me wisdom, and
join me with the righteous,
84 And ordain for me a goodly
mention in later generations,
85 And make me of the heirs of the
Garden of bliss,
86 And forgive my sire, surely he
is of the erring ones,
87 And disgrace me not on the day
when they are raised —
88 The day when wealth will not
avail, nor sons,
89 Save him who comes to Allåh
with a sound heart.
90 And the Garden is brought near
for the dutiful,
91 And hell is made manifest to the
deviators,a
92 And it is said to them: Where
are those that you worshipped
93 Besides Allåh? Can they help
you or help themselves?
94 So they are hurled into it, they
and the deviators,
95 And the hosts of the devil, all.
82a. The prophets, being always conscious of their weakness, seek Allåh’s protection.
Expressions like this invariably indicate human weakness before Divine perfection, and
are not evidence of sinfulness. Compare Jesus’ confession of weakness in a similar strain:
“Why callest thou me good? There is none good but One, that is, God” (Matt. 19:17).
91a. The making manifest of hell shows that it already exists, but is hidden from
the human eye, while on the day of Resurrection it will be made plain.
Part 19] HISTORY OF NOAH 739
96 They will say, while they quar-
rel therein:
97 By Allåh! We were certainly in
manifest error,
98 When we made you equal with
the Lord of the worlds.
99 And none but the guilty led us
astray.
100 So we have no intercessors,
101 Nor a true friend.
102 Now, if we could but once
return, we would be believers.
103 Surely there is a sign in this;
yet most of them believe not.
104 And surely thy Lord is the
Mighty, the Merciful.
SECTION 6: History of Noah
105 The people of Noah rejected
the messengers.
106 When their brother Noah said to
them: Will you not guard against evil?
107 Surely I am a faithful messen-
ger to you:
108 So keep your duty to Allåh and
obey me.
109 And I ask of you no reward for
it: my reward is only with the Lord
of the worlds.
110 So keep your duty to Allåh and
obey me.
111 They said: Shall we believe in
thee and the meanest follow thee?
112 He said: And what knowledge
have I of what they did?
740 Ch. 26: THE POETS [Al-Shu‘arå’
113 Their reckoning is only with
my Lord, if you but perceive.
114 And I am not going to drive
away the believers;
115 I am only a plain warner.
116 They said: If thou desist not, O
Noah, thou wilt certainly be stoned to
death.
117 He said: My Lord, my people
give me the lie.
118 So judge Thou between me
and them openly, and deliver me and
the believers who are with me.
119 So We delivered him and those
with him in the laden ark.
120 Then We drowned the rest
afterwards.a
121 Surely there is a sign in this,
yet most of them believe not.
122 And surely thy Lord is the
Mighty, the Merciful.
SECTION 7: History of H∂d
123 ‘Åd gave the lie to the messen-
gers.
124 When their brother H∂d said to
them: Will you not guard against
evil?
125 Surely I am a faithful messen-
ger to you:
126 So keep your duty to Allåh and
obey me.
120a. Wherever Noah is mentioned, only such of his people are spoken of as
having been drowned as rejected and persecuted him; see also 11:42a.
Part 19] HISTORY OF HÎD 741
127 And I ask of you no reward for
it; surely my reward is only with the
Lord of the worlds.
128 Do you build on every height a
monument? You (only) sport.a
129 And you make fortresses that
you may abide.
130 And when you seize, you seize
as tyrants.
131 So keep your duty to Allåh and
obey me.
132 And keep your duty to Him Who
aids you with that which you know —
133 He aids you with cattle and
children
134 And gardens and fountains.
135 Surely I fear for you the chas-
tisement of a grievous day.
136 They said: It is the same to us
whether thou admonish, or art not
one of the admonishers:
137 This is naught but a fabrication
of the ancients:a
138 And we will not be chastised.
139 So they rejected him, then We
destroyed them. Surely there is a sign
in this; yet most of them believe not.
140 And surely thy Lord is the
Mighty, the Merciful.
128a. The word åyat, literally a sign, is used here to indicate the lofty building that
should acquire renown as a sign of greatness; see 2:39a. These lofty buildings were, no
doubt, used to terrorize others, as v. 130 shows that acts of cruelty and violence were
committed by ‘Åd, while they considered themselves safe in their fortresses.
137a. The word khuluq sometimes carries the same significance as the word
ikhtilåq, i.e., a fabrication.
742 Ch. 26: THE POETS [Al-Shu‘arå’
SECTION 8: History of ˝åli√
141 Tham∂d gave the lie to the
messengers.
142 When their brother ˝åliƒ said to
them: Will you not guard against evil?
143 Surely I am a faithful messen-
ger to you:
144 So keep your duty to Allåh and
obey me.
145 And I ask of you no reward for
it; my reward is only with the Lord
of the worlds.
146 Will you be left secure in what
is here,
147 In gardens and fountains,
148 And corn-fields and palm-trees
having fine flower-spikes?
149 And you hew houses out of the
mountains exultingly.
150 So keep your duty to Allåh and
obey me.
151 And obey not the bidding of
the extravagant,
152 Who make mischief in the land
and act not aright.
153 They said: Thou art only a
deluded person.
154 Thou art naught but a mortal
like ourselves — so bring a sign if
thou art truthful.
155 He said: This is a she-camel;
she has her portion of water, and you
have your portion of water at an
appointed time.a
155a, see next page.
Part 19] HISTORY OF LOT 743
156 And touch her not with evil,
lest the chastisement of a grievous
day overtake you.
157 But they hamstrung her, then
regretted,
158 So the chastisement overtook
them. Surely there is a sign in this;
yet most of them believe not.
159 And surely thy Lord is the
Mighty, the Merciful.
SECTION 9: History of Lot
160 The people of Lot gave the lie
to the messengers.
161 When their brother Lot said to
them: Will you not guard against evil?
162 Surely I am a faithful messen-
ger to you:
163 So keep your duty to Allåh and
obey me.
164 And I ask of you no reward for
it; my reward is only with the Lord
of the worlds.
165 Do you come to the males
from among the creatures,
155a. See 7:73a for Tham∂d. They are described in v. 149 as hewing houses out of
the mountains, and, as it appears from here and 54:28, the springs of water seem to have
been few, and access to these was probably specially guarded, so that they were open only
at particular times. For the she-camel, see 7:73c. ˝åli√ seems to have demanded that the
she-camel should be allowed to drink at such times. See 54:28, where it is stated that every
share of the water will be attended by the she-camel, or that she will have access to water
at all times when the others are allowed to drink. A similar demand as regards her pasture
is contained in 11:64 in the words “Leave her to pasture on Allåh’s earth”, followed by the
same words as those following this demand for drink: “And touch her not with evil”.
The word shirb signifies either an act of drinking, or a share, or portion that falls to
one’s lot, of water, or a watering place, or a time of drinking. And in law it signified the
use of water for the watering of sown fields and of beasts (LL).
744 Ch. 26: THE POETS [Al-Shu‘arå’
166 And leave your wives whom
your Lord has created for you? Nay,
you are a people exceeding limits.
167 They said: If thou desist not, O
Lot, thou wilt surely be banished.
168 He said: Surely I abhor what
you do.
169 My Lord, deliver me and my
followers from what they do.
170 So We delivered him and his
followers all,
171 Except an old woman, among
those who remained behind.a
172 Then We destroyed the others.
173 And We rained on them a rain,
and evil was the rain on those warned.a
174 Surely there is a sign in this;
yet most of them believe not.
175 And surely thy Lord is the
Mighty, the Merciful.
SECTION 10: History of Shu‘aib
176 The dwellers of the grove gave
the lie to the messengers.a
177 When Shu‘aib said to them:
Will you not guard against evil?
178 Surely I am a faithful messen-
ger to you;
179 So keep your duty to Allåh and
obey me.
171a. See 7:80a for Lot. The old woman referred to here was Lot’s wife.
173a. See 7:84a. Stones were rained on them as the result of a volcanic eruption.
176a. They are the same as the people of Midian.
Part 19] HISTORY OF SHU‘AIB 745
180 And I ask of you no reward for
it; my reward is only with the Lord
of the worlds.
181 Give full measure and be not
of those who diminish.
182 And weigh with a true balance.
183 And wrong not men of their
dues, and act not corruptly in the
earth, making mischief.
184 And keep your duty to Him
Who created you and the former gen-
erations.a
185 They said: Thou art only a
deluded person,
186 And thou art naught but a mor-
tal like ourselves, and we deem thee
to be a liar.
187 So cause a portion of the heav-
en to fall on us, if thou art truthful.a
188 He said: My Lord knows best
what you do.a
189 But they rejected him, so the
chastisement of the day of Covering
overtook them. Surely it was the
chastisement of a grievous day!a
190 Surely there is a sign in this;
yet most of them believe not.
191 And surely thy Lord is the
Mighty, the Merciful.
184a. The word jibillat (“generations”) means nature, quality, or property. But it is
also synonymous with jibill, and the lexicologists recognize the two words as conveying
the same meaning, viz., a great company of men, or nation, or people (LL).
187a. Kisaf means a portion (R), and a portion of the heaven signifies a punishment
from heaven. According to JB, kisaf means punishment.
188a. It should be noted that the demand for the threatened punishment is always
met with expressions signifying that the matter rests in the hands of Allåh. Such state-
ments are really equivalent to saying that the thing will certainly come to pass.
189a. Òullah signifies a shade, or a covering, and the day of punishment is called
the day of Covering because it covered them with punishment.
746 Ch. 26: THE POETS [Al-Shu‘arå’
SECTION 11: Prophet’s opponents warned
192 And surely this is a revelation
from the Lord of the worlds.
193 The Faithful Spirit has brought
it,a
194 On thy heart that thou mayest
be a warner,a
195 In plain Arabic language.
196 And surely the same is in the
Scriptures of the ancients.a
197 Is it not a sign to them that the
learned men of the Children of Israel
know it?
198 And if We had revealed it to
any of the foreigners,
199 And he had read it to them,
they would not have believed in it.a
193a. The Faithful Spirit is the angel Gabriel, who brought the Divine revelation to
the Holy Prophet. The Prophet himself was known in Makkah as al-Amßn or the Faithful
one before revelation came to him.
194a. The addition of the words on thy heart is to indicate that the Prophet’s heart,
being the receptacle of the mighty revelation, was no doubt truly responsive to the great
truths contained in it. The high morals and the broad humanitarian truths which the Qur’ån
contains give us a true picture of the great mind. This is referred to in one of the earliest
revelations: “And surely thou hast sublime morals” (68:4). The pithy but most beautiful
statement of ‘Å’ishah, the Prophet’s wife, than whom none was more familiar with the
recipient of the Quranic revelation, remains unsurpassed in depicting the character of the
Holy Prophet. When asked about it she replied: His character is the Qur’ån. She thus
intimated in brief words that all those wonderful pictures of moral sublimity drawn in the
Holy Qur’ån were pictures of the noble mind to which the Qur’ån was revealed.
196a. The prophecies relating to the advent of the Prophet Mu√ammad, as met with
in the Jewish and Christian Scriptures, are referred to very often in the Holy Qur’ån. The
statement made here is, however, more comprehensive: They are met with in all ancient
scriptures. See 3:81, where a covenant is spoken of as being made through all the
prophets of the world with regard to the Prophet’s advent; see 3:81a. There is a
reference in the next verse to the learned men of the Children of Israel in particular
because the Jews and the Christians had long been in contact with the Arabs. Such
references are of frequent occurrence in the early Makkan revelations, and there is not
the least ground for the statement that because of the mention of the learned men of the
Children of Israel, these verses must have been revealed at Madßnah.
199a. Because prophecy plainly showed that the Arabs were to be the recipients of
the revelation; see Isa. 42:11: “Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up their
Part 19] PROPHET’S OPPONENTS WARNED 747
200 Thus do We cause it to enter
into the hearts of the guilty.a
201 They will not believe in it till
they see the painful chastisement:
202 So it will come to them sud-
denly, while they perceive not;
203 Then they will say: Shall we
be respited?
204 Do they still seek to hasten on
Our chastisement?
205 Seest thou, if We let them enjoy
themselves for years,
206 Then that which they are
promised comes to them —
207 That which they were made to
enjoy will not avail them?
208 And We destroyed no town but
it had (its) warners —
209 To remind. And We are never
unjust.
210 And the devils have not
brought it.
211 And it behoves them not, nor
have they the power to do (it).
212 Surely they are far removed
from hearing it.a
213 So call not upon another god
with Allåh, lest thou be of those who
are chastised.
voice, the villages that Kedar doth inhabit”. In the Old Testament, Kedar, the son
of Ishmael, stands for the Arab nation. Hence earlier prophecy required that the final
revelation should be granted to an Arab.
200a. The meaning is that the Qur’ån was made to enter into their hearts by reason
of the convincing proof of its truth; but they rejected it, as the next verse shows.
212a. The argument here is similar to that advanced by Jesus Christ when he said:
“And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself” (Matt. 12:26). The evil one
cannot be the source of the Qur’ån, for the Qur’ån calls to righteousness. See also
vv. 221–223 and 223a.
748 Ch. 26: THE POETS [Al-Shu‘arå’
214 And warn thy nearest relations,a
215 And lower thy wing to the
believers who follow thee.
216 But if they disobey thee, say: I
am clear of what you do.
217 And rely on the Mighty, the
Merciful,a
218 Who sees thee when thou
standest up,
219 And thy movements among
those who prostrate themselves.
220 Surely He is the Hearing, the
Knowing.
221 Shall I inform you upon whom
the devils descend?
222 They descend upon every
lying, sinful one —
223 They give ear, and most of
them are liars.a
224 And the poets — the deviators
follow them.
214a. When this verse was revealed, the Holy Prophet, standing on Mount ˝afå,
invited every tribe by name, and when the representatives of all the tribes had gathered
together — among those assembled being also the Quraish and that inveterate enemy of
the Holy Prophet, Ab∂ Lahab — the Holy Prophet thus addressed them: “Tell me, if I
were to inform you that a great army in the valley lies in wait to make a raid upon you,
would you believe me?” “Aye!” was the reply in one voice, “for we have never found
anything but truth emanating from thy lips.” “Then,” said the Prophet, “know that I am a
warner to you of an approaching punishment.” “Mayest thou perish,” cried out the ill-
tempered Ab∂ Lahab, “was it for this that thou didst call us together?” (B. 65: xxvi, 2).
217a. The Prophet is here told to rely on the Mighty, the Merciful, the very words
that are repeated at the end of almost every section of this chapter, thus showing that the
fate of the opponents of former prophets was spoken of simply to warn his own oppo-
nents. The attribute of mightiness is used to indicate the power to punish the wicked,
while mercy indicates the deliverance and triumph of the righteous, or a merciful dealing
even with the opponents.
223a. The subject of v. 212 is reverted to here, and it corroborates what is said in
212a. The opponents of the Qur’ån would not listen to what is said in the Qur’ån — they
are far removed from hearing it, as stated in v. 212 — but they listen to what their lead-
ers in evil say.
Part 19] PROPHET’S OPPONENTS WARNED 749
225 Seest thou not that they wander
in every valley,a
226 And that they say that which
they do not? a
227 Except those who believe and
do good and remember Allåh much,
and defend themselves after they are
oppressed.a And they who do wrong,
will know to what final place of turn-
ing they will turn back.
225a. That is, they pursue an aimless course, while the Prophet has a set purpose
before him, and it is to make men walk in the ways of righteousness.
226a. The first suggestion of the disbelievers was that the Qur’ån was the work of
the devil. That being shown to be inconsistent with its very nature and with the right-
eousness it preached, they said that it was the work of a poet. As against this they are
told that none of the characteristics of a poet’s work are to be met with in the Qur’ån.
The poet never leads his followers to a life of righteousness, while the Qur’ån was
bringing about a pure transformation in the lives of those who followed it. Again, the
poets say things which they do not practice, whereas the Prophet was not only a preach-
er of righteousness, but also an exemplar who translated into practice what he taught in
words. And the weightiest consideration of all is that the poets cannot utter prophecies
like those which are met with in the Qur’ån. It is to this that attention is called in the
next verse.
227a. The passage gives a description of the true believers in general, a new state-
ment being introduced with illå (except); or it may refer particularly to the poets from
among the believers.
