Overview - Surah 26: ash-Shu`ara' (The Poets )
The non-believers were asking for signs to prove that the Qur'an was the word of Allah. Allah mentioned many signs both in nature and in history. Stories of many prophets are also mentioned to indicate that all prophets presented basically the same message.
Sections:
- Allah has power to bring down the mightiest sign, but here is a test for people. This wonderful creation is a sign itself for those who want to learn.
- Signs were shown to Pharaoh.
- Pharaoh's magicians and Prophet Moses.
- The exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. The sea splitting and giving the way.
- Prophet Ibrahim's struggle against idolatry.
- Prophet Noah and his people.
- The 'Ad and the Prophet Hud – peace be upon him.
- The Thamud and the Prophet Saleh – peace be upon him.
- Prophet Lot – peace be upon him - and his people.
- Prophet Shu'aib – peace be upon him - and his people.
- The Qur'an is the message from the Lord of the worlds. It is neither from devils nor do they have any clue of this message. It is not poetry of the poets. It is a serious message with eternal consequences.
The Surah is named 'The Poets' and is mentioned in the Ayat, وَالشُّعَرَاءُ يَتَّبِعُهُمُ الْغَاوُونَ "And the poets - [only] the deviators follow them;" (26:224).
This is the longest Makki Surah of the Qur'an having 227 Ayat.
Overview
| Total Ayat | 227 |
| Total Words * | 1318 |
| Root Words * | 276 |
| Unique Root Words * | 6 |
| Makki / Madani | Makki |
| Chronological Order* | 47th (according to Ibn Abbas) |
| Year of Revelation* | 6th year of Prophethood |
| Events during/before this Surah*
2nd Migration to Abyssinia, Physical beating and torture of some Muslims - 1st Migration of Muslims to Abyssinia, Public Invitation to Islam - Persecution of Muslims; antagonism - ridicule - derision - accusation - abuse and false propaganda., Revelation begins - Private Invitation to Islam , Revelation begins - Private Invitation to Islam , Revelation begins - Private Invitation to Islam
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| Events during/after still to occur*
Boycott of Banu Hashim Yr 1,Boycott of Banu Hashim Yr 2,Boycott of Banu Hashim Yr 3,Death of Abu Talib - Death of Khadijah - Stoning at Ta'if - al-Isra wal Mi'raj - Night Journey,1st Pledge of Aqabah,2nd Pledge of Aqabah,,Migration from Makkah to Madinah - Building of Masjid Nabi in Madinah - Treaty with Jews of Madinah - Marriage of Prophet to Aishah,Change of Qiblah from Jerusalem to Makkah - Battle of Badr,Battle of Uhud,,Battle of Ahzab - Expedition of Banu Quraydhah,Treaty of Hudaiybiyah - Letters to Kings and Rulers,,Conquest of Makkah - Battle of Hunain,Hajj led by Abu Bakr - Expedition of Tabuk,Farewell Hajj by Prophet - Death of Prophet - End of Divine Revelation
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| Names of Prophets Mentioned
Nuh, Hud, Salih, Lut, Ibrahim, Shuaib, Musa, Harun
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| Surah Index
‘Aad, Aaron, Abraham, God (wills no wrong to His creation) , Children, Children (of Israel) , Commandments (general religious) , Earth, Gabriel, Hell, Homosexuality, Hud, Iblis, Judgement (Day) , Lot, Madyan, Moses, Moses (duel by sorcery with Pharaoh’s magicians) , Moses (parting of the Red Sea) , Noah, Pharaoh, Pharaoh (punishment of) , Poets, Prayer (of Abraham) , Prayer (of Noah) , Prayer (prostration) , Qur’an (revealed in Arabic) , Red Sea (parting of) , Resurrection (Day) , Revelation, Salih, Sea, Shu’ayb, Thamud, Thamud (rock dwellings) , Thamud (she camel) , Thamud (she camel) (killing of), Thamud (she camel) (punishment for)
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The background of the Surah is that the disbelievers of Makkah were persistently refusing on one pretext or the other to accept the message of Islam given by the Prophet. Sometimes they would say that he did not show them any sign to convince them of his Prophethood; sometimes they would brand him as a poet or a sorcerer and mock his message; and sometimes they would ridicule his mission saying that his followers were either a few foolish youth or the poor people and slaves. They argued that if his mission had some real value for people, the nobles and the elders would have accepted it first. Meanwhile, the Prophet was wearied by his efforts to rationally show them the errors of their creed and prove the truth of the doctrine of Monotheism (Tawhid) and the Hereafter. In contrast, the disbelievers were never tired of adopting various acts of stubbornness. This state of affairs was causing great anguish and grief to the Prophet.
Manuscripts / Inscriptions
1st/2nd Century
1st/2nd Century
8th century
8th century
12th Century
12th Century
19th Century
19th Century
10th Century
10th Century
7th/13th-9th/15th Century
733 H 1332 CE
733 H 1332 CE
701 H 1301 CE
701 H 1301 CE
730 H (1330 CE)
730 H (1330 CE)
986 H (1578 CE)
1st Century Hijrah (7th Century CE)
1st Century Hijrah (7th Century CE)
- Struggle of Musa and Pharaoh mentioned in this Surah and following two Surahs - an-Naml and al-Qasas.
- The phrase أَلَا تَتَّقُونَ - ""Will you not fear?" -has been repeated a number of times. It was mentioned by Prophet Nuh (26:106), Hud (26:124), Saleh (26:142), Lut (26:161), Shuayb (26:177), Musa (26:11)
- The following Ayaat have been repeated 5 times in this Surah. (Ayat 106-109, 124-127, 142-145, 161-164, 177-180) [confirmation needed]
إِنِّي لَكُمْ رَسُولٌ أَمِينٌ فَاتَّقُوا اللَّـهَ وَأَطِيعُونِ وَمَا أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ أَجْرٍ ۖ إِنْ أَجْرِيَ إِلَّا عَلَىٰ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ ""Indeed, I am to you a trustworthy messenger.So fear Allah and obey me.And I do not ask you for it any payment. My payment is only from the Lord of the worlds."
- Rejection of the different nations -
كَذَّبَتْ قَوْمُ نُوحٍ الْمُرْسَلِينَ "The people of Noah denied the messengers" (26:105)
كَذَّبَتْ عَادٌ الْمُرْسَلِينَ "'Aad denied the messengers." (26:123)
كَذَّبَتْ ثَمُودُ الْمُرْسَلِينَ " Thamud denied the messengers." (26:141)
كَذَّبَتْ قَوْمُ لُوطٍ الْمُرْسَلِينَ "The people of Lot denied the messengers." (26:160)
كَذَّبَ أَصْحَابُ الْأَيْكَةِ الْمُرْسَلِينَ "The companions of the thicket denied the messengers." (26:176)
- The word 'Lisan' - meaning tongue has been mentioned 3 times in this Surah:
وَيَضِيقُ صَدْرِي وَلَا يَنطَلِقُ لِسَانِي فَأَرْسِلْ إِلَىٰ هَارُونَ "And that my breast will tighten and my tongue will not be fluent, so send for Aaron." (26:13)
وَاجْعَل لِّي لِسَانَ صِدْقٍ فِي الْآخِرِينَ "And grant me an honourable mention in later generations; " (26:84)
بِلِسَانٍ عَرَبِيٍّ مُّبِينٍ "In a clear Arabic language." (26:195)
Total Word Count per Ayat (shows how many words per Ayat) = 6* | ||
| # | Root Word | Frequency in Surah | Frequency in Qur'an |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | ق و ل | 52 | 1722 |
| 2. | ك و ن | 38 | 1390 |
| 3. | ر ب ب | 36 | 980 |
| 4. | أ م ن | 27 | 879 |
| 5. | ع ل م | 25 | 854 |
| 6. | إِلَّا | 17 | 663 |
| 7. | و ق ي | 17 | 258 |
| 8. | ر س ل | 17 | 513 |
| 9. | أ ل ه | 15 | 2851 |
| 10. | أ ي ي | 14 | 382 |
| Root Word | Frequency in Surah |
Frequency in Qur'an |
|---|---|---|
| ق و ل | 52 | 1722 |
| ك و ن | 38 | 1390 |
| ر ب ب | 36 | 980 |
| أ م ن | 27 | 879 |
| ع ل م | 25 | 854 |
| إِلَّا | 17 | 663 |
| و ق ي | 17 | 258 |
| ر س ل | 17 | 513 |
| أ ل ه | 15 | 2851 |
| أ ي ي | 14 | 382 |
The subject matter and the style show that this Surah was revealed during the middle Makkan period. According to Ibn Abbas (a great companion of the Prophet), Surah 20: Ta Ha was revealed, followed by Surah 56: al-Waqi’ah (The Occurrence) and then Surah 26: ash-Shu’ara’ (The Poets).
- Allah's address to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) that he should not fret himself to death with grief for the people's disbelief.
- Story of Musa, Fir'on, and deliverance of the children of Israel.
- Story of Ibrahim and his arguments against idol worshipping.
- The fact that the mushrikin and their gods will both be toppled into hell.
- Stories of Prophets Nuh, Hud, Saleh, Lut, Shu'aib (pbut) and their people.
- The fact that the Qur'an is revealed in the Arabic language and is not brought by shaitans; as it is neither in their interest nor in their power to do so.
- The fact that shaitans descend on those slandering sinners who listen to hearsay and are liars.
Tafsir Zone
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Overview (Verses 10 - 14) God’s Call to Moses The sūrah then gives him accounts of what happened to some of the communities that rejected God’s messages and how they suffered His punishment. “Your Lord called Moses: Go to the wrongdoing people, the people of Pharaoh. Will they have no fear of God?” (Verses 10-11) These two verses paint the first scene which shows Moses being given his message. It begins by exposing the people he must go to, declaring that they are ‘wrongdoing’. They do themselves a great wrong by denying God’s message, and they do much wrong to the Children of Israel, killing their men but sparing their women and inflicting much torture on them. Hence, the sūrah describes them as wrongdoing before it specifies who they are. It then calls on Moses and all people to wonder at them: “Will they have no fear of God?” Will they continue to be heedless of the likely outcome of their wrongdoing? Will they not mend their erring ways? Theirs is certainly a singular situation. Moses, however, was not unaware of Pharaoh and his regime. Indeed, he was fully aware of his oppressive rule and the injustice he meted out to people. Hence, Moses realizes that the task assigned to him is difficult and that his mission is bound to meet with stiff resistance. Hence, he complains to his Lord of his own weakness. His complaints, however, are not those of one who does not wish to carry out the task. On the contrary, he is determined to fulfil it, but he seeks help from God. He said: My Lord, I fear that they will charge me with falsehood, and then my breast will be straitened and my tongue will not be fluent. So send as well for Aaron. Moreover, they have a charge of crime against me, and I fear that they will kill me. (Verses 12-14) What Moses’ statement signifies is that he was not worried about being rejected by Pharaoh and his people; rather, what worried him was that this should happen at a time when he felt ill at ease and when his tongue lacked fluent argument. He suffered from a speech impediment, which he mentioned in Sūrah 20, Ţā Hā, as he prayed to God to remove it: “My Lord, open up my heart [to Your light], and make my mission easy for me, and free my tongue from its impediment, so that people may understand what I say.” (20: 25-28) Should this difficulty occur while one is speaking, it makes the speaker ill at ease, which in turn makes the impediment worse. Thus, the person suffering from it feels unable to express himself. This becomes a vicious circle and anger inevitably sets in. Hence, Moses feared that he might suffer this problem when he confronted a despotic tyrant like Pharaoh with God’s message. Hence, he complains to God of his own weakness, and expresses his fears in respect of delivering his Lord’s message. The point of his request is that God include his brother Aaron in carrying out this task. This request does not express any reluctance on Moses’ part to carry out God’s orders, but reflects his fear of falling short of the task. Aaron is more eloquent, which means that he has an easier temperament. Thus, should Moses suffer a block as he speaks, or should he feel straitened in heart, Aaron could then step in to provide the proper argument. Although Moses prays, as related in Sūrah 20, that God remove his speech impediment, he also requests that Aaron be assigned to help him in the delivery of the divine message. The same may be said of his other statement: “Moreover, they have a charge of crime against me, and I fear that they will kill me.” (Verse 14) Again, Moses does not express any fear in confronting Pharaoh with the call to believe in God, nor does he seek to abandon the mission assigned to him; rather, this is all given as an added reason for the need to include Aaron. Should Pharaoh kill Moses, Aaron would be able to carry on the mission and complete the task. Thus, we should read Moses’ prayer as a precaution aiming to ensure that the divine message was properly and fully delivered. It is exactly the kind of attitude that can be expected from a messenger like. |
Ibn Kathir (English)
Sayyid Qutb
Sha'rawi
Al Jalalain
Mawdudi
الطبري - جامع البيان
ابن كثير - تفسير القرآن العظيم
القرطبي - الجامع لأحكام
البغوي - معالم التنزيل
ابن أبي حاتم الرازي - تفسير القرآن
ابن عاشور - التحرير والتنوير
ابن القيم - تفسير ابن قيّم
السيوطي - الدر المنثور
الشنقيطي - أضواء البيان
ابن الجوزي - زاد المسير
الآلوسي - روح المعاني
ابن عطية - المحرر الوجيز
الرازي - مفاتيح الغيب
أبو السعود - إرشاد العقل السليم
الزمخشري - الكشاف
البقاعي - نظم الدرر
الهداية إلى بلوغ النهاية — مكي ابن أبي طالب
القاسمي - محاسن التأويل
الماوردي - النكت والعيون
السعدي - تيسير الكريم الرحمن
عبد الرحمن الثعالبي - الجواهر الحسان
السمرقندي - بحر العلوم
أبو إسحاق الثعلبي - الكشف والبيان
الشوكاني - فتح القدير
النيسابوري - التفسير البسيط
أبو حيان - البحر المحيط
البيضاوي - أنوار التنزيل
النسفي - مدارك التنزيل
ابن جُزَيّ - التسهيل لعلوم التنزيل
علي الواحدي النيسابوري - الوجيز
السيوطي - تفسير الجلالين
المختصر في التفسير — مركز تفسير
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Overview (Verses 10 - 14) God’s Call to Moses The sūrah then gives him accounts of what happened to some of the communities that rejected God’s messages and how they suffered His punishment. “Your Lord called Moses: Go to the wrongdoing people, the people of Pharaoh. Will they have no fear of God?” (Verses 10-11) These two verses paint the first scene which shows Moses being given his message. It begins by exposing the people he must go to, declaring that they are ‘wrongdoing’. They do themselves a great wrong by denying God’s message, and they do much wrong to the Children of Israel, killing their men but sparing their women and inflicting much torture on them. Hence, the sūrah describes them as wrongdoing before it specifies who they are. It then calls on Moses and all people to wonder at them: “Will they have no fear of God?” Will they continue to be heedless of the likely outcome of their wrongdoing? Will they not mend their erring ways? Theirs is certainly a singular situation. Moses, however, was not unaware of Pharaoh and his regime. Indeed, he was fully aware of his oppressive rule and the injustice he meted out to people. Hence, Moses realizes that the task assigned to him is difficult and that his mission is bound to meet with stiff resistance. Hence, he complains to his Lord of his own weakness. His complaints, however, are not those of one who does not wish to carry out the task. On the contrary, he is determined to fulfil it, but he seeks help from God. He said: My Lord, I fear that they will charge me with falsehood, and then my breast will be straitened and my tongue will not be fluent. So send as well for Aaron. Moreover, they have a charge of crime against me, and I fear that they will kill me. (Verses 12-14) What Moses’ statement signifies is that he was not worried about being rejected by Pharaoh and his people; rather, what worried him was that this should happen at a time when he felt ill at ease and when his tongue lacked fluent argument. He suffered from a speech impediment, which he mentioned in Sūrah 20, Ţā Hā, as he prayed to God to remove it: “My Lord, open up my heart [to Your light], and make my mission easy for me, and free my tongue from its impediment, so that people may understand what I say.” (20: 25-28) Should this difficulty occur while one is speaking, it makes the speaker ill at ease, which in turn makes the impediment worse. Thus, the person suffering from it feels unable to express himself. This becomes a vicious circle and anger inevitably sets in. Hence, Moses feared that he might suffer this problem when he confronted a despotic tyrant like Pharaoh with God’s message. Hence, he complains to God of his own weakness, and expresses his fears in respect of delivering his Lord’s message. The point of his request is that God include his brother Aaron in carrying out this task. This request does not express any reluctance on Moses’ part to carry out God’s orders, but reflects his fear of falling short of the task. Aaron is more eloquent, which means that he has an easier temperament. Thus, should Moses suffer a block as he speaks, or should he feel straitened in heart, Aaron could then step in to provide the proper argument. Although Moses prays, as related in Sūrah 20, that God remove his speech impediment, he also requests that Aaron be assigned to help him in the delivery of the divine message. The same may be said of his other statement: “Moreover, they have a charge of crime against me, and I fear that they will kill me.” (Verse 14) Again, Moses does not express any fear in confronting Pharaoh with the call to believe in God, nor does he seek to abandon the mission assigned to him; rather, this is all given as an added reason for the need to include Aaron. Should Pharaoh kill Moses, Aaron would be able to carry on the mission and complete the task. Thus, we should read Moses’ prayer as a precaution aiming to ensure that the divine message was properly and fully delivered. It is exactly the kind of attitude that can be expected from a messenger like. |
- Surah 26. Ash-Shu`ara' - Saad al Ghamidi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cHU7JzgGx8&index=26&list=PLhM2xiAUdw2cAqW_o3zZkbhJNw0bnaBZN
- Surah 26. Ash-Shu`ara' Mahmoud Khalil Al Hussary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhzLVmPbiAc&index=26&list=PLxpAkjlGauHfMFWX22VZWOKpzjr-vH_BM
- Surah 26. Ash-Shu`ara' Muhammad Al Luhaydan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0iyyiyEVOs&list=PLxpAkjlGauHfKAYuQLRNAZomoezhfhRZe&index=26
- Idris Akbar Ash-Shu`ara' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfKTV4F9zOc
- Surah 26.Ash-Shu`ara' muhammad Minshawi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vwn28IKHR9o&index=26&list=PLxpAkjlGauHdUcO_uc-8F8J2NUQRDZjPG
