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
| |
| 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
| |
| Names of Prophets Mentioned
Nuh, Hud, Salih, Lut, Ibrahim, Shuaib, Musa, Harun
| |
| 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)
| |
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
|
Overview (Verses 165 - 169) Arrogant Perverts The story of the Prophet Lot and his people is mentioned at this juncture, although from a historical point of view it should link up with Abraham’s story. But the historical sequence is not of importance in this sūrah which concentrates on the unity of the divine message, the method followed by all prophets and the fate of the communities addressed by these messages. Hence, the saving of the believers is highlighted alongside the doom suffered by those who opposed God’s messengers, denying their messages. Lot begins with his people in the same way as Noah, Hūd and Şāliĥ, denouncing their carelessness, trying to awaken their consciences, and reminding them that they need to be God-fearing. He calls on them to believe in God and to obey him, assuring them that he will not charge them anything for guiding them to the right path. He follows this with a clear denunciation of their wicked perversion which made them a community apart in human history: Of all the creatures in the world, will you lustfully approach males, and eschew the wives God has created for you? You are indeed people who transgress all bounds. (Verses 165-166) Lot’s people, who inhabited several villages in the Jordan Valley, were known for their sinful practice of homosexuality, which reflects a wicked perversion of human nature. God has created human males and females, making each sex naturally inclined to the other in order for human life to progress through procreation. This mutual inclination is, then, part of the universal law that ensures balance and harmony among all creatures in the universe, whether animate or inanimate, and makes them cooperate in the fulfilment of God’s will that governs the entire universe. When a man has sex with another man, their practice neither fulfils any objective nor serves the nature of the universe and its laws. It is indeed singular thatanyone should find pleasure in such a practice. The pleasure a man finds with a woman is indeed the means through which human nature fulfils God’s will. Thus, the deviation from natural law is clear in Lot’s people’s actions. Hence, it was inevitable that they should refrain from their deviation or be destroyed. Their destruction was due to the fact that they had opted out of the normal way of life and the right line of human nature. They abandoned the very purpose of their existence, which is the preservation of human life through marriage and procreation. When Lot called on them to abandon their perversion, denouncing their neglect of the spouses God created for them and their aggression against human nature, their response clearly showed that they were not ready to return to the path that ensured the continuity of human life: “Said they: Lot! If you will not desist, you will most certainly be expelled.” (Verse 167) Lot did not belong to them by lineage. He had accompanied his uncle, Abraham, when the latter withdrew from his people and migrated. Abraham, Lot and the small number of people who believed with them crossed the Jordan. He then lived among those people until God chose him as His messenger, requiring him to call on people to return to the right path. Their response was a threat that they would drive him out of their towns unless he abandoned his call. When things reached this point and the threat became serious, Lot spoke out loud, making it clear that he loathed their disgusting perversion: “He said: I am one who utterly abhors your doings.” (Verse 168) He used words that vividly describe his repugnance of their practices, before adding a prayer to God to save him and his family from such evil: “My Lord! Save me and my family from what they do.” (Verse 169) He did not do what they did, but by his upright nature he felt it to be a way of life leading to ruin. Since he was in their midst he prayed that God would save him and his family from what was bound to come about as a result of such action. |
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
|
|
Overview (Verses 165 - 169) Arrogant Perverts The story of the Prophet Lot and his people is mentioned at this juncture, although from a historical point of view it should link up with Abraham’s story. But the historical sequence is not of importance in this sūrah which concentrates on the unity of the divine message, the method followed by all prophets and the fate of the communities addressed by these messages. Hence, the saving of the believers is highlighted alongside the doom suffered by those who opposed God’s messengers, denying their messages. Lot begins with his people in the same way as Noah, Hūd and Şāliĥ, denouncing their carelessness, trying to awaken their consciences, and reminding them that they need to be God-fearing. He calls on them to believe in God and to obey him, assuring them that he will not charge them anything for guiding them to the right path. He follows this with a clear denunciation of their wicked perversion which made them a community apart in human history: Of all the creatures in the world, will you lustfully approach males, and eschew the wives God has created for you? You are indeed people who transgress all bounds. (Verses 165-166) Lot’s people, who inhabited several villages in the Jordan Valley, were known for their sinful practice of homosexuality, which reflects a wicked perversion of human nature. God has created human males and females, making each sex naturally inclined to the other in order for human life to progress through procreation. This mutual inclination is, then, part of the universal law that ensures balance and harmony among all creatures in the universe, whether animate or inanimate, and makes them cooperate in the fulfilment of God’s will that governs the entire universe. When a man has sex with another man, their practice neither fulfils any objective nor serves the nature of the universe and its laws. It is indeed singular thatanyone should find pleasure in such a practice. The pleasure a man finds with a woman is indeed the means through which human nature fulfils God’s will. Thus, the deviation from natural law is clear in Lot’s people’s actions. Hence, it was inevitable that they should refrain from their deviation or be destroyed. Their destruction was due to the fact that they had opted out of the normal way of life and the right line of human nature. They abandoned the very purpose of their existence, which is the preservation of human life through marriage and procreation. When Lot called on them to abandon their perversion, denouncing their neglect of the spouses God created for them and their aggression against human nature, their response clearly showed that they were not ready to return to the path that ensured the continuity of human life: “Said they: Lot! If you will not desist, you will most certainly be expelled.” (Verse 167) Lot did not belong to them by lineage. He had accompanied his uncle, Abraham, when the latter withdrew from his people and migrated. Abraham, Lot and the small number of people who believed with them crossed the Jordan. He then lived among those people until God chose him as His messenger, requiring him to call on people to return to the right path. Their response was a threat that they would drive him out of their towns unless he abandoned his call. When things reached this point and the threat became serious, Lot spoke out loud, making it clear that he loathed their disgusting perversion: “He said: I am one who utterly abhors your doings.” (Verse 168) He used words that vividly describe his repugnance of their practices, before adding a prayer to God to save him and his family from such evil: “My Lord! Save me and my family from what they do.” (Verse 169) He did not do what they did, but by his upright nature he felt it to be a way of life leading to ruin. Since he was in their midst he prayed that God would save him and his family from what was bound to come about as a result of such action. |
- 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
