THE POETS: On the Qur’an, language and revelation
Gohar Dashti, Home Series.
“The language of the Quran is like an ocean into which we must plunge, head first, during this month”
Abdiaziz Ahmed
The month of Ramadan contains numerous blessings and virtues as it is the month that the final divine revelation from God, the Holy Quran, was revealed. One’s relationship to the text of the Quran is therefore paramount at this time of year. The language of the Quran is like an ocean into which we must plunge, head first, during this month. In an effort to deepen our comprehension and connection with this magnificent book, we must first understand the history, the language, and the complexity of its revelation.
When the Prophet Muhammed (peace and blessings be upon him) began his quest to propagate the Islamic faith, he immediately was accused of using poetic rhetoric to delude his own people. Almost immediately, the verses of the Quran, the “inimitable symphony, the very sounds of which move men to tears and ecstasy”[1] threatened the very essence of life in Mecca. The prophet’s opponents employed poets to denigrate him and the revelations of Islam. The Quran alludes to these accusations when Allah remarks “We did not teach him poetry, nor would that be right for him” (Quran 36:69). In another verse, Allah comments on the sheer ludicrousness of alleging the Prophet was a poet by stating “You never recited any book before it nor did you write one down with your right hand” (Quran 28:48). In order to drive that message home, the Quran continually challenged the Arabian society of the time to produce even a singular verse that matched the sophistication and depth of meaning of a Quranic verse (2:23, 10:38, 11:13). This was a challenge that was left unfulfilled. Further, in Surah 26, aptly titled “The Poets,” the Quran critiques poets who accused the Prophet of being just a poet, in a pejorative sense.
It is important to note that these verses did not ridicule the art of poetry nor did they deny the benefits of poetry. Rather, Allah intended to make it clear that His word was above comparability and reigned supreme to the linguistic productions of His very creation. The language of the Quran is literal, allegorical, symbolic, and infinite in its power and reach. The difference, then, between poetry and the Quran is not merely the manifest linguistic superiority, but also the miracle of faith. It represents a form of the universality of Allah’s power. As Allah is both the creator of what is visible and Unseen, His Words manifest the mystery of the visible and the invisible. And to that end, it can never be recreated.
“The difference, then, between poetry and the Quran is not merely the manifest linguistic superiority, but also the miracle of faith. It represents a form of the universality of Allah’s power. As Allah is both the creator of what is visible and Unseen, His Words manifest the mystery of the visible and the invisible. And to that end, it can never be recreated. ”
Upon establishing himself in the beloved city of Medina, the Prophet met a man named Hasan ibn Thabit. Hasan was a talented poet, who used his rhetorical gifts to defend Islam and the Prophet (pbuh) in verse form. The Prophet was so enamored and impressed by his obvious talent that he immediately ordered that a pulpit be constructed for him so that an appointed place existed for him to perform and deliver his poetic defenses of the religion. The Prophet was keenly aware of the importance of poetry to the particular context in which he lived, and astutely sought to employ it in the service of the religion. His depth of love for the Prophet (pbuh), and the reverence he had for him is obvious even in translated form:
Even if he had not brought any clear signs with him,
the sight of him would dispense with the need for them.
Muhammad is a human being but not like other human beings.
Rather he is a flawless diamond and the rest of mankind are just stones.
Blessings be on him so that perhaps God may have mercy on us
on that burning Day when the Fire is roaring forth its sparks
The unique relationship between poetry and Islam is one of immense complexity and layers and requires a study of contextual historic nuance. The Prophet Muhammed (peace and blessings be upon him) came of age in an Arabian society that prided itself on the absolute mastery of language and the proliferation of prose. Indeed, much reverence and rank in society was accorded to the poets – those who were able to capture notions of love, honor, yearning, and bravery in the form of silky rhetoric. In fact, poems were of such importance to the pre-Islamic Arabian society that they hung seven qasa’id (odes) called the Mu’allaqat (The Hanging Poems) off the holy Kaaba itself. These odes represented the golden works of seven highly revered contemporary poets of the age. Many poets of the era, however, were not concerned with spiritual realities and the invocation of truth. As such, the Qur’an profoundly influenced the poetry created across the Muslim world. It demanded more of the work, and demanded wholesale rejection of the sacrilegious, and an absolute reverence for the divine.
In the coming series of posts, we will move from the Arabian context in which the Quran and the final Messenger of God emerged to a more nuanced discussion of devotional poems in honor of the Prophet (pbuh). There exists a rich corpus of Islamic scholarship that grapples with the nature of honorific and devotional poems and odes – and fascinating intersections emerge from those nexus points. Is there a connection between devotional poems and the appearance of the Prophet Muhammed in dreams? Can dhikr and poetry manifest in one form? All of these questions will be discussed in greater detail in further weekly posts.
[1] Marmaduke William Pickthall. The Meanings of the Glorious Quran, 1930.