وَٱلشُّعَرَآءُ يَتَّبِعُهُمُ ٱلْغَاوُۥنَ 224
Translations
And the poets - [only] the deviators follow them;
Transliteration
Wa ash-shu'araa'u yattabi'uhum al-ghawun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah states that poets are generally followed by the misguided and erring people. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this verse refers to poets who use their eloquence to promote falsehood, immorality, and deviation from the truth, and those who lack discernment follow them in their misguidance. However, classical scholars note that righteous poets who use their craft to promote truth and virtue are excluded from this general ruling, as evidenced by the next ayah which distinguishes between the categories of poets.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the final surah revealed in Mecca and is part of a passage addressing the characteristics of poets. The context addresses concerns about poetry as a medium of communication in pre-Islamic Arabia, where poets held significant social influence. The surah acknowledges that while many poets misuse their talents, some dedicate their poetry to truth and righteous deeds.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: 'The truest word spoken by a poet is the statement of Labid: 'Verily, everything besides Allah is false' (Sahih Bukhari 3838). This hadith demonstrates that righteous poetry aligned with truth was valued by the Prophet.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us to exercise discernment when consuming any form of persuasive communication, recognizing that eloquent speech is not inherently truthful and that we bear responsibility for what we follow. It reminds us that the vehicle of communication matters less than the message's alignment with truth and virtue.