Surah Ash Shu'ara Notes (221-227)

Source: Ibn Kathir

Refutation of the Fabrications of the Idolators

 (221) Shall I inform you (O people!) upon whom the Shayatin (devils) descend?

Here Allah addresses those idolators who claimed that what was brought by the Messenger was not the truth but was merely something that he had made up by himself, or that it came to him in visions from the Jinn. Allah stated that His Messenger was above their claims and fabrications, and that what he had brought did indeed come from Allah, and that it was a revelation and inspiration, brought down by a noble, trustworthy and mighty angel. It did not come from the Shayatin, because they have no desire for anything like this Noble Qur'an -- they descend upon those who are like them, the lying fortune-tellers.

(222) They descend on every lying (one who tells lies), sinful person.

(Shall I inform you) meaning, shall I tell you,

(upon whom the Shayatin descend They descend on every lying, sinful person (Athim)) meaning, one whose speech is lies and fabrication.

(Athim) means, whose deeds are immoral. This is the person upon whom the Shayatin descend, fortune-tellers and other sinful liars. The Shayatin are also sinful liars.

(223) Who gives ear (to the devils and they pour what they may have heard of the unseen from the angels), and most of them are liars.

(Who gives ear, ) means, they try to overhear what is said in the heavens, and they try to hear something of the Unseen, then they add to it a hundred lies and tell it to their human comrades, who then tell it to others. Then the people believe everything they say because they were right about the one thing which was heard from the heavens. 

This was stated in an authentic Hadith recorded by Al-Bukhari from `A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, who said, "The people asked the Prophet about fortune-tellers, and he said: (They are nothing.) They said: "O Messenger of Allah, they say things that come true.'' The Prophet said: (That is a word of truth which the Jinn snatches, then he gabbles it like the clucking of a chicken into the ear of his friend, but he mixes it with more than one hundred lies.)

Al-Bukhari also recorded that Abu Hurayrah said, "The Prophet said: (When Allah decrees a matter in heaven, the angels beat their wings in submission to His decree, a chain beating on a rock. And when the fear in their hearts subsides, they say: "What is it that your Lord has said'' They say: "The truth. And He is the Most High, the Most Great.'' Then when the Jinn who are listening out, one above the other) -- and Sufyan illustrated this with a gesture, holding his hand vertically with his fingers outspread -- (when they hear this, they throw it down from one to another, until it is passed to the fortune-teller or soothsayer. The shooting star may strike the Jinn before he passes it on, or he may pass it on before he is struck, and he adds to it one hundred lies, thus it is said: "Did he not tell us that on such and such a day, such and such would happen'' So they believe him because of that one thing which was heard from the heavens.) 

This was recorded by Al-Bukhari. Al-Bukhari recorded from `A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, that the Prophet said: (The angels speak in the clouds about some matter on earth, and the Shayatin overhear what they say, so they tell it to the fortune-teller, gurgling into his ear like (a liquid poured) from a glass bottle, and he adds to it one hundred lies.)

Refutation of the Claim that the Prophet was a Poet

(224) As for the poets, the erring follow them,

(As for the poets, the astray ones follow them.) `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported from Ibn `Abbas that this means: "The disbelievers follow the misguided among mankind and the Jinn.'' 

Ikrimah said, "Two poets would ridicule one another in verse, with one group of people supporting one and another group supporting the other. Hence Allah revealed the Ayah, (As for the poets, the erring ones follow them.)

(225) See you not that they speak about every subject (praising others right or wrong) in their poetry?

(See you not that they speak about every subject in their poetry) `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported from Ibn `Abbas that this means: "They indulge in every kind of nonsense.'' Ad-Dahhak reported that Ibn `Abbas said, "They engage in every kind of verbal art.''

(226) And that they say what they do not do.

(And that they say what they do not do. ) Al-`Awfi reported that Ibn `Abbas said that at the time of the Messenger of Allah , two men, one from among the Ansar and one from another tribe, were ridiculing one another in verse, and each one of them was supported by a group of his own people, who were the foolish ones, and Allah said:

(As for the poets, the erring ones follow them. See you not that they speak about every subject in their poetry And that they say what they do not do.) What is meant here is that the Messenger , to whom this Qur'an was revealed, was not a soothsayer or a poet, because his situation was quite obviously different to theirs.

The Exception of the Poets of Islam

(227) Except those who believe (in the Oneness of Allah Islamic Monotheism), and do righteous deeds, and remember Allah much, and reply back (in poetry) to the unjust poetry (which the pagan poets utter against the Muslims). And those who do wrong will come to know by what overturning they will be overturned.


(and vindicate themselves after they have been wronged.) Ibn `Abbas said, "They responded in kind to the disbelievers who used to ridicule the believers in verse.'

(And those who do wrong will come to know by what overturning they will be overturned.) this refers to the poets and others. This is the end of the Tafsir Surat Ash-Shu`ara'. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.