Surah Ash-Shu'ara: (224 - 227) And the poets, the deviators follow them.

Know that when the disbelievers said: Why is it not permissible to say that the devils descend with the Qur'an upon Muhammad, just as they descend with soothsaying upon soothsayers and with poetry upon poets?

Then, the Exalted is He distinguished between Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the soothsayers. Here, He mentioned what indicates the difference between him (PBUH) and the poets, which is that "the deviators follow them" (i.e., the misguided ones).

He then clarified this deviation through two matters:

1. "That they wander in every valley" (Verse 225). This means they follow different paths. It is like saying, "I am in one valley, and you are in another." This is because they might praise something after having condemned it, or vice versa; they might glorify something after having scorned it, or vice versa. This indicates that they do not seek truth or veracity in their poetry, unlike the matter of Muhammad (PBUH), who, from the beginning of his mission until the end, remained on one path: calling to Allah the Almighty, encouraging the Hereafter, and turning away from the world.

2. "And that they say what they do not do" (Verse 226). This is also a sign of the deviators, for they encourage generosity while shunning it themselves, and they denounce stinginess while persisting in it. They criticize people for the slightest thing done by one of their ancestors, and yet they themselves commit nothing but indecencies. This indicates deviation and misguidance.

As for Muhammad (PBUH), he began with himself, as Allah the Almighty commanded him: "So do not invoke with Allah another god, lest you be among the punished" (Ash-Shu'ara: 213). Then, he addressed those nearest to him, as Allah the Almighty commanded him: "And warn your nearest kin" (Ash-Shu'ara: 214). All of this is contrary to the way of the poets.

Thus, it has become clear through what we have explained that the state of Muhammad (PBUH) did not resemble the state of the poets.

Then, when Allah the Almighty described the poets with these blameworthy characteristics to clarify this distinction, He made an exception for those described by four attributes:

1. Faith, which is His saying: "Except those who believe" (Verse 227).
2. Righteous deeds, which is His saying: "And do righteous deeds" (Verse 227).
3. That their poetry should be about Tawhid (Oneness of Allah), prophethood, and calling creation to the truth, which is His saying: "And remember Allah often" (Verse 227).
4. That they should not mention the satire of anyone except in retaliation against those who satirize them, which is His saying: "And seek redress after they have been wronged" (Verse 227). Allah the Almighty says: "Allah does not like the public mention of evil except by one who has been wronged" (An-Nisa: 148). Furthermore, the condition for this is refraining from transgression, due to His saying: "So whoever transgresses against you, then transgress against him likewise as he has transgressed against you" (Al-Baqarah: 194).

It has also been said that this exception refers to Abdullah ibn Rawahah, Hassan ibn Thabit, Ka'b ibn Malik, and Ka'b ibn Zuhayr, because they used to satirize the Quraysh. It is narrated from Ka'b ibn Malik that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said to him: "Satirize them, for by the One in Whose Hand is my soul, it is more severe for them than the piercing of arrows." He used to say to Hassan ibn Thabit: "And the Holy Spirit is with you."

As for His saying, the Exalted: "And those who have wronged will know to what [kind of] return they will be returned" (Ash-Shu'ara: 227), what I believe about it, and Allah knows best, is that after the Almighty mentioned in this Surah what removes grief from the heart of His Messenger (PBUH)—from rational proofs, and from the accounts of past prophets—then mentioned the proofs of his prophethood (PBUH), then mentioned the query of the polytheists in calling Muhammad (PBUH) sometimes a soothsayer and sometimes a poet, and after He first clarified the difference between him and the soothsayer, and then clarified the difference between him and the poet, He concluded the Surah with this great threat.

This means: Those who have wronged themselves and turned away from contemplating these verses and pondering these clear proofs, they will know afterward to what kind of return they will be returned.

The majority of scholars said that this refers to deterring them from the path described by Allah for these poets. The first interpretation is closer to the structure of the Surah from beginning to end, and Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds, and His blessings and peace be upon our Master Muhammad, the unlettered Prophet, and his family and companions, and upon his wives, the Mothers of the Believers, and upon those who follow them in righteousness until the Day of Judgment.