Poetry in islam.... During those so-called ‘Dark Days’ of Arabia, poetry was a passion with the Arabs. There used to be regular poetry festivals in Mecca where all the best poets from all over Hejaj used to meet in an annual gathering and recite their poetical verses. The best of all those selected were then hung on the walls of Kaba. They were called ‘golden verses’ because they used to be written in gold. There were seven such “golden” poems. The names of their authors are Zuhair, Tarafah, Imrul-Qais, Amru ibn Kulsum, al-haris, Antarah and Labid. These poets also used to listen to Mohammad’s recitation but were not highly impressed. Out of those seven great poets only Labid embraced Islam (Ref: Dictionary of Islam by T.P.Hughes, Published by Kazi Publications, Inc. 3023-27 West Belmont Avenue, Chicago, IL; page 460). Many of those poetries were based on idolatry and worshipping of various pagan gods and goddesses. So Muhammad developed a strong disdain for those poets and their compositions. Later, when Muhammad started to disparage the idolatry of the Quraish, the Quraish decided to commission their poets to ridicule Mohammad. One of those poets was Al-nadir al Harith . He was a sophisticated genius of the Quraish. He faced Mohammad in a debate in Mecca during a pilgrimage season. When Muhammad found out that it was quite difficult to face the challenges of those literary stalwarts of those days he started to engage some poets to hurl abuse to those learned poets. Two such poets hired by Muhammad were Hasan and Labid (Ref: ibid; page 460). We get a glimpse of this behaviour of Mohammad from these ahadith. Muhammed requested to lampoon the pagans in verse with Gabriels help...8.73.174 Sahih Bukhari Volume 8, Book 73, Number 174: Narrated Al-Bara: The Prophet said to Hassan, Lampoon them (the pagans) in verse, and Gabriel is with you. Mohammed asked Hassan bin Thabit to abuse Banu Quraiza people with poem and that Gabriel will be with Hassan bin Thabit...5.59.449 Sahih Bukhari Volume 5, Book 59, Number 449: Narrated Al-Bara: The Prophet said to Hassan, Abuse them (with your poems), and Gabriel is with you (i.e, supports you). (Through another group of sub narrators) Al-Bara bin Azib said, On the day of Quraizas (besiege), Allahs Apostle said to Hassan bin Thabit, Abuse them (with your poems), and Gabriel is with you (i.e. supports you). Despite Muhammad’s hostility towards the pagans of Mecca and his vitriolic verbal attack on them a few pagan poets during this time were quite appreciative of the beautiful verses of the Quran Mohammad claimed to be from Allah. Some of these Quraish poets even embraced Islam after hearing those poetic verses of the Qur’an (This is the claim by the Egyptian biographer of the Prophet, Husayn Haykal. There are question marks on this claim of Haykal). However, Mohammad was quite unhappy in facing these poets and finally decided to call the poets as evils. Allah promptly sent a suitable verse to his Messenger to this effect. Poets are evils…26:224 026.224 YUSUFALI: And the Poets,- It is those straying in Evil, who follow them: Here are some ahadith that clearly demonstrates Mohammad’s hatred for the poets and poetry. It is better to fill ones inside body with pus than to fill it with poetry...8.73.175, 176 Sahih Bukhari Volume 8, Book 73, Number 175: Narrated Ibn Umar: The Prophet said, It is better for a man to fill the inside of his body with pus than to fill it with poetry. Sahih Bukhari Volume 8, Book 73, Number 176: Narrated Abu Huraira: Allahs Apostle; said, It is better for anyone of you that the inside of his body be filled with pus which may consume his body, than it be filled with poetry. It is better for a man’s stomach to be stuffed with pus than to fill one’s mind with frivolous poetry…28.5609 Sahih Muslim Book 028, Number 5609: Abu Huraira reported Allahs Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: It is better for a mans belly to be stuffed with pus which corrodes it than to stuff ones mind with frivolous poetry. Abd Bakr has reported it with a slight variation of wording. Cant do buying and selling in a mosque, cant announce aloud about lost items, cant recite poems and cant sit in a circle in a mosque on Fridays before the prayer...3.1074 Sunaan Abu Dawud Book 3, Number 1074: Narrated Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-As: The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) prohibited buying and selling in the mosque, announcing aloud about a lost thing, the recitation of a poem in it, and prohibited sitting in a circle (in the mosque) on Friday before the prayer. What happened to those golden days of poetry in Mecca? When Mohammad conquered Mecca those exciting days of poetry and poets were over. This is what the ‘Dictionary of Islam’ writes. “It is generally admitted by Arabic scholars that the golden age of Arabic poetry was that immediately preceding or contemporaneous with Muhammad, and that from the time of Muhammad there was a gradual decline. This is not surprising, inasmuch as the Qur’an is considered the most perfect model of composition ever revealed to mankind, and to be written in the language of Paradise” (Ref: ibid, page 460). Muhammad was quite clever in realising the potential power of poetic verses if used to his advantage. That was why he did not put a complete ban on poetry but started to appreciate those poetries that glorified Allah and Muhammad and helped him in battlefields. In the Khaibar war, a poet called Amr composed poems eulogising Allah and asking Allah’s blessings in winning the war,. Muhammad immediately blessed Amr and guaranteed his martyrdom. Here is the hadith from Sahih Bukhari. Sahih Bukhari Mohammed praised the poems of a poet...5.59.509 Volume 5, Book 59, Number 509: Narrated Salama bin Al-Akwa: We went out to Khaibar in the company of the Prophet. While we were proceeding at night, a man from the group said to Amir, O Amir! Wont you let us hear your poetry? Amir was a poet, so he got down and started reciting for the people poetry that kept pace with the camels footsteps, saying:-- O Allah! Without You we Would not have been guided On the right path Neither would be have given In charity, nor would We have prayed. So please forgive us, what we have committed (i.e. our defects); let all of us Be sacrificed for Your Cause And send Sakina (i.e. calmness) Upon us to make our feet firm When we meet our enemy, and If they will call us towards An unjust thing, We will refuse. The infidels have made a hue and Cry to ask others help Against us. The Prophet on that, asked, Who is that (camel) driver (reciting poetry)? The people said, He is Amir bin Al-Akwa. Then the Prophet said, May Allah bestow His Mercy on him. A man amongst the people said, O Allahs Prophet! has (martyrdom) been granted to him. Would that you let us enjoy his company longer. Then we reached and besieged Khaibar till we were afflicted with severe hunger. Then Allah helped the Muslims conquer it (i.e. Khaibar). In the evening of the day of the conquest of the city, the Muslims made huge fires. The Prophet said, What are these fires? For cooking what, are you making the fire? The people replied, (For cooking) meat. He asked, What kind of meat? They (i.e. people) said, The meat of donkeys. The Prophet said, Throw away the meat and break the pots! Some man said, O Allahs Apostle! Shall we throw away the meat and wash the pots instead? He said, (Yes, you can do) that too. So when the army files were arranged in rows (for the clash), Amirs sword was short and he aimed at the leg of a Jew to strike it, but the sharp blade of the sword returned to him and injured his own knee, and that caused him to die. When they returned from the battle, Allahs Apostle saw me (in a sad mood). He took my hand and said, What is bothering you? I replied, Let my father and mother be sacrificed for you! The people say that the deeds of Amir are lost. The Prophet said, Whoever says so, is mistaken, for Amir has got a double reward. The Prophet raised two fingers and added, He (i.e. Amir) was a persevering struggler in the Cause of Allah and there are few Arabs who achieved the like of (good deeds) Amir had done. Sahih Muslim Mohammad listened to the recitation of poetry…28.5602, 5603 Sahih Muslim Book 028, Number 5602: Amr b. Sharid reported his father as saying: One day when I rode behind Allahs Messenger (may peace be upon him), he said (to me): Do you remember any Poetry of Umayya b. Abu Salt. I said: Yes. He said: Then go on. I recited a couplet, and he said: Go on. Then I again recited a couplet and he said: Go on. I recited one hundred couplets (of his poetry). This hadith has been reported on the authority of Sharid through another chain of transmitters but with a slight variation of wording. Mohammed said that some poems contain wisdom...8.73.166 Sahih Bukhari Volume 8, Book 73, Number 166: Narrated Ubai bin Kab: Allahs Apostle said, Some poetry contains wisdom. Mohammad was free to drink an antidote, tie an amulet or compose a poetry…28.3860 Sahih Muslim Book 28, Number 3860: Narrated Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-As: I heard the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) say: If I drink an antidote, or tie an amulet, or compose poetry, I am the type who does not care what he does. In eloquence there is magic and in poetry there is wisdom…41.4993 Sunaan Abu Dawud Book 41, Number 4993: Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas: A desert Arab came to the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) and began to speak. Thereupon the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) said: In eloquence there is magic and in poetry there is wisdom. In eloquence there is magic, in knowledge there is ignorance, in poetry there is wisdom and in speech there is heaving Sunaan Abu Dawud Book 41, Number 4994:
Posted on: Sun, 19 Jan 2014 06:50:22 +0000
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