NAME: الشعراء, Ash-Shu’ara.
Name taken from Verse 224 where there is a mention of “Ash-Shu’ara”.
٢٢٤ وَالشُّعَرَاءُ يَتَّبِعُهُمُ الْغَاوُونَ
224 And the poets – [only] the deviators follow them;
But It does not mean that this name is the actual topic discussed in the whole Surah. It is just a reference and mark/symbol to distinguish this Surah from others as is with most other Surahs of Quran. While there are diversified topics discussed in these Surahs.
ENGLISH NAME: The Poets.
CHAPTER NUMBER: 26
SURAH SHUARA TOTAL VERSES: 227
SURAH SHUARA TOTAL WORDS: 1,320
TOTAL UNIQUE WORDS WITHOUT REPETITION: 649
TOTAL LETTERS: 5,630
REVELATION PERIOD:
Meccan, Approx. 615 – 618 AD.
MAIN CHARACTERS:
God, Prophet Muhammad, Disbelievers, Moses, Pharaoh, Magicians, Ibrahim/Abraham, Abraham’s Father, Nuh, Ad & Hud, Thamud & Salih, Lut, Shoaib, Ruh Ul Ameen, Satan/Devil, Poets.
SURAH SHUARA MAIN TOPICS:
God’s Signs Everywhere, Detailed Moses Story, Moses Pray, Moses Sin, Magic Contest, Ibrahim & His Father Arguments Against Idols, Prophet Nuh, Hud, Salih, Lut and Shoaib Stories, Muhammad not a Poet and Quran Not By Satan/Devil.
SURAH SHUARA KEY VERSES:
٧٨ الَّذِي خَلَقَنِي فَهُوَ يَهْدِينِ
78 Who created me, and He [it is who] guides me.
٧٩ وَالَّذِي هُوَ يُطْعِمُنِي وَيَسْقِينِ
79 And it is He who feeds me and gives me drink.
٨٠ وَإِذَا مَرِضْتُ فَهُوَ يَشْفِينِ
80 And when I am ill, it is He who cures me
٨١ وَالَّذِي يُمِيتُنِي ثُمَّ يُحْيِينِ
81 And who will cause me to die and then bring me to life
٨٢ وَالَّذِي أَطْمَعُ أَنْ يَغْفِرَ لِي خَطِيئَتِي يَوْمَ الدِّينِ
82 And who I aspire that He will forgive me my sin on the Day of Recompense.”
٢١٠ وَمَا تَنَزَّلَتْ بِهِ الشَّيَاطِينُ
210 And the devils have not brought the revelation down.
٢١١ وَمَا يَنْبَغِي لَهُمْ وَمَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ
211 It is not allowable for them, nor would they be able.
٢١٢ إِنَّهُمْ عَنِ السَّمْعِ لَمَعْزُولُونَ
212 Indeed they, from [its] hearing, are removed.
SUMMARY OF TOPICS
1-9( O Muhammad You Would Kill Yourself With Grief, God’s Signs Everywhere But Most Of Them Were Not To Be Believers. ), 10-14(Moses Sent To Pharaoh, Fear & Plea That I Have Less Capabilities), 18-28(Moses Sin & Dialogue With Pharaoh), 29-51(Moses Showed Signs, Pharaoh Said “Indeed, This Is A Learned Magician”, Magic Contest, Magicians Believed In Lord Of Moses And Aaron), 52-59( Exile, Israelites Inherit Land), 63-66(Sea Parted63), 69-86( Ibrahim & His Father, Arguments Against Idols), 90-104(Ibrahim’s Prayer General And For His Father, Last Day Hell Heaven Will Be Brought Near), 105-122(Prophet Nuh Story, Dialogues With His Nation, Denied, Destroyed Drowned), 123-139(Prophet Hud To Nation Ad, Dialogues With His Nation, Denied, Destroyed), 141- 158( Prophet Salih To Nation Thamud, Dialogues With His Nation, Denied, Destroyed), 160-173(Prophet Lut, Dialogues With His Nation, Denied, Destroyed By Rain Of Stones), 176-189( Prophet Shoaib To Dwellers Of Wood, Dialogues With His Nation, Denied, Destroyed By Punishment Of Day Of Canopy Verse189), 192-198( Quran In Plain Arabic, By Allah Through Angel Gabriel, Jews Scholars Know Very Well), 210-212(Quran And Revelation Not By Satan/Devil, They Are Banished From Hearing), 221- 226( Shall I Inform You Upon Whom The Devils Descend; Upon Every Sinful Liar, Who Listen To Hearsay, Poets Are Astray;They Say What They Do Not Do, Except Those [Poets] Who Believe )
SURAH SHUARA BRIEF COMMENTARY & BACK GROUND
This Surah has 227 verses divided into 11 Rukus/Sections. This Surah was revealed in Mecca and according to traditions it revealed after Surah Taha which revealed almost six to seven years before Prophet Muhammad’s migration to Yathrib (Madina) at a time when the opposition of Meccans turned from verbal accusations and abuse to physical and socio-economic torture and bans. This is the time when many Muslims migrated to nearby country of Abyssinia. As already discussed Surah Taha revealed just before Umar bin Khattab’s conversion to Islam.
The Messenger of God (PBUH) said: One who recites this Surah will have 10 rewards according to the number of believing men and women and he will come of his grave calling: “There is no god but Allah,”
Like other Surahs revealed in Mecca, we find the emphasis on monotheism or the Oneness of God. The primary subject of the Surah is divine supervision and guidance. It narrates the stories of many past prophets their preaching to their people and that the message with which Muhammad has come is from God.
The central theme is the refutation of shirk/associating partners with God and emphasizes that God has created this whole universe, God’s majesty reflected in the natural wonders of creation and in numerous signs in the world, in history and in man’s own self. It admonishes disbelievers for rejecting Quran and Muhammad and tells that signs are of two kinds the one in natural wonders of creation and the others are in history and in the End of old nations (i.e Punishment of God). So it is their choice whether they ponder on God’s signs all around and accept and surrender to the creator or reject and would wait for God’s wrath.
