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الادب المفرد
Adab al-Mufrad
كتاب الشعر
Book of Poetry
بَابُ مِنَ الشِّعْرِ حِكْمَةٌ
Chapter: Wisdom in Poetry
Al-Adab al-Mufrad 857 — Wisdom in Poetry
حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ مَرْزُوقٍ، قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، سَمِعَ مُطَرِّفًا قَالَ: صَحِبْتُ عِمْرَانَ بْنَ حُصَيْنٍ مِنَ الْكُوفَةِ إِلَى الْبَصْرَةِ، فَقَلَّ مَنْزِلٌ يَنْزِلُهُ إِلاَّ وَهُوَ يُنْشِدُنِي شِعْرًا، وَقَالَ: إِنَّ فِي الْمَعَارِيضِ لَمَنْدُوحَةٌ عَنِ الْكَذِبِ.
It is narrated from Mutarrif (may Allah have mercy on him) that I traveled with Sayyiduna Imran bin Husain (may Allah be pleased with him) from Kufa to Basra. Wherever he stopped, he would recite poetry to me, and he said: In equivocation (ta‘reed), there is a way to avoid lying.
Explanation & Benefits
Shaykh Maulana Usman Muneeb
Benefits and Issues:
➊ The point is that in poetry as well, a person may employ equivocation (tawriyah) and thus avoid explicit falsehood. Therefore, such poetry is permissible.
➋ The meaning of allusion (ta‘ridh) and equivocation (tawriyah) is that you use such words which indicate multiple meanings. What the other party understands is contrary to what is in your heart. For example, you see someone making supplication (du‘a) for the Muslims, and you say to one of his friends who is temporarily upset with him, “I saw so-and-so making supplication for you.” You have included him among all the Muslims, even though he thinks that his name was mentioned specifically and that the supplication was made for him. Remember, allusion and equivocation are only for situations of severe necessity.
➌ In the rulings of Shari‘ah and in the rights of people (huquq al-‘ibad), what is considered valid is what the other party understands.
➊ The point is that in poetry as well, a person may employ equivocation (tawriyah) and thus avoid explicit falsehood. Therefore, such poetry is permissible.
➋ The meaning of allusion (ta‘ridh) and equivocation (tawriyah) is that you use such words which indicate multiple meanings. What the other party understands is contrary to what is in your heart. For example, you see someone making supplication (du‘a) for the Muslims, and you say to one of his friends who is temporarily upset with him, “I saw so-and-so making supplication for you.” You have included him among all the Muslims, even though he thinks that his name was mentioned specifically and that the supplication was made for him. Remember, allusion and equivocation are only for situations of severe necessity.
➌ In the rulings of Shari‘ah and in the rights of people (huquq al-‘ibad), what is considered valid is what the other party understands.
Source: Fadlullah al-Ahad: Urdu Commentary on al-Adab al-Mufrad, Page: 857
