سُوْرَةُ الصَّافَّاتِ
Surah As-Saaffaat (37) — Ayah 36
وَيَقُولُونَ أَئِنَّا لَتَارِكُوٓا۟ ءَالِهَتِنَا لِشَاعِرٍ مَّجْنُونٍۭ ﴿36﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And (they) said: "Are we going to abandon our âlihah (gods) for the sake of a mad poet?"
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَيَقُولُونَ
wayaqūlūna
And they say
أَئِنَّا
a-innā
Are we
لَتَارِكُوٓا۟
latārikū
to leave
ءَالِهَتِنَا
ālihatinā
our gods
لِشَاعِرٍۢ
lishāʿirin
for a poet
مَّجْنُونٍۭ
majnūnin
mad
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
36. And they would say, "Should we really abandon our gods for the sake of a mad poet [19]?"
[19]
The Difference Between a Poet and a Prophet:
All prophets, including the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, have been labeled as poets and madmen. The work of a poet is to present the heights of his imagination and the subtleties of his thought in eloquent and rhythmic language in such a way that it brings about a temporary and momentary state of ecstasy in the listener. Although the Noble Quran is free from meter and rhyme, in terms of penetrating the heart, it possesses even greater impact than poetry. Because of this similarity, you have also been called a poet. However, there is a world of difference between a poet and a prophet. Unless a poet’s speech contains falsehood, exaggeration, and hyperbole, it does not acquire any charm. Whereas the word of Allah is free from all such absurdities. The field of a poet’s imagination encompasses every good or bad aspect of life. The influence of the environment dominates his temperament, and since the majority of society is misguided, his imagination also soars along those paths. Whereas the fundamental subject of Allah’s word is only one: to show mankind the path of guidance in a wise and admonishing manner. Furthermore, there is a clear contradiction between the words and actions of a poet, whereas a prophet first acts upon whatever he says himself, and then invites others.
The Difference Between a Madman and a Prophet:
Disbelievers, and especially those who deny the Hereafter and the concept of reward and punishment, call the prophets mad in the sense that, in their view, resurrection after death, being presented in the court of Allah, the terrifying scenes of the Day of Judgment, and Paradise and Hell are all magical and mythical things. Therefore, they think that the prophets have lost their senses. However, a prophet is compassionate to everyone, faithful to his promises, and possesses a pure character and conduct. Whereas madmen have neither morals nor character, and all their speech is incoherent. People are afraid of their mad actions and try to avoid them. The injustice of the disbelievers is that, according to their own assumption, merely on the basis of one similarity, they call the prophets poets and madmen, whereas in countless aspects they are different from poets and madmen. And their hearts also testify to all these things. But merely due to their opposition to the prophets, they bestow such inappropriate titles upon them and say to one another: “How can we abandon our gods at the word of such poets and madmen?”
[19]
The Difference Between a Poet and a Prophet:
All prophets, including the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, have been labeled as poets and madmen. The work of a poet is to present the heights of his imagination and the subtleties of his thought in eloquent and rhythmic language in such a way that it brings about a temporary and momentary state of ecstasy in the listener. Although the Noble Quran is free from meter and rhyme, in terms of penetrating the heart, it possesses even greater impact than poetry. Because of this similarity, you have also been called a poet. However, there is a world of difference between a poet and a prophet. Unless a poet’s speech contains falsehood, exaggeration, and hyperbole, it does not acquire any charm. Whereas the word of Allah is free from all such absurdities. The field of a poet’s imagination encompasses every good or bad aspect of life. The influence of the environment dominates his temperament, and since the majority of society is misguided, his imagination also soars along those paths. Whereas the fundamental subject of Allah’s word is only one: to show mankind the path of guidance in a wise and admonishing manner. Furthermore, there is a clear contradiction between the words and actions of a poet, whereas a prophet first acts upon whatever he says himself, and then invites others.
The Difference Between a Madman and a Prophet:
Disbelievers, and especially those who deny the Hereafter and the concept of reward and punishment, call the prophets mad in the sense that, in their view, resurrection after death, being presented in the court of Allah, the terrifying scenes of the Day of Judgment, and Paradise and Hell are all magical and mythical things. Therefore, they think that the prophets have lost their senses. However, a prophet is compassionate to everyone, faithful to his promises, and possesses a pure character and conduct. Whereas madmen have neither morals nor character, and all their speech is incoherent. People are afraid of their mad actions and try to avoid them. The injustice of the disbelievers is that, according to their own assumption, merely on the basis of one similarity, they call the prophets poets and madmen, whereas in countless aspects they are different from poets and madmen. And their hearts also testify to all these things. But merely due to their opposition to the prophets, they bestow such inappropriate titles upon them and say to one another: “How can we abandon our gods at the word of such poets and madmen?”
