✿ Written by: Mirza Ahmad Waseem Baig
❖ The Orientalist-Inspired Doubt by Atheists
A common objection borrowed by modern atheists from Orientalist literature is as follows:“Imru’ al-Qays was a pre-Islamic poet who died in 540 CE—thirty years before the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was born, and seventy years before revelation began. He has a famous qasīdah (ode) from which, they claim, many verses were copied into the Qur’an. These are evident in the following lines:”
Then several couplets are cited, containing phrases allegedly similar to Qur'anic verses, such as:
- "دنت الساعة وانشق القمر" – said to mirror Sūrah al-Qamar (54:1):
ٱقْتَرَبَتِ ٱلسَّاعَةُ وَٱنشَقَّ ٱلْقَمَرُ - "فتعاطى فعقر" – resembling Sūrah al-Qamar (54:29):
فَنَادَوْا صَاحِبَهُمْ فَتَعَاطَىٰ فَعَقَرَ - "كَهَشِيمِ ٱلْمُحْتَظِرِ" – similar to Sūrah al-Qamar (54:31)
فَكَانُوا۟ كَهَشِيمِ ٱلْمُحْتَظِرِ - And others mimicking Sūrah al-Ḍuḥá (93:1–2):
وَٱلضُّحَىٰ وَٱلَّيْلِ إِذَا سَجَىٰ
❖ Response to the Doubt
Here are twelve clear and scholarly responses to this baseless claim:① No Existence of These Verses in Authentic Literary Sources
These lines do not exist in any reliable, classical Arabic literary source.They are absent from all verified collections of Imru’ al-Qays’ poetry.
② Not Found in Any Classical Editions of His Dīwān
Imru’ al-Qays’ dīwān has several preserved editions compiled by renowned scholars, including:◈ al-Aʿlam al-Shantamarī
◈ al-Ṭūsī
◈ al-Sukkarī
◈ al-Baṭalyawsī
◈ Ibn al-Naḥḥās
None of these editions contain the cited verses.
③ Thorough Academic Scrutiny of His Poetry
His poetry has undergone extensive authentication and documentation by scholars of Arabic literature.Hence, any credible scholar would immediately recognize that these verses do not belong to him.
④ Modern Research Also Rejects Attribution
In all modern critical studies of Imru’ al-Qays’ works, there is no mention of these verses, nor are they authentically attributed to him.⑤ Incorrect Attribution of Poetry Was Common in the Past
Historically, it was not uncommon for poems or stories to be falsely attributed to famous poets for prestige or manipulation.Figures like Ḥammād al-Rāwiyah and Khalf al-Aḥmar were known for fabricating poetry and falsely attributing it to earlier poets.
⑥ Real Authors Identified Elsewhere
Often, poems falsely attributed to earlier poets are later discovered in other sources with the correct authorship identified.Al-Ālūsī in Rūḥ al-Maʿānī cites examples where Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī questioned such attributions, exposing them as later inventions.
⑦ No Objection from the Arabs of the Prophet’s Time
If these verses were known from pre-Islamic poetry, the Arabs of the Prophet’s ﷺ era—who were experts in Arabic language and poetry—would have objected to the Qur'an for plagiarism.No such accusation was made during the Prophet’s life.
⑧ The Verses Lack Coherence and Eloquence
The alleged verses are awkward, rhetorically weak, and linguistically inferior—a far cry from the miraculous eloquence of the Qur’an.⑨ "Fataʿāṭā Faʿaqara" — Misplaced and Unpoetic Usage
This Qur'anic phrase has been inappropriately inserted into the poetry.Its forced inclusion damages the flow and meter of the poem, indicating fabrication.
⑩ "Kahashīm al-Muḥtaẓir" — Misused Expression
This expression is incoherently used in the poem, again pointing to an attempt to mimic the Qur'an without literary merit.⑪ Intentional Alteration of Words for Deception
In one verse, “Iqtarabat” (Qur’anic term) is replaced with “Danat”, likely an effort to disguise the plagiarism while retaining superficial similarity.This is an act of manipulation, not literary preservation.
⑫ This Fabrication Originated with 19th-Century Orientalists
This false claim was part of the 19th-century Orientalist agenda, particularly propagated by figures like William St. Clair Tisdall, who mentioned it in The Original Sources of the Qur’an.However, even Tisdall himself later admitted the story was unfounded and contradicted by historical reality, given that Imru’ al-Qays died before the Prophet’s birth.
❖ Final Analysis
✔ The claim that the Qur’an borrowed from pre-Islamic poetry, specifically from Imru’ al-Qays, is baseless, academically rejected, and motivated by malice, not evidence.✔ These alleged verses are absent from every authoritative source, inconsistent with established literary norms, and debunked even by early Orientalist sources.
✔ The purpose of these fabrications is to cast doubt on the divine origin of the Qur’an — yet they fail under scrutiny.
❖ Conclusion
The verses attributed to Imru’ al-Qays, which resemble Qur’anic phrases, are entirely fabricated.Their true intent is to create false impressions about the Qur’an’s originality.
There is no scholarly basis, no manuscript evidence, and no literary integrity in these claims.
وَالله أعلم
