﴿وَالشُّعَرَآءُ يَتَّبِعُهُمُ الْغَاوُونَ ﴾

(As for the poets, the astray ones follow them.) `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported from Ibn `Abbas that this means: "The disbelievers follow the misguided among mankind and the Jinn.'' This was also the view of Mujahid, `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam, and others. `Ikrimah said, "Two poets would ridicule one another in verse, with one group of people supporting one and another group supporting the other. Hence Allah revealed the Ayah,

﴿وَالشُّعَرَآءُ يَتَّبِعُهُمُ الْغَاوُونَ ﴾

(As for the poets, the erring ones follow them.)

﴿أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّهُمْ فِى كُلِّ وَادٍ يَهِيمُونَ ﴾

(See you not that they speak about every subject in their poetry) `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported from Ibn `Abbas that this means: "They indulge in every kind of nonsense.'' Ad-Dahhak reported that Ibn `Abbas said, "They engage in every kind of verbal art.'' This was also the view of Mujahid and others.

﴿وَأَنَّهُمْ يَقُولُونَ مَا لاَ يَفْعَلُونَ ﴾

(And that they say what they do not do. ) Al-`Awfi reported that Ibn `Abbas said that at the time of the Messenger of Allah , two men, one from among the Ansar and one from another tribe, were ridiculing one another in verse, and each one of them was supported by a group of his own people, who were the foolish ones, and Allah said:

﴿وَالشُّعَرَآءُ يَتَّبِعُهُمُ الْغَاوُونَ - أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّهُمْ فِى كُلِّ وَادٍ يَهِيمُونَ - وَأَنَّهُمْ يَقُولُونَ مَا لاَ يَفْعَلُونَ ﴾

(As for the poets, the erring ones follow them. See you not that they speak about every subject in their poetry And that they say what they do not do.) What is meant here is that the Messenger , to whom this Qur'an was revealed, was not a soothsayer or a poet, because his situation was quite obviously different to theirs, as Allah says:

﴿وَمَا عَلَّمْنَـهُ الشِّعْرَ وَمَا يَنبَغِى لَهُ إِنْ هُوَ إِلاَّ ذِكْرٌ وَقُرْءَانٌ مُّبِينٌ ﴾

(And We have not taught him poetry, nor is it suitable for him. This is only a Reminder and a plain Qur'an.) (36:69),

﴿إِنَّهُ لَقَوْلُ رَسُولٍ كَرِيمٍ - وَمَا هُوَ بِقَوْلِ شَاعِرٍ قَلِيلاً مَّا تُؤْمِنُونَ - وَلاَ بِقَوْلِ كَاهِنٍ قَلِيلاً مَّا تَذَكَّرُونَ تَنزِيلٌ مِّن رَّبِّ الْعَـلَمِينَ ﴾

(That this is verily, the word of an honored Messenger. It is not the word of a poet, little is that you believe! Nor is it the word of a soothsayer, little is that you remember! This is the Revelation sent down from the Lord of all that exits.) (69:40-43)