The Glorious Qur`an

26: Poets (shuara)

This chapter of eleven sections and 227 mostly Meccan verses was revealed after The Inevitable 56 and before the next chapter on The Ants 27. Verse 197 however and VV. 224-226 at the end of the final section (XI) date from the Madinese period.

The next four chapters display a different style, being rather long but using short verses; thus they form a special unit. One notices how each prophetic parallel and refrain mentioned brings home the fact that while prophets may use poetic utterances, this illustrates the patterns they need, so as to show mankind how history and man's fate should be understood. Moses (II), then Abraham's attitude toward idols, plus his prayer (V), are first presented: Noah (VI), then the early Arabian messengers Hud (VII), Salih or Methusaleh (VIII), Lot (IX), and shu`ayb (X) follow.

This motif in fact sounds like that of a symphony as it moves along and is gradually worked out, or like the kharja or refrain in an Andalusian choral lyric.

The concern is directed toward God as the Lord of the Universe. The chapter ends with a dramatic description of how early Arabian poets went "staggering around in every river valley"