Surah Ash-Shuara

The background of the Surah is that the disbelievers of Makkah were persistently refusing on one pretext or the other to accept the message of Islam given by the Prophet ﷺ. Sometimes they would say that he did not show them any sign to convince them of his Prophethood; sometimes they would brand him as a poet or a sorcerer and mock his message; and sometimes they would ridicule his mission saying that his followers were either a few foolish youth or the poor people and slaves. They argued that if his mission had some real value for people, the nobles and the elders would have accepted it first.

Meanwhile, the Prophet ﷺwas wearied by his efforts to rationally show them the errors of their creed and prove the truth of the doctrine of Monotheism (Tawhid) and the Hereafter. In contrast, the disbelievers were never tired of adopting various acts of stubbornness. This state of affairs was causing great anguish and grief to the Prophet ﷺ.

Such were the conditions when this Surah was revealed. It begins with words of consolation to the Prophet ﷺimplying, why do you worry for their sake? If these people have not believed in you it is not because they have not seen any sign but because they are stubborn. They will not listen to reason. When a sign is shown in due course of time, they will themselves realise that, what was being presented to them was the truth.

After this introduction till verse 191, the same theme has been presented continuously and it is implied that the whole earth is abound with signs that can guide a true seeker of truth to reality but the stubborn and misguided people have never believed even after seeing the signs, whether these were signs of natural phenomena or miracles of the Prophets. These wretched people, stubbornly adhered to their false creeds till the divine punishment overtook them. It is to illustrate that the history of many of the ancient tribes who persisted in disbelief has been told, just like the disbelievers of Makkah. In this connection the following points have been stressed:

1. The signs are of two kinds:

a. Natural signs in the universe by which an intelligent person can judge for himself whether the Prophet ﷺis presenting the truth.

b. Signs (miracles) given to the Prophets to convey to their people and verify their Prophethood, such as the signs seen by the people of Pharaoh, Nuh, ‘Aad, Thamud, Lut and others.

1. The mentality of the disbeliever has been the same throughout the ages; their arguments, their objections, their excuses and ploys for not believing have been similar and ultimately the fates that they met have also been the same. Likewise, Prophets in every age presented the same teachings. Their personal character, their reasoning and arguments were the same and they were all similarly blessed with mercy from Allah Almighty. Both these patterns of behaviour and conduct are found in history and the disbelievers could see for themselves to which group they belonged.
2. Allah is All-Mighty, All-Powerful and All-Merciful at the same time. History contains instances of His wrath as well as of His mercy. It is for the people to realise which path, and ultimately end, they are heading towards.
3. In conclusion, for the disbelievers, some key messages can be drawn from the stories within this Surah:

a. Why do you insist on asking for the punishment to be sent upon you, as did the doomed communities of the past?

b. Why don’t you (the disbelievers of Makkah) reflect upon the Qur’an which is being presented in your own language?

c. Why don’t you look at the high moral conduct of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺand his Companions?

d. Can the revelations of the Qur’an be the work of Satan?

e. Does the recipient of the Qur’an appear to be a sorcerer?

Are Muhammad ﷺand his Companions like a poet and his admirers?

g. Why don’t you give up disbelief and search your hearts for the truth?

Deep in your heart you know that the revelation of the Qur’an has nothing in common with sorcery and poetry. So you should realise that you are being cruel and unjust, and will certainly meet the doom for such people.48