SURAH 26 — Ash-Shu‘arā’ — الشعراء — “The Poets”

• Revelation Order: 47
• Event Anchor: Mid-Meccan cultural confrontation with poets and public orators (c. 615–618 CE)

Explanation:
Ash-Shu‘arā’ addresses the accusation that Muhammad was merely a poet—one of the main attacks in Mecca, where poetry held significant cultural authority. The surah contrasts the Qur’an’s divine origin with the empty eloquence of poets who “wander aimlessly” and say what they do not do. It recounts the stories of earlier prophets to show the recurring fate of deniers. This aligns with the mid-Meccan phase when the Prophet’s recitations publicly challenged the cultural elite, and the Meccans attempted to undermine him by equating revelation with poetry.

Verse	Verse #	Meccan v Medinan	General Index
Ta, Seen, Meem.	1	Meccan	2933
These are the verses of the clear Book.	2	Meccan	2934
Perhaps, [O Muhammad], you would kill yourself with grief that they will not be believers.	3	Meccan	2935
If We willed, We could send down to them from the sky a sign for which their necks would remain humbled.	4	Meccan	2936
And no revelation comes to them anew from the Most Merciful except that they turn away from it.	5	Meccan	2937
For they have already denied, but there will come to them the news of that which they used to ridicule.	6	Meccan	2938
Did they not look at the earth – how much We have produced therein from every noble kind?	7	Meccan	2939
Indeed in that is a sign, but most of them were not to be believers.	8	Meccan	2940
And indeed, your Lord – He is the Exalted in Might, the Merciful.	9	Meccan	2941
And [mention] when your Lord called Moses, [saying], “Go to the wrongdoing people –	10	Meccan	2942
The people of Pharaoh. Will they not fear Allah?”	11	Meccan	2943
He said, “My Lord, indeed I fear that they will deny me	12	Meccan	2944
And that my breast will tighten and my tongue will not be fluent, so send for Aaron.	13	Meccan	2945
And they have upon me a [claim due to] sin, so I fear that they will kill me.”	14	Meccan	2946
[Allah] said, “No. Go both of you with Our signs; indeed, We are with you, listening.	15	Meccan	2947
Go to Pharaoh and say, ‘We are the messengers of the Lord of the worlds,	16	Meccan	2948
[Commanded to say], “Send with us the Children of Israel.”‘”	17	Meccan	2949
[Pharaoh] said, “Did we not raise you among us as a child, and you remained among us for years of your life?	18	Meccan	2950
And [then] you did your deed which you did, and you were of the ungrateful.”	19	Meccan	2951
[Moses] said, “I did it, then, while I was of those astray.	20	Meccan	2952
So I fled from you when I feared you. Then my Lord granted me wisdom and prophethood and appointed me [as one] of the messengers.	21	Meccan	2953
And is this a favor of which you remind me – that you have enslaved the Children of Israel?”	22	Meccan	2954
Said Pharaoh, “And what is the Lord of the worlds?”	23	Meccan	2955
[Moses] said, “The Lord of the heavens and earth and that between them, if you should be convinced.”	24	Meccan	2956
[Pharaoh] said to those around him, “Do you not hear?”	25	Meccan	2957
[Moses] said, “Your Lord and the Lord of your first forefathers.”	26	Meccan	2958
[Pharaoh] said, “Indeed, your ‘messenger’ who has been sent to you is mad.”	27	Meccan	2959
[Moses] said, “Lord of the east and the west and that between them, if you were to reason.”	28	Meccan	2960
[Pharaoh] said, “If you take a god other than me, I will surely place you among those imprisoned.”	29	Meccan	2961
[Moses] said, “Even if I brought you proof manifest?”	30	Meccan	2962
[Pharaoh] said, “Then bring it, if you should be of the truthful.”	31	Meccan	2963
So [Moses] threw his staff, and suddenly it was a serpent manifest.	32	Meccan	2964
And he drew out his hand; thereupon it was white for the observers.	33	Meccan	2965
[Pharaoh] said to the eminent ones around him, “Indeed, this is a learned magician.	34	Meccan	2966
He wants to drive you out of your land by his magic, so what do you advise?”	35	Meccan	2967
They said, “Postpone [the matter of] him and his brother and send among the cities gatherers	36	Meccan	2968
Who will bring you every learned, skilled magician.”	37	Meccan	2969
So the magicians were assembled for the appointment of a well-known day.	38	Meccan	2970
And it was said to the people, “Will you congregate	39	Meccan	2971
That we might follow the magicians if they are the predominant?”	40	Meccan	2972
And when the magicians arrived, they said to Pharaoh, “Is there indeed for us a reward if we are the predominant?”	41	Meccan	2973
He said, “Yes, and indeed, you will then be of those near [to me].”	42	Meccan	2974
Moses said to them, “Throw whatever you will throw.”	43	Meccan	2975
So they threw their ropes and their staffs and said, “By the might of Pharaoh, indeed it is we who are predominant.”	44	Meccan	2976
Then Moses threw his staff, and at once it devoured what they falsified.	45	Meccan	2977
So the magicians fell down in prostration [to Allah].	46	Meccan	2978
They said, “We have believed in the Lord of the worlds,	47	Meccan	2979
The Lord of Moses and Aaron.”	48	Meccan	2980
[Pharaoh] said, “You believed Moses before I gave you permission. Indeed, he is your leader who has taught you magic, but you are going to know. I will surely cut off your hands and your feet on opposite sides, and I will surely crucify you all.”	49	Meccan	2981
They said, “No harm. Indeed, to our Lord we will return.	50	Meccan	2982
Indeed, we aspire that our Lord will forgive us our sins because we were the first of the believers.”	51	Meccan	2983
And We inspired to Moses, “Travel by night with My servants; indeed, you will be pursued.”	52	Meccan	2984
Then Pharaoh sent among the cities gatherers	53	Meccan	2985
[And said], “Indeed, those are but a small band,	54	Meccan	2986
And indeed, they are enraging us,	55	Meccan	2987
And indeed, we are a cautious society… “	56	Meccan	2988
So We removed them from gardens and springs	57	Meccan	2989
And treasures and honorable station –	58	Meccan	2990
Thus. And We caused to inherit it the Children of Israel.	59	Meccan	2991
So they pursued them at sunrise.	60	Meccan	2992
And when the two companies saw one another, the companions of Moses said, “Indeed, we are to be overtaken!”	61	Meccan	2993
[Moses] said, “No! Indeed, with me is my Lord; He will guide me.”	62	Meccan	2994
Then We inspired to Moses, “Strike with your staff the sea,” and it parted, and each portion was like a great towering mountain.	63	Meccan	2995
And We advanced thereto the pursuers.	64	Meccan	2996
And We saved Moses and those with him, all together.	65	Meccan	2997
Then We drowned the others.	66	Meccan	2998
Indeed in that is a sign, but most of them were not to be believers.	67	Meccan	2999
And indeed, your Lord – He is the Exalted in Might, the Merciful.	68	Meccan	3000
And recite to them the news of Abraham,	69	Meccan	3001
When he said to his father and his people, “What do you worship?”	70	Meccan	3002
They said, “We worship idols and remain to them devoted.”	71	Meccan	3003
He said, “Do they hear you when you supplicate?	72	Meccan	3004
Or do they benefit you, or do they harm?”	73	Meccan	3005
They said, “But we found our fathers doing thus.”	74	Meccan	3006
He said, “Then do you see what you have been worshipping,	75	Meccan	3007
You and your ancient forefathers?	76	Meccan	3008
Indeed, they are enemies to me, except the Lord of the worlds,	77	Meccan	3009
Who created me, and He [it is who] guides me.	78	Meccan	3010
And it is He who feeds me and gives me drink.	79	Meccan	3011
And when I am ill, it is He who cures me	80	Meccan	3012
And who will cause me to die and then bring me to life	81	Meccan	3013
And who I aspire that He will forgive me my sin on the Day of Recompense.”	82	Meccan	3014
[And he said], “My Lord, grant me authority and join me with the righteous.	83	Meccan	3015
And grant me a reputation of honor among later generations.	84	Meccan	3016
And place me among the inheritors of the Garden of Pleasure.	85	Meccan	3017
And forgive my father. Indeed, he has been of those astray.	86	Meccan	3018
And do not disgrace me on the Day they are [all] resurrected –	87	Meccan	3019
The Day when there will not benefit [anyone] wealth or children	88	Meccan	3020
But only one who comes to Allah with a sound heart.”	89	Meccan	3021
And Paradise will be brought near [that Day] to the righteous.	90	Meccan	3022
And Hellfire will be brought forth for the deviators,	91	Meccan	3023
And it will be said to them, “Where are those you used to worship	92	Meccan	3024
Other than Allah? Can they help you or help themselves?”	93	Meccan	3025
So they will be overturned into Hellfire, they and the deviators	94	Meccan	3026
And the soldiers of Iblees, all together.	95	Meccan	3027
They will say while they dispute therein,	96	Meccan	3028
“By Allah, we were indeed in manifest error	97	Meccan	3029
When we equated you with the Lord of the worlds.	98	Meccan	3030
And no one misguided us except the criminals.	99	Meccan	3031
So now we have no intercessors	100	Meccan	3032
And not a devoted friend.	101	Meccan	3033
Then if we only had a return [to the world] and could be of the believers… “	102	Meccan	3034
Indeed in that is a sign, but most of them were not to be believers.	103	Meccan	3035
And indeed, your Lord – He is the Exalted in Might, the Merciful.	104	Meccan	3036
The people of Noah denied the messengers	105	Meccan	3037
When their brother Noah said to them, “Will you not fear Allah?	106	Meccan	3038
Indeed, I am to you a trustworthy messenger.	107	Meccan	3039
So fear Allah and obey me.	108	Meccan	3040
And I do not ask you for it any payment. My payment is only from the Lord of the worlds.	109	Meccan	3041
So fear Allah and obey me.”	110	Meccan	3042
They said, “Should we believe you while you are followed by the lowest [class of people]?”	111	Meccan	3043
He said, “And what is my knowledge of what they used to do?	112	Meccan	3044
Their account is only upon my Lord, if you [could] perceive.	113	Meccan	3045
And I am not one to drive away the believers.	114	Meccan	3046
I am only a clear warner.”	115	Meccan	3047
They said, “If you do not desist, O Noah, you will surely be of those who are stoned.”	116	Meccan	3048
He said, “My Lord, indeed my people have denied me.	117	Meccan	3049
Then judge between me and them with decisive judgement and save me and those with me of the believers.”	118	Meccan	3050
So We saved him and those with him in the laden ship.	119	Meccan	3051
Then We drowned thereafter the remaining ones.	120	Meccan	3052
Indeed in that is a sign, but most of them were not to be believers.	121	Meccan	3053
And indeed, your Lord – He is the Exalted in Might, the Merciful.	122	Meccan	3054
‘Aad denied the messengers	123	Meccan	3055
When their brother Hud said to them, “Will you not fear Allah?	124	Meccan	3056
Indeed, I am to you a trustworthy messenger.	125	Meccan	3057
So fear Allah and obey me.	126	Meccan	3058
And I do not ask you for it any payment. My payment is only from the Lord of the worlds.	127	Meccan	3059
Do you construct on every elevation a sign, amusing yourselves,	128	Meccan	3060
And take for yourselves palaces and fortresses that you might abide eternally?	129	Meccan	3061
And when you strike, you strike as tyrants.	130	Meccan	3062
So fear Allah and obey me.	131	Meccan	3063
And fear He who provided you with that which you know,	132	Meccan	3064
Provided you with grazing livestock and children	133	Meccan	3065
And gardens and springs.	134	Meccan	3066
Indeed, I fear for you the punishment of a terrible day.”	135	Meccan	3067
They said, “It is all the same to us whether you advise or are not of the advisors.	136	Meccan	3068
This is not but the custom of the former peoples,	137	Meccan	3069
And we are not to be punished.”	138	Meccan	3070
And they denied him, so We destroyed them. Indeed in that is a sign, but most of them were not to be believers.	139	Meccan	3071
And indeed, your Lord – He is the Exalted in Might, the Merciful.	140	Meccan	3072
Thamud denied the messengers	141	Meccan	3073
When their brother Salih said to them, “Will you not fear Allah?	142	Meccan	3074
Indeed, I am to you a trustworthy messenger.	143	Meccan	3075
So fear Allah and obey me.	144	Meccan	3076
And I do not ask you for it any payment. My payment is only from the Lord of the worlds.	145	Meccan	3077
Will you be left in what is here, secure [from death],	146	Meccan	3078
Within gardens and springs	147	Meccan	3079
And fields of crops and palm trees with softened fruit?	148	Meccan	3080
And you carve out of the mountains, homes, with skill.	149	Meccan	3081
So fear Allah and obey me.	150	Meccan	3082
And do not obey the order of the transgressors,	151	Meccan	3083
Who cause corruption in the land and do not amend.”	152	Meccan	3084
They said, “You are only of those affected by magic.	153	Meccan	3085
You are but a man like ourselves, so bring a sign, if you should be of the truthful.”	154	Meccan	3086
He said, “This is a she-camel. For her is a [time of] drink, and for you is a [time of] drink, [each] on a known day.	155	Meccan	3087
And do not touch her with harm, lest you be seized by the punishment of a terrible day.”	156	Meccan	3088
But they hamstrung her and so became regretful.	157	Meccan	3089
And the punishment seized them. Indeed in that is a sign, but most of them were not to be believers.	158	Meccan	3090
And indeed, your Lord – He is the Exalted in Might, the Merciful.	159	Meccan	3091
The people of Lot denied the messengers	160	Meccan	3092
When their brother Lot said to them, “Will you not fear Allah?	161	Meccan	3093
Indeed, I am to you a trustworthy messenger.	162	Meccan	3094
So fear Allah and obey me.	163	Meccan	3095
And I do not ask you for it any payment. My payment is only from the Lord of the worlds.	164	Meccan	3096
Do you approach males among the worlds	165	Meccan	3097
And leave what your Lord has created for you as mates? But you are a people transgressing.”	166	Meccan	3098
They said, “If you do not desist, O Lot, you will surely be of those evicted.”	167	Meccan	3099
He said, “Indeed, I am, toward your deed, of those who detest [it].	168	Meccan	3100
My Lord, save me and my family from [the consequence of] what they do.”	169	Meccan	3101
So We saved him and his family, all,	170	Meccan	3102
Except an old woman among those who remained behind.	171	Meccan	3103
Then We destroyed the others.	172	Meccan	3104
And We rained upon them a rain [of stones], and evil was the rain of those who were warned.	173	Meccan	3105
Indeed in that is a sign, but most of them were not to be believers.	174	Meccan	3106
And indeed, your Lord – He is the Exalted in Might, the Merciful.	175	Meccan	3107
The companions of the thicket denied the messengers	176	Meccan	3108
When Shu’ayb said to them, “Will you not fear Allah?	177	Meccan	3109
Indeed, I am to you a trustworthy messenger.	178	Meccan	3110
So fear Allah and obey me.	179	Meccan	3111
And I do not ask you for it any payment. My payment is only from the Lord of the worlds.	180	Meccan	3112
Give full measure and do not be of those who cause loss.	181	Meccan	3113
And weigh with an even balance.	182	Meccan	3114
And do not deprive people of their due and do not commit abuse on earth, spreading corruption.	183	Meccan	3115
And fear He who created you and the former creation.”	184	Meccan	3116
They said, “You are only of those affected by magic.	185	Meccan	3117
You are but a man like ourselves, and indeed, we think you are among the liars.	186	Meccan	3118
So cause to fall upon us fragments of the sky, if you should be of the truthful.”	187	Meccan	3119
He said, “My Lord is most knowing of what you do.”	188	Meccan	3120
And they denied him, so the punishment of the day of the black cloud seized them. Indeed, it was the punishment of a terrible day.	189	Meccan	3121
Indeed in that is a sign, but most of them were not to be believers.	190	Meccan	3122
And indeed, your Lord – He is the Exalted in Might, the Merciful.	191	Meccan	3123
And indeed, the Qur’an is the revelation of the Lord of the worlds.	192	Meccan	3124
The Trustworthy Spirit has brought it down	193	Meccan	3125
Upon your heart, [O Muhammad] – that you may be of the warners –	194	Meccan	3126
In a clear Arabic language.	195	Meccan	3127
And indeed, it is [mentioned] in the scriptures of former peoples.	196	Meccan	3128
And has it not been a sign to them that it is recognized by the scholars of the Children of Israel?	197	Meccan	3129
And even if We had revealed it to one among the foreigners	198	Meccan	3130
And he had recited it to them [perfectly], they would [still] not have been believers in it.	199	Meccan	3131
Thus have We inserted disbelief into the hearts of the criminals.	200	Meccan	3132
They will not believe in it until they see the painful punishment.	201	Meccan	3133
And it will come to them suddenly while they perceive [it] not.	202	Meccan	3134
And they will say, “May we be reprieved?”	203	Meccan	3135
So for Our punishment are they impatient?	204	Meccan	3136
Then have you considered if We gave them enjoyment for years	205	Meccan	3137
And then there came to them that which they were promised?	206	Meccan	3138
They would not be availed by the enjoyment with which they were provided.	207	Meccan	3139
And We did not destroy any city except that it had warners	208	Meccan	3140
As a reminder; and never have We been unjust.	209	Meccan	3141
And the devils have not brought the revelation down.	210	Meccan	3142
It is not allowable for them, nor would they be able.	211	Meccan	3143
Indeed they, from [its] hearing, are removed.	212	Meccan	3144
So do not invoke with Allah another deity and [thus] be among the punished.	213	Meccan	3145
And warn, [O Muhammad], your closest kindred.	214	Meccan	3146
And lower your wing to those who follow you of the believers.	215	Meccan	3147
And if they disobey you, then say, “Indeed, I am disassociated from what you are doing.”	216	Meccan	3148
And rely upon the Exalted in Might, the Merciful,	217	Meccan	3149
Who sees you when you arise	218	Meccan	3150
And your movement among those who prostrate.	219	Meccan	3151
Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Knowing.	220	Meccan	3152
Shall I inform you upon whom the devils descend?	221	Meccan	3153
They descend upon every sinful liar.	222	Meccan	3154
They pass on what is heard, and most of them are liars.	223	Meccan	3155
And the poets – [only] the deviators follow them;	224	Meccan	3156
Do you not see that in every valley they roam	225	Meccan	3157
And that they say what they do not do? –	226	Meccan	3158
Except those [poets] who believe and do righteous deeds and remember Allah often and defend [the Muslims] after they were wronged. And those who have wronged are going to know to what [kind of] return they will be returned.	227	Meccan	3159