THE SURA OF THE POETS, QUR'AN XXVI: FINAL CONCLUSIONS.

The crucial verses in the Qur'an (XXVI, 224-227) for understanding the theme of Islam and poetry have been re-examined in the light of recent publications and have reinforced the conclusion that the key word " al-ghawuna " in verse 224 signifies not erring human beings, but demons, " shayatin." More importantly, verse 227 has been shown to involve not the poets' mendacity as such, but their inability to produce anything that can compare with the Qur'an, declared inimitable, " mu'jiz ." The traditional interpretation of verse 226, that poets are liars, has been traced through Islamic cultural history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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