Tafseer of The Reality · Al-Haaqqa · 69:41
And it is not the word of a poet; little do you believe.
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
And His statement: ( وَمَا هُوَ بِقَوْلِ شَاعِرٍ قَلِيلا مَا تُؤْمِنُونَ ) ("And it is not the word of a poet; little is it that you believe"). He, exalted is His praise, says: this Qurʾān is not the word of a poet, for Muḥammad does not master the art of poetry, such that you could say that it is poetry. ( قَلِيلا مَا تُؤْمِنُونَ ), He says: little is it that you believe in it — this is an address from Allah to the polytheists (mushrikīn) of Quraysh. ( وَلا بِقَوْلِ كَاهِنٍ قَلِيلا مَا تَذَكَّرُونَ ) ("nor the word of a soothsayer; little is it that you take heed"), He says: and it is not the word of a soothsayer (kāhin), for Muḥammad is not a soothsayer, such that you could say: it belongs to the rhymed prose of the soothsayers. ( قَلِيلا مَا تَذَكَّرُونَ ), He says: little is it that you take heed by it, little is it that you draw a lesson from it.
And similar to what we have said about this, the exegetes have stated.
* Mention of who said that:
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: ( وَمَا هُوَ بِقَوْلِ شَاعِرٍ قَلِيلا مَا تُؤْمِنُونَ ): Allah purified him of that and preserved him from it.
