Al Mutashabihat Volume 2:
Question 53: What is the
meaning of the words spoken
by the Almighty: {And the poets
- [only] the deviators follow
them; * Do you not see that in
every valley they roam * And
that they say what they do not
do} {The Holy Quran, Surah
Ash-Shu’ara’ 224 – 226}?
Answer: These very deviators
themselves are the deviators in
this verse: {So they will be
overturned into Hellfire, they
and the deviators} {The Holy
Quran, Surah Ash-Shu’ara’ 94}
With regard to this verse Imam
al-Sadiq, Peace be Upon him,
said: “It was sent down about
the people who described
Justice then they violated/
opposed it [by doing] other
than it.” [1]
These deviators or the followers
who follow the Imams of
misguidance they are aware of
the truth and they describe it
[to others], for they know the
Justice of Muhammad and the
family of Muhammad, Peace be
Upon them. These are the
imitators of the non-working
scholars whom have gone
astray, and if they do not take
heed of the misguidance within
themselves, they will be
fighting the Commands of
Imam al-Mahdi, Peace be Upon
him.
{And the poets - [only] the
deviators follow them;}: The
Poets: They are the nonworking scholars who have
gone astray. The Deviators:
They are those who imitate
them and follow them.
{Do you not see that in every
valley they roam}: meaning,
[their speech consists of] every
falsehood and misguidance,
and every declining/
degradation and depreciation
of the truth. The Valley: It is
that which is reduced from the
ground, equal to falsehood,
because it is declining to the
bottom and falling into the
abyss.
{And that they say what they
do not do?}: As such, always
are the non-working scholars
found [to be] the most keen
amongst the people concerning
this worldly life, one of them
wishing he could occupy
himself with it for a thousand
years. And they love luxury
and a life of comfort and are far
removed from the lives of the
Prophets and Messengers who
they claim to follow. Verily you
will not find them standing
with the truth nor fighting
against falsehood nor spending
on the orphans and widows.
Abi Ja’far, Peace be Upon him,
said: “{Who sees you when you
arise} in prophecy, {And your
movement among those who
prostrate.}” He, Peace be Upon
him, said: “in the loins of the
Prophets, {And the poets –
[only] the deviators follow
them;}” He, Peace be Upon him,
said: “It was sent down about
those who changed the Religion
of Allah in accordance with
their opinions and violated the
Command of Allah, have you
ever seen a poet succeeded by
someone? Rather, He meant by
this, “those who establish Our
Religion in accordance with
their own opinions so the
people followed them on this,
and He confirms this by His
words: {Do you not see that in
every valley they roam}
meaning that: They debate by
falsehood and argue misleading
arguments, and they attempt
every view/ideology. {And that
they say what they do not do}”
He, Peace be Upon him, said:
“They preach to the people
while they do not practice
what they preach, they forbid
what is evil while they do not
abstain from it and enjoin
what is right while they do not
work towards it, they are who
has usurped the rights of the
family of Muhammad.” [2]
***
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[1] – Al Kafi Volume 2, Page 300,
hadith 4, from the door “Who
described Justice and worked by
other than it”
[2] – Tafsir Al-Qimi, Volume 2,
Page 125