Quran: A Literary System Beyond Human Categories

بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

18/03/2026

Poetry

Quran Surah Ya-Sin (36:69):
وَمَا عَلَّمۡنَـٰهُ ٱلشِّعۡرَ وَمَا يَنۢبَغِى لَهُ ۥۤ‌ۚ إِنۡ هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكۡرٌ۬ وَقُرۡءَانٌ۬ مُّبِينٌ۬ (٦٩)
And We did not give Prophet Muhammad, knowledge of poetry, nor is it befitting for him. It is not but a message and a clear Qur’an

Quran Surah Al-Haqqah (69:41):
وَمَا هُوَ بِقَوۡلِ شَاعِرٍ۬‌ۚ قَلِيلاً۬ مَّا تُؤۡمِنُونَ (٤١)
And it is not the word of a poet; little do you believe.

Quran Surah Al-Shuarah (26:224-226)
وَٱلشُّعَرَآءُ يَتَّبِعُهُمُ ٱلۡغَاوُ ۥنَ (٢٢٤) أَلَمۡ تَرَ أَنَّهُمۡ فِى ڪُلِّ وَادٍ۬ يَهِيمُونَ (٢٢٥) وَأَنَّہُمۡ يَقُولُونَ مَا لَا يَفۡعَلُونَ (٢٢٦)
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?

Introduction: When Language Was at Its Peak

In pre-Islamic Arabia, language was not just communication—it was power, identity, and pride. Poetry stood at the highest level of expression. Skilled poets could influence entire tribes with their words, while prose was used for speeches and daily communication.

Before Islam, poetry was the highest art in Arabia. Each year, tribes from across the peninsula would gather at the famous Ukāẓ market, near Mecca, to compete in poetic contests. Poets would recite their best verses in front of large audiences, demonstrating their skill in meter, rhyme, and eloquence. The winners gained great fame and honor, and their poems were celebrated for generations. Some of the finest poems, known as the Mu‘allaqāt (المعلقات), were so highly regarded that they were written on large cloths and hung around the Kaaba, allowing everyone to admire and memorize them.

It was into this world—where poetry was the measure of skill, beauty, and influence—that the Qur’an was revealed. Its rhythm and eloquence immediately impressed the Arabs, yet it transcended the rules of poetry and prose, introducing a form of expression that had never been seen before. Quran sounded rhythmic and powerful, yet it did not follow the rules of poetry or prose.

This led to a profound question:

Is the Qur’an poetry, prose, or something entirely different?

Arabic Poetry: A System of Precision

Arabic poetry was a highly structured art, later analyzed by Al-Khalil ibn Ahmad al-Farahidi.

Example of Classical Arabic Poetry

By Imru’ al-Qais:

قِفَا نَبْكِ مِنْ ذِكْرَى حَبِيبٍ وَمَنْزِلِ

“Stop, let us weep over the memory of a beloved and a dwelling.”

Key Features of Arabic Poetry

Meter (الوزن): Fixed rhythmic patterns
Rhythm: Based on long (—) and short (∪) syllables
Rhyme (القافية): One rhyme throughout the entire poem
Structure: Each line has two halves (صدر / عجز)

Arabic poetry is a precise and rule-based system.

Poetry Across Languages: A Quick Comparison

Understanding other languages helps us see what makes the Qur’an unique.

English Poetry (Stress-Based Rhythm)

From William Shakespeare:

“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?”

Break into syllables=Shall | I | com-pare | thee | to | a | sum-mer’s | day

shall I | comPARE | thee TO | a SUM | mer’s DAY

Based on stressed and unstressed syllables
Rhythm: da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM
Rhyme is optional

The line “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” is the opening of William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18, widely regarded by literary scholars and historians as one of the finest examples of English poetry ever written.

In a standard line of iambic pentameter, there are five stressed syllables (also called “beats”) and five unstressed syllables (called “offbeats”), totaling ten syllables.

The “iamb” is a metrical foot consisting of one unstressed syllable followed by one stressed syllable ( $\cup /$ ). Therefore, the scansion of the line is as follows:

Shall (unstressed)
I (stressed)
com- (unstressed)
PARE (stressed)
thee (unstressed)
to (stressed)
a (unstressed)
SUM- (stressed)
mer’s (unstressed)
DAY (stressed)

During the Elizabethan and Jacobean eras, it was common practice for sonnet sequences to use numbers rather than titles. Titles were often considered unnecessary because the poems were intended to be read as a continuous cycle or “garland” of verse. Today, when people refer to “Sonnet 18,” they are using the standard scholarly shorthand that has been used for over four centuries to distinguish this specific work from the other 153 sonnets in the cycle.

French Poetry (Syllable Count)

Je mar-che seul ce soir | dans la nuit sans clar-té, (A) Le vent gla-cial ac-croît | ma tris-te so-li-tude. (B) Je cher-che dans le noir | un peu de li-ber-té, (A) Loin des bruits de la ville | et de leur ha-bi-tude. (B)

Translation

I walk alone tonight | in the night without light, (A) The icy wind increases | my sad solitude. (B) I seek within the darkness | a bit of liberty, (A) Far from the city noises | and from their habit. (B)

French poetry counts syllables (not stress):

Break into syllables=

Line 1 Analysis:

Je (1) mar (2) che (3) seul (4) ce (5) soir (6) | [CAESURA] | dans (7) la (8) nuit (9) sans (10) clar (11) té (12)

Total: 12 Syllables.

Rhyme: “clarté” (Masculine A).

Line 2 Analysis:

Le (1) vent (2) gla (3) cial (4) ac (5) croît (6) | [CAESURA] | ma (7) tris (8) te (9) so (10) li (11) tude (12)

Total: 12 Syllables. (Note: the final ‘e’ in ‘solitude’ is not counted).

Rhyme: “solitude” (Feminine B).

Line 3 Analysis:

Je (1) cher (2) che (3) dans (4) le (5) noir (6) | [CAESURA] | un (7) peu (8) de (9) li (10) ber (11) té (12)

Total: 12 Syllables.

Rhyme: “liberté” (Masculine A – rhymes with clarté).

Line 4 Analysis:

Loin (1) des (2) bruits (3) de (4) la (5) ville (6) | [CAESURA] | et (7) de (8) leur (9) ha (10) bi (11) tude (12)

Total: 12 Syllables.

Rhyme: “habitude” (Feminine B – rhymes with solitude).

Typically 12 syllables per line (Alexandrine)
Structured rhyme patterns (ABAB, AABB)

Understanding Masculine and Feminine Rhymes

In French poetry, the terms “Masculine” and “Feminine” do not refer to the biological gender of the speaker or the subject. Instead, they refer to the phonetic ending of the word and the presence of the “mute e” (e muet).

1. Feminine Rhymes (Rimes Féminines)

A rhyme is considered Feminine if the word ends with a “mute e” (the letter -e, -es, or -ent in verbs).

In the example: Solitude and Habitude.
The Rule: In classical French verse, the final “e” is not counted as a syllable at the end of a line, but it creates a “soft” or trailing sound.
Visual Marker: You can almost always identify them by the silent -e at the very end of the word.

2. Masculine Rhymes (Rimes Masculines)

A rhyme is considered Masculine if the word ends in any sound other than a “mute e.”

In the example: Clarté and Liberté.
The Rule: These words end on a stressed, “hard” vowel or consonant sound. There is no trailing silent vowel.
Visual Marker: These words end in consonants or vowels with accents (like é), but never a plain silent e.

The Rule of Alternance (La Règle d’Alternance)

According to the strict rules of French versification established in the 17th century by poets like Malherbe, a poet must alternate between these two types.

If your first rhyme (A) is Masculine, your second rhyme (B) must be Feminine.
This was designed to create a musical variety in the poem, preventing the rhythm from becoming too monotonous or “clunky.”
In the corrected poem provided:
- Line 1: Clarté (Masculine)
- Line 2: Solitude (Feminine)
- Line 3: Liberté (Masculine)
- Line 4: Habitude (Feminine)

Swahili Poetry (Syllabic Structure)

Ni-na-tem-be-a po-le-po-le, na-wa-za hi-i si-ku
“My heart is singing so much with joy today”

In Swahili, each vowel usually forms a syllable:

Break into syllables=Mo-yo | wan-gu | u-na-im-ba | sa-na / kwa | fu-ra-ha | le-o

Based on syllable count (often 16 in classical poetry)

Rhyme Used U U U U and this can change within Stanzas.

Stanza (new rhyme: “-siku”)

Ni-na-tem-be-a po-le-po-le, na-wa-za hi-i si-ku (16)
Ma-wa-zo ya-ngu ya-zu-ngu-ka, nda-ni ya hi-i si-ku (16)
Ni-na-ta-fa-ka-ri ma-i-sha, na sa-fa-ri ya si-ku (16)
Ni-ki-o-mba me-ma ya-ja-ze, nji-a ya ki-la si-ku (16)

All lines end with: Siku (U U U U)

Translation

I am walking slowly, thinking about this day
My thoughts are revolving, inside of this day
I am meditating on life, and the journey of the day
Praying that goodness may fill, the path of every day

Arabic Prose: Free and Unrestricted

Arabic prose (نثر) differs from poetry:

A simple example:

العدل أساس الملك، والظلم خراب الملك

Translates into English as:

“Justice is the foundation of a kingdom, and injustice is the ruin of a kingdom.”

العدل أساس الملك → “Justice is the foundation of a kingdom”
والظلم خراب الملك → “And injustice is the ruin of a kingdom”

You can hear the rhyme:

الملك / الملك (Transliteration=ALMULK)

Rhyme exists and no fixed meter like poetry

No fixed meter/ No required rhyme but there is Saj / Used for everyday speech / Arabic prose is free from meter, but it can still use rhyme (sajʿ)/ It is flexible and unstructured compared to poetry.

Definition of Sajʿ (سجع)

Sajʿ literally means “rhymed prose” in Arabic.

It is prose (not poetry)
But the end of phrases or sentences often rhyme
No fixed meter is required

So it is basically prose with musicality.

Key Features

Feature	Description
Meter	None, free from fixed poetic rhythm
Rhyme	Sometimes, but not obligatory
Structure	Flexible, can be long or short phrases
Usage	Speeches, wisdom sayings, or oratory

The Qur’an: A Unique Literary Form

From Surah Ad-Duha:

وَٱلضُّحَىٰ (١) وَٱلَّيۡلِ إِذَا سَجَىٰ (٢) مَا وَدَّعَكَ رَبُّكَ وَمَا قَلَىٰ (٣) وَلَلۡأَخِرَةُ خَيۡرٌ۬ لَّكَ مِنَ ٱلۡأُولَىٰ (٤) وَلَسَوۡفَ يُعۡطِيكَ رَبُّكَ فَتَرۡضَىٰٓ (٥) أَلَمۡ يَجِدۡكَ يَتِيمً۬ا فَـَٔاوَىٰ (٦) وَوَجَدَكَ ضَآلاًّ۬ فَهَدَىٰ (٧) وَوَجَدَكَ عَآٮِٕلاً۬ فَأَغۡنَىٰ (٨) فَأَمَّا ٱلۡيَتِيمَ فَلَا تَقۡهَرۡ (٩) وَأَمَّا ٱلسَّآٮِٕلَ فَلَا تَنۡہَرۡ (١٠) وَأَمَّا بِنِعۡمَةِ رَبِّكَ فَحَدِّثۡ (١١)

By the morning brightness / And [by] the night when it covers with darkness,/ Your Lord has not taken leave of you, [O Muhammad], nor has He detested [you]. / And the Hereafter is better for you than the first [life]. / And your Lord is going to give you, and you will be satisfied. / Did He not find you an orphan and give [you] refuge? / And He found you lost and guided [you], / And He found you poor and made [you] self-sufficient. / So as for the orphan, do not oppress [him]. / and do not reject the beggars / But as for the favor of your Lord, report [it].

What Makes It Unique?

Rhythm: Clear and powerful
Rhyme: Repeated endings (وَٱلضُّحَىٰ, سَجَىٰ ,قَلَىٰ , ٱلۡأُولَىٰ ,فَتَرۡضَىٰٓ , فَـَٔاوَىٰ , فَهَدَىٰ , فَأَغۡنَىٰ )
Balance: Parallel and symmetrical phrasing

Why the Qur’an Is Not Poetry

Despite its beauty, the Qur’an does not follow poetic rules:

No fixed meter
No consistent pattern like:
فعولن مفاعيلن فعولن مفاعيلن

Therefore, it cannot be classified as poetry.

In Arabic poetry, a meter is a fixed rhythmic pattern made up of small units called tafʿīlāt. By combining these tafʿīlāt, poets create one of the 16 classical meters, known as ‘Buhūr’ (seas), each giving the poem its distinctive musical flow.

What Is a Meter?

Meter (Arabic: وزن / wazn) is:

“A fixed rhythmic pattern in poetry that determines the arrangement of long and short syllables in a line.”

In other words, it is the musical skeleton of a poem.

It gives poetry its flow and structure
Without meter, a poem would feel irregular or unbalanced

How Meter Works in Arabic Poetry

Arabic meter is built from tafʿīlāt (تفعيلات), which are small repeating rhythmic units.

Each tafʿīlah is a combination of long (—) and short (∪) syllables
Example of a tafʿīlah:

∪ — — → فعولن (fa‘ūlun)

Combining Tafʿīlāt to Form a Bahr (بحر / Sea)

A Bahr (sea) is a complete meter
It is made by repeating a pattern of tafʿīlāt across a line
Example: Bahr al-Rajaz:

فعولن فعولن فعولن → repeated across the line

There are 16 classical meters (Buhūr / البحور) in Arabic poetry, classified by Al-Khalil ibn Ahmad

So:

Tafʿīlāt → building blocks
Bahr → complete rhythmic structure of a poem line

Example

Tafʿīlah → ∪ — — (فعولن)
Line = 4 × tafʿīlāt → a complete bahr

Key Idea:

Tafʿīlāt = building blocks
Bahr = complete meter
16 Buhūr = all possible classical meters

Why the Qur’an Is Not Prose

At the same time, it is not ordinary prose:

It has rhythm
It has rhyme
It has elevated expression

It goes beyond normal speech.

A Powerful Historical Moment

One strong reaction came from Al-Walid ibn al-Mughira, an expert in Arabic, who was renowned for his eloquence and understanding of language. His insights were highly respected among the Quraysh tribe, and he held a significant position in pre-Islamic society due to his wealth and influence. (This was at the start of Islam, a time filled with tension and controversy as the new message began to spread, challenging the deeply rooted traditions of Arab society. Al-Walid ibn al-Mughira and others such as Ibn Jahl were the staunch enemies of the Islamic message, often engaging in fervent debates and attempts to discredit the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad, fearing the loss of their social standing and power.)

After hearing the Qur’an, he said:

“وَاللَّهِ إِنَّ لِقَوْلِهِ الَّذِي يَقُولُ حَلَاوَةً، وَإِنَّ عَلَيْهِ لَلَطَاوَةً، وَإِنَّ أَعْلَاهُ لَمُثْمِرٌ، وَإِنَّ أَسْفَلَهُ لَمُغْدِقٌ، وَإِنَّهُ لَيَعْلُو وَمَا يُعْلَى عَلَيْهِ”

“By Allah, there is a sweetness in it and a beauty.
Its top is fruitful and its bottom is abundant.
It rises above and nothing can rise above it.”

This famous statement, often attributed to Al-Walid ibn al-Mughirah regarding his impression of the Quran, is rendered in Arabic as follows:

Key Phrases Breakdown:

By Allah, there is a sweetness in it and a beauty: وَاللَّهِ إِنَّ لِقَوْلِهِ حَلَاوَةً وَإِنَّ عَلَيْهِ لَلَطَاوَةً (Wa-Allahi inna li-qawlihi halawatan, wa inna ‘alayhi la-latawatan)

Its top is fruitful and its bottom is abundant: وَإِنَّ أَعْلَاهُ لَمُثْمِرٌ، وَإِنَّ أَسْفَلَهُ لَمُغْدِقٌ (Wa inna a’lāhu la-muthmirun, wa inna asfalahu la-mughdiq)

It rises above and nothing can rise above it: وَإِنَّهُ لَيَعْلُو وَمَا يُعْلَى عَلَيْهِ (Wa innahu la-ya’lū wa mā yu’lā ‘alayhi)

Even an expert in poetry recognized something extraordinary.

Pressure to Reject the Truth

Abu Jahl urged Al-Walid ibn al-Mughira to say something that would make people reject Prophet Mohamad’s message. He argued that if they could successfully discredit the Prophet, they could maintain their influential positions in society and prevent the spread of a new religion that threatened their traditional beliefs and way of life. Al-Walid, being a respected elder, had the potential to sway the opinions of many. Abu Jahl pressed for a memorable statement that could ignite doubt among the people, suggesting that they portray the Prophet as a mere poet or a madman to diminish his credibility in the eyes of the public. He said:

“Say something against it so people will turn away.”

Unable to call it poetry, Al-Walid ibn al-Mughira eventually claimed:

“This is magic (سحر).”

Divine Response

This moment is reflected in the Qur’an (Surah al-Muddaththir 74:18–25), describing how he:

thought deeply

calculated

then gave a false judgment

He knew it was not poetry—yet still rejected it.

سُوۡرَةُ المدَّثِّر

إِنَّهُ ۥ فَكَّرَ وَقَدَّرَ (١٨) فَقُتِلَ كَيۡفَ قَدَّرَ (١٩) ثُمَّ قُتِلَ كَيۡفَ قَدَّرَ (٢٠) ثُمَّ نَظَرَ (٢١) ثُمَّ عَبَسَ وَبَسَرَ (٢٢) ثُمَّ أَدۡبَرَ وَٱسۡتَكۡبَرَ (٢٣) فَقَالَ إِنۡ هَـٰذَآ إِلَّا سِحۡرٌ۬ يُؤۡثَرُ (٢٤) إِنۡ هَـٰذَآ إِلَّا قَوۡلُ ٱلۡبَشَرِ (٢٥)

Indeed, he thought and deliberated. / So may he be destroyed [for] how he deliberated. / Then may he be destroyed [for] how he deliberated. / Then he considered [again]; / Then he frowned and scowled; / Then he turned back and was arrogant / This (the Quran) is nothing but magic, inherited from ancient magicians./ This is not but the word of a human being.

Comparison Table: Poetry vs Prose vs Qur’an

The Qur’an’s rhythm is strong, but in a different way from poetry — it is more powerful and flexible than human poetry.
Prose sometimes uses sajʿ (rhymed prose), so it is occasional.

Feature	Poetry	Prose	Qur’an
Meter	Yes (fixed long/short or stress patterns)	No	No
Rhythm	Strong, based on meter	Sometimes (with sajʿ)	Very strong and flexible, unique divine rhythm
Rhyme	Yes, usually required	Sometimes (sajʿ)	Yes, present and carefully balanced
Structure	Fixed (lines, feet, halves)	Flexible	Unique, varies line to line, often parallel and balanced

Modern Poetry and Free Verse

In modern times, poetry has evolved into free verse, which does not follow strict meter or rhyme.

Example

I walk alone
through the silent night
thinking about life

Difference Between Prose and Free Verse

Feature	Prose	Free Verse
Structure	Paragraphs	Lines
Meter	None	None
Purpose	Inform	Express emotion

Free verse is still poetry because of structure and expression, even without meter.

Final Reflection

Across Arabic, English, French, and Swahili, poetry always follows recognizable systems—whether strict or flexible.

Yet the Qur’an stands apart.

It has rhythm without meter
It has rhyme without restriction
It has structure without imitation

Even the greatest experts, like Al-Walid ibn al-Mughira, recognized its uniqueness.

It is not poetry.
It is not prose.
It is something greater

Inshaallah (If Allah Wills). Soon More Topics…..