Poetry as a media tool

And the poets (only) the deviators follow them (224). Do you not see that in every valley they roam (225). And that they say what they do not do? (226). 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). (Holy Quran: Ash Shuara)

Several sayings about the meaning of these verses include that two men, one of them from the Ansar (Supporters), dueled with poetry, so people came to the support of their man. Those supporters who listened to the poetry and spread it are the people who are astray, that Almighty Allah mentioned. Poetry has lost its strength as a media tool in our era and replaced by satellite channels and social media that play the same role poets used to play in the past.

Media men or ‘Tweeters’ who do not have any fear of God in our era roam every valley, lie and post information they make up, which are received by others, who in turn repost them. All these are deviators who not only publish, but also participate in spreading strife and corrupt the system of values, which is the pillar of social peace among individuals and people.

If you look left or right today, you will find poets everywhere who roam every valley, and you will also see large crowds of deviants, and you barely see the exception that came in the verse “Except those (poets) who believe and do righteous deeds and remember Allah often and defend (the Muslims) after they were wronged.” These have become a rare commodity. Today, every person, even if he is not a media man, has the tools attributed to poets who are astray. Every one of us relays information without making sure about it and without knowledge of the harm it may cause to human relationships that link the region’s peoples.

The strange thing is that the astray get nothing out of what they are doing other than release grudges and entertain gossip, besides some media people who are making a living out of differences and gain from nations’ tragedies. We in the Gulf today are on top of a volcano, and the circle of strife is getting wider, so we all must understand and think about the ending of the previous verse: “And those who have wronged are going to know to what (kind of) return they will be returned ,” which refers to those who do not heed the warning of Almighty Allah, stop harming others and avoid publishing destructive messages under any title.

— Translated by Kuwait Times