Quranic Reflections - Islamic School of Stanford

him off and his brother (for a while), and send callers to the cities”. (TMQ,
26:36). They want this confrontation to be public “ And it was said to the people:
“Are you (too) going to assemble”(TMQ, 26:39).
Prophet Ibrahim (AS) and the preaching dialogue
In Prophet Ibrahim’s (SAWS) story, we find another style of dialogue, which the
Surah teaches us. He starts with a rational dialogue in confronting them saying: “He
said: “Do they hear you, when you call on (them) Or do they benefit you or do
they harm (you)”(TMQ, 26:72-73). Because their reply was weak, he says: “He
said: “Do you observe that which you have been worshipping - You and your
ancient fathers Verily they are enemies to me, save the Lord of the ‘Alamin
(mankind, jinn and all that exists)”(TMQ, 26:75-77).
When Prophet Ibrahim (SAWS) mentions Allah the Great and Almighty, he elaborates
by mentioning the attributes of Allah (SWT) “Who has created me, and it is He
Who guides me. And it is He Who feeds me and gives me to drink. And when I
am ill, it is He who cures me. And Who will cause me to die, and then will bring
me to life (again). And Who, I hope, will forgive me my faults on the Day of
Recompense, (the Day of Resurrection)”. (TMQ, 26:78-82).
Because the Qur’an is the core of the Prophet’s (SAWS) preaching, we find that the
Ayahs that spoke about the Qur’an in the Surah, show how it considerably affect
people. At the very the beginning, we read Allah (SWT) saying what can be translated
as “These are the Verses of the manifest Book (this Qur’an).”(TMQ, 26:2).
At the end of the Surah, and after the stories of the Prophets (Peace be upon them all),
Allah (SWT) says what can be translated as: “In the plain Arabic language”. (TMQ,
Surat Ash-Shuara 195). The language and rhetoric used should be suitable for the
context in which the people lived. Hence, Allah (SWT) says what can be translated as:
“And if We had revealed it (this Qur’an) unto any of the non-Arabs, and he had
recited it unto them, they would not have believed in it”. (TMQ, 26:198-199).
The Ayahs of the Surah are very clear in guiding Muslims and callers to the way of
Allah (SWT) to use the best and clearest means for preaching in any given time and
place.
Media devoted for the cause of Allah (SWT)
Dear Muslim brother, when you read Surat Ash-Shu’ara, always remember that media
should be one of the means used in preaching, it should not be used to promote sins,
temptations and fornication; this is the Surah’s first message for mass media. The
second one is addressed to the whole Ummah (Nation), especially callers to the way
of Allah (SWT): that is by using the more influential ways in their address to people,
taking as a model the distinguished dialogue of Allah’s (SWT) apostles with their
people within the Surah.
The Surah was called Ash-Shu’ara, in order to use the best means in performing
Da’wa (Call to Allah). In addition, the Surah cautions against using double-edged
means (media being one of them) in disobeying Allah (SWT). Instead, they should be