Surah Ya-Sin 36:69
سُورَةُ يسٓ · Meccan · Verse 69 of 83
وَمَا عَلَّمْنَٰهُ ٱلشِّعْرَ وَمَا يَنۢبَغِى لَهُۥٓ ۚ إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكْرٌۭ وَقُرْءَانٌۭ مُّبِينٌۭ
Translation
We have not taught the Prophet poetry, nor could he everhave been a poet.
English translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem.
Meaning and reflection
'We did not teach him poetry, nor would it befit him. It is only a reminder and a clear Qur'an.' Ibn Ashur and al-Saadi note the defence against the deniers who dismissed the revelation as mere verse: the Qur'an's purpose is not artful entertainment but dhikr, awakening, and clear guidance. It moves you to change, not merely to admire. Ask yourself: I can consume even sacred words the way I consume everything else, for aesthetic pleasure, a moment of feeling, then on to the next thing. This verse insists the Qur'an is not there to be appreciated but to remind, to wake me and reorder my life. Do I read it as literature to enjoy, or as a reminder meant to change how I live by tomorrow?
Grounded in classical tafsir: Ibn Ashur, al-Saadi, al-Biqa'i.
Reflect on this verse
Open Surah Ya-Sin 36:69 in Maani to reflect on it through the Five Lenses: its wording, its context, what it means for you, its connections across the Quran and its lessons, grounded in classical tafsir.