The Concept Analysis of the Terms Shi‘r and Shā‘ir in the Noble Qur’ān

Attributing the accusation of being “shi‘r” (poetry) to the noble Qur’ān and the accusation of being a “shā‘ir” to the noble Prophet (s) were among the accusations made by the polytheists in order to reject the divinity of the Qur’ān and consequently to deny the prophetic mission of the Prophet (s). Although there have been suggested different viewpoints with regard to the intention of the polytheists with the words “shi‘r” and “shā‘ir” and the two viewpoints that favor analyzing “shi‘r” from the “structural” and “imaginative content” dimensions have more adherents among the exegetes, the examination of the culture and beliefs of the people of the revelation era and the analysis of the term “shi‘r” reveals that this accusation was issued by the polytheists due to their belief in “the inspiration of the poet by the jinni world” so as to introduce the Qur’ān as an inspiration of the jinni and to deny the prophetic mission of the noble Prophet (s). In addition to clarifying the origin and purpose of the polytheists’ attribution of this accusation, this study will make clearer the response given by the noble Qur’ān to this accusation.