Will All Poets Go to Hell?

Question

During a conversation one gentleman said that most poets, who speak falsehood, will go to Hell. At this the respected Hakim Shakil promptly declared: “If most poets go to Hell, then Hazrat ‘Ali ﵁ and Hazrat ‘Umar ﵁ will also go to Hell, because they too were poets.” What is the opinion of the scholars of religion on this, and has kufr been incurred by this person or not?

Answer

Poetry is merely metrical speech: if it is right, it is right; if it is wrong, it is wrong. On account of metre alone no ruling of Paradise or Hell follows. Whoever says something contrary to the true beliefs, mocks religion and the people of religion, and spins outrageous fabrications is a culprit (and poems are very often of this kind).

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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