Abu Nuwas

Abu Nuwaas – أبو نواس – was an eloquent Abbasid poet, who lived 1200 years ago, at the time of Imam Shafi’ii.

Imam Dhahabi described him as the: رئيس الشعراء leader of poets.

Unfortunately, he was a drunkard and used to praise drinking wine in his poems, like:

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دع المساجد للعبّاد تسكنها
وطف بنا حول خَمَّار لِيُسقينا
ما قال ربُكَ ويلٌ للذين سَكروا
ولكنه قال ويلٌ للمُصلينَا
“Leave the places of worship for the worshippers to occupy;
And take us around to wine, to quench our thirst!
The Lord did not say: “woe onto those who get intoxicated!”
But He did say: “woe onto the worshippers!” [Qur’an 107:4].

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5A9qdcZRKR8&ab_channel=%D8%B5%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AD%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A8%D9%84%D9%88%D9%8A
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If you understand Arabic, you will sense the absolute power of those rhymes.
It is carved with precision, but it is blasphemous.
So Harun Rashid wanted to punish him, but Abu Nuwaas said:
“We don’t mean what we say, God said about us poets:
وَأَنَّهُمْ يَقُولُونَ مَا لَا يَفْعَلُون
“They say what they never practice.” [Qur’an 26:226 – chapter on poets].
So Harun Rashid realising that this guy had completely lost the plot, he let him go…😂😂

And it is narrated that he was once praying behind an Imaam, who recited:
قُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا الْكَافِرُونَ
“Say: O disbelievers!” [Qur’an 109:1].
Abu Nuwaas said: “Yes, my Lord, at your service!”
So he realised that he was a big sinner.

There are a lot of eloquent Jahili poems, which are still read by Muslims – not because they agree with all of it, but because of their structure and it preserves the language.

EMINEM and TUPAC are nothing for these classical poets … they’d swallow them raw! 🤣😄

And before Abu Nuwaas died, it is reported that he repented and became pious.
Imam Shafi’ii and other scholars found this poem in his pocket, after he died:

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يا رَبِّ إِن عَظُمَت ذُنوبي كَثرَةً ** فَلَقَد عَلِمتُ بِأَنَّ عَفوَكَ أَعظَمُ
إِن كانَ لا يَرجوكَ إِلّا مُحسِنٌ ** فَبِمَن يَلوذُ وَيَستَجيرُ المُجرِمُ
أَدعوكَ رَبِّ كَما أَمَرتَ تَضَرُّعًا ** فَإِذا رَدَدتَ يَدي فَمَن ذا يَرحَمُ
ما لي إِلَيكَ وَسيلَةٌ إِلا الرَجا ** وَجَميلُ عَفوِكَ ثُمَّ أَنّي مُسلِمُ
“My Lord, I am aware that my sins have become great in number;
But I also realise that your forgiveness is far greater.
If only the righteous had the right to call on You;
Then who would the criminals have gone to?
I call on You my Lord, as you commanded, with reverence;
And if You turn my hands away, then who else will have mercy?
I have no way to you except that of hope;
And the beauty of your forgiveness and then the fact that I am a Muslim!”
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When people read this poem, they prayed his funeral prayer.
May God grant us all a good end , Ameen