The Poets of 'Ukaz

The market of Ukaz (سوق عكاظ) was one of the most important markets in the jahiliyya era (the period of ignorance before Islam). It was located near Ta’if. This famous trading place, which took place annually during the sacred month of Dhul-Qa’dah in which warfare was forbidden, was known not only as a commercial centre but above all as the centre of the Arabic poetic tradition. This tradition is essential for understanding the linguistic miracle (i’jaz) of the Quran.

The Arabs as Masters of Language

The Arabs of the jahiliyya era were distinguished by their extraordinary mastery of language and poetry. In a society where written texts were rare, the ability to speak eloquently and compose poetry was considered the highest form of human achievement. The market of Ukaz served as the stage where the very best could demonstrate their linguistic skill.

What made this mastery of language so remarkable:

• A vocabulary of unparalleled richness: the Arabic language of that era had an astonishing lexical diversity. There were, for example, dozens of words for ‘camel’ or ‘sword’, each with subtle differences in meaning.
• Metric complexity: Arabic poetry followed strict metric patterns (rhythmic progression) that required extraordinary mastery.
• The ability to improvise: the greatest poets could compose complex verses on the spot that met strict poetic conventions.

Poetry as a Social Weapon

At the market of Ukaz it became clear how poetry was not merely an art form but a powerful social instrument that could have consequences for entire tribes:

• It was used to ridicule tribes
• The power of poetry as a social weapon was nowhere more evident than in hija’ (satirical poetry). A skilled poet could humiliate a rival tribe so deeply with his words that the consequences were felt for generations.

A well-known example is the poetry of Al-Hutay’a. His biting satire was so devastating that affected tribes sometimes changed their name or split apart to escape the shame. In one famous case, he composed verses about the Banu Anf al-Naqa (literally “the tribe of the camel nose”) that were so humiliating that the tribe was ashamed to be associated with “their nose”. The poet Jarir delivered such a degrading attack on the tribe of Banu Numayr that its members were ashamed to say they were from Banu Numayr. His verses “Lower your eyes in shame, for you are of Numayr” became so influential that they turned into a proverb.

Poetry in Warfare

During the notorious war of Dahis and Al-Ghabra, a prolonged conflict between the tribes of Abs and Dhubyan, poets played a crucial role in fuelling hostility and immortalising the struggle. The poet Antarah ibn Shaddad motivated warriors for battle with his verses, while the poet Zuhayr ibn Abi Sulma later became famous for his poems calling for peace.

In the Battle of Bu’ath between the tribes of Aws and Khazraj (prior to the coming of Islam in Madinah), the poets composed verses that not only celebrated victories but also deepened the wounds of defeat, making peace nearly impossible until the arrival of the Prophet ﷺ. Poetry served not only as a record of battles but also as psychological warfare that could make or break morale.

The Linguistic Miracle (I’jaz) of the Quran in Context

It is against this background of unparalleled linguistic mastery and poetic refinement that the revelation of the Quran took place. The concept of the linguistic i’jaz, the inimitability, of the Quran only gains its full meaning when we understand how high the bar was set in Arab society.

The Quran as a Linguistic Challenge

When the Quran was revealed to the Prophet ﷺ, who was himself neither a poet nor a renowned orator, it contained an explicit challenge to the finest masters of the Arabic language.

In a society where the poets of Ukaz held the highest esteem and were revered for their command of language, this challenge was revolutionary. Despite their skills, many prominent opponents of Muhammad ﷺ acknowledged that the language of the Quran was something they could not match.

But what made that language so exceptional? Four characteristics set the Quran apart from everything the masters of Ukaz knew:

What Made the Language of the Quran So Remarkable That Even the Masters of Ukaz Considered It Supernatural?

• Unique style: the Quran fit no known literary category; it was neither poetry, nor prose, nor oratory in the traditional sense, yet it possessed elements of all three in an entirely unique combination.
• Psychological impact: historical accounts describe how even fervent opponents of the Prophet ﷺ, such as the poet Al-Walid ibn Al-Mughirah, had to acknowledge that the words of the Quran possessed “a sweet sweetness and a magnificent beauty” that “surpasses all human expression.”
• Multiple layers of meaning: Islamic scholars point out that passages from the Quran simultaneously contain multiple levels of meaning that remain relevant across different times, cultures and levels of knowledge. The number of layers the Quran contains is exceedingly rare.
• Perfect balance: the language of the Quran displays what scholars call a “perfect balance between beauty and function.” Not so complex as to be incomprehensible, yet not so simple as to become ordinary.

The Reaction of the Masters of Ukaz

The impact of the Quran on the poetic elite of Arabia was varied:

Labid ibn Rabi’ah ﵁, one of the poets whose work belonged to the Mu’allaqat, converted to Islam after hearing the Quran and is said to have never composed poetry again, saying: “The Quran has made me give up poetry.”

Ka’b ibn Zuhayr ﵁, initially an opponent of the Prophet ﷺ and composer of satirical verses against him, later converted and wrote his famous Qasida al-Burda in honour of the Prophet ﷺ.

Hassan ibn Thabit ﵁, known as “the Poet of the Prophet,” used his skills, perfected at markets like Ukaz, to defend Islam against poetic attacks.

The Market of Ukaz as Key to Understanding the Quran

The market of Ukaz was more than an economic or cultural phenomenon; it was the pinnacle of linguistic art in a society that revered language as few other cultures in history have done. It was precisely in this environment of masters of the Arabic language and poetic geniuses that the Quran appeared with a use of language that even the greatest masters regarded as supernatural. Understanding Ukaz and the poetic tradition it represented is therefore not merely a matter of historical or literary interest. It is essential for understanding why the linguistic dimension of the Quran is considered a mu’jiza (miracle): not because it is simply beautiful or eloquent, but because it achieved a linguistic level that even the most feared and respected wordsmiths of Arabia, who had perfected their craft at the market of Ukaz, regarded as unique.

The market of Ukaz, with its intense poetic competitions and social implications, thus forms the indispensable backdrop against which the linguistic miracle of the Quran must be understood: a miracle that manifested itself in the hearts of a people who, above all else, revered the power of the word.