The Quran Verse
Surah 26:224–225:
"And [as for] the poets—[only] the deviators follow them; Do you not see that in every valley they roam, and that they say what they do not do?"
This is a direct defensive move. Because Muhammad used Saj' (rhymed prose) and rhythmic language, his enemies called him a poet (Sha'ir).
The Quran attempts to distinguish between "poetry" and "prophecy," yet it utilizes the same linguistic tools. Critics argue that condemning poets while using poetic structures is a logical contradiction designed to silence the most effective critics of the time—the actual poets of Arabia who used their wit to expose the inconsistencies in Muhammad’s message.