Poetry, prophecy and the angelic voice: Reflections on the Divine Word

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter (peer-reviewed)peer-review

Abstract / Description of output

Prophecy and the reception of the divine word are essential to understanding the revelatory process of the Qur’ān in Islamic thought. The Qur’ān emerged in a culture of poetry where poets were held in huge esteem as people possessing inspirational powers. During the early years of his prophethood, Muhammad was often accused by the Meccans of deception, that what he was reciting, were not divine words but rather eloquent poetry. The Qur’ān fervently denies this, defending Muhammad’s prophetic status and insisting that what the Prophet brought was not inspired poetry but words revealed by God himself through the angel Gibril/Gabriel. The power of the angelic voice acts as an intermediate between God in the heavens and humankind on earth and Gibril features in several of the most aesthetically defining aspects of the Prophet’s life. This article explores how Islamic angelology has inspired western writers and focuses specifically on the Austrian German poet Rainer Maria Rilke. Rilke uses the angel motif of Islam to speak of his own inspiration especially in his most famous works, the Duino Elegies. The Elegies speak of the beginnings of Islam as a metaphor for what Rilke experienced himself, which is that angels reconciled the inner and outer worlds of our existence. The angelic approach is terrifying, but it is this terror which is transformative in breaking through the transcendent realm to the human.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationProphetic Witness and the Reimagining of the World
Subtitle of host publicationPoetry, Theology and Philosophy in Dialogue
EditorsMark S. Burrows, Hilary Davies, Josephine von Zitzewitz
PublisherRoutledge
Chapter4
Pages61-74
Number of pages14
Edition1st
ISBN (Electronic)9780367344092
ISBN (Print)9780367344108, 9780367558185
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 29 Sept 2020

Publication series

NameThe Power of the Word
Volume5
NameRoutledge Studies in Religion
PublisherRoutledge

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