Speaking truth in verse: poetic expression as theological discourse in the Islamic scholarly tradition

This article examines the theological function of poetry in the Islamic scholarly tradition, arguing that poetic expression constituted a legitimate and authoritative mode of theological reasoning among the Ulama. Drawing on qualitative hermeneutic and thematic textual analysis of poetic works by figures such as Imam al-Ghazali, Jalal al-Din Rumi, Ibn ʿArabi, Rabia al-Adawiyya, Saʿdi Shirazi, and Imam al-Shafiʿi, the study demonstrates that poetry was employed to articulate core doctrines, ethical principles, and metaphysical insights with conceptual rigor and pedagogical intent. Situating these texts within their historical, educational, and intellectual contexts, the article challenges modern assumptions that confine theology to systematic prose while relegating poetry to the realm of devotional aesthetics. It further shows how poetic theology enabled Islamic ideas to circulate across cultural and civilizational boundaries, communicating theological meaning through ethically and aesthetically resonant forms. Engaging established scholarship in Islamic philosophy, mysticism, and education, the study reframes poetry as a substantive theological discourse with enduring relevance for religious thought, education, and intercultural understanding.