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The question

What is the ruling on using metaphors in poetry such as "the sea marveled at my words" or "the wall said so-and-so"; is it permissible or is it considered a lie?

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Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 20261 min readAlso available in العربية
The answer

Metaphor is permissible in prose and poetry. It is the transfer of a phrase from its original linguistic usage to another for a purpose, such as explaining or emphasizing a meaning, alluding to it concisely, or beautifying expression. There are many examples of it in Arabic speech, such as their saying, "the earth laughed" when it sprouted, and "the clouds laughed with lightning." It is not a lie, because the listener understands the speaker's intent of exaggeration and the generalization of a calamity.

Summary from Ftawy's records · added here

Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.

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Where this answer came from
Source platform
Ftawy
Original fatwa ID
142247
Added here
. This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
Text
Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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Read the full answer on Ftawy