Qudama b. Jacfar (d. after 320/932), in his Naqd al-shier, says explicitly that a poet should not be blamed for contra- dicting himself in his verse, and that the quality of his poetry is not affected by obscene or 'scandalous' themes (al-macna 1-fabish, fabashat al-macna). 38 c Ali b. c Abd ai-c Aziz al-Jurjani (d. 392/1001), although a qar;IJ, wrote in his book on the poetry of al-Mutanabbi that 'religion is detached from poetry' (al-din bi-maczil can al-shicr). 39 The Qur 0 an says that poets 'say things they do not do' (Q 26:226), which has been exploited by poets (including al-Farazdaq) 40 to exculpate themselves on occasion.