Ruling on earning money by publishing poetry

Firstly: 

The ruling on poetry is the same as the ruling on speech or
words, of which it is a part. The well known, general principle is that
which is narrated in Mursal ‘Urwah ibn al-Zubayr: “Poetry is like
speech: what is good is good, and what is bad is bad.” 

If the poetry involves words of love to a specific woman who
is not permissible for the poet, or encourages sin, then it is haraam
poetry. 

But if it includes remembrance of Allah, blessings upon the
Messenger of Allah, encouraging good qualities and good conduct, then it is
poetry that is mustahabb and recommended. 

If it includes material that is neither makrooh nor
mustahabb, rather it includes permissible matters, then it is permissible
poetry, and this is the basic, original ruling concerning it, that it is
permissible. 

Ibn Qudaamah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 

There is no difference of opinion concerning the
permissibility of poetry. This was stated by the Sahaabah and the scholars.
End quote. 

Al-Mughni (10/176).  

For more quotations from the scholars on the ruling on
poetry, please see al-Mawsoo‘ah al-Fiqhiyyah, 26/113-117 

Secondly: 

Based on the above, it is possible to learn the ruling on
earning money by writing poetry. If an action is basically permissible, it
is basically permissible to earn money from it, and the ruling does not
change to it being haraam or makrooh except for a reason. 

The fuqaha’ (may Allah have mercy on them) stated that the
ruling on earning money through poetry is subject to further discussion: 

1.If the poet is earning money
from his poetry because the people are scared that he will lampoon them or
slander their honour, and they only give him money so as to ward off his
evil and make him hold his tongue, this wealth is undoubtedly ill-gotten and
is haraam.

2.If the poetry is permissible or
mustahabb, and the poet acquires some money because of his poetry, there is
nothing wrong with this at all.

It says in Radd al-Muhtaar (5/272), which is a Hanafi
book: 

Ill-gotten wealth includes that which a poet receives for his
poetry — because he is usually only given money to make him hold his
tongue. 

But if he is a person from whose evil people are safe, then
it seems that what he is given is halaal, based on the fact that the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) gave his cloak to Ka‘b when he
praised him in his famous qaseedah (ode). End quote. 

Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him)
was asked the following question: 

Is it permissible to earn money through poetry? 

He replied: 

If the poetry is permissible and good, and is in the
interests of the Muslims, and the author sells it and earns from it, such as
poetry about Islamic etiquette, poetry about rulings or poetry about
permissible matters, and then he sells them (his poems), there is nothing
wrong with it, as in the case of books which are written by people and sold.
End quote. 

Quoted from the Shaykh’s website:

http://www.binbaz.org.sa/mat/20638

And Allah knows best.