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Error / Misguidance

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Error / Misguidance

الضَّلَال

*Dalal* (الضَّلَال), often translated as error or misguidance, is a profound concept in Islamic thought, signifying deviation from the divinely appointed path. It describes a spiritual state where one turns away from Allah's guidance, leading to wrongdoing and potential loss in the Hereafter. The Quran illustrates that this misguidance can stem from various sources, including arrogance, where individuals may deliberately choose the way of error even when presented with clear signs, as those who are [arrogant upon the earth without right] reject truth. This departure can manifest in grave ways, such as adopting partners with God and invoking [that which neither harms him nor benefits him] instead of Allah, which the Quran terms "extreme error." Once a person strays, their ability to find truth diminishes, rendering them unable to [find] a way] back to guidance. The ultimate consequence for those who persist in being [farthest astray in [their] way] is a severe one in the Hereafter. Understanding *Dalal* serves as a crucial reminder for believers to constantly seek Allah's light and remain vigilant against influences that lead away from righteousness and truth, ensuring their hearts and actions remain aligned with divine wisdom.

Quran 8 verses

سَأَصْرِفُ عَنْ ءَايَٰتِىَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَتَكَبَّرُونَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ بِغَيْرِ ٱلْحَقِّ وَإِن يَرَوْا۟ كُلَّ ءَايَةٍ لَّا يُؤْمِنُوا۟ بِهَا وَإِن يَرَوْا۟ سَبِيلَ ٱلرُّشْدِ لَا يَتَّخِذُوهُ سَبِيلًا وَإِن يَرَوْا۟ سَبِيلَ ٱلْغَىِّ يَتَّخِذُوهُ سَبِيلًا ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا وَكَانُوا۟ عَنْهَا غَٰفِلِينَ

Sa asrifu 'an Aayaatiyal lazeena yatakabbaroona fil ardi bighairil haqq; wa iny-yaraw kulla Aayatil laa yu'minoo bihaa wa iny-yaraw sabeelar rushdi laa yattakhizoohu sabeelanw wa iny-yaraw sabeelal ghaiyi yatta khizoohu sabeelaa; zaalika bi annahum kazzaboo bi Aayaatinaa wa kaanoo 'anhaa ghaafileen

I will turn away from My signs those who are arrogant upon the earth without right; and if they should see every sign, they will not believe in it. And if they see the way of consciousness, they will not adopt it as a way; but if they see the way of error, they will adopt it as a way. That is because they have denied Our signs and they were heedless of them.

جو لوگ زمین میں ناحق غرور کرتے ہیں ان کو اپنی آیتوں سے پھیر دوں گا۔ اگر یہ سب نشانیاں بھی دیکھ لیں تب بھی ان پر ایمان نہ لائیں اور اگر راستی کا رستہ دیکھیں تو اسے (اپنا) رستہ نہ بنائیں۔ اور اگر گمراہی کی راہ دیکھیں تو اسے رستہ بنالیں۔ یہ اس لیے کہ انہوں نے ہماری آیات کو جھٹلایا اور ان سے غفلت کرتے رہے

Commentary

Ma'arif-ul-Quran: Commentary The verse 146 spoke of the arrogant people as showing arrogance unjustly. The word without truth or unjustly indicates that assuming arrogance in response to the arrogant people is a justified act, since it is the act of arrogance in appearance, and not in reality. It is a known dictum: ا...
Tafsir al-Jalalayn: I shall turn away from My signs the proofs of My power in the way of creations and otherwise those who behave arrogantly in the earth without right by humiliating them so that they do not magnify themselves; and if they see every sign do not believe in it and if they see the way the path of rectitud...
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): Arrogant People will be deprived of Allah's Ayat Allah said, سَأَصْرِفُ عَنْ ءَايَـتِي الَّذِينَ يَتَكَبَّرُونَ فِي الأَرْضِ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ (I shall turn away from My Ayat those who behave arrogantly on the earth, without a right). Allah says, "I shall deprive the hearts of those who are too prou...

يَدْعُوا۟ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا يَضُرُّهُۥ وَمَا لَا يَنفَعُهُۥ ذَٰلِكَ هُوَ ٱلضَّلَٰلُ ٱلْبَعِيدُ

Yad'oo min doonil laahi maa laa yadurruhoo wa maa laa yanfa'uh' zaalika huwad dalaalul ba'ed

He invokes instead of Allah that which neither harms him nor benefits him. That is what is the extreme error.

یہ خدا کے سوا ایسی چیز کو پکارتا ہے جو نہ اسے نقصان پہنچائے اور نہ فائدہ دے سکے۔ یہی تو پرلے درجے کی گمراہی ہے

Commentary

Ma'arif-ul-Quran: Commentary (And among men there is one who worships Allah (standing) on the verge - 22:11.) Bukhari and Ibn Abi Haim have related from Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ that when the Holy Prophet ﷺ migrated to Madinah, people flocked to him and accepted the new religion. But there were some among them whose co...
Tafsir al-Jalalayn: He calls on he worships besides God in the way of idols that which could not hurt him should he refrain from worshipping it and that which could not profit him if were to worship it. Such a call is extreme error from the truth.
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): The meaning of worshipping Allah as it were upon the edge Mujahid, Qatadah and others said: عَلَى حَرْفٍ (upon the edge) means, in doubt. Others said that it meant on the edge, such as on the edge or side of a mountain, i.e., (this person) enters Islam on the edge, and if he finds what he likes he w...

ٱنظُرْ كَيْفَ ضَرَبُوا۟ لَكَ ٱلْأَمْثَٰلَ فَضَلُّوا۟ فَلَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ سَبِيلًا

Unzur kaifa daraboo lakal amsaala fadalloo falaa yastatee'oona sabeelaa

Look how they strike for you comparisons; but they have strayed, so they cannot [find] a way.

(اے پیغمبر) دیکھو تو یہ تمہارے بارے میں کس کس طرح کی باتیں کرتے ہیں سو گمراہ ہوگئے اور رستہ نہیں پاسکتے

Commentary

Ma'arif-ul-Quran: The Second Objection was that if the Holy Prophet ﷺ was a prophet, he should not have been eating and drinking like common people; instead he should have been free from eating and drinking like angels. And if this was not so, he should have at least enough wealth and gardens to take care of his day ...
Tafsir al-Jalalayn: See how they strike similitudes for you of the fact that the Prophet is a person bewitched and one in need of something to expend from and of an angel to help him carry out the task of delivering the Message so that they go astray thereby from guidance and are unable to find a way a means thereto to...
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): What the Disbelievers said about the Messenger , refutation of Their Words, and Their ultimate Destiny Allah tells us about the disbelievers' stubborn resistance to and rejection of the truth, with no proof or evidence for doing so. Their excuse was, as they said: مَا لِهَـذَا الرَّسُولِ يَأْكُلُ ال...

ٱلَّذِينَ يُحْشَرُونَ عَلَىٰ وُجُوهِهِمْ إِلَىٰ جَهَنَّمَ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ شَرٌّ مَّكَانًا وَأَضَلُّ سَبِيلًا

Allazeena yuhsharoona 'alaa wujoohim ilaa jahannama ulaaa'ika sharrum makaananw wa adallu sabeelaa )section 3)

The ones who are gathered on their faces to Hell - those are the worst in position and farthest astray in [their] way.

جو لوگ اپنے مونہوں کے بل دوزخ کی طرف جمع کئے جائیں گے ان کا ٹھکانا بھی برا ہے اور وہ رستے سے بھی بہکے ہوئے ہیں

Commentary

Ma'arif-ul-Quran: Commentary Verse no. 33 supports and accentuates the explanation given above for the wisdom in the gradual revelation of Qur'an in as much as it promises Allah's support in any situation of awkward questions asked by the infidel.
Tafsir al-Jalalayn: They are those who will be gathered on their faces that is those who will be driven as cattle toward Hell they will be in the worst place namely Hell and furthest astray from the way they will be on a path of error worse than that of others; and this path is their disbelief.
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): The Reason why the Qur'an was revealed in Stages, the Refutation of the Disbelievers, and their Evil Allah tells us about the many objections raised by the disbelievers, their stubbornness, and how they spoke of things which were none of their concern. They said: لَوْلاَ نُزِّلَ عَلَيْهِ الْقُرْءَان...

قَالَ فَعَلْتُهَآ إِذًا وَأَنَا۠ مِنَ ٱلضَّآلِّينَ

Qaala fa'altuhaaa izanw wa ana minad daaaleen

[Moses] said, "I did it, then, while I was of those astray.

(موسیٰ نے) کہاں (ہاں) وہ حرکت مجھ سے ناگہاں سرزد ہوئی تھی اور میں خطا کاروں میں تھا

Commentary

Ma'arif-ul-Quran: أَنْ أَرْ‌سِلْ مَعَنَا بَنِي إِسْرَ‌ائِيلَ That you must send the children of Isra'i1 with us". (26:17) Bani Isra'il were the residents of Syria. They wanted to go back to their land but the Pharaoh would not let them. This way four hundred years had passed and they were living in his bondage like s...
Tafsir al-Jalalayn: He Moses said ‘I did that then when I was astray from the knowledge and the Message which God would later give me.
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): Between Musa and Fir`awn Allah tells us what He commanded His servant, son of `Imran and Messenger Musa, peace be upon him, who spoke with Him, to do, when He called him from the right side of the mountain, and conversed with him, and chose him, sent him, and commanded him to go to Fir`awn and his p...

تَٱللَّهِ إِن كُنَّا لَفِى ضَلَٰلٍ مُّبِينٍ

Tallaahi in kunnaa lafee dalaalim mubeen

"By Allah, we were indeed in manifest error

کہ خدا کی قسم ہم تو صریح گمراہی میں تھے

Commentary

Ma'arif-ul-Quran: يَوْمَ لَا يَنفَعُ مَالٌ وَلَا بَنُونَ ﴿88﴾ إِلَّا مَنْ أَتَى اللَّـهَ بِقَلْبٍ سَلِيمٍ ﴿89﴾ The Day when neither wealth will be of any use (to any one) nor sons, [ 88] except to one who will come to Allah with a sound heart, [ 26:89] This verse has declared that wealth and children will not be of a...
Tafsir al-Jalalayn: ‘By God we had indeed in softened in place of the hardened form with its subject omitted in other words it would usually be innahu been in manifest error
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): Those Who have Taqwa and the Astray on the Day of Resurrection, and the Arguments and Sorrow of the Erring وَأُزْلِفَتِ الْجَنَّةُ (And Paradise will be brought near) means, it will be brought close to its people, adorned and decorated for them to behold it. Its people are the pious who preferred it...

إِنِّىٓ إِذًا لَّفِى ضَلَٰلٍ مُّبِينٍ

Inneee izal-lafee dalaa-lim-mubeen

Indeed, I would then be in manifest error.

تب تو میں صریح گمراہی میں مبتلا ہوگیا

Commentary

Ma'arif-ul-Quran: In verse 20, it was said: وَجَاءَ مِنْ أَقْصَى الْمَدِينَةِ رَ‌جُلٌ يَسْعَىٰ (And there came a man rushing from the farthest part of the city.) In the first verse (13), the place where this incident transpired was expressed as: اَلقَریَۃ (al-qaryah: town) which, according to the Arabic lexical usage...
Tafsir al-Jalalayn: Truly then in other words in the case of me worshipping gods other than God I would be in manifest error.
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): قَالَ يقَوْمِ اتَّبِعُواْ الْمُرْسَلِينَ (He said: "O my people! Obey the Messengers.") -- he urged his people to follow the Messengers who had come to them. اتَّبِعُواْ مَن لاَّ يَسْـَلُكُمْ أَجْراً (Obey those who ask no wages of you,) means, `for the Message which they convey to you, and they are...

أَفَمَن شَرَحَ ٱللَّهُ صَدْرَهُۥ لِلْإِسْلَٰمِ فَهُوَ عَلَىٰ نُورٍ مِّن رَّبِّهِۦ فَوَيْلٌ لِّلْقَٰسِيَةِ قُلُوبُهُم مِّن ذِكْرِ ٱللَّهِ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ فِى ضَلَٰلٍ مُّبِينٍ

Afaman sharahal laahu sadrahoo lil Islaami fahuwa 'alaa noorim mir Rabbih; fa wailul lilqaasiyati quloobuhum min zikril laah; ulaaa'ika fee dalaalim mubeen

So is one whose breast Allah has expanded to [accept] Islam and he is upon a light from his Lord [like one whose heart rejects it]? Then woe to those whose hearts are hardened against the remembrance of Allah. Those are in manifest error.

بھلا جس شخص کا سینہ خدا نے اسلام کے لئے کھول دیا ہو اور وہ اپنے پروردگار کی طرف سے روشنی پر ہو (تو کیا وہ سخت دل کافر کی طرح ہوسکتا ہے) پس ان پر افسوس ہے جن کے دل خدا کی یاد سے سخت ہو رہے ہیں۔ اور یہی لوگ صریح گمراہی میں ہیں

Commentary

Ma'arif-ul-Quran: In the first sentence of verse 22, it was said: أَفَمَن شَرَ‌حَ اللَّـهُ صَدْرَ‌هُ لِلْإِسْلَامِ فَهُوَ عَلَىٰ نُورٍ‌ مِّن رَّ‌بِّهِ (So I ask about a person whose heart Allah has opened up for Islam, and consequently he proceeds in a light from his Lord.). The word: شَرَ‌حَ (sharh) literally means ...
Tafsir al-Jalalayn: Is he whose breast God has opened to Islam and becomes guided so that he follows a light from his Lord …? like he whose heart He has sealed with disbelief? — this understanding of the ellipsis is indicated by what follows. So woe — an expression indicating ‘chastisement’ — to those whose hearts have...
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): The Parable of the Life of this World Allah tells us that water originates in the sky. This is like the Ayah: وَأَنزَلْنَا مِنَ السَّمَآءِ مَآءً طَهُوراً (and We send down pure water from the sky) (25:48). So, Allah sends down water from the sky, and it settles in the earth, then He causes it to flo...

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