Key Verses

Showing 12 of 38 verses that mention this concept.

1. 2:16Al-Baqarah
   أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱشۡتَرَوُاْ ٱلضَّلَٰلَةَ بِٱلۡهُدَىٰ فَمَا رَبِحَت تِّجَٰرَتُهُمۡ وَمَا كَانُواْ مُهۡتَدِينَ
   These are they who purchase error at the price of guidance, so their commerce doth not prosper, neither are they guided.
   In context

   It is they who are the fools, because they exchanged faith for disbelief; and this exchange did not help them in any way, because they lost their faith in Allah and lost the way to the truth.

2. 2:175Al-BaqarahWarning
   أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱشۡتَرَوُاْ ٱلضَّلَٰلَةَ بِٱلۡهُدَىٰ وَٱلۡعَذَابَ بِٱلۡمَغۡفِرَةِۚ فَمَآ أَصۡبَرَهُمۡ عَلَى ٱلنَّارِ
   Those are they who purchase error at the price of guidance, and torment at the price of pardon. How constant are they in their strife to reach the Fire!
   In context

   Those who hide knowledge exchange guidance for misguidance, as they hid the truth, and exchange the forgiveness of Allah for His punishment. How determined they are to do things that will lead them into the fire of Hell, as if they do not realize what suffering it contains!

3. 3:164Aali ImranPromise
   لَقَدۡ مَنَّ ٱللَّهُ عَلَى ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ إِذۡ بَعَثَ فِيهِمۡ رَسُولٗا مِّنۡ أَنفُسِهِمۡ يَتۡلُواْ عَلَيۡهِمۡ ءَايَٰتِهِۦ وَيُزَكِّيهِمۡ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ وَٱلۡحِكۡمَةَ وَإِن كَانُواْ مِن قَبۡلُ لَفِي ضَلَٰلٖ مُّبِينٍ
   Allah verily hath shown grace to the believers by sending unto them a messenger of their own who reciteth unto them His revelations, and causeth them to grow, and teacheth them the Scripture and wisdom; although before (he came to them) they were in flagrant error.
   In context

   Allah blessed the believers and favoured them when He sent them a messenger from among them, who: recited the Qur’ān to them, purified them from worshipping others next to Allah and from shameful character traits, and taught them the Qur’ān and the ways of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Before this Messenger was sent, they were clearly astray from the right path and guidance.

4. 4:44An-NisaCommand
   أَلَمۡ تَرَ إِلَى ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ نَصِيبٗا مِّنَ ٱلۡكِتَٰبِ يَشۡتَرُونَ ٱلضَّلَٰلَةَ وَيُرِيدُونَ أَن تَضِلُّواْ ٱلسَّبِيلَ
   Seest thou not those unto whom a portion of the Scripture hath been given, how they purchase error, and seek to make you (Muslims) err from the right way?
   In context

   O Messenger, do you not know about the Jews who were given a portion of knowledge in the Torah and traded guidance for error? They wish you would go astray from following the right way of life – which the Messenger came with – and that you would follow them in their deviation.

5. 6:74Al-Anam
   ۞وَإِذۡ قَالَ إِبۡرَٰهِيمُ لِأَبِيهِ ءَازَرَ أَتَتَّخِذُ أَصۡنَامًا ءَالِهَةً إِنِّيٓ أَرَىٰكَ وَقَوۡمَكَ فِي ضَلَٰلٖ مُّبِينٖ
   (Remember) when Abraham said unto his father Azar: Takest thou idols for gods? Lo! I see thee and thy folk in error manifest.
   In context

   Remember, O Messenger, when Abraham (peace be upon him) said to his father, Āzar, who was a idolater: O father, do you make the idols into gods that you worship besides Allah? I think that you and your people who worship idols are clearly misguided from and confused about the path of truth because of your worship of others besides Allah.

6. 7:30Al-Araf
   فَرِيقًا هَدَىٰ وَفَرِيقًا حَقَّ عَلَيۡهِمُ ٱلضَّلَٰلَةُۚ إِنَّهُمُ ٱتَّخَذُواْ ٱلشَّيَٰطِينَ أَوۡلِيَآءَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَيَحۡسَبُونَ أَنَّهُم مُّهۡتَدُونَ
   A party hath He led aright, while error hath just hold over (another) party, for lo! they choose the devils for protecting supporters instead of Allah and deem that they are rightly guided.
   In context

   Allah made people into two groups: one group of them He guided, making it easy for them to find guidance and removing the barriers to it; and another He made go astray from the path of truth, because they made the satans their friends and helpers instead of Allah, ignorantly becoming bound to them, considering themselves to be correctly guided to a straight path.

7. 7:60Al-ArafWarning
   قَالَ ٱلۡمَلَأُ مِن قَوۡمِهِۦٓ إِنَّا لَنَرَىٰكَ فِي ضَلَٰلٖ مُّبِينٖ
   The chieftains of his people said: Lo! we see thee surely in plain error.
   In context

   The leaders and notables among his people said: 'O Noah! Indeed we think you are in clear error.

8. 7:61Al-Araf
   قَالَ يَٰقَوۡمِ لَيۡسَ بِي ضَلَٰلَةٞ وَلَٰكِنِّي رَسُولٞ مِّن رَّبِّ ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ
   He said: O my people! There is no error in me, but I am a messenger from the Lord of the Worlds.
   In context

   Noah told the leaders of his people: 'I am not in error, as you claim, but rather I am on guidance from my Lord, and I am a messenger from Him who is my Lord, your Lord, and the Lord of all creations.'

9. 10:32YunusPraise
   فَذَٰلِكُمُ ٱللَّهُ رَبُّكُمُ ٱلۡحَقُّۖ فَمَاذَا بَعۡدَ ٱلۡحَقِّ إِلَّا ٱلضَّلَٰلُۖ فَأَنَّىٰ تُصۡرَفُونَ
   Such then is Allah, your rightful Lord. After the Truth what is there saving error? How then are ye turned away!
   In context

   The One who does all of that O people is Allah, The Truth, your Creator and the Manager of your affairs. Then besides truth, what is there except error and loss? How do you turn away from the clear truth, with its proofs, to falsehood whims and desires?

10. 12:8YusufCommand
    إِذۡ قَالُواْ لَيُوسُفُ وَأَخُوهُ أَحَبُّ إِلَىٰٓ أَبِينَا مِنَّا وَنَحۡنُ عُصۡبَةٌ إِنَّ أَبَانَا لَفِي ضَلَٰلٖ مُّبِينٍ
    When they said: Verily Joseph and his brother are dearer to our father than we are, many though we be. Lo! our father is in plain aberration.
    In context

    At that time, the brothers said among themselves: Joseph and his full brother are more beloved to our father than we are, whereas we are a group large in number. Why does he prefer them to us? We think that our father is mistaken in preferring them to us without any apparent reason.

11. 12:30YusufNarrative
    ۞وَقَالَ نِسۡوَةٞ فِي ٱلۡمَدِينَةِ ٱمۡرَأَتُ ٱلۡعَزِيزِ تُرَٰوِدُ فَتَىٰهَا عَن نَّفۡسِهِۦۖ قَدۡ شَغَفَهَا حُبًّاۖ إِنَّا لَنَرَىٰهَا فِي ضَلَٰلٖ مُّبِينٖ
    And women in the city said: The ruler's wife is asking of her slave-boy an ill-deed. Indeed he has smitten her to the heart with love. We behold her in plain aberration.
    In context

    The news spread in the city and a group of women disapprovingly said: The wife of the minister is calling her slave towards herself. His love has penetrated her heart. We think she is clearly misguided in trying to seduce him and because of her love for him despite his being her slave.

12. 13:14Ar-RadCommand
    لَهُۥ دَعۡوَةُ ٱلۡحَقِّۚ وَٱلَّذِينَ يَدۡعُونَ مِن دُونِهِۦ لَا يَسۡتَجِيبُونَ لَهُم بِشَيۡءٍ إِلَّا كَبَٰسِطِ كَفَّيۡهِ إِلَى ٱلۡمَآءِ لِيَبۡلُغَ فَاهُ وَمَا هُوَ بِبَٰلِغِهِۦۚ وَمَا دُعَآءُ ٱلۡكَٰفِرِينَ إِلَّا فِي ضَلَٰلٖ
    Unto Him is the real prayer. Those unto whom they pray beside Allah respond to them not at all, save as (is the response to) one who stretcheth forth his hands toward water (asking) that it may come unto his mouth, and it will never reach it. The prayer of disbelievers goeth (far) astray.
    In context

    The call of monotheism is for Allah alone and no one shares this with Him. The idols on whom the idolaters call besides Him do not respond to the call of those who call them in any matter. Their calling them is simply like a thirsty person stretching his hand towards water for it to reach his mouth so that he can drink from it. The water is not going to reach his mouth.