Discover the meaning of the term Al-ḍlal-a (ضلالة) in Islamic vocabulary.
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Updated on 11 April 2026 at 1:05 AM
📖 1 min readIt is the loss of what leads to the sought goal; it was said: it is a path that does not lead to the sought aim.
What opposes guidance: deviation from a religion, a right, or a path.
﴿أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱشْتَرَوُا۟ ٱلضَّلَـٰلَةَ بِٱلْهُدَىٰ فَمَا رَبِحَت تِّجَـٰرَتُهُمْ وَمَا كَانُوا۟ مُهْتَدِينَ﴾
« Those are the ones who have purchased error [in exchange] for guidance, so their transaction has brought no profit, nor were they guided. »
Surah البقرة : 16
﴿أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱشْتَرَوُا۟ ٱلضَّلَـٰلَةَ بِٱلْهُدَىٰ وَٱلْعَذَابَ بِٱلْمَغْفِرَةِ ۚ فَمَآ أَصْبَرَهُمْ عَلَى ٱلنَّارِ﴾
« Those are the ones who have exchanged guidance for error and forgiveness for punishment. How patient they are in pursuit of the Fire! »
Surah البقرة : 175
﴿أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ نَصِيبًۭا مِّنَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ يَشْتَرُونَ ٱلضَّلَـٰلَةَ وَيُرِيدُونَ أَن تَضِلُّوا۟ ٱلسَّبِيلَ﴾
« Have you not seen those who were given a portion of the Scripture, purchasing error [in exchange for it] and wishing you would lose the way? »
Surah النساء : 44
﴿فَرِيقًا هَدَىٰ وَفَرِيقًا حَقَّ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلضَّلَـٰلَةُ ۗ إِنَّهُمُ ٱتَّخَذُوا۟ ٱلشَّيَـٰطِينَ أَوْلِيَآءَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَيَحْسَبُونَ أَنَّهُم مُّهْتَدُونَ﴾
« A group [of you] He guided, and a group deserved [to be in] error. Indeed, they had taken the devils as allies instead of Allah while they thought that they were guided. »
Surah الأعراف : 30
﴿قَالَ يَـٰقَوْمِ لَيْسَ بِى ضَلَـٰلَةٌۭ وَلَـٰكِنِّى رَسُولٌۭ مِّن رَّبِّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ﴾
« [Noah] said, "O my people, there is not error in me, but I am a messenger from the Lord of the worlds." »
Surah الأعراف : 61
﴿وَلَقَدْ بَعَثْنَا فِى كُلِّ أُمَّةٍۢ رَّسُولًا أَنِ ٱعْبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَٱجْتَنِبُوا۟ ٱلطَّـٰغُوتَ ۖ فَمِنْهُم مَّنْ هَدَى ٱللَّهُ وَمِنْهُم مَّنْ حَقَّتْ عَلَيْهِ ٱلضَّلَـٰلَةُ ۚ فَسِيرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَٱنظُرُوا۟ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَـٰقِبَةُ ٱلْمُكَذِّبِينَ﴾
« And We certainly sent into every nation a messenger, [saying], "Worship Allah and avoid Taghut." And among them were those whom Allah guided, and among them were those upon whom error was [deservedly] decreed. So proceed through the earth and observe how was the end of the deniers. »
Surah النحل : 36
This term appears in 7 verses of the Quran.