Dalal (error, confusion...) in Quran

By: Maged Taman

Dalal or error is opposite of guidance when used in the Quran. Where guidance is following God inspired words Dalal is following the opposite direction. Wandering, confusion and errors are other words to explain dalal but in general is going astray from God path.

1- Muhammad (PBUH) was in wander before he received God inspiration: Muhammad was like most of us was trying to make sense of the world. For few years he would go to a cave in the mountain think about God and religion. He was not a scholar in religions but was wandering like us about God and the universe. God chose him among us billions of people to reveal himself like he did to Abraham and other prophets. God was the one and not Muhammad who guided him.

وَوَجَدَكَ ضَالًّا فَهَدَى (93:7)
93:7 (Picktall) Did He not find thee wandering and direct (thee)?

2- Same thing people around Muhammad (PBUH) were in dalal until Muhammad recited to them God's revelation:

هُوَ الَّذِي بَعَثَ فِي الْأُمِّيِّينَ رَسُولًا مِّنْهُمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِهِ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَإِن كَانُوا مِن قَبْلُ لَفِي ضَلَالٍ مُّبِينٍ (62:2)
62:2 (Picktall) He it is Who hath sent among the unlettered ones a messenger of their own, to recite unto them His revelations and to make them grow, and to teach them the Scripture and Wisdom, though heretofore they were indeed in error manifest,

3- Those who did not answer God revelation are in Dalal:

وَمَن لَّا يُجِبْ دَاعِيَ اللَّهِ فَلَيْسَ بِمُعْجِزٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَيْسَ لَهُ مِن دُونِهِ أَولِيَاء أُوْلَئِكَ فِي ضَلَالٍ مُّبِينٍ (46:32)
46:32 (Picktall) And whoso respondeth not to Allah's summoner he can nowise escape in the earth, and ye (can find) no protecting friends instead of Him. Such are in error manifest.

4- Their Dalal is the work of their hearts and minds: they made their ears deaf and eyes blind to his revelation.

أَفَأَنتَ تُسْمِعُ الصُّمَّ أَوْ تَهْدِي الْعُمْيَ وَمَن كَانَ فِي ضَلَالٍ مُّبِينٍ (43:40)
43:40 (Picktall) Canst thou (Muhammad) make the deaf to hear, or canst thou guide the blind or him who is in error manifest?

5- As God help us when we want guidance he extend the dalal of the wicked:

قُلْ مَن كَانَ فِي الضَّلَالَةِ فَلْيَمْدُدْ لَهُ الرَّحْمَنُ مَدًّا حَتَّى إِذَا رَأَوْا مَا يُوعَدُونَ إِمَّا الْعَذَابَ وَإِمَّا السَّاعَةَ فَسَيَعْلَمُونَ مَنْ هُوَ شَرٌّ مَّكَانًا وَأَضْعَفُ جُندًا (19:75) 19:75 (Picktall) Say: As for him who is in error, the Beneficent will verily prolong his span of life until, when they behold that which they were promised, whether it be punishment (in the world), or Hour (of Doom), they will know who is worse in position and who is weaker as an army.

أَفَمَن شَرَحَ اللَّهُ صَدْرَهُ لِلْإِسْلَامِ فَهُوَ عَلَى نُورٍ مِّن رَّبِّهِ فَوَيْلٌ لِّلْقَاسِيَةِ قُلُوبُهُم مِّن ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ أُوْلَئِكَ فِي ضَلَالٍ مُبِينٍ (39:22)
39:22 (Picktall) Is he whose bosom Allah hath expanded for the Surrender (unto Him), so that he followeth a light from His Lord, (as he who disbelieveth)? Then woe unto those whose hearts are hardened against remembrance of Allah. Such are in plain error.

6- They commonly choose dalal for material gain which is a bad deal if one to think trade:

أُوْلَـئِكَ الَّذِينَ اشْتَرُوُاْ الضَّلاَلَةَ بِالْهُدَى فَمَا رَبِحَت تِّجَارَتُهُمْ وَمَا كَانُواْ مُهْتَدِينَ (2:16)
2:16 (Picktall) These are they who purchase error at the price of guidance, so their commerce doth not prosper, neither are they guided. -

أُولَـئِكَ الَّذِينَ اشْتَرَوُاْ الضَّلاَلَةَ بِالْهُدَى وَالْعَذَابَ بِالْمَغْفِرَةِ فَمَآ أَصْبَرَهُمْ عَلَى النَّارِ (2:175)
2:175 (Picktall) 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! -

7- They call others besides God those who are not of help or harm to them which is severe dalal:

يَدْعُو مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ مَا لَا يَضُرُّهُ وَمَا لَا يَنفَعُهُ ذَلِكَ هُوَ الضَّلَالُ الْبَعِيدُ (22:12)
22:12 (Picktall) He calleth, beside Allah, unto that which hurteth him not nor benefiteth him. That is the far error.

هَذَا خَلْقُ اللَّهِ فَأَرُونِي مَاذَا خَلَقَ الَّذِينَ مِن دُونِهِ بَلِ الظَّالِمُونَ فِي ضَلَالٍ مُّبِينٍ (31:11)
31:11 (Picktall) This is the Creation of Allah. Now show me that which those (ye worship) beside Him have created. Nay, but the wrongdoers are in error manifest!

8- Some of the people of the book particularly the wicked Jews (not the good ones) used their book to buy in and lead others to dalal: related to their disobedience and their stand up against God and his prophets.

أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ نَصِيبًا مِّنَ الْكِتَابِ يَشْتَرُونَ الضَّلاَلَةَ وَيُرِيدُونَ أَن تَضِلُّواْ السَّبِيلَ (4:44)
4:44 (Picktall) 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?

9- Muhammad was not the only prophet some followed their guidance and others went in dalal:

وَلَقَدْ بَعَثْنَا فِي كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ رَّسُولاً أَنِ اعْبُدُواْ اللّهَ وَاجْتَنِبُواْ الطَّاغُوتَ فَمِنْهُم مَّنْ هَدَى اللّهُ وَمِنْهُم مَّنْ حَقَّتْ عَلَيْهِ الضَّلالَةُ فَسِيرُواْ فِي الأَرْضِ فَانظُرُواْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الْمُكَذِّبِينَ (16:36)
16:36 (Picktall) And verily We have raised in every nation a messenger, (proclaiming): Serve Allah and shun false gods. Then some of them (there were) whom Allah guided, and some of them (there were) upon whom error had just hold. Do but travel in the land and see the nature of the consequence for the deniers!

10- Ironically they would accuse the prophets of being in dalal:

قَالَ الْمَلأُ مِن قَوْمِهِ إِنَّا لَنَرَاكَ فِي ضَلاَلٍ مُّبِينٍ (7:60)
7:60 (Picktall) The chieftains of his people said: Lo! we see thee surely in plain error. -
Al-A'raf (The Heights)

قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ لَيْسَ بِي ضَلاَلَةٌ وَلَكِنِّي رَسُولٌ مِّن رَّبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ (7:61)
7:61 (Picktall) He said: O my people! There Is no error in me, but I am a messenger from the Lord of the Worlds.

11- Those who did not answer God call will be in manifest dalal in the day of judgement:

أَسْمِعْ بِهِمْ وَأَبْصِرْ يَوْمَ يَأْتُونَنَا لَكِنِ الظَّالِمُونَ الْيَوْمَ فِي ضَلَالٍ مُّبِينٍ (19:38)
19:38 (Picktall) See and hear them on the Day they come unto Us! Yet the evil-doers are today in error manifest.

12- Then at that day they will realize the dalal they were in:

وَاقْتَرَبَ الْوَعْدُ الْحَقُّ فَإِذَا هِيَ شَاخِصَةٌ أَبْصَارُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا يَا وَيْلَنَا قَدْ كُنَّا فِي غَفْلَةٍ مِّنْ هَذَا بَلْ كُنَّا ظَالِمِينَ (21:97)
21:97 (Picktall) And the True Promise draweth nigh; then behold them, staring wide (in terror), the eyes of those who disbelieve! (They say): Alas for us! We (lived) in forgetfulness of this. Ah, but we were wrong doers!

13- The evil spirit that influence our thoughts opposite to good spirit will try to save itself at that day: Human brain has two things remarkable the human will which is lower in animals and not existing in nature that follow its laws, Thus humans have the will power to make decisions, the chair does not move by itself but humans have the power to move the chairs. The other thing humans thoughts are flying and not necessarily follow the logic when can go from one thought to another and possibly this spirit is affecting us as well the holy and the evil spirits.

قَالَ قَرِينُهُ رَبَّنَا مَا أَطْغَيْتُهُ وَلَكِن كَانَ فِي ضَلَالٍ بَعِيدٍ (50:27)
50:27 (Picktall) His comrade saith: Our Lord! I did not cause him to rebel, but be was (himself) far gone in error.

14- Thus read the Quran the above verses and the Quran again and again if you do not accept the truth you are left with dalal:

فَذَلِكُمُ اللّهُ رَبُّكُمُ الْحَقُّ فَمَاذَا بَعْدَ الْحَقِّ إِلاَّ الضَّلاَلُ فَأَنَّى تُصْرَفُونَ (10:32)
10:32 (Picktall) Such then is Allah, your rightful Lord. After the Truth what is there saving error? How then are ye turned away!