191 instances of dalla including its derived forms in the Quran as shown in the table below are reviewed to better understand their meaning in different contexts that upon reviewing the messages in different contexts may help us to confirm whether we are in astray or we are the guided ones:
Note: The above table is populated with the data obtained from the corpus.quran.com.
Instances of adalla
There are 53 instances of dalla (ضَلَّ) in the verb I form in the Quran literally mean “to go astray”, while we know that an Arabic word may have a range of meanings depending on the contexts, which is a key concept to interpret the message coded in the Arabic text of the Quran. Here are the details of these instances found in 48 verses across 27 surahs in the Quran to better understand its meaning in different contexts and help us prevent from going astray from the path of God and avoid idol worship, which is an unforgiveable sin if maintained until death:
[2:108] Or do you wish that you ask your messenger like that Moses had been asked from before? And whoever exchanges the disbelief with the faith, then certainly, he has gone astray (dalla) from an evenness of the path.
[2:282] O you who have believed, when you have contracted one another of any debt for a fixed period, then you shall write it and a scribe shall write between of you with the justice. And a scribe should not refuse that he writes like that God has taught him. So he shall write and the one on whom is the right shall dictate. And he shall fear God, his Lord and will not diminish anything from it. Then if the one on him is the right of a limited knowledge, or weak, or he is not able to dictate, then his guardian shall dictate with the justice, and shall call for two witnesses from your men, then if there are not two men, then one man and two women you agree of the witnesses that she errs (tadilla) of the two, the other one of the two will remind. And the witnesses should not refuse when that they have been called. And you do not be weary that you write it whether lesser or greater for its term. That is more just with God and straighter for the evidence and nearer that you do not have doubt except that a transaction be present, you carry out among yourselves, then it has not been any sin upon you that you do not write. And you shall have witness when you have made an commercial transaction. A scribe should not be harmed, nor a witness, and if you do, then indeed, it is a sinful conduct for you, and you shall fear God. And God teaches you and God is Knower of everything.
[4:44] Do you not look at those who have been given a portion of the scripture, they purchase the straying, and wish that you (people) go to astray (tadilluu) from the path (of God)?
[4:116] Indeed, God does not forgive if it is associated partners with Him, while He forgives what is other than that for whomever He wills. And whoever associates partners with God, then certainly, he has gone astray (dalla) a faraway straying.
[4:136] O you who have believed, you shall believe in God and His messenger, and the scripture which He has sent down to His messenger (prophet), and the scripture which He had sent down from before. And whoever disbelieves in God, and His angels, and His scriptures, and His messengers, and the Last Day, then certainly, he has gone astray (dalla) a faraway straying.
[4:167] Indeed, those who have disbelieved and have hindered from a path of God, certainly, they have gone astray (dalluu) a faraway straying.
[4:176] They ask you (about a single person); say (prophet), “God gives you about the single person. If a man has died, there has been no child for him, and he has a sister, then for her is a half of what he has left, while he inherits from her, if there is no children for her. But if there have been two sisters, then for them are two-thirds of what he has left, and if there have been siblings of men and women, then for the male is like a share of the two females.” God makes clear for you, lest you go astray (tadilluu). And God is Knower of everything.
[5:12] And certainly, God had taken a covenant of Children of Israel, and we have raised twelve leaders from them. And God said, “Indeed, I am with you, if you have established the salat prayer, and have given the zakah, and have believed in My messengers and have supported them, and have loaned a good loan to God, surely, I will remove your evil deeds from you, and surely, I will admit you into gardens flowing the rivers from underneath of them. But whoever has disbelieved after that from you, then certainly, he has gone astray (dalla) from an evenness of the path.”
[5:77] Say, “O people of the scripture, do not exceed in your religion other than the truth, and do not follow desires of a people certainly, they have gone astray (dalluu) from before, and have misled many, and have gone astray (wa-dalluu) from an evenness of the path.”
[5:105] O you who have believed, upon you is your souls. None can harm you whoever has gone astray (dalla) when you have been guided. To God is all your return, then He will inform you of what you have done to achieve.
[6:24] Look how they have lied against themselves, and there has gone away (wa-dalla) from them what they had done to invent.
[6:56] Say, “Indeed, I (prophet) have been forbidden that I worship those whom you call other than God.” Say, “I do not follow your desires, certainly, I would have gone astray (dalaltu) and I would not be among the guided ones.”
[6:94] And certainly, you have come to us as individuals like that we have created you first time, and you have left behind your backs whatever we had given you, and we do not see with you your intercessors those whom you had claimed that they were partners in you. Certainly, there has been severed between of you and there has gone away (wa-dalla) from you what you had done to claim.”
[6:117] Indeed, your (prophet) Lord – He is Knower of whoever goes astray (yadillu) from His path, and He is Knower of the guided ones.
[6:140] Certainly there has lost those who have killed their children in foolishness having no knowledge and have forbidden what God has provided for them inventing against God; certainly, they have gone astray (dalluu) and they have not been the guided ones.
[7:37] Then who is more wicked than whoever has invented lie against God, or has denied in His revelations? Those – their portion will reach them from the scripture, until when there has come our messengers (angels) to put them in death they said, “Where is whom you had done to call other than God?” They said, “They have gone away (dalluu) from us.” and they have borne witness against themselves that they had been disbelievers.
[7:53] Are they waiting except for fulfillment of it? A day comes its fulfillment, will say those who had forgotten it from before, “Certainly, there had come messengers of our Lord with the truth, so, are there any intercessors for us that they may intercede for or are we sent back, so that we can do other than that which we had done to do?” Certainly, they have lost their souls, and has gone away (wa-dalla) from them what they had done to invent.
[7:149] And when it has been made to fall into their hands, and they had seen that they certainly had gone astray (dalluu), they said, “Surely, if our Lord does not have mercy upon us and forgives for us, surely, we would be among the losers.”
[9:37] Indeed, the postponing is an increase in the disbelief, is led astray (yudallu) by it those who have disbelieved. They make it lawful one year and make it unlawful another year to adjust a number, which God has made unlawful, is making lawful what God has made unlawful. There has been made fair seeming to them an evil of their deeds, and God does not guide the disbelieving people.
[10:30] That is when every soul will know for what it had done, and they have been returned to God, their Lord, the Truth, and has gone away (wa-dalla) from them what they had done to invent.
[10:108] Say, “O mankind; certainly, there has come to you the truth from your Lord. So, whoever has been guided, then he is only guided for his soul, and whoever has gone astray (dalla), then he only goes astray (yadillu) against it (soul). And I am not over you of a guardian.”
[11:21] Those are the ones who have lost their souls and has gone away (wa-dalla) what they had done to invent.
[16:87] And they have offered the peace to God on that day and has gone away (wa-dalla) from them what they had done to invent.
[16:125] You (prophet) shall call to a path of your Lord with the wisdom and the good admonition and shall debate with them in that which is best. Indeed, your Lord, He is Knower of who has gone astray (dalla) from His path, and He is Knower of the guided ones.
[17:15] Whoever has been guided, then he is only guided for his soul, and whoever has gone astray (dalla), then he only goes astray (yadillu) against it (soul). And a bearer of burden will not bear a burden of another, and we have not been punishers until we send a messenger.
[17:48] See how they have sent forth the examples for you (prophet) that they have gone astray (fa-dalluu); so they cannot find a way.
[17:67] And when the hardship has touched you in the sea, there has gone away (dalla) who you call except Him alone. Then when He has delivered you to the land, you have turned away. And it has been ungrateful the human beings.
[18:104] Those – there has gone astray (dalla) of their effort in the life of the world, while they think that they are doing good work.”
[20:52] He (Moses) said, “Its knowledge is with my Lord in a record. My Lord does not err (laa-yadillu), nor does He forget.”
[20:92] He (Moses) said, “O Aaron, what has prevented when you have found them they have gone astray (dalluu).
[20:123] He (God) said, “Go down all from it as enemy of you to other. Then when guidance comes to you from Me, then whoever has followed My guidance, then he will not go astray (fa-laa yadillu), nor will he suffer.
[25:9] See how they have sent forth the examples for you (prophet) that they have gone astray (fa-dalluu), so, they cannot find a way.
[25:17] A day He will gather them and what they worship other than God, then He will say, “Have you misled My servants of these, or they have gone astray (dalluu) to the path?”
[27:92] And that I (prophet) recite the Quran. Then whoever has been guided, then he only guides for his soul, and whoever has gone astray (dalla), then say, “I am only one of the warners.”
[28:75] And we will raise a witness from every community, then we will say, “Bring your proof.” Then they will know that the truth belongs to God, and there has gone away (wa-dalla) what they had done to invent.
[32:10] And they said, “Is it when we have lost (dalalnaa) in the earth, will we surely be in a new creation? Nay, they are disbelievers in a meeting of their Lord.
[33:36] And it has not been for a believing man nor a believing woman, when has decided God and His messenger a matter that there should be for them any choice of their affair. And whoever disobeys God and His messenger, then certainly, he has gone astray (dalla) a clear straying.
[34:50] Say, “If I (prophet) have gone astray (dalaltu), then only I will go astray (adillu) against my soul. And if I have been guided, then with that (Quran) my Lord reveals to me. Indeed, He is Hearer, Near.”
[37:71] And certainly, there had gone astray (dalla) most people of the previous generations before of them.
[38:26] O David, we have made you a ruler in the earth. So, you shall judge between the people with the truth, and do not follow the desire, then it will lead you astray (fa-yudallaka) from a path of God. Indeed, those who go astray (yadilluuna) from a path of God, for them there is a severe punishment for that they had forgotten a day of the Reckoning.
[39:41] Indeed, we have sent down to you (prophet) the scripture with the truth for the people. So, whoever has been guided, then it is for his soul, and whoever has gone astray (dalla), then only he goes astray (yadillu) against it (soul). And you (prophet) are not over them of an advocate.
[40:74] “Other than God?” They said, “They have gone away (dalluu) from us. Nay, we would not do to call anything before.” Thus that God lets go astray (yudillu) the disbelievers.
[41:48] And has gone away (wa-dalla) from them what they had done to call before, while they have ascertained that for them there is no place of escape.
[46:28] Then why has not helped them those whom they had taken gods other than God as an approach of worship? Nay, they have gone away (dalluu) from them, and that was their falsehood and what they had done to invent.
[53:2] Your companion (prophet) has not gone astray (laa-dalla), nor has he (prophet) done wrong.
[53:30] That is their extent of the knowledge. Indeed, your (prophet) Lord – He is Knower of whoever has gone astray (dalla) from His path, and He is Knower of who has been guided.
[60:1] O you who have believed, do not have allies with My enemies and your enemies, extending towards them with the love, while certainly, they have disbelieved in what has come to you of the truth, driving out the messenger and yourselves that you believe in God, your Lord, if you have come forth striving in My way and seeking My pleasure that you confide to them with the love, and I am Knower of what you conceal and what you declare. And whoever does it from you, then certainly, he has gone astray (dalla) from an evenness of the path.
[68:7] Indeed, your (prophet) Lord – He is Knower of whoever has gone astray (dalla) from His path, and He is Knower of the guided ones.
Conclusion
We can stay in the path of God with our appropriate beliefs and perfect practices of His religion following the guidance comes from Him knowing our return to Him. He has sent down the scripture with the truth for the people, and whoever has been guided, it is for his soul, and whoever has gone astray, it is against his soul. Thus, God is Knower of those who have been guided and also of those who have gone astray. The disbelievers have purchased the disbelief with the faith and the straying, while they wish others to go astray and hinder from His path. Those who have claimed intercessors have gone astray and will ask God to send them back when they see the punishment and would not find their intercessors on a day of the Judgment. Those who have taken gods other than God have gone astray and will lie that they would not call anything before. God does not guide the disbelievers, and their deeds were made fair seeming to them in the world, but they think that they are doing good. When records are given, the believers will find mercy and forgiveness of their Lord. God will ask those who had misled His servants, while Idol worship is an unforgiveable sin found in practices of many people, but they would not realize it except on a day of the Judgment.
Peaceful Friday, salaam and God bless.
Tafazzal (02/07/2025.