مَا ضَلَّ صَاحِبُكُمْ وَمَا غَوَىٰ 2
Translations
Your companion [i.e., Muḥammad] has not strayed, nor has he erred,
Transliteration
Maa dalla saahhibukum wa maa ghawa
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah is Allah's affirmation that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) has not strayed from the path of guidance, nor has he gone astray in his mission. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari interpret this as a divine testimony to the Prophet's infallibility in conveying the message, refuting the accusations of the Meccan disbelievers who claimed he was misguided or possessed. The terms 'dalla' (strayed) and 'ghawa' (erred) together emphasize complete absolution from any deviation in guidance or conduct.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the opening of Surah An-Najm, which is a Meccan surah revealed during a period of intense opposition to the Prophet's message. The surah begins with an oath by the star and directly addresses the disbelievers' doubts about the Prophet's integrity and guidance, establishing his truthfulness before describing the miraculous night journey and divine revelations.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet said, 'I have been sent with the most truthful speech' (Sahih Bukhari 4971). Additionally, Aisha reported that the Prophet's character was the Qur'an itself (Sunan Abu Dawud 1142), reflecting the perfection of his guidance.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds believers that the Prophet's guidance is divinely protected and trustworthy, encouraging us to have absolute confidence in following his teachings and Sunnah as a path to salvation and righteousness.