إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ وَصَدُّوا۟ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ قَدْ ضَلُّوا۟ ضَلَـٰلًۢا بَعِيدًا 167
Translations
Indeed, those who disbelieve and avert [people] from the way of Allāh have certainly gone far astray.
Transliteration
Inna alladhina kafaroo wa saddu 'an sabili Allah qad dallu dalallan ba'eed
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah declares that those who disbelieve and actively prevent others from following Allah's path have gone far astray. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, the dual offense of kufr (disbelief) combined with saddu (turning people away from the path of Allah) compounds their misguidance, making their deviation profound and distant from the straight path. This emphasizes that those who not only reject faith themselves but actively work as obstacles to others' guidance face severe spiritual ruin.
Revelation Context
This verse appears in the context of Surah An-Nisa's broader discussion of the People of the Book and those who reject the message of Islam despite clear signs. The surah addresses the hypocrites and disbelievers of Medina who actively worked against the Muslim community. This particular ayah follows discussions of rejection and obstruction of Allah's path.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'Whoever guides someone to goodness will have a reward like one who did it himself, and whoever leads someone astray will have on him the burden like one who did it himself.' (Sahih Muslim 1893). This hadith complements the ayah by showing the severe responsibility of those who turn people away from guidance.
Themes
Key Lesson
Believers must recognize that misguidance intensifies when combined with deliberate obstruction of others' path to Allah; the responsibility to protect one's own faith and not become a barrier to others' guidance is paramount in Islamic practice.
Related Ayahs
وَٱلَّـٰتِى يَأْتِينَ ٱلْفَـٰحِشَةَ مِن نِّسَآئِكُمْ فَٱسْتَشْهِدُوا۟ عَلَيْهِنَّ أَرْبَعَةً مِّنكُمْ ۖ فَإِن شَهِدُوا۟ فَأَمْسِكُوهُنَّ فِى ٱلْبُيُوتِ حَتَّىٰ يَتَوَفَّىٰهُنَّ ٱلْمَوْتُ أَوْ يَجْعَلَ ٱللَّهُ لَهُنَّ سَبِيلًا
Those who commit immorality [i.e., unlawful sexual intercourse] of your women - bring against them four [witnesses] from among you. And if they testify, confine them [i.e., the guilty women] to houses until death takes them or Allāh ordains for them [another] way.
بَل رَّفَعَهُ ٱللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ ۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَزِيزًا حَكِيمًا
Rather, Allāh raised him to Himself. And ever is Allāh Exalted in Might and Wise.
مَّن كَانَ يُرِيدُ ثَوَابَ ٱلدُّنْيَا فَعِندَ ٱللَّهِ ثَوَابُ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ ۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ سَمِيعًۢا بَصِيرًا
Whoever desires the reward of this world - then with Allāh is the reward of this world and the Hereafter. And ever is Allāh Hearing and Seeing.
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَكْفُرُونَ بِٱللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِۦ وَيُرِيدُونَ أَن يُفَرِّقُوا۟ بَيْنَ ٱللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِۦ وَيَقُولُونَ نُؤْمِنُ بِبَعْضٍ وَنَكْفُرُ بِبَعْضٍ وَيُرِيدُونَ أَن يَتَّخِذُوا۟ بَيْنَ ذَٰلِكَ سَبِيلًا
Indeed, those who disbelieve in Allāh and His messengers and wish to discriminate between Allāh and His messengers and say, "We believe in some and disbelieve in others," and wish to adopt a way in between -