ٱلَّذِينَ يَصُدُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَيَبْغُونَهَا عِوَجًا وَهُم بِٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ كَـٰفِرُونَ 45
Translations
Who averted [people] from the way of Allāh and sought to make it [seem] deviant while they were, concerning the Hereafter, disbelievers."
Transliteration
Alladhina yasuddun 'an sabili-llahi wa yabghunaha 'iwajan wa hum bi-al-akhirati kafirun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes those who actively obstruct people from the path of Allah and seek to distort it, while denying the Hereafter. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, these are the disbelievers and those who spread misguidance; their rejection of the Afterlife is the root cause of their willingness to prevent others from following Allah's straight path, as they have no fear of divine accountability. Al-Qurtubi emphasizes that the phrase 'seeking it crooked' (yabghunaha 'iwajan) refers to their deliberate attempts to make Allah's religion appear flawed or to introduce innovations into it.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of Surah Al-A'raf's broader discussion of the signs of Allah and the rejection thereof by disbelievers. It is part of a passage addressing those who reject the Message of the Prophets; the immediate context involves the people of 'Ad and their response to Prophet Hud, illustrating the eternal pattern of rejection and obstruction of truth.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'Whoever calls to guidance will receive a reward equal to the rewards of all those who follow him, without their rewards being diminished in any way. And whoever calls to misguidance will bear the sin of it, along with the sins of all those who follow him, without their sins being diminished in any way.' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi, Sahih Muslim) - This hadith illustrates the gravity of leading people away from Allah's path.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds believers to remain vigilant against those who seek to distort Islamic teaching and to recognize that denial of the Afterlife motivates hostility toward faith itself. The lesson teaches us that true conviction in Allah's religion requires firm belief in accountability in the Hereafter, and that protecting the integrity of Allah's path is a responsibility for all believers.
Related Ayahs
وَلَا تَقْعُدُوا۟ بِكُلِّ صِرَٰطٍ تُوعِدُونَ وَتَصُدُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ مَنْ ءَامَنَ بِهِۦ وَتَبْغُونَهَا عِوَجًا ۚ وَٱذْكُرُوٓا۟ إِذْ كُنتُمْ قَلِيلًا فَكَثَّرَكُمْ ۖ وَٱنظُرُوا۟ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَـٰقِبَةُ ٱلْمُفْسِدِينَ
And do not sit on every path, threatening and averting from the way of Allāh those who believe in Him, seeking to make it [seem] deviant. And remember when you were few and He increased you. And see how was the end of the corrupters.
فَتَوَلَّىٰ عَنْهُمْ وَقَالَ يَـٰقَوْمِ لَقَدْ أَبْلَغْتُكُمْ رِسَـٰلَـٰتِ رَبِّى وَنَصَحْتُ لَكُمْ ۖ فَكَيْفَ ءَاسَىٰ عَلَىٰ قَوْمٍ كَـٰفِرِينَ
And he [i.e., Shuʿayb] turned away from them and said, "O my people, I had certainly conveyed to you the messages of my Lord and advised you, so how could I grieve for a disbelieving people?"
حَقِيقٌ عَلَىٰٓ أَن لَّآ أَقُولَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ إِلَّا ٱلْحَقَّ ۚ قَدْ جِئْتُكُم بِبَيِّنَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ فَأَرْسِلْ مَعِىَ بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ
[Who is] obligated not to say about Allāh except the truth. I have come to you with clear evidence from your Lord, so send with me the Children of Israel."
وَٱخْتَارَ مُوسَىٰ قَوْمَهُۥ سَبْعِينَ رَجُلًا لِّمِيقَـٰتِنَا ۖ فَلَمَّآ أَخَذَتْهُمُ ٱلرَّجْفَةُ قَالَ رَبِّ لَوْ شِئْتَ أَهْلَكْتَهُم مِّن قَبْلُ وَإِيَّـٰىَ ۖ أَتُهْلِكُنَا بِمَا فَعَلَ ٱلسُّفَهَآءُ مِنَّآ ۖ إِنْ هِىَ إِلَّا فِتْنَتُكَ تُضِلُّ بِهَا مَن تَشَآءُ وَتَهْدِى مَن تَشَآءُ ۖ أَنتَ وَلِيُّنَا فَٱغْفِرْ لَنَا وَٱرْحَمْنَا ۖ وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ ٱلْغَـٰفِرِينَ
And Moses chose from his people seventy men for Our appointment. And when the earthquake seized them, he said, "My Lord, if You had willed, You could have destroyed them before and me [as well]. Would You destroy us for what the foolish among us have done? This is not but Your trial by which You send astray whom You will and guide whom You will. You are our Protector, so forgive us and have mercy upon us; and You are the best of forgivers.