ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنزَلَ عَلَىٰ عَبْدِهِ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ وَلَمْ يَجْعَل لَّهُۥ عِوَجَا ۜ 1
Translations
[All] praise is [due] to Allāh, who has sent down upon His Servant [Muḥammad (ﷺ)] the Book and has not made therein any deviance.
Transliteration
Al-hamdu lillahi alladhi anzala ala abdih al-kitaba walam yajal lahu iwaja
Tafsir (Explanation)
This opening ayah praises Allah for revealing the Quran to His servant Muhammad (peace be upon him) in a straight and perfect manner without any crookedness or deviation. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir emphasize that 'iwaja' (crookedness) refers to the absence of contradictions, errors, or deviations from truth in the Quranic text, highlighting the divine perfection and preservation of the scripture. Al-Qurtubi notes that this declaration of praise establishes the Quran's unique status as a flawless revelation from the All-Knowing, All-Wise Creator.
Revelation Context
Surah Al-Kahf was revealed in the middle Meccan period to strengthen the believers during early persecution and to address the polytheists' challenges to the Prophet's message. This opening ayah serves as an affirmation of the Quran's divine origin and perfection, countering the accusations of those who claimed it was fabricated or contained human errors.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: 'Verily this Quran is a rope of Allah, it is light and a healing' (Musnad Ahmad). Additionally, 'The best among you are those who learn the Quran and teach it' (Sahih Bukhari 5027).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us to recognize the Quran as a divinely preserved, flawless guide from Allah and to approach it with reverence and gratitude. It invites believers to find confidence in following the Quranic teachings as they are free from contradiction and deviation, making it a reliable source of spiritual and moral guidance for all times.
Related Ayahs
وَلَقَدْ رَءَاهُ بِٱلْأُفُقِ ٱلْمُبِينِ
And he has already seen him [i.e., Gabriel] in the clear horizon.
تَنزِيلُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ لَا رَيْبَ فِيهِ مِن رَّبِّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ
[This is] the revelation of the Book about which there is no doubt from the Lord of the worlds.
وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ ٱفْتَرَىٰ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ كَذِبًا أَوْ قَالَ أُوحِىَ إِلَىَّ وَلَمْ يُوحَ إِلَيْهِ شَىْءٌ وَمَن قَالَ سَأُنزِلُ مِثْلَ مَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ ۗ وَلَوْ تَرَىٰٓ إِذِ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ فِى غَمَرَٰتِ ٱلْمَوْتِ وَٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ بَاسِطُوٓا۟ أَيْدِيهِمْ أَخْرِجُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَكُمُ ۖ ٱلْيَوْمَ تُجْزَوْنَ عَذَابَ ٱلْهُونِ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَقُولُونَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ غَيْرَ ٱلْحَقِّ وَكُنتُمْ عَنْ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦ تَسْتَكْبِرُونَ
And who is more unjust than one who invents a lie about Allāh or says, "It has been inspired to me," while nothing has been inspired to him, and one who says, "I will reveal [something] like what Allāh revealed." And if you could but see when the wrongdoers are in the overwhelming pangs of death while the angels extend their hands, [saying], "Discharge your souls! Today you will be awarded the punishment of [extreme] humiliation for what you used to say against Allāh other than the truth and [that] you were, toward His verses, being arrogant."
نَزَّلَ عَلَيْكَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ بِٱلْحَقِّ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ وَأَنزَلَ ٱلتَّوْرَىٰةَ وَٱلْإِنجِيلَ
He has sent down upon you, [O Muḥammad], the Book in truth, confirming what was before it. And He revealed the Torah and the Gospel