What does « Curvature / Deviation » mean in the Quran?

Discover the meaning of the word Curvature / Deviation (عوج) in the Quran, with 9 verses in which it appears, and a detailed explanation from Al-Raghib al-Asfahani's Mufradat fi gharib al-Qur'an.

عوج

Curvature / Deviation

Root: ع - ج

Quranic language 9 verses

Updated on 29 May 2026 at 7:00 AM

📖 2 min read

Definition of Curvature / Deviation

Al-'awaj: deviation from the state of straightness.

One says: I turned the camel by its bridle.

The Almighty says: 'There is no crookedness in it' (Al-Kahf 1).

The Quran is straight, without deviation or contradiction.

Curvature / Deviation in the Quran (9)

Meccan: 8 Medinan: 1

Distribution of verses by surah

Al-A'raf 2

Ta-Ha 2

Âl 'Imrân 1

Hud 1

Ibrahim 1

Al-Kahf 1

Az-Zumar 1

Surah Âl 'Imrân : 99 Medinan

﴿قُلْ يَٰٓأَهْلَ ٱلْكِتَٰبِ لِمَ تَصُدُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ مَنْ ءَامَنَ تَبْغُونَهَا عِوَجًا وَأَنتُمْ شُهَدَآءُ وَمَا ٱللَّهُ بِغَٰفِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ﴾

Say, "O People of the Scripture, why do you avert from the way of Allah those who believe, seeking to make it [seem] deviant, while you are witnesses [to the truth]? And Allah is not unaware of what you do."

Surah Al-A'raf : 45 Meccan

﴿ٱلَّذِينَ يَصُدُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَيَبْغُونَهَا عِوَجًا وَهُم بِٱلْءَاخِرَةِ كَٰفِرُونَ﴾

Who averted [people] from the way of Allah and sought to make it [seem] deviant while they were, concerning the Hereafter, disbelievers.

Surah Al-A'raf : 86 Meccan

﴿وَلَا تَقْعُدُوا۟ بِكُلِّ صِرَٰطٍ تُوعِدُونَ وَتَصُدُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ مَنْ ءَامَنَ بِهِۦ وَتَبْغُونَهَا عِوَجًا وَٱذْكُرُوٓا۟ إِذْ كُنتُمْ قَلِيلًا فَكَثَّرَكُمْ وَٱنظُرُوا۟ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَٰقِبَةُ ٱلْمُفْسِدِينَ﴾

And do not sit on every path, threatening and averting from the way of Allah 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.

Surah Hud : 19 Meccan

﴿ٱلَّذِينَ يَصُدُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَيَبْغُونَهَا عِوَجًا وَهُم بِٱلْءَاخِرَةِ هُمْ كَٰفِرُونَ﴾

Who averted [people] from the way of Allah and sought to make it [seem] deviant while they, concerning the Hereafter, were disbelievers.

Surah Ibrahim : 3 Meccan

﴿ٱلَّذِينَ يَسْتَحِبُّونَ ٱلْحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنْيَا عَلَى ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ وَيَصُدُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَيَبْغُونَهَا عِوَجًا أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ فِى ضَلَٰلٍۭ بَعِيدٍ﴾

The ones who prefer the worldly life over the Hereafter and avert [people] from the way of Allah, seeking to make it (seem) deviant. Those are in extreme error.

Surah Al-Kahf : 1 Meccan

﴿ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنزَلَ عَلَىٰ عَبْدِهِ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ وَلَمْ يَجْعَل لَّهُۥ عِوَجَا﴾

[All] praise is [due] to Allah, who has sent down upon His Servant the Book and has not made therein any deviance.

Surah Ta-Ha : 107 Meccan

﴿لَّا تَرَىٰ فِيهَا عِوَجًا وَلَآ أَمْتًا﴾

You will not see therein a depression or an elevation."

Surah Ta-Ha : 108 Meccan

﴿يَوْمَئِذٍ يَتَّبِعُونَ ٱلدَّاعِىَ لَا عِوَجَ لَهُۥ وَخَشَعَتِ ٱلْأَصْوَاتُ لِلرَّحْمَٰنِ فَلَا تَسْمَعُ إِلَّا هَمْسًا﴾

That Day, everyone will follow [the call of] the Caller [with] no deviation therefrom, and [all] voices will be stilled before the Most Merciful, so you will not hear except a whisper [of footsteps].

Surah Az-Zumar : 28 Meccan

﴿قُرْءَانًا عَرَبِيًّا غَيْرَ ذِى عِوَجٍ لَّعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّقُونَ﴾

[It is] an Arabic Qur'an, without any deviance that they might become righteous.