What does « Excess / Misguidance » mean in the Quran?

Discover the meaning of the word Excess / Misguidance (شطط) in the Quran, with 3 verses in which it appears, and a detailed explanation from Al-Raghib al-Asfahani's Mufradat fi gharib al-Qur'an.

شطط

Excess / Misguidance

Root: ش - ط - ط

Quranic language 3 verses

Updated on 29 May 2026 at 7:00 AM

📖 1 min read

Definition of Excess / Misguidance

Ash-shatat: excess in distance.

One says: the house became excessively far.

The Almighty says: 'we would have said an excessive statement' (Al-Kahf 14). 'An unjust word' (Al-Jinn 4).

Excess in words or deeds departs from truth.

Excess / Misguidance in the Quran (3)

Meccan: 3 Medinan: 0

Distribution of verses by surah

Al-Kahf 1

Sad 1

Al-Jinn 1

Surah Al-Kahf : 14 Meccan

﴿وَرَبَطْنَا عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ إِذْ قَامُوا۟ فَقَالُوا۟ رَبُّنَا رَبُّ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ لَن نَّدْعُوَا۟ مِن دُونِهِۦٓ إِلَٰهًا لَّقَدْ قُلْنَآ إِذًا شَطَطًا﴾

And We made firm their hearts when they stood up and said, "Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. Never will we invoke besides Him any deity. We would have certainly spoken, then, an excessive transgression.

Surah Sad : 22 Meccan

﴿إِذْ دَخَلُوا۟ عَلَىٰ دَاوُۥدَ فَفَزِعَ مِنْهُمْ قَالُوا۟ لَا تَخَفْ خَصْمَانِ بَغَىٰ بَعْضُنَا عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ فَٱحْكُم بَيْنَنَا بِٱلْحَقِّ وَلَا تُشْطِطْ وَٱهْدِنَآ إِلَىٰ سَوَآءِ ٱلصِّرَٰطِ﴾

When they entered upon David and he was alarmed by them? They said, "Fear not. [We are] two adversaries, one of whom has wronged the other, so judge between us with truth and do not exceed [it] and guide us to the sound path.

Surah Al-Jinn : 4 Meccan

﴿وَأَنَّهُۥ كَانَ يَقُولُ سَفِيهُنَا عَلَى ٱللَّهِ شَطَطًا﴾

And that our foolish one has been saying about Allah an excessive transgression.