What does « To go astray / To seduce » mean in the Quran?

Discover the meaning of the word To go astray / To seduce (غوى) in the Quran, with 18 verses in which it appears, and a detailed explanation from Al-Raghib al-Asfahani's Mufradat fi gharib al-Qur'an.

غوى

To go astray / To seduce

Root: غ

Jurisprudence (fiqh) 18 verses

Updated on 29 May 2026 at 7:00 AM

📖 5 min read

Definition of To go astray / To seduce

Al-Ghayy refers to ignorance stemming from corrupt belief.

For ignorance may come from a person having no belief at all, or from having a corrupt belief.

Al-ghayy concerns the second case.

The Almighty says: 'And they have led astray many people' (Ibrahim 36), and: 'Your companion has not strayed' (An-Najm 2).

Al-Ghāwī is one who follows their desires.

To go astray / To seduce in the Quran (18)

Meccan: 17 Medinan: 1

Distribution of verses by surah

Al-A'raf 4

Ash-Shu'ara 3

Al-Hijr 2

Al-Qasas 2

Al-Baqara 1

Hud 1

Maryam 1

Ta-Ha 1

As-Saffat 1

Sad 1

+ 1 more surahs

Surah Al-Baqara : 256 Medinan

﴿لَآ إِكْرَاهَ فِى ٱلدِّينِ قَد تَّبَيَّنَ ٱلرُّشْدُ مِنَ ٱلْغَىِّ فَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِٱلطَّٰغُوتِ وَيُؤْمِنۢ بِٱللَّهِ فَقَدِ ٱسْتَمْسَكَ بِٱلْعُرْوَةِ ٱلْوُثْقَىٰ لَا ٱنفِصَامَ لَهَا وَٱللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ﴾

There shall be no compulsion in [acceptance of] the religion. The right course has become clear from the wrong. So whoever disbelieves in Taghut and believes in Allah has grasped the most trustworthy handhold with no break in it. And Allah is Hearing and Knowing.

Surah Al-A'raf : 16 Meccan

﴿قَالَ فَبِمَآ أَغْوَيْتَنِى لَأَقْعُدَنَّ لَهُمْ صِرَٰطَكَ ٱلْمُسْتَقِيمَ﴾

[Satan] said, "Because You have put me in error, I will surely sit in wait for them on Your straight path.

Surah Al-A'raf : 146 Meccan

﴿سَأَصْرِفُ عَنْ ءَايَٰتِىَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَتَكَبَّرُونَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ بِغَيْرِ ٱلْحَقِّ وَإِن يَرَوْا۟ كُلَّ ءَايَةٍ لَّا يُؤْمِنُوا۟ بِهَا وَإِن يَرَوْا۟ سَبِيلَ ٱلرُّشْدِ لَا يَتَّخِذُوهُ سَبِيلًا وَإِن يَرَوْا۟ سَبِيلَ ٱلْغَىِّ يَتَّخِذُوهُ سَبِيلًا ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا وَكَانُوا۟ عَنْهَا غَٰفِلِينَ﴾

I will turn away from My signs those who are arrogant upon the earth without right; and if they should see every sign, they will not believe in it. And if they see the way of consciousness, they will not adopt it as a way; but if they see the way of error, they will adopt it as a way. That is because they have denied Our signs and they were heedless of them.

Surah Al-A'raf : 175 Meccan

﴿وَٱتْلُ عَلَيْهِمْ نَبَأَ ٱلَّذِىٓ ءَاتَيْنَٰهُ ءَايَٰتِنَا فَٱنسَلَخَ مِنْهَا فَأَتْبَعَهُ ٱلشَّيْطَٰنُ فَكَانَ مِنَ ٱلْغَاوِينَ﴾

And recite to them, [O Muhammad], the news of him to whom we gave [knowledge of] Our signs, but he detached himself from them; so Satan pursued him, and he became of the deviators.

Surah Al-A'raf : 202 Meccan

﴿وَإِخْوَٰنُهُمْ يَمُدُّونَهُمْ فِى ٱلْغَىِّ ثُمَّ لَا يُقْصِرُونَ﴾

But their brothers - the devils increase them in error; then they do not stop short.

Surah Hud : 34 Meccan

﴿وَلَا يَنفَعُكُمْ نُصْحِىٓ إِنْ أَرَدتُّ أَنْ أَنصَحَ لَكُمْ إِن كَانَ ٱللَّهُ يُرِيدُ أَن يُغْوِيَكُمْ هُوَ رَبُّكُمْ وَإِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ﴾

And my advice will not benefit you - although I wished to advise you - If Allah should intend to put you in error. He is your Lord, and to Him you will be returned."

Surah Al-Hijr : 39 Meccan

﴿قَالَ رَبِّ بِمَآ أَغْوَيْتَنِى لَأُزَيِّنَنَّ لَهُمْ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَلَأُغْوِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ﴾

[Iblees] said, "My Lord, because You have put me in error, I will surely make [disobedience] attractive to them on earth, and I will mislead them all

Surah Al-Hijr : 42 Meccan

﴿إِنَّ عِبَادِى لَيْسَ لَكَ عَلَيْهِمْ سُلْطَٰنٌ إِلَّا مَنِ ٱتَّبَعَكَ مِنَ ٱلْغَاوِينَ﴾

Indeed, My servants - no authority will you have over them, except those who follow you of the deviators.

Surah Maryam : 59 Meccan

﴿فَخَلَفَ مِنۢ بَعْدِهِمْ خَلْفٌ أَضَاعُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَٱتَّبَعُوا۟ ٱلشَّهَوَٰتِ فَسَوْفَ يَلْقَوْنَ غَيًّا﴾

But there came after them successors who neglected prayer and pursued desires; so they are going to meet evil -

Surah Ta-Ha : 121 Meccan

﴿فَأَكَلَا مِنْهَا فَبَدَتْ لَهُمَا سَوْءَٰتُهُمَا وَطَفِقَا يَخْصِفَانِ عَلَيْهِمَا مِن وَرَقِ ٱلْجَنَّةِ وَعَصَىٰٓ ءَادَمُ رَبَّهُۥ فَغَوَىٰ﴾

And Adam and his wife ate of it, and their private parts became apparent to them, and they began to fasten over themselves from the leaves of Paradise. And Adam disobeyed his Lord and erred.

Surah Ash-Shu'ara : 91 Meccan

﴿وَبُرِّزَتِ ٱلْجَحِيمُ لِلْغَاوِينَ﴾

And Hellfire will be brought forth for the deviators,

Surah Ash-Shu'ara : 94 Meccan

﴿فَكُبْكِبُوا۟ فِيهَا هُمْ وَٱلْغَاوُۥنَ﴾

So they will be overturned into Hellfire, they and the deviators

Surah Ash-Shu'ara : 224 Meccan

﴿وَٱلشُّعَرَآءُ يَتَّبِعُهُمُ ٱلْغَاوُۥنَ﴾

And the poets - [only] the deviators follow them;

Surah Al-Qasas : 18 Meccan

﴿فَأَصْبَحَ فِى ٱلْمَدِينَةِ خَآئِفًا يَتَرَقَّبُ فَإِذَا ٱلَّذِى ٱسْتَنصَرَهُۥ بِٱلْأَمْسِ يَسْتَصْرِخُهُۥ قَالَ لَهُۥ مُوسَىٰٓ إِنَّكَ لَغَوِىٌّ مُّبِينٌ﴾

And he became inside the city fearful and anticipating [exposure], when suddenly the one who sought his help the previous day cried out to him [once again]. Moses said to him, "Indeed, you are an evident, [persistent] deviator."

Surah Al-Qasas : 63 Meccan

﴿قَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ حَقَّ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلْقَوْلُ رَبَّنَا هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ ٱلَّذِينَ أَغْوَيْنَآ أَغْوَيْنَٰهُمْ كَمَا غَوَيْنَا تَبَرَّأْنَآ إِلَيْكَ مَا كَانُوٓا۟ إِيَّانَا يَعْبُدُونَ﴾

Those upon whom the word will have come into effect will say, "Our Lord, these are the ones we led to error. We led them to error just as we were in error. We declare our disassociation [from them] to You. They did not used to worship us."

Surah As-Saffat : 32 Meccan

﴿فَأَغْوَيْنَٰكُمْ إِنَّا كُنَّا غَٰوِينَ﴾

And we led you to deviation; indeed, we were deviators."

Surah Sad : 82 Meccan

﴿قَالَ فَبِعِزَّتِكَ لَأُغْوِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ﴾

[Iblees] said, "By your might, I will surely mislead them all

Surah An-Najm : 2 Meccan

﴿مَا ضَلَّ صَاحِبُكُمْ وَمَا غَوَىٰ﴾

Your companion [Muhammad] has not strayed, nor has he erred,