Misleading others and bearing their burden

إضلال الغير وحمل وزره

Sha'rawi holds that misguidance has several senses: going astray and being lost in a thing, failing to reach the truth, and knowing the law and then turning from it. Someone who misleads and also misleads others increases his burden by leading others astray. He uses this to distinguish two verses about bearing burdens. He reads the verse about a group among the People of the Book who wished to lead the believers astray as saying they lead only themselves astray, without success in the wider aim 1234.

Depth

At a glance

Era
The Prophetic Era
Region
Global / Diaspora
Review
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Ethics and characterIslam and Judaism

Summary

Sha'rawi reads the verse (Al Imran 69) as saying that a group among the People of the Book wished to mislead the believers, and that in fact they mislead only themselves. He uses this to explain what misleading others means and what it carries 1.

Senses of misguidance

Sha'rawi lists several senses of the word: going astray and being lost in a thing, as when a body is lost in the earth and dissolves; failing to find the way to the truth, as in the Prophet ﷺ's search before revelation; and knowing the law and then turning from it 23.

Misleading oneself and misleading others

Sha'rawi argues that someone who knows the law and rejects it adds to his sin by trying to lead others astray, so his misguidance doubles. He uses this to distinguish two verses about burdens: in one, no soul bears another's burden, while in the other, those who mislead carry their own burdens in full together with the burdens of those they led astray 34.

Note on this entry

This is Sha'rawi's reading alone, taken from a scanned copy whose edition is not yet verified, and it is presented under his name. His description of the group rests on his commentary and has not yet been checked against historical sources or other commentaries (needs_source). See also People of the Book and Mixing truth with falsehood.

People and things also explored

The covenant of God and oaths, and selling them for a little price· Ada' al-dayn (paying a debt: its ruling, the manner of payment, insolvency and the debts of the dead)· Ada' al-shahada (performing testimony: the duty on request, the excused witness, and the wording)· Manners of the Qur'an bearer· Biting and the liability for injury it causes (add)· Adha (harm of a slight kind: removing harmful things and the duty not to harm)· Justice and grace (adl wal-fadl)· Pardon (afw) in purity, worship, contracts and penalties

Sources

  1. Sha'rawi's Khawatir around the Holy Quran, volume one (scan copy) , p.1532
  2. Sha'rawi's Khawatir around the Holy Quran, volume one (scan copy) , p.1534
  3. Sha'rawi's Khawatir around the Holy Quran, volume one (scan copy) , p.1535
  4. Sha'rawi's Khawatir around the Holy Quran, volume one (scan copy) , p.1536
Cite this page

islam.museum contributors. “Misleading others and bearing their burden”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/concept/idlal-al-ghayr/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-10-23.

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Wing

People

Prophets, companions, scholars, rulers, scientists, poets, travelers: women and men who shaped the story.
Related

The covenant of God and oaths, and selling them for a little price

Sha'rawi holds that the verse threatening those who sell God's covenant and oaths for a small price applies to anyone who sells a sign of God for gain, in any age or religion. He says the occasion of its revelation concerned a group of the People of the Book who professed faith and then denied it for food and clothing. He reads the word khuluq as a settled disposition in the soul.