Surah 18. Al-Kahf, Ayah 1

Lit., "and has not given it any deviousness". The term 'iwaj signifies "crookedness", "tortuousness" or "deviation" (e.g., from a path), as well as "distortion" or "deviousness" in the abstract sense of these words. The above phrase is meant to establish the direct, unambiguous character of the Qur’an and to stress its freedom from all obscurities and internal contradictions: cf. 4:82 - "Had it issued from any but God, they would surely have found in it many an inner contradiction!"

 Muḥammad (ﷺ).

See n. 2324 to xvii. 111. The theme of the last Sura, that Allah is good and worthy of all praise from His creatures, to whom He has granted a clear revelation, is continued in this Sura. The spirit of man makes gradual progress upwards, through the grace and mercy of Allah.

Some people's idea of a Sacred Book is that it should be full of mysteries-dark corners, ambiguous expressions, words so far removed from human speech that they cover anything or nothing. Pagan oracles were couched in language which suggested one meaning to the hearer and claimed to have the very opposite meaning in the light of events which actually happened subsequently. They were distinctly crooked, not straight. In the next verse the word "Straight" (qaiyim) is used to characterize the Qur-an, in contrast to this word "crooked" ('iwaj). See also xix. 36 n. 2488.