Surah al-Kahf, verse 11-22
Then, Allah embarked upon the story of the People of the Cave, which is the main point of this
Surah. He said:
11. “Then We set over their ears (a curtain of sleep) in the Cave for a number of years.”
12. “Then, We awakened them that We may know which of the two parties had better measured the period
of time that they had tarried. ”
13. “We are narrating their story to You in truth. Indeed, they were a group of youths who believed in
their Lord. So, We increased them in guidance”
Then Allah told the first part of the People of the Cave's narrative. He stated:
The prayer of ‘the Companions of the Cave’ was then accepted by Allah and their ears are
specifically addressed in regard to this veiling because, while all of their senses were equally
shrouded during their slumber, hearing is the sense that is most in need of a veil, as it is the
most common manner of awakening a person. When Allah said they are in the cave for a
number of years it is either for a long period of time, a short period of time, or a few years. The
[demonstration] of Allah's total power is more becoming of a large number of years, whereas
the manner in which Allah denied that the story of the People of the Cave was more amazing
than any of His other signs is more befitting of a short number of years. Indeed, their stay in
the cave was merely a fraction of a day spent with Allah (Exalted is He). In verse 12, Allah
said “Then, We awakened them that We may know”, which means "We roused them from that
death-like slumber so that We might know." This refers to the ability to witness something.
"We awakened them," in other words, so that Our knowledge would have an immediate
connection [with the matter] after its previous connection. “Which of the two parties” is then
related to the two groups of People of the Cave who disagreed on how long they had stayed,
with one group saying, "We stayed a day or part of a day," as would be explained later. The
last part of verse 12 indicates who "had been more accurate in measuring the length of their
stay." Allah made their inadequacy clear to them by the fact that they didn't know how long
they'd been there, so they might entrust this problem to the All-Knowing and All-Aware. Allah
withheld this information from them so that they could recognise their situation and understand
how Allah had protected their bodies and religion. And Allah looked for them in order for them
to have more faith in Allah's Perfect Power and Knowledge, as well as a belief in the afterdeath resurrection. Allah's withholding of information about how long they stayed in the cave
was a subtle compassion for the believers of the time, a clear evidence against the cave's
disbelievers, and a model for those who would come after them. These are some of the lessons
they learned after waking up from their nap. And Allah is All-Wise and All-Knowing. “We are
narrating their story” in verse 13 implies a significant and important report, a complicated tale.
The word “in Truth” means it is done in such a way that it is unaffected by lies or scepticism.
“Who believed in their Lord” is the inclination to mention [His Attribute] of Lordship
[rububiyyah], which denotes His protection and care. “So, We increased them in guidance” By
causing them to take a hard stance. And We revealed to them Our hidden graces, to the point
where they preferred extermination to eternal life. And, because of His intense concern for their
position, there is some thoughtful care in the words.
14. “And We made firm their hearts when they stood and said, “Our Lord is the Lord of the Heavens and
the Earth! We will not call upon any god other than Him. If we were to do that, we would surely have said
a transgressive word”
15. “These, our people, have taken gods besides Him. Why do they not bring forth an authoritative proof
for them? And who is more wrongful than he who invents a lie against Allah?”
16. “When you have withdrawn yourselves from them and that which they worship apart from Allah, flee
to the Cave. Your Lord will spread out for you from His mercy and will grant you a facilitation in your
affair”
“And We made firm their hearts” We reinforced them to the point that they hurried into the
challenges of displaying patience in the face of the loss of their families, enjoyment, fraternity,
and nation. Without fear or trepidation, they fearlessly maintained the truth, challenging the
tyrant Decius. When they took to the stage to display the religion's symbols. "They left the city
and met up without any prior preparation," Mujahid claimed. 'I find something within myself,'
remarked the oldest of them. 'My Lord is the Lord of the Heavens and the Earth,' says the
prophet. 'We find the same,' said the rest. As a result, they banded together to take a stand."
“And said, ‘Our Lord is the Lord of the Heavens and the Earth!” means that was something
they were adamant about. They are also claimed to have stood before the tyrant Decius and
paid no attention to him when he chastised them for not worshipping idols. And it was then
that they said, "These our people...", as quoted in His words. These words were spoken after
they had left his presence at a different time. Then, they said, “We will not call upon any god
other than Him.” Neither independently nor as a result of associating with Him. They didn't
say "a Lord" because they didn't want to offend those rebellious people who would refer to
their idols as "gods2." It's also because worship is centred on the characteristics of Divinity.
The verse continues with “If we were to do that, we would surely have said a transgressive
word” that meant a transgression-filled word. And the definition is "a bad word that knows no
bounds." "We would have sinned and gone to excess in disbelief," to put it another way. And
if we had prayed to a god other than Allah, we would have stated something that would have
gone beyond all comprehension." “These, our people,” They “have taken gods besides Him.”
This is said in a rebuking tone. Next part of the verse said “Why do they not bring forth an
authoritative proof for them? And who is more wrongful than he who invents a lie against
Allah?” This specifically refers to a person who defies Allah by ascribing a companion to Him.
Someone who does this is, in fact, more unjust than anyone else. The next verse that is verse
16 said “When you have withdrawn yourselves from them” that signifies when you are no
longer in contact with them. “That which they worship apart from Allah, flee to the Cave”. It
is a safe haven. "Once you've detached yourself from them in belief, separate yourself from
them physically," the meaning goes. “Your Lord will spread out for you” means He will widen
your affair and accommodate you, in other words. “from His mercy and will grant you a
facilitation in your affair” that will provide you with comfort or that which will benefit you.
By Allah's mercy, He gave them certainty in that, strengthening their certainty and the strength
of their belief in [Allah].
17. “And you would see the sun, when it rises, inclining away from them on the right, and when it set,
passing away from them on the left; while they are in an open space therein. That is from the signs of
Allah. If Allah guides someone, then he is surely guided. But if He leaves him to stray, he will never find
a protecting guide.”
18. “And you would deem them to be awake, while they are truly in a deep sleep. And We turn them to the
right and to the left, their dog stretching forth his forelegs at the entrance. If you had seen them, you
would have turned and run away from them, and you would have been filled with apprehension from
them.”
The explanation of these verses are geographically, the cave of the Companions of the Cave
was not to the East nor to the West, but rather to the North-eastern, where the sun would never
shine into its depths in any season. When the Cave is seen, the concepts are separated.
According to some observers, it was in the highlands around Syria, in a cave known as the
'Cave of the Companions of the Cave’. Others say it was found near Oman, Jordan's capital,
where several ancient burials have been discovered, an engraving of a dog has been etched on
the wall, there is an old monastery nearby, and Muslims have built a mosque. The Cave's
characteristics, on the other hand, are some manifestations of Allah's grace, as promised in the
previous verse. Divine protection does not always manifest itself in the form of a miracle; in
some cases, natural forces function as a type of protection. Faith's salvation, leaving polytheists
and seeking sanctuary in a cave, with all its peculiarities, is only possible through Allah's
guidance.
19. “And in like manner We did raise them that they might question among themselves. One of them said:
‘How long have you tarried?’ They said: ‘We have tarried a day, or part of a day’. (Finally) they said:
‘Your Lord knows best how long you have tarried. Therefore send one of you with this money of yours to
the city and let him see which of them has purest food, and bring you provision from it, and let him behave
with (care and) gentleness, and let him not inform any one about you.”
20. “For verily if they prevail against you, they will stone you, or turn you back to their religion, and then
never will you succeed.”
The explanation of these verses are the Arabic term “wariq”, which is stated in the poem,
referring to silver coins with the design of the king at the time. Other than that, “Walyatalattaf”
is a Qur'anic term that appears exactly in the centre of the Qur'an. It implies 'conciliation and
spiritual wisdom coupled by kindness,' which is a blessing in and of itself, given that the holy
Qur'an's middle word is spiritually composed of conciliation, mercy, and kindness. The
Companions of the Cave's vigilance resulted in two outcomes. One of them was for themselves
that they asked a question, “…that they might question…”, The other was for others, who saw
them as a symbol of Resurrection and resurrection in the afterlife. When it comes to the subject
of Resurrection and being raised, no one should be surprised, because every single awakening
of men from sleep is a kind of raising and Resurrection.
21. “And in like manner We did make (the people) to get knowledge of them that they might know that
the promise of Allah is true, and that, as for the Hour (of Judgment), there is no doubt about it. When
they disputed among themselves of their affair then they said: ‘Build a building (monument) over them;
their Lord best knows of them.’ Those who prevailed over their affair said: ‘We will build over them a
place of worship’.”
The explanation of these verses is that the Arabic phrase ‘'i'ar’ is used to describe information
that is obtained without the need to search. People were aware of the significant secret of the
Age of the Companions of the Cave through their silver currency without difficulty as a result
of this incident. These topics are mentioned in the Companions of the Cave storey:
Allah's Will and Power, brevity, renouncing the world, migration, faith concealment, Allah's
Sucours, and lawful feeding are all examples of Allah's Will and Power (pure food).
The verse also said that none of Allah’s deeds is vain. That same talent that can sustain those
men alive for over three decades without nourishment can also bring the dead back to life.
Human people occasionally simply ignore historical events while ignoring the training
implications of those events. The Companions of the Cave died after their journey was
disclosed, but instead of learning from it, people were considering erecting a monument in their
honour.
22. “Soon they will say: ‘(They were) three, the fourth of them was their dog’; and (some) say: ‘Five, the
sixth of them was their dog’, guessing at the unseen, and (yet the others) say: ‘Seven, and the eighth of
them was their dog’. Say: ‘My Lord knows best their number, none knows them but a few’. So do not
dispute with them, except in outward disputation, and do not ask any one for a pronouncement about
them.”
In the text of the verse the conjunction ‘and’ has not been mentioned upon the phrases “fourth
of them” and “sixth of them”, but with the phrase “the eighth of them” the conjunction ‘and’
has been mentioned. It's possible that Allah has translated it as "guessing at the unseen" because
the attitude of their number being "three" or "five" was supplied by some sinful individuals.
However, the believers, the folks who pay attention, have an attitude that their number is
'seven.' That is why the Qur'an does not state "guessing at the unseen" for these groups of
individuals; instead, in order to honour them, the conjunction 'and' has appeared between the
number of: 'the Companions of the Cave' and 'their dog' in order to divide them from one
another. If the activities are worthwhile and the people are on a mission, their dependents and
goods, including the animals who accompanied them, should be counted as well, because being
an animal and being dirty (najis) does not make them worthless. There are three times in this
stanza where the word 'dog' appears. In verse No.18 of the present Surah, the good function of
the Companions of the Cave's 'dog' is mentioned.