Tag: islam

18-45   And set forth to them the parable of the life of this world as water which We send down from the cloud, so the herbage of the earth becomes luxuriant thereby, then it becomes dry, broken into pieces which the winds scatter. And Allah is the Holder of power over all things.^a

وَٱضْرِبْ لَهُم مَّثَلَ ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا كَمَآءٍ أَنزَلْنَـٰهُ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ فَٱخْتَلَطَ بِهِۦ نَبَاتُ ٱلْأَرْضِ فَأَصْبَحَ هَشِيمًۭا تَذْرُوهُ ٱلرِّيَـٰحُ ۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ مُّقْتَدِرًا (۴۵)

18-45a: هَشِيمًۭا – ھَشمۡ means soft, like herbage (R) or is used for breaking something which is dry and hollow (LA) and hence applies to breaking bones etc. ھشیم means dried, fallen leaves that break and get crushed, as in: فَكَانُوا۟ كَهَشِيمِ ٱلْمُحْتَظِرِ : So they were like the dry fragments of trees, which the maker of an enclosure collects (54:31) .

تَذْرُوهُ – ذَرۡو is used for the wind kicking up the dirt and scattering it, as in: وَٱلذَّٰرِيَـٰتِ ذَرْوًۭا :By those scattering broadcast (51:1) (LA).

مُّقْتَدِر – It has the same meaning as قدیر powerful; capable but is more informative (LA). مُّقْتَدِرً is spoken of humans as well and means one who gains power through acquisition (R).

Worldly adornments are transitory: How wise is the Quranic discourse! Since the Christian nations are proud exclusively of their worldly trimmings and adornments, the reality of the transitory beauty is conveyed here. It is stated that these things too are bequeathed by Allah, but they are like herbage, which for a time appears beautiful and pleasing to the eyes as the lush green fields sway gently in the breeze, but then a time comes when it dries and becomes chaff. This is also a reflection of the lives of nations. There is a time when a nation reaches perfection in the adornments of this world, and then a time comes when there is no trace left of it. This is referenced in عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ مُّقْتَدِرًا : Allah is the Holder of power over all things.

18-46   Wealth and children are an adornment of the life of this world; but the ever-abiding, the good works, are better with thy Lord in reward and better in hope.^a

ٱلْمَالُ وَٱلْبَنُونَ زِينَةُ ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ وَٱلْبَـٰقِيَـٰتُ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتُ خَيْرٌ عِندَ رَبِّكَ ثَوَابًۭا وَخَيْرٌ أَمَلًۭا (۴۶)

18-46a: أَمَلًۭا – اَمَل and اَمِل means the last hope, and its plural is اٰمال (LA).

The permanence of good deeds: To set up a contrast with the worldly adornments and ornamentations, the source of true, abiding beauty is mentioned, called بَـٰقِيَـٰتُ ever-abiding for which see 6-238a. Actions performed with the sole objective of seeking the pleasure of Allah are the only ones that survive forever, because they result in a reward which lasts forever as stated in: وَمَا لِأَحَدٍ عِندَهُۥ مِن نِّعْمَةٍۢ تُجْزَىٰٓ إِلَّا ٱبْتِغَآءَ وَجْهِ رَبِّهِ ٱلْأَعْلَىٰ وَلَسَوْفَ يَرْضَىٰ  :And none has with him any boon for a reward. Except the seeking of the pleasure of his Lord, the Most High. And he will soon be well pleased (92:19-21). The Hadith, when explaining ٱلْبَـٰقِيَـٰت ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتُ has invocations such as: سبحان اللّٰه – الحمد اللّٰه – اللّٰه اکبر – لا اله الا اللّٰه which means that they are included in ٱلْبَـٰقِيَـٰتُ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتُ ever-abiding good works.

18-47   And the day when We cause the mountains to pass away, and thou seest the earth a levelled plain and We gather them together and leave none of them behind.^a

وَيَوْمَ نُسَيِّرُ ٱلْجِبَالَ وَتَرَى ٱلْأَرْضَ بَارِزَةًۭ وَحَشَرْنَـٰهُمْ فَلَمْ نُغَادِرْ مِنْهُمْ أَحَدًۭا (۴۷)

18-47a: نُسَيِّر – سار means to walk and the meaning of سَیَّرہٗ مِنۡ بَلَدِ is he was expelled from his city and exiled. The meaning of سَیَّرتُ الجُلَّ عن ظھر الد ابَّةِ is I took the saddle off the back of the animal (LA). سَیَّرتُه‘ has plurality and in نَسِیۡر  sometimes contains the intention and will of the traveler, as in هُوَ ٱلَّذِى يُسَيِّرُكُمْ : He it is Who makes you travel (10:22). Sometimes نَسِیۡر  means being made to walk through another’s power and control, as is the case here (R).

بَارِزَة  – For بَرَذ see 2-250a. بَارِزَة means that the earth will become a levelled plain in which there will be no barriers. Because بَرَذ is sometimes used for the manifestation of a secret condition, بَارِزَة can have the same meaning, as in يَوْمَ تُبَدَّلُ ٱلْأَرْضُ غَيْرَ ٱلْأَرْضِ  : On the day that the earth will be changed into a different earth (14:48).

نُغَادِرْ – غَدۡر  means to leave something and to abandon it and hence it is also used for breaking a covenant. غدِیر is water moved to a low lying area after a flood, and the meaning of غادر is also to leave, go away, depart.

In this verse and the next, Allah has mentioned the Resurrection, where the wealth of this world will be of no use. All the words used for the Resurrection are generally metaphorically also applicable and true for the nearer resurrection, or the destruction of a nation.

18-48   And they are brought before thy Lord in ranks. Now certainly you have come to Us as We created you at first. Nay, you thought that We had not made an appointment for you.^a

وَعُرِضُوا۟ عَلَىٰ رَبِّكَ صَفًّۭا لَّقَدْ جِئْتُمُونَا كَمَا خَلَقْنَـٰكُمْ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍۭ ۚ بَلْ زَعَمْتُمْ أَلَّن نَّجْعَلَ لَكُم مَّوْعِدًۭا (۴۸)

18-48a: عُرِضُوا۟ – عَرَضۡتُ علیه means made it manifest for him (LA).

صَفًّۭا – صَفّ means to arrange in a straight line. What is meant by brought before their Lord in ranks? It is stated in a hadith that Allah will cause the former and later generations to stand in one place formed into rows. It can also mean that that they will be made to stand in one row, indicating they will be presented before their Lord without any differentiation. It can also mean that the followers of different prophets will be made to stand in different rows. Some have said the description is metaphorical and it refers to Allah’s pronouncing his judgement about them (RM).

لَّقَدْ جِئْتُمُونَا – Certainly you have come to Us,  is either direct speech meaning We will say or it will be said to them or, the past tense is used in place of the future tense because of the certain knowledge of the event occurring, which indicates that our second birth is a certain reality just as our first birth is a reality. I consider the second explanation preferable.

مَّوْعِدًۭ – is an indefinite masculine noun in the accusative case (اسم زمان) derived from وعد. It refers to the promise about the second birth, and the verbal noun with the letter م has the meaning of promise.

18-49   And the book is placed, and thou seest the guilty fearing for what is in it, and they say: O woe to us! what a book is this! It leaves out neither a small thing nor a great one, but numbers them (all), and they find what they did confronting them. And thy Lord wrongs not anyone.

وَوُضِعَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبُ فَتَرَى ٱلْمُجْرِمِينَ مُشْفِقِينَ مِمَّا فِيهِ وَيَقُولُونَ يَـٰوَيْلَتَنَا مَالِ هَـٰذَا ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ لَا يُغَادِرُ صَغِيرَةًۭ وَلَا كَبِيرَةً إِلَّآ أَحْصَىٰهَا ۚ وَوَجَدُوا۟ مَا عَمِلُوا۟ حَاضِرًۭا ۗ وَلَا يَظْلِمُ رَبُّكَ أَحَدًۭا (۴۹)

18-49a: وُضِعَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبُ – وَضۡع means putting, positioning, placement, and وُضِعَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبُ means to manifest the deeds of people, like is stated in: وَنُخْرِجُ لَهُۥ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ كِتَـٰبًۭا يَلْقَىٰهُ مَنشُورًا : We shall bring forth to him on the day of Resurrection a book which he will find wide open (17:13). See 17-13a (R).

صَغِيرَةًۭ – See 4-21a regarding the discussion about کبیرۃ and it is stated: وَكُلُّ صَغِيرٍۢ وَكَبِيرٍۢ مُّسْتَطَرٌ : And everything small and great is written down (54:53) and further it is stated: وَلَآ أَصْغَرَ مِن ذَٰلِكَ وَلَآ أَكْبَرَ  : nor anything less than that nor greater (10:61).

This mention of good and evil based on the size of deeds, being small or great, is how actions are assessed for impact and consequences. All types of deeds are included in this category.

18-32   And set forth to them the parable of two men — for one of them We made two gardens of grape-vines, and We surrounded them with date-palms, and between them We made corn-fields.^a

وَٱضْرِبْ لَهُم مَّثَلًۭا رَّجُلَيْنِ جَعَلْنَا لِأَحَدِهِمَا جَنَّتَيْنِ مِنْ أَعْنَـٰبٍۢ وَحَفَفْنَـٰهُمَا بِنَخْلٍۢ وَجَعَلْنَا بَيْنَهُمَا زَرْعًۭا (۳۲)

18-32a: حَفَفْنَا – حَفّ بالشئ means to circumambulate around something or to enclose it, as in وَتَرَى ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةَ حَآفِّينَ مِنْ حَوْلِ ٱلْعَرْشِ : And thou seest the angels going round about the Throne of Power (39:75) (LA). Allah has given a parable of believers and disbelievers and according to Ruh al-Maani و ضرب المثل لا تقیضی وجودھا It is not necessary for something set forth as a parable to actually exist. The point is not to discuss two particular men, however some commentators have tried to construct stories, complete with the names of the persons in it. The purpose is simply to set up a parable for the wealth and assets Allah has given to the Christians. The parable includes gardens because gardens are a great source of pleasure, and the verse mentions the best grapes growing in the garden and around its boundaries are tall straight palms lending their majestic beauty to it. To complete the picture, there are not just fruits but also lush green fields of grain stretching between the gardens. The next verse mentions rivers flowing through it. Indeed, the Christian nations have converted jungles into gardens.

Allah attributes the giving of these adornments to Himself: Allah attributes to Himself the giving of gardens, the planting of the date-palms and causing the rivers to flow, although it is the disbelievers who worked to make it happen. They are attributed to Allah because He provides the resources that makes all this possible.

18-33   Both these gardens yielded their fruits, and failed not in aught thereof, and We caused a river to gush forth in their midst,

كِلْتَا ٱلْجَنَّتَيْنِ ءَاتَتْ أُكُلَهَا وَلَمْ تَظْلِم مِّنْهُ شَيْـًۭٔا ۚ وَفَجَّرْنَا خِلَـٰلَهُمَا نَهَرًۭا (۳۳)

18-34   And he had fruit. So he said to his companion, while he argued with him: I have greater wealth than thou, and am mightier in followers.^a

وَكَانَ لَهُۥ ثَمَرٌۭ فَقَالَ لِصَـٰحِبِهِۦ وَهُوَ يُحَاوِرُهُۥٓ أَنَا۠ أَكْثَرُ مِنكَ مَالًۭا وَأَعَزُّ نَفَرًۭا (۳۳)

18-34a: ثَمَرٌۭ – Its literal meaning is the fruit of trees. Its singular is ثمرۃ and it has two plurals ثمرات and اثمار , as in فَأَخْرَجَ بِهِۦ مِنَ ٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ رِزْقًۭا لَّكُمْ : then brings forth with it fruits for your sustenance (2:22) and كُلُوا۟ مِن ثَمَرِهِۦٓ إِذَآ أَثْمَرَ : Eat of its fruit when it bears fruit (6:141). The benefits obtained from anything is called its ثمرۃ  fruit, as for example ثمرۃ العلم fruit of knowledge and ثمرۃ العمل the fruit of deeds. ثمر is also used for wealth from which benefit can be earned and this is the meaning that applies here (R). Some commentators have taken its meaning here as انواع المال , many types of assets (Qamus) and gold and silver (IJ).

Although in the previous verse only a garden is mentioned, in order to convey that this is a parable, a statement of the owner is included to the effect that his wealth and his associates are greater than that of the other person. He flaunts his supremacy because of the size of his associates just as Christian nations are proud because of their wealth and their military alliances.

18-35   And he went into his garden, while he was unjust to himself. He said: I think not that this will ever perish,^a

وَدَخَلَ جَنَّتَهُۥ وَهُوَ ظَالِمٌۭ لِّنَفْسِهِۦ قَالَ مَآ أَظُنُّ أَن تَبِيدَ هَـٰذِهِۦٓ أَبَدًۭا (۳۵)

18-35a: تَبِيدَ – بَادَ    (یبید) means to perish and بَیۡداء means wilderness (R).

Christian nations being devoid of spirituality: By going into the garden is not meant a particular visit made to a garden, but the meaning is more general and implies deriving benefit from wealth and resources. Further in هُوَ ظَالِمٌۭ he was unjust, it is conveyed that the Christian nations have become so absorbed with their wealth that they are unjust to themselves because of neglecting spirituality and morality and thus they have set themselves up for destruction. They consider the amassing of wealth and other assets to be the purpose of life, exerting so much effort that they are convinced that their rank and riches will never diminish. This is the current condition of the Christian nations and the next verse reveals that they will cease to believe in the Hereafter. It is true that modern Christian nations neither hold belief in the Hereafter nor are they worried about it. However, since there is the mention of the Hereafter in the Gospels, they assume that they are the most deserving of the blessings of the Hereafter.

18-36   And I think not the Hour will come; and even if I am returned to my Lord, I will certainly find a returning-place better than this.

وَمَآ أَظُنُّ ٱلسَّاعَةَ قَآئِمَةًۭ وَلَئِن رُّدِدتُّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّى لَأَجِدَنَّ خَيْرًۭا مِّنْهَا مُنقَلَبًۭا (۳۶)

18-37   His companion said to him, while arguing with him: Disbelievest thou in Him Who created thee of dust, then of a small life-germ, then He made thee a perfect man?

 قَالَ لَهُۥ صَاحِبُهُۥ وَهُوَ يُحَاوِرُهُۥٓ أَكَفَرْتَ بِٱلَّذِى خَلَقَكَ مِن تُرَابٍۢ ثُمَّ مِن نُّطْفَةٍۢ ثُمَّ سَوَّىٰكَ رَجُلًۭا (۳۷)

18-38   But as for me, He, Allah, is my Lord, and I associate none with my Lord.^a

 لَّـٰكِنَّا۠ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ رَبِّى وَلَآ أُشْرِكُ بِرَبِّىٓ أَحَدًۭا (۳۸)

18-38a: لَّـٰكِنَّا۠ – It is a short form of لٰکن انا and the meaning is لٰکن انا اقول  But I say this or but I believe this.

The state of the believer described here is by implication the description of Islam with its theological basis in لَآ أُشْرِكُ بِرَبِّىٓ أَحَدًۭا I associate none with my Lord. The perfect belief in the Unity of Allah exists only in Islam. The disbelief in Allah mentioned in the last verse is a picture of the Christian nations who are practically denying the existence of God and are averse to even mentioning the name of God in any affair. It can also mean that they deny the power of God, who has given great physical prowess to humans, to raise him to achieve spiritual perfection. In this verse, we are told about birth of humans, created from dust and then of a small life germ. This does not mean that Prophet Adam was created from dust and then subsequently humans from life germs. It means that plants and grains grow in the ground from which they get their nourishment. These are then consumed by humans as food to nourish their bodies which produce the life-germ. In this way, every person is born from dust, as the elements that produce the life germ and subsequently the human, come from the earth.

The stages of the next life are like those of this life: The next life or نشأۃ اخرۃ is similar to this life. The deeds of individuals are varied and scattered. The effects of a person’s deeds are simultaneously manifested producing a condensed essence of his life in the next world, similar to a life-germ or embryo. Hence that life begins here, but in the form of a life germ in an unknown form. The  برزخ  intermediary stage has a similarity with the fetus in the mother’s womb and the Resurrection is the time of its birth.

18-39   And wherefore didst thou not say, when thou enteredst thy garden: It is as Allah has pleased — there is no power save in Allah? If thou consider me as less than thee in wealth and children —^a

وَلَوْلَآ إِذْ دَخَلْتَ جَنَّتَكَ قُلْتَ مَا شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ لَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِٱللَّهِ ۚ إِن تَرَنِ أَنَا۠ أَقَلَّ مِنكَ مَالًۭا وَوَلَ

دًۭا (۳۹)

18-39a: مَا شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ – means  الامر مَا شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ Whatever God wishes or  مَا شَآءَ ٱللَّه کائن God willing it will happen because if Allah had not created the sources from which people derive benefit, they could not have done anything. A person can only benefit from resources if Allah desires to bestow that benefit on him and that desire by Allah is expressed in the form of having created the resources humans needs to progress. In لَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِٱللَّهِ there is no power save in Allah there is an admission of the powerlessness of humans. In a hadith this statement is said to be one of the treasures of heaven.

إِن تَرَن – تَرَن  is actually تَرَنِیۡ and stands for  انا فصل the first is second person masculine singular imperfect verb and the reply is conditionally omitted but a standard reply is given in the next verse.

18-40   Then maybe my Lord will give me better than thy garden, and will send on (thine) a reckoning from heaven so that it is dust without plant:^a

فَعَسَىٰ رَبِّىٓ أَن يُؤْتِيَنِ خَيْرًۭا مِّن جَنَّتِكَ وَيُرْسِلَ عَلَيْهَا حُسْبَانًۭا مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ فَتُصْبِحَ صَعِيدًۭا زَلَقًا (۴۰)

18-40a: حُسْبَانًۭ – Its literal meaning is reckoning but here it means heavenly punishment or a fire from heaven. It actually refers to the one who faces a reckoning, and according to which the requital is meted out (R).

زَلَق – It is the same as زَلَل and زَلَق. It is a ground on which it is difficult to get a sure footing, or a slippery ground. Hence by زَلَق here is meant a land without vegetation. In another verse it is stated: لَيُزْلِقُونَكَ بِأَبْصَـٰرِهِمْ : would almost spite thee with their eyes (68:51), showing that they would stare you down with their eyes as if to make you fall from the high status that Allah has granted you (LA).

A better garden refers to paradise in the next world, which is promised to the believers and which is never ending. Wealth can be lost, indeed power, honor, and dignity can all slip away due to conditions that are heaven sent مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ  or arise from the earth. An example is given in the next verse which speaks of water drying up.

18-41   Or its water will sink down into the ground, so that thou art unable to find it.

أَوْ يُصْبِحَ مَآؤُهَا غَوْرًۭا فَلَن تَسْتَطِيعَ لَهُۥ طَلَبًۭا (۴۱)

18-42   And his fruit was destroyed; so he began to wring his hands for what he had spent on it, while it lay waste, its roofs fallen down, and he said: Ah me! would that I had ascribed no partners to my Lord!

وَأُحِيطَ بِثَمَرِهِۦ فَأَصْبَحَ يُقَلِّبُ كَفَّيْهِ عَلَىٰ مَآ أَنفَقَ فِيهَا وَهِىَ خَاوِيَةٌ عَلَىٰ عُرُوشِهَا وَيَقُولُ يَـٰلَيْتَنِى لَمْ أُشْرِكْ بِرَبِّىٓ أَحَدًۭا (۴۲)

18-42: يُقَلِّبُ كَفَّيْهِ – can be understood as a restless rubbing of hands, placing the palm of one hand over the back of the other. It can also be understood as a gesture of regret, when one is powerless to do anything.

The wealth of the world is often lost, and it is only then that one understands that only a connection with God can help in every situation. This connection is actually the paradise from which one is never expelled.

18-43   And he had no host to help him against Allah, nor could he defend himself.^a

وَلَمْ تَكُن لَّهُۥ فِئَةٌۭ يَنصُرُونَهُۥ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَمَا كَانَ مُنتَصِرًا (۴۳)

18-43a: مُنتَصِرً – The meanings of اِنتِصار and اِستِنۡصار is to ask for aid or help (R).

18-44   Thus protection is only Allah’s, the True One. He is Best to reward and Best in requiting.

هُنَالِكَ ٱلْوَلَـٰيَةُ لِلَّهِ ٱلْحَقِّ ۚ هُوَ خَيْرٌۭ ثَوَابًۭا وَخَيْرٌ عُقْبًۭا (۴۴)

18-44a: وَلَـٰيَةُ – See 2-257a for its meaning, but Ibn Jarir states that ولایة means continuation and وِلایة means governing and dominating, and عُقِبۡ means a good end. See 13-22a. This means it is only at this stage that the realization dawns that help comes only from Allah. Even powerful people cannot defend their power from being destroyed, and it is only the connection and relationship with Allah that can be of assistance.

18-23   And say not of anything: I will do that tomorrow,

وَلَا تَقُولَنَّ لِشَا۟ىْءٍ إِنِّى فَاعِلٌۭ ذَٰلِكَ غَدًا (۲۳)

18-24   Unless Allah please. And remember thy Lord when thou forgettest and say: Maybe my Lord will guide me to a nearer course to the right than this.^a

إِلَّآ أَن يَشَآءَ ٱللَّهُ ۚ وَٱذْكُر رَّبَّكَ إِذَا نَسِيتَ وَقُلْ عَسَىٰٓ أَن يَهْدِيَنِ رَبِّى لِأَقْرَبَ مِنْ هَـٰذَا رَشَدًۭا (۲۴)

18-24a: غَدًا – غَدا is actually غَدۡد and it means tomorrow. In a hadith about Abdul Muttalib, it is stated: لا یَغۡلِبَنّ صَلِیۡبُہم ۔ و مِحا لُھم غَدۡواً مِمالك where غَدۡواً does not mean tomorrow but a near period. Sometimes it is used in the sense of end times, as in سَيَعْلَمُونَ غَدًۭا مَّنِ ٱلْكَذَّابُ ٱلْأَشِرُ : Tomorrow they will know who is the liar, the insolent one (54:26) referring to the Resurrection or the Day of Judgment (LA). Also see 3-117a.

رَشَد – رَشۡد and رُشد have the same meaning. According to some رَشۡد is used only for goodness in the next world and رُشد for goodness both in this world and the next (R).

It is related regarding the revelation of these verses that the Quraish consulted with the Jews of Madinah about the Holy Prophet. The Jews said that the Holy Prophet should be asked about theأَصْحَـٰبَ ٱلْكَهْفِ  Dwellers of the Cave, روح spirit and Dhul-qarnain and if he is unable to give an answer, then he is a liar. When the Holy Prophet was asked, he promised to give them the answer on the morrow, but for fifteen days there was no revelation. This narration attributed to Ibn Abbas is doubtful because the Jews had no connection with the أَصْحَـٰبَ ٱلْكَهْفِ .

For a correct understanding of these verses, it is necessary to establish their relationship with the previous verses. Recall that Allah has recounted the difficulties that the أَصْحَـٰبَ ٱلْكَهْفِ had to go through to deliver the message of truth and they had to spend a long period living in a Cave. Finally, they were able to find a way to effectively deliver the truth. By implication there is a mention of the Christian religion in this narrative and how for a long period extending over three hundred years Christianity was not able to deliver its message openly. Islam is brought in for comparison as is apparent from لِأَقْرَبَ مِنْ هَـٰذَا رَشَدًۭا : to a nearer course to the right than this, and the implication is that Allah will prepare the followers of the Holy Prophet to deliver the truth in a much shorter time span. Spreading the message of Divine Unity in the world is a task that Allah desires. Even so, it is stated that it should not be said even for such a noble deed that we will do this tomorrow or in a short period. Although the statement here is general, the real recipients are the ones calling people to the truth because that is the topic in the preceding verses.

An exception is created to the general statement by adding, unless Allah please. This has been interpreted in a couple of ways. One way is that one should not say, I will do this tomorrow without adding if Allah desires, or in other words, even for something that Allah looks favorably on, one cannot accomplish it by one’s own strength and effort unless Allah wills. The sound strategy is to turn everything over to Allah while striving hard in the matter. The other interpretation is that one should not say anything unless Allah wills, and Allah’s will is the coming of revelation. This means that one should not make claims about spreading Allah’s name in the world, rather one should simply convey what Allah has revealed.

In وَٱذْكُر رَّبَّكَ إِذَا نَسِيتَ : And remember thy Lord when you forgettest, every caller to the truth is advised to remember his Lord much and not to be negligent and forgetful. The emphasis on رَّبَّكَ is because Allah’s attribute of giving spiritual nourishment desires that His name spread throughout the world. The statement عَسَىٰٓ أَن يَهْدِيَنِ رَبِّى لِأَقْرَبَ مِنْ هَـٰذَا رَشَدًۭا : Maybe my Lord will guide me to a nearer course to the right than this conveys that in the propagation of Islam there will not be as many difficulties as there were in the spread of Christianity. Accordingly, the early propagation history of Islam and Christianity shows a world of difference. In a period of three hundred years, Christianity, operating within just the Byzantine Empire, barely converted one eighth of the population to its faith. By comparison, Islam in the same period spread throughout much of the civilized world. There can also be a reference to the stay of the Holy Prophet in the cave, which was only for three days as compared to the several years that the أَصْحَـٰبَ ٱلْكَهْفِ had to stay. Even in the present time, one can see the power of Allah at work. Christianity, despite spending millions of dollars and employing thousands of missionaries, is not as successful as Islam which is making rapid progress despite its paucity of resources. In Africa, if we compare the progress of Islam and Christianity, one can clearly see لِأَقْرَبَ مِنْ هَـٰذَا رَشَدًۭا : nearer course to the right than this at work. If a single Islamic mission opens in a Christian country, the results that it produces is better than the results of a hundred Christian missions in an Islamic country. Unfortunately, despite this great advantage, Muslims are showing the greatest negligence in this work. Immediately after the comparison of both faiths, attention is drawn to the period of Christianity when it had to survive by hiding in caves. This comparison of the past of Christianity and Islam is the subject of this fourth section.

18-25   And they remained in their cave three hundred years, and they add nine.

وَلَبِثُوا۟ فِى كَهْفِهِمْ ثَلَـٰثَ مِا۟ئَةٍۢ سِنِينَ وَٱزْدَادُوا۟ تِسْعًۭا (۲۵)

18-26   Say: Allah knows best how long they remained.^a His is the unseen of the heavens and the earth. How clear His sight and His hearing! There is no guardian for them beside Him, and He associates none in His judgment.^b

قُلِ ٱللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا لَبِثُوا۟ ۖ لَهُۥ غَيْبُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۖ أَبْصِرْ بِهِۦ وَأَسْمِعْ ۚ مَا لَهُم مِّن دُونِهِۦ مِن وَلِىٍّۢ وَلَا يُشْرِكُ فِى حُكْمِهِۦٓ أَحَدًۭا (۲۶)

18-26a: Christianity stayed in in a state of hardship for three hundred years: On the face of it, the two statements: they remained in the Cave for three hundred years, and Allah best knows how long they stayed, appear contradictory. Some commentators have attempted abstruse explanations. One such explanation holds that since the nine in “and they add nine” is undefined with regards to whether it is years, months, days or periods, hence it is stated that Allah knows best how long they remained. One popular explanation is كَهْفِهِمْ ثَلَـٰثَ : in their Cave three hundred years is a connective phrase or conjunction with سیقولون They say, though not stated, but understood to start verse 18:25. This essentially makes the statement of remaining three hundred years something people said, instead that of Allah and is attributed to Ibn Abbas. However, there is no narration that states that the أَصْحَـٰبَ ٱلْكَهْفِ stayed in the Cave for three-hundred or three hundred nine years. Also, if it is admitted that قالو is omitted, this weakens confidence in the words of the verse. Some commentators have interpreted that by ٱللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا لَبِثُوا : Allah knows best how long they remained is meant the period that passed from the time that the أَصْحَـٰبَ ٱلْكَهْفِ were discovered to the advent of the Holy Prophet (RM). Indeed there is no contradiction in the Quran.

Every word of the Quran is based on wisdom: In the first verse, it is stated that they remained in their Cave for three hundred years. In the second verse, the word كَهْفِهِمْ their Cave is not used and the word لَبِثُوا۟ how long they remained is not qualified but there is an addition of لَهُۥ غَيْبُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ : His is the unseen of the heavens and the earth which conveys that this information is about the future. Actually this verse not about the أَصْحَـٰبَ ٱلْكَهْفِ but Christianity itself. What is being described here are the two conditions through which Christianity has passed. One is the condition of the Cave, and the other is the condition of dominance in which Christianity became the state religion, and diverged greatly from its original purity. The first period extended over three hundred and nine years, but about their second period, it is stated that only Allah knows how long their dominance will last because this is a matter of the future and only Allah has knowledge of it. It is obvious that the first period is not unknown, because it happened in the past. The second period has some limiting words added to remind us that there is no guardian for them besides Allah and He associates none in His judgment. This is added to convey that finally their dominance will come to an end.

Three hundred and nine years and Quran’s miraculous knowledge of the unseen: Reflecting on the precision with which the period three hundred and nine years is stated shows that it is one of the great miracles of the Quran. The Holy Prophet was unlettered, and the Arabs were not conversant with the history of Christianity. The Christians of the time were ignorant of the finer details of their own history. The Quran gives the reason for some people seeking refuge in the Cave as their refusal to accept any deity besides Allah. So, the period in which Christianity was in the Cave is when the polytheistic doctrine of Trinity had not found widespread acceptance. Historically it appears that it was only in 325 AD when the Roman Emperor Constantine converted that the doctrine of Trinity became the accepted Christian theology and the royal religion. As a result, while Christianity moved from a state of oppression to become the dominant religion, it also became far removed from the concept of Divine Unity.

The question remains why the Quran speaks of this event happening after three hundred and nine years instead of three hundred and twenty-five years. This is where one must acknowledge the Quran’s remarkable foretelling of the future. The start of the Christian era is off by six years since it starts from the birth of Prophet Jesus, who was actually born six years before the modern calendar starts dating the years. So, the year 325 AD is actually the year 330 or 331 after the birth of Prophet Jesus. According to the history of Christianity, Prophet Jesus made his claim to prophet hood at the age of thirty. Hence the time period from Prophet Jesus’ claim till the Trinity became the official theology of Christianity was three hundred years. The additional nine years that the Quran has stated separately has been explained by the commentators as being due to switching from solar to lunar years. The solar century has one hundred and three lunar years and so three solar centuries become three hundred and nine lunar years, leading to an addition of nine years. By separating the nine years from the three hundred years, the Quran has conveyed that the actual period in which Christianity stayed in the Cave was three hundred years but from a lunar perspective there are nine additional years. The precision with which the Quran has conveyed this information in the light of historical events only recently revealed, shows that every word of the Quran is true, and that it is the word of God, Knower of the Unseen, unchanged by humans.

18-26b: أَبْصِرْ بِهِۦ وَأَسْمِعْ – The pronoun in بِهِ stands for Allah and this is to expand the praise. Its effect is as if to say: ما ابصرہ و اسمعه  How wonderful is Allah’s seeing and how wonderful is His hearing that there is nothing hidden from Him (IJ).

مَا لَهُم مِّن دُونِهِۦ مِن وَلِىٍّۢ  – The possessive pronoun stands for the Christians who have been mentioned before to indicate that when they exceed the limits while in power, they will realize that no one can help them besides Allah and no one has the power to judge but Him. The powers and kingship granted to a nation are not a partnership with the power of Allah, and they cannot maintain it on their own. Allah gives nations the power to rule as part of His plan, and the overarching control is Allah’s who can take away the dominion he bestowed. This does not mean that Allah never grants the power to rule, rather it implies that worldly rulers are not sharing Allah’s sovereignty. They are subservient to Him

18-27   And recite that which has been revealed to thee of the Book of thy Lord. There is none who can alter His words. And thou wilt find no refuge beside Him.^a

وَٱتْلُ مَآ أُوحِىَ إِلَيْكَ مِن كِتَابِ رَبِّكَ ۖ لَا مُبَدِّلَ لِكَلِمَـٰتِهِۦ وَلَن تَجِدَ مِن دُونِهِۦ مُلْتَحَدًۭا (۲۷)

18-27a: مُلْتَحَدًۭالحد – is a pit that leans to one side in its dimensions. For الحاد see 7-180a and 16-103a, and the meaning of اِلۡتحد is to lean towards. So, the meaning of مُلتحد is finding refuge or a place of refuge (R).

By giving the command to recite the Book, we are told that people should be called to the truth because this Book has been revealed by Allah for their spiritual nurturing.  لَا مُبَدِّلَ لِكَلِمَـٰتِهِۦ there is none who can alter His words, shows that the prophecy of the ultimate triumph of truth cannot be averted, and the temporary worldly comforts that people keep seeking will cease to exist and Allah be the only refuge.

18-28   And keep thyself with those who call on their Lord morning and evening desiring His goodwill, and let not thine eyes pass from them, desiring the beauties of this world’s life. And follow not him whose heart We have made unmindful of Our remembrance, and he follows his low desires and his case exceeds due bounds.^a

وَٱصْبِرْ نَفْسَكَ مَعَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ رَبَّهُم بِٱلْغَدَوٰةِ وَٱلْعَشِىِّ يُرِيدُونَ وَجْهَهُۥ ۖ وَلَا تَعْدُ عَيْنَاكَ عَنْهُمْ تُرِيدُ زِينَةَ ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ وَلَا تُطِعْ مَنْ أَغْفَلْنَا قَلْبَهُۥ عَن ذِكْرِنَا وَٱتَّبَعَ هَوَىٰهُ وَكَانَ أَمْرُهُۥ فُرُطًۭا (۲۸)

18-28a: وجه – For وجه see 2-112a and 2-144a. When the word وجه is related to Allah, it means metaphorically Allah’s pleasure because one is pleased with someone he turns to him and pays attention (RM).

تَعْدُ – The literal meaning of عدو is to transgress (R) and the meaning of عَدَوتُه‘ عن الامر is صرفته عنه  turned him away from this affair (LA).

فرط – For فرط see 6-31a, and فُرُط means to waste and squander (R). This meaning has been supported by Ibn Jarir. Christianity and Islam have been compared again in this verse. On one hand there are people who call upon Allah morning and evening, constantly remembering, and desiring only the pleasure of Allah, and on the other are those who pursue the adornments of this world to the extent that their hearts become negligent of the remembrance of Allah. Their primary concern is to satisfy their greed and base human desires. Hence the Holy Prophet and all callers to truth are commanded to seek the pleasure of Allah as the only objective they should steadfastly pursue, not being distracted by the adornments and beauty of this world.

18-29   And say: The Truth is from your Lord; so let him who please believe, and let him who please disbelieve. Surely We have prepared for the iniquitous a Fire, an enclosure of which will encompass them. And if they cry for water, they are given water like molten brass, scalding their faces. Evil the drink! And ill the resting-place!^a

وَقُلِ ٱلْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكُمْ ۖ فَمَن شَآءَ فَلْيُؤْمِن وَمَن شَآءَ فَلْيَكْفُرْ ۚ إِنَّآ أَعْتَدْنَا لِلظَّـٰلِمِينَ نَارًا أَحَاطَ بِهِمْ سُرَادِقُهَا ۚ وَإِن يَسْتَغِيثُوا۟ يُغَاثُوا۟ بِمَآءٍۢ كَٱلْمُهْلِ يَشْوِى ٱلْوُجُوهَ ۚ بِئْسَ ٱلشَّرَابُ وَسَآءَتْ مُرْتَفَقًا (۲۹)

18-29a: سُرَادِقُ – is the cloth screen of a tent with which an enclosure is formed or an enclosing wall. Its plural is سرادقات (LA).

مُهْلِ –  مَھۡل is slowness or to stop, from which a derived meaning is leisure and another respite, as in: فَمَهِّلِ ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ أَمْهِلْهُمْ رُوَيْدًۢا :So grant the disbelievers a respite – let them alone for a little while (86:17); مُهْلِ also means sediment, dregs, residue, remains (R). This meaning is traced to the Holy Prophet in a reliable hadith (RM). It is also use for molten brass with a very high temperature (IJ).

يَشْوِى – شَوَی اللّحَم is roasted meat, and شَوَی means extremities such as hands and feet, as in نَزَّاعَةًۭ لِّلشَّوَىٰ Plucking out the extremities (70:16) (R).

مُرْتَفَقً – For رِفق and مِرفق see 5-6a and ارتفق means to lean on, rest on (LA) and hence also the meaning to rest or repose. Its usage here indicates that for the iniquitous the place of rest and repose is a fire.

This verse clearly states that this is the truth presented: ٱلْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكُمْ The Truth is from your Lord. To believe or not to believe is left to the discretion of a person. Allah neither forces a person to believe nor disbelieve. Subsequently their punishment is matched with their deeds. Just as worldly greed has completely surrounded them, it will transform into the fire that will surround them in the next world, and just as their thirst for the love of this world was unquenchable, there will be no means to quench it there.

18-30   As for those who believe and do good, We waste not the reward of him who does a good work.

 إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ إِنَّا لَا نُضِيعُ أَجْرَ مَنْ أَحْسَنَ عَمَلًا (۳۰)

18-31   These it is for whom are Gardens of perpetuity wherein flow rivers; they are adorned therein with bracelets of gold, and they wear green robes of fine silk and thick brocade, reclining therein on raised couches. Excellent the recompense! And goodly the resting-place!^a

أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ لَهُمْ جَنَّـٰتُ عَدْنٍۢ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهِمُ ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ يُحَلَّوْنَ فِيهَا مِنْ أَسَاوِرَ مِن ذَهَبٍۢ وَيَلْبَسُونَ ثِيَابًا خُضْرًۭا مِّن سُندُسٍۢ is وَإِسْتَبْرَقٍۢ مُّتَّكِـِٔينَ فِيهَا عَلَى ٱلْأَرَآئِكِ ۚ نِعْمَ ٱلثَّوَابُ وَحَسُنَتْ مُرْتَفَقًۭا (۳۱)

18-31a: أَسَاوِرَ – This along with اَسوِرۃ are the plural of سوار, as in: أَسْوِرَةٌۭ مِّن ذَهَبٍ  bracelets of gold (43:53). See 2-23a.

سُندُسٍۢ – is fine silk while استبرق is thick silk (LA).

أَرَآئِكِ – It is the plural of اَرِیکة and the meaning of اَرَكَ is staying in a house. اَراك is a particular type of tree and the meaning of اَرِیکة is حَجَلَةٌ علی سریر, a throne or bed with a canopy (R).

What is meant by gold bracelets, silk clothes, and thrones: It has repeatedly been stated that the blessings of paradise are such that ما لا عین رأت No eye has ever seen. So, naming worldly riches does not mean they will actually be the blessings of paradise because according to a hadith in Bukhari the blessings of paradise are such that no human brain has conceived. Silk, brocade, and gold bracelets are things that the eyes can see or the ears can hear and are within the conception of humans. It is also erroneous to assume that this is a rejection of the Quranic statement promising these things. What is intended by mentioning the names of these luxuries is that the purpose for which these things are sought in this world, will be fulfilled in paradise. Gold bracelets, sitting on thrones, and magnificent clothes are all symbols of beauty and power. The context is one of comparing the blessings of the Christians versus that of the Muslims, hence specifically those blessings are mentioned which are considered by the Christian nations to be their prerogative in this world. The heavenly blessings signify that real power is for those who seek the pleasure of Allah. The power of this world is temporary and quickly comes to an end. The attire of the people of paradise is described as being green because green is a color soothing to the eyes. This is why in a hadith about the souls of martyrs in the paradise it is said: فی حواصل طیور خضر یا فی صور طیر خضر , in paradise their souls will be inside green birds nesting in chandeliers or like green birds (Muslim). Both these examples manifest the same point.

It is true that in these blessings of paradise, there is a subtle reference to worldly conquests as well and we know this from the words of the Holy Prophet. When he was migrating from Makkah to Madinah with only Abu Bakr as his companion, a Makkan by the name of Suraqah was in his pursuit. Before he could reach the Holy Prophet, he witnessed signs that convinced him that the Prophet was true. He humbly presented himself to the Holy Prophet and asked for forgiveness. During this brief encounter, the Holy Prophet said that he could see the gold bracelets of the King of Persia on his wrists. Uttered in a condition of dire distress when his own life was in danger, this statement that the treasures of Persia will fall into the hands of Muslims was fulfilled forty years later. This shows that in these promises of the Quran there is also a subtle hint of future worldly Muslim conquests.

18-18   And thou mightest think them awake while they were asleep, and We turned them about to the right and to the left, with their dog outstretching its paws at the entrance. If thou didst look at them, thou wouldst turn back from them in flight, and thou wouldst be filled with awe because of them.^a

وَتَحْسَبُهُمْ أَيْقَاظًۭا وَهُمْ رُقُودٌۭ ۚ وَنُقَلِّبُهُمْ ذَاتَ ٱلْيَمِينِ وَذَاتَ ٱلشِّمَالِ ۖ وَكَلْبُهُم بَـٰسِطٌۭ ذِرَاعَيْهِ بِٱلْوَصِيدِ ۚ لَوِ ٱطَّلَعْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ لَوَلَّيْتَ مِنْهُمْ فِرَارًۭا وَلَمُلِئْتَ مِنْهُمْ رُعْبًۭا (۱۸)

18-18a: أَيْقَاظًۭ – یَقَظة is the opposite of sleep and its verb is اِسۡتَیۡقَظَ, and یَقۡظان is its adjective whose plural is اَیۡقَاظ and this is also the plural of یَقِظ and یَقُظ which means alert, a person who has wisdom and intelligence (LA).

رُقُود – رُقاد is a good short nap and رُقُود is a verbal noun and also the plural of رَاقد (R). The meaning of رَقَد الحرُّ is the heat has subsided, and the meaning of اَرۡقَدَ بالمکانِ is stayed in the house (LA).

وَصِيدِ –  is the courtyard of a house or hut and وَصِيدِۃ is a house made in the mountains with stones for storage (LA). اوصَدُت الباب the door was closed and secured and this is also the meaning of اٰصَدَ.  مؤصدۃ is derived from it as in إِنَّهَا عَلَيْهِم مُّؤْصَدَةٌۭ : Surely it is closed in on them (104:8) meaning closed in on them from all sides (LA). Some have translated وَصِيدِ as door or doorsill (IJ).

ٱطَّلَعْتَ – طَلَعَ is sunrise and derived from it طَلَعَ and اِطِّلَعَ (verbal noun اِطِّلَاع ) means learned the condition by seeing it (R) as in: هَلْ أَنتُم مُّطَّلِعُونَ : Will you look? (37:54); أَطَّلِعُ إِلَىٰٓ إِلَـٰهِ مُوسَىٰ : knowledge of Moses’ God (28:38).

Sleep of the Dwellers of the Cave: If this verse refers to the people who went into the Cave, then it is obvious that the duration of the sleep is not for years or centuries because in the explanation of the word رُقُود by Imam Raghib, this word is used to denote a short period of sleep and not a prolonged and deep sleep. However, several questions arise here. First, what is meant by the statement that they were sleeping but an onlooker would think they were awake. Some have said this was because their eyes remained open, others have said it was because of their watchfulness for safety, and their remaining unchanged over time, and their turning in their sleep. No satisfactory explanation is found in any of these interpretations. It has also been stated that they changed positions only once or twice a year. What is the real meaning of keeping their eyes open and why has this incident been relayed again? Moreover, there is the mention of a dog with them. Did the dog also sleep as part of the miracle? Some say yes while others say no. The latter say it kept guard over them and obtained nutrition by licking its paws. The question arises why a guard dog was even needed. Since the Dwellers were protected from snakes and scorpions in the Cave, could they not be protected in the same way from wild beasts? What is the wisdom in specifically mentioning their changing sides while sleeping. If they slept for three hundred years as a miracle, was it beyond Allah’s powers to allow them to sleep without moving? Even if they moved around as they slept, what is meant by mentioning it?

European nation’s worldly smartness and religious neglect: In my opinion, the people mentioned in the above verse are the ones referred to in the last verse of the previous section as مَن يُضْلِلْ whom He leaves in error (18:17), who are the successors of the أَصْحَـٰبَ ٱلْكَهْفِ  Dwellers of the Cave, and who became engrossed in worldly matters and hence became أَصْحَـٰبَ َٱلرَّقِيمِ the People of Inscription. In their worldly matters they are very aware and not only are they awake but show a high degree of efficiency and intelligence. However, from the perspective of truth seeking, they are asleep even though they roam the earth to their right and left, traveling in all directions without exception. The description of the Dajjal (Antichrist) in the Hadith mentions that it is blind in the right eye and this is a metaphorical reference to religious blindness. Hence the hadith repeat and confirm what is said in this verse. The mention of a dog is to highlight a distinguishing feature of this nation because the love that it has for dogs is unparalleled by any other nation. Their women often carry their dogs in their lap and love them more than their children, doting upon them. Nearly every westerner keeps a dog. This may be due to a deep affinity because a dog is known for eating greedily, and these nations have taken greed for worldly wealth to extreme level. Another possible interpretation for the mention of a dog is that a nation among these European nations, because of its extreme power, acts like a watchdog for the other nations. Just like a dog, it sits on the threshold and provides security for them. See 18-22a for this. The last part of the verse would indicate that people look at their technical advancement, the abundance of material goods, and the high standard of living with its outwardly glamor and glitter, and are overawed.

18-19   And thus did We rouse them that they might question each other. A speaker from among them said: How long have you tarried? They said: We have tarried for a day or a part of a day. (Others) said: Your Lord knows best how long you have tarried. Now send one of you with this silver (coin) of yours to the city, then let him see what food is purest, and bring you provision from it, and let him behave with gentleness, and not make your case known to anyone.^a

وَكَذَٰلِكَ بَعَثْنَـٰهُمْ لِيَتَسَآءَلُوا۟ بَيْنَهُمْ ۚ قَالَ قَآئِلٌۭ مِّنْهُمْ كَمْ لَبِثْتُمْ ۖ قَالُوا۟ لَبِثْنَا يَوْمًا أَوْ بَعْضَ ۢ ۚ قَالُوا۟ رَبُّكُمْ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا لَبِثْتُمْ فَٱبْعَثُوٓا۟ أَحَدَكُم بِوَرِقِكُمْ هَـٰذِهِۦٓ إِلَى ٱلْمَدِينَةِ فَلْيَنظُرْ أَيُّهَآ أَزْكَىٰ طَعَامًۭا فَلْيَأْتِكُم بِرِزْقٍۢ مِّنْهُ وَلْيَتَلَطَّفْ وَلَا يُشْعِرَنَّ بِكُمْ أَحَدًا (۱۹)

18-19a: وَرِقِ – means leaves of a tree. The singular is وَرَقَة and its plural is اَوۡراق, as in مَا تَسْقُطُ مِن وَرَقَةٍ : there falls not a leaf (6:59). Other meanings of this word include the pages of a book, and excessive wealth since abundant wealth is comparable to the abundance of leaves on a tree. Similarly, wealth is also called تری or تُراب earth or dust or سیل flood. The meaning of ورقِ and وَرِقِ is dirhams or rupees (R).

يَتَلَطَّفْ – لطیف is an attributive name of Allah for which see 6-103a, and لطیف is one who gently provides what is needed. Ibn al-Athir states that لطیف is one who has the following qualities: is gentle in actions, has an intricate knowledge of what is advisable, and has the ability to guide to what he has estimated. لُطف is being gentle with another, and تَلَطَّف in an affair is being تَرَفُّق or gentle.

In this verse, there is a mention of أَصْحَـٰبَ ٱلْكَهْفِ again. In verse 18:10, it was stated that when they took refuge in the Cave, they supplicated to Allah to open a beneficial way for them, so eventually Allah called them to this task. There remains the question of how long they stayed in the Cave. In verse 18:11 it is called سِنِينَ عَدَدًۭا several years and this seems reasonable given the normal human life span. The 300 years in verse 25 of this chapter will be taken up for discussion later. Their saying that they tarried for a day or part of a day is from the perspective that the word یوم is used in a broad sense and is not necessarily a day of twenty-four hours. It may be that they meant that they had spent their life or a greater part of their life in the Cave. It seems to be indicated in: رَبُّكُمْ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا لَبِثْتُمْ : Your Lord knows best how long you have tarried, that this was the plan of Allah, and the time they spent in the Cave was not wasted but the groundwork was prepared for their mission. During this period, their worship of Allah completed their moral development which is necessary for the work of calling people to Allah.

After this, they try to determine how to set about doing their work and they decide to send a person to the town with some money to bring back provisions. In this way, they sought to establish a relationship with the townsfolk and through their gentleness in conversation and propagation try to slowly draw the townsfolk to the truth without making them aware of their real purpose. It would be unwarranted to assume that they did not eat food prior to this encounter because people who live in isolation in caves make arrangements for their food and very often make do with things that are growing in the wild. The objective of sending a person to town is to slowly develop a relationship with the townspeople. This strategy of the few أَصْحَـٰبَ ٱلْكَهْفِ has a striking similarity with the initial history of Christianity which remained in a state of subservience for three hundred years. During this period, its preaching was done secretly and with great gentleness. It could not be propagated openly as is also indicated in the next verse. The strange thing is that even today the Christian nations of Europe use the same tactics to achieve their political goals. They first make inroads into a country on the pretext of trade and gently proceed till they gain complete control in the country, also using wealth to ease the way to achieve their objective. They get what they want and ensure that their real intention remains hidden. Thus, in the narration of the أَصْحَـٰبَ ٱلْكَهْفِ there is a retelling of the history of Christianity.

18-20   For if they prevail against you, they would stone you to death or force you back to their religion, and then you would never succeed.

إِنَّهُمْ إِن يَظْهَرُوا۟ عَلَيْكُمْ يَرْجُمُوكُمْ أَوْ يُعِيدُوكُمْ فِى مِلَّتِهِمْ وَلَن تُفْلِحُوٓا۟ إِذًا أَبَدًۭا (۲۰)

18-21   And thus did We make (men) to get knowledge of them, that they might know that Allah’s promise is true and that the Hour — there is no doubt about it. When they disputed among themselves about their affair and said: Erect an edifice over them. Their Lord knows best about them. Those who prevailed in their affair said: We shall certainly build a place of worship over them.^a

وَكَذَٰلِكَ أَعْثَرْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ لِيَعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّ وَعْدَ ٱللَّهِ حَقٌّۭ وَأَنَّ ٱلسَّاعَةَ لَا رَيْبَ فِيهَآ إِذْ يَتَنَـٰزَعُونَ بَيْنَهُمْ أَمْرَهُمْ ۖ فَقَالُوا۟ ٱبْنُوا۟ عَلَيْهِم بُنْيَـٰنًۭا ۖ رَّبُّهُمْ أَعْلَمُ بِهِمْ ۚ قَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ غَلَبُوا۟ عَلَىٰٓ أَمْرِهِمْ لَنَتَّخِذَنَّ عَلَيْهِم مَّسْجِدًۭا (۲۱)

18-21a: The real plan of the أَصْحَـٰبَ ٱلْكَهْفِ discovered: The most common way commentators have explained كَذَٰلِكَ أَعْثَرْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ : thus did We make (men) to get knowledge of them is to say that because of the dirham coin, which was three hundred years old, people found out about them. They came to see the Dwellers, though some reports state that the townspeople did not see them, because whenever one of them gathered courage and stepped forward to look, he would be terrified and backed away. Encountering people from three hundred years ago made them realize that the Resurrection is true, and the dead will be raised to life. At this point the commentators showed some doubts that even if it is accepted that the أَصْحَـٰبَ ٱلْكَهْفِ slept for a long time, how does this lead to the knowledge that there is resurrection after death. The only reply given is that both incidents provide testimony of Divine power, since the God who could keep bodies in suspended animation for so many years, can also give life again. The question remains however, that if by witnessing one example of Divine power, knowledge can be gained of another aspect of Divine power, what was the need for preserving the bodies for such a long period? There are thousands of examples of Divine power that one sees every day which should be sufficient to convince a person that even when the body disintegrates after death, the person would be resurrected. Besides, it is hard to believe that reliance on the testimony of one person can create such certainty in others. In my opinion, أَعْثَرْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ  : get knowledge of them means getting knowledge of the true aim of the أَصْحَـٰبَ ٱلْكَهْفِ who kept gradually explaining their views to people till they got convinced that what they were being called to is true and that resurrection after death is undoubtedly correct. It is only by the teachings of the prophets that people become convinced of the afterlife. When the أَصْحَـٰبَ ٱلْكَهْفِ slowly educated them on goodness and morality, the people became convinced of their truthfulness.

The actual intention of European nations made manifest: If the narration of أَصْحَـٰبَ ٱلْكَهْفِ is taken to understand the intentions of the European nations through the history of Christianity, this story becomes very meaningful because the world has come to know of their designs. In this interpretation, the pronoun in لِيَعْلَمُوٓا۟ stands for these European nations meaning, when people wise up to the real purpose of the European nations and frustrate their designs, this failure will make the Europeans turn their attention to the truth. They will realize that worldly progress is not everything and there is another life to plan for.

In the last part of the verse, the people who accepted the invitation of the أَصْحَـٰبَ ٱلْكَهْفِ . are mentioned. Initially no one listened to the Dwellers of the Cave, but their situation changed to where people wanted to construct memorials to honor them for their piety. The next stage came when those people gained dominance and became rulers, and made these virtuous and pious people their deities. ( غَلَبُوا۟ عَلَىٰٓ أَمْرِهِمْ means غلبہ sway, supremacy, hegemony, as in واللّٰہ غالب علیٰ امرہ , with the pronoun in أَمْرِهِمْ pointing to those who became dominant.

ارادوا امرا لم یتعسر علیہم انہم اذ If they wanted something, it was not difficult for them (RM)). The deification of Jesus in Christianity became solidified with the conversion of Constantine. A hadith in Bukhari states: لعن اللّٰہ  الیھود و النصاریٰ اتخذ اقبور انبیاء ھم مساجد May the curse of Allah be on the Jews and Christians, for they made the graves of their prophets places of worship. In another hadith, it is stated: اذا کان فیہم الرجل الصالح فمات بنوا علی قبرہ مسجدا و صور وا فیه تلك الصور When a pious person among them died, they would make his grave a shrine and would make images in it of their holy people and worship them. This verse seems to refer to the same practice. This is an example of their unjustly elevating the status of Allah’s pious people. Some Muslims take this as a justification for making shrines at gravesites, but this is peculiar logic because the authentic hadith are calling it an error. Such practices lay the foundation of associating partners with Allah.

18-22   (Some) say: (They were) three, the fourth of them their dog; and (others) say: Five, the sixth of them their dog, making conjectures about the unseen. And (others) say: Seven, and the eighth of them their dog. Say: My Lord best knows their number — none knows them but a few. So contend not in their matter but with an outward contention, and question not any of them concerning them.^a

سَيَقُولُونَ ثَلَـٰثَةٌۭ رَّابِعُهُمْ كَلْبُهُمْ وَيَقُولُونَ خَمْسَةٌۭ سَادِسُهُمْ كَلْبُهُمْ رَجْمًۢا بِٱلْغَيْبِ ۖ وَيَقُولُونَ سَبْعَةٌۭ وَثَامِنُهُمْ كَلْبُهُمْ ۚ قُل رَّبِّىٓ أَعْلَمُ بِعِدَّتِهِم مَّا يَعْلَمُهُمْ إِلَّا قَلِيلٌۭ ۗ فَلَا تُمَارِ فِيهِمْ إِلَّا مِرَآءًۭ ظَـٰهِرًۭا وَلَا تَسْتَفْتِ فِيهِم مِّنْهُمْ أَحَدًۭا (۲۲)

18-22a: سَيَقُولُونَ – س is prefixed future particle andis used in combination with the imperfect (present tense) verb to form the future tense. The imperfect verb (فعل مضارع) is third person masculine plural and is in the indicative mood (مرفوع). سوف performs the same function but according to some, the future in this case is more expansive (Mughni al Labib).  

تُمَارِ – مراء و مماراۃ and امتراء have the same meaning, to dispute about a perplexing subject (R). مراء is an argument in which one party tries to get information from the other, which leads to its meanings as doubt, suspicion and perplexity. The meaning of مَرَیۡت الشاۃ  is I milked the goat.

 ظَـٰهِرًۭا – ظَھَر الشئُ means something emerged onto the back of the earth, or came above the ground and therefore did not remain hidden. (ظَھۡر means the back). بَطَنَ means something entered the bowels of the earth and was hidden. مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَمَا بَطَنَ : such of them as are apparent and such as are concealed (7:3 3). So, everything that is clear and can be known either by seeing it with the eye or by an inference is called ظاھر  (R). Commentators have interpreted it in several different ways. Some have taken it to mean not well-versed or not conversant, some have taken it to mean a quarrel about something obvious, in some writings it is described as a dispute with a scholar who is certain about his information, in others it is an assertion that people can see, and in yet others it is an argument that nullifies the argument of the adversary.

This verse mentions what people will say in the future and not what was said in the past. Commentators have explained this by stating that after reading what is said in the Quran people will speculate about the number of the أَصْحَـٰبَ ٱلْكَهْفِ but unless such speculation existed beforehand about whether there were three or five or seven, there is no reason to speculate now. If such speculation existed beforehand, then why would Allah say سَيَقُولُونَ which is in the future tense. The second difficulty is that if the Quran had given a number, only then would these words would be appropriate, because after listening to the number stated in the Quran, people may respond in the manner stated. However, the Quran assiduously avoids stating a number; neither is their number mentioned in the beginning nor at the end where it is just stated: رَّبِّىٓ أَعْلَمُ بِعِدَّتِهِم : My Lord best knows their number. Later in the verse, it is stated:

 مَّا يَعْلَمُهُمْ إِلَّا قَلِيلٌۭ : none knows them but a few but a reference to their number is left out and it is only stated that none knows them but a few.

The meaning cannot be that a few know this narration or the number, because just knowing would not warrant its mention in the Quran. So, who are these few? The few are those scholars who realize that this narration is not about numbers but understanding the deeper meaning of the narration from the circumstances and situation that existed. In لَا تَسْتَفْتِ فِيهِم مِّنْهُمْ أَحَدًۭا question not any of them concerning them, the pronoun them in مِّنْهُمْ is taken to refer to the Ahl al-Kitab من اھل الکتاب from the People of the Book(R) even though there is no mention of them here, unless one considers that the purpose of this whole narration is about the Ahl al-Kitab, or the Christians.

Among the Ahl al-Kitab the commonly accepted number of the Dwellers in the Cave is seven. Even if there had been speculation about their number being three or five, it is not surprising that it was not recorded because many erroneous matters have found their way in this narrative, as commonly happens, and hence are not mentioned in the Quran. In my opinion, the focus here is primarily on the history of Christianity, and this is indicated in غَلَبُوا۟ عَلَىٰٓ أَمْرِهِمْ prevailed in their affair (18:21), indicating that they came out of a condition of subservience to become dominant, and this is why ثَلَـٰثَةٌۭ three – خَمْسَةٌۭ five – سَبْعَةٌۭ seven are simply stated as numbers without any reference to what or who they pertain to. It is possible, that these numbers may pertain to three, five, or seven men or to three, five, or seven nations or to three, five, or seven governments etc. In لَا تَسْتَفْتِ فِيهِم مِّنْهُمْ  :question not any of them concerning them indicates that this narration is not about the counting of those men, because this story was known to the Ahl al-Kitab who widely believed the Dwellers were seven. In the last two verses كَلْبُهُمْ refers to such a nation or government that acts like a dog or a guard for them, providing them with security. Further, instead of كَلْبُهُمْ in one recitation there is کالبہم , that is صاحب کلبہم their dog owner (RM) from which it seems that all of them, including the dog, are members of the same group and species. Nevertheless, it has been very difficult to interpret this verse. It is possible that Allah may open its meaning to someone someday. Another possible interpretation of this verse can be that there have been eight powerful Christian nations, which is a number the Quran has mentioned. These are: America, Britain, France, Spain, Austria, Germany, Italy and Russia. Only four of these are considered to be super-powers: America, Britain, France and Russia. Sometimes Germany and Italy are included and these powers become six and without a doubt one of them provides security to the rest. In رَّبِّىٓ أَعْلَمُ بِعِدَّتِهِم : My Lord best knows their number, it is conveyed that actually there are more of them, and only Allah knows their number.  

18-13   We relate to thee their story with truth. Surely they were youths who believed in their Lord and We increased them in guidance.^a

نَّحْنُ نَقُصُّ عَلَيْكَ نَبَأَهُم بِٱلْحَقِّ ۚ إِنَّهُمْ فِتْيَةٌ ءَامَنُوا۟ بِرَبِّهِمْ وَزِدْنَـٰهُمْ هُدًۭى (۱۳)

18-13a: What is stated in 18:10 is restated here in somewhat greater detail. We are not told who the Dwellers were, where they lived, or what their names were because these details are superfluous. The details given are the ones that matter. They were believers, but not simply ones who profess faith, rather they were guided to higher levels of spiritual progress. Only elevated people can leave worldly matters and devote their lives to spreading the word of Allah. The use of the word بِٱلْحَقِّ conveys that the stories that were known about them were not correct and that includes the fable that they slept for an extended period.

18-14   And We strengthened their hearts when they stood up and said: Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth; we call upon no god beside Him, for then indeed we should utter an enormity.^a

وَرَبَطْنَا عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ إِذْ قَامُوا۟ فَقَالُوا۟ رَبُّنَا رَبُّ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ لَن نَّدْعُوَا۟ مِن دُونِهِۦٓ إِلَـٰهًۭا ۖ لَّقَدْ قُلْنَآ إِذًۭا شَطَطًا (۱۴)

18-14a: رَبَطْنَا عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ – See 8-11b. ربط اللّٰہ علی قلبه بالصبر means Allah instilled patience in his heart and made him firm and strong (LA).

شَطَط – is الِا فراطُ فی البُعدِ going too far. The word شَطَط here means words that are far from the truth (R).

The prayer of the Dwellers of the Cave correctly reflects the religion of the early Christians. Calling on others besides Allah is very far from the truth, be it the son of God or something else. The teachings of modern Christianity are totally opposed to the teachings of Prophet Jesus and it is from this perspective that these teachings are called the teachings of Masih ud Dajjal.

18-15   These our people have taken gods beside Him. Why do they not bring clear authority for them? Who is then more unjust than he who forges a lie against Allah?

هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ قَوْمُنَا ٱتَّخَذُوا۟ مِن دُونِهِۦٓ ءَالِهَةًۭ ۖ لَّوْلَا يَأْتُونَ عَلَيْهِم بِسُلْطَـٰنٍۭ بَيِّنٍۢ ۖ فَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ ٱفْتَرَىٰ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ كَذِبًۭا (۱۵)

18-16   And when you withdraw from them and what they worship save Allah, take refuge in the Cave; your Lord will spread forth for you of His mercy, and provide for you a profitable course in your affair.^a

وَإِذِ ٱعْتَزَلْتُمُوهُمْ وَمَا يَعْبُدُونَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهَ فَأْوُۥٓا۟ إِلَى ٱلْكَهْفِ يَنشُرْ لَكُمْ رَبُّكُم مِّن رَّحْمَتِهِۦ وَيُهَيِّئْ لَكُم مِّنْ أَمْرِكُم مِّرْفَقًۭا (۱۶)

18-16a: يَنشُرْ – نشر means to spread: a cloth, paper, blessing or a matter. نشور means resurrection. For example: وَإِذَا ٱلصُّحُفُ نُشِرَتْ : And when the books are spread (81:10); وَٱلنَّـٰشِرَٰتِ نَشْرًۭا : And those spreading (goodness) far and wide (77:3); وَإِلَيْهِ ٱلنُّشُورُ : and to Him is the rising (after death) (67:15).

يُهَيِّئْ – ھَیۡئَةis a condition that can be perceived physically or intellectually, as in: كَهَيْـَٔةِ ٱلطَّيْرِ a thing like the form of a bird (5:110) (R). تھیئة is to make the exterior form and it is also spoken for making something non-existent, invisible or hidden and also for making something easy (RM).

مِرْفَق – See 5-6a.

This verse shows that the Dwellers took refuge in the Cave for a limited time and their supplication was that Allah may open another way that would be beneficial for them, as is apparent from the use of the wordمِرْفَق . Thus, every word provides testimony that the Dwellers of the Cave had some grand objective before them.

18-17   And thou mightest see the sun, when it rose, decline from their Cave to the right, and when it set leave them behind on the left, while they were in a wide space thereof. This is of the signs of Allah. He whom Allah guides, he is on the right way; and whom He leaves in error, thou wilt not find for him a friend to guide aright.^a

وَتَرَى ٱلشَّمْسَ إِذَا طَلَعَت تَّزَٰوَرُ عَن كَهْفِهِمْ ذَاتَ ٱلْيَمِينِ وَإِذَا غَرَبَت تَّقْرِضُهُمْ ذَاتَ ٱلشِّمَالِ وَهُمْ فِى فَجْوَةٍۢ مِّنْهُ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ مِنْ ءَايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ ۗ مَن يَهْدِ ٱللَّهُ فَهُوَ ٱلْمُهْتَدِ ۖ وَمَن يُضْلِلْ فَلَن تَجِدَ لَهُۥ وَلِيًّۭا مُّرْشِدًۭا (۱۷)

18-17a: تَزٰوَرُ – زَارَہ means paid a visit and met and زَوۡر means to incline, slant or slope. تَزٰوَرُ is in fact تَتزٰوَرُ and it means تمیل bent, inclined towards. زُور  is falsehood, untruth, lie because it is inclining away from the truth. Example: ظُلْمًۭا وَزُورًۭا  : iniquity and a falsehood (25:4); قَوْلَ ٱلزُّورِ : false words (22:30) (R).

تَّقْرِضُ – قَرۡض means to sever, cut off and is also used for slipping away unobtrusively (R).

فَجْوَة  – is derived from فجا . The wide-open space between two things is called فَجْوَة (R).

What is meant by the turning back of the sun from the Cave: The first part of the verse simply means that these people were at a place where they were not troubled by the heat of the sun and the narrowness of the Cave. According to some, this was so because the mouth of the Cave was opposite the constellation of the Greater or Lesser Bear, and some others have opined that Allah, contrary to the laws of nature, used to turn back the sun from their Cave, and according to Garda Thani the statement مِنْ ءَايَـٰتِ ٱللَّه this is of the signs of Allah supports this view (RM). According to Ibn Kathir, the wording shows that the mouth of the Cave faced north because if it faced east, west, or south, the description given in the verse could not be reconciled with the movement of the sun and this is called مِنْ ءَايَـٰتِ ٱللَّه because Allah guided them to such a Cave (T).

The Cave and its location: The opinion of Ibn Kathir is correct because in the northern hemisphere, houses that face north do not get much sunshine and this is especially true as one moves further north from the equator. Commentators’ opinions about the location of the Cave differ greatly. The locations suggested include the Cave being near the city of Eilat, or near the city of Nineveh, or in the Byzantine empire, or in Balqa. Just as the description in the verse indicates a north facing Cave, it also indicates that this Cave was in some northern country because in the northern countries the sun does not come overhead and remains inclined. From dawn till noon, the sun hangs low on the right and from noon to sunset, it hangs low on the left. In such countries, the heat from the sun is not very intense. The description fits the countries in northern Europe perfectly. There is no doubt that Christianity first spread in the direction of the north. According to some traditions which are narrated in the Encyclopedia Britanica, Joseph Arimathea, a wealthy disciple of Jesus, along with some companions came to England. In the Encyclopedia essay on Joseph Arimathea, it is written that Saint Philip sent Joseph Arimathea to England, and he came and lived on a small island in Somersetshire. It is stated in the tenth edition of this Encyclopedia that in 63 AD Joseph Arimathea reached Britain after visiting several other countries. There are other traditions as well which when combined with this historical fact reveal that the name of Joseph Arimathea is not found in the names of the disciples who were active in this country after Prophet Jesus. It seems certain that Joseph Arimathea then went somewhere else but probably some of those who accompanied him stayed on in Britain. The persecution of the early Christians was very common, and it is possible that by كَهْفِ is meant the country of England. There are several other possibilities as well. It may be some other European country, and it is also possible that كَهْفِ is some north facing Cave located elsewhere.

18-1      Praise be to Allah! Who revealed the Book to His servant, and allowed not therein any crookedness,^a

ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنزَلَ عَلَىٰ عَبْدِهِ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ وَلَمْ يَجْعَل لَّهُۥ عِوَجَاۜ (۱)

18-1a: وَلَمْ يَجْعَل لَّهُۥ عِوَجَاۜ – Ibn Abbas holds this to be a parenthetical clause, so that the arrangement of the verse is: أَنزَلَ عَلَىٰ عَبْدِهِ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ فیما (IJ). لَمْ يَجْعَل لَّهُۥ عِوَجَاً is taken to mean that the truth is neither polluted nor ambiguous (IJ) or that there is no disorder or confusion of words or inconsistency of meaning (RM). However, in other places in the Quran it is stated: يَـٰٓأَهْلَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ لِمَ تَصُدُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ مَنْ ءَامَنَ تَبْغُونَهَا عِوَجًۭا : O People of the Book why do you hinder those who believe from the way of Allah, seeking (to make) it crooked (3:99) and ٱلَّذِينَ يَصُدُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَيَبْغُونَهَا عِوَجًۭا : Who hinder (men) from Allah’s way and seek to make it crooked. Since the opponents of the truth try to stop people from accepting this Book and want to make the straight path crooked, this verse may refer to Allah’s guarding the Quran which was revealed to the perfected soul of the Holy Prophet Muhammad. Hence those who create obstacles or cast doubt about the Quran, thereby seeking to create crookedness in it, cannot succeed. Because the address in this chapter is specifically to the Christians who are the most extreme example of يَبْغُونَهَا عِوَجًۭا  seeking to make it (the Quranic way) crooked, referring to Allah’s guardianship is fitting. This meaning also makes sense if وَلَمْ يَجْعَل لَّهُۥ عِوَجَاۜ is a parenthetical clause, because the revelation of the Book would have been meaningless if the opponents could have stopped people from it and introduced crookedness in it. Creating crookedness means the purpose for which the Book is revealed is frustrated and stays unachieved.

This chapter is started with حَمْدُ praise, and حَمْدُ is because of ربوبیت nurturing till perfection as is apparent from the relationship of the two words in ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ which means that the revelation of the Book is for nurturing humanity, specifically spiritual nurturing. This is also obvious from the word قیم valuable, worthy, keeper, supervisor, guardian in the next verse because the Quran leads to the completion of human development. This chapter mentions spiritual nurturing at the start because its major theme is about a nation that is totally absorbed in the matters of this world as stated in: ٱلَّذِينَ ضَلَّ سَعْيُهُمْ فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا :Those whose efforts go astray in this world’s life (18:104) referring to the Christian nation.

By فتنۂ دجال  Trial of the Antichrist the trial of Christianity is meant: In an authentic hadith narrated by Muslim, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi and Imam Ahmad, it is stated: عن النبی صلعم قال من حفظ عشر اٰیات من اول سورۃ الکھف عصم من الدجال The Holy Prophet said that he who remembers the first ten verses of surah Kahf will be protected from the Dajjal (Antichrist), and in another hadith which is narrated in Muslim, Nasai, and Ahmad it is stated: قال من قرأ العشر الا و اخر من سورۃ الکھف عصم من فتنة الدجال A person who reads the last ten verses of surah Kahf will be protected from the mischief of Dajjal (Antichrist). In another narration in Ahmad, the two hadith are combined to state that a person who reads the first and last verses of the chapter Al- Kahf will glow with Nur light from head to toe. It is obvious that the Holy Quran is a Book of wisdom and knowledge, and not a Book of incantations and mantras whose prescribed chanting will resolve difficulties. It is worth exploring what message is conveyed in these verses that would save one from the mischief of the Antichrist. A cursory reading shows that in both these places Christianity is mentioned. In the first ten verses the theological belief that God has a son is discussed: قَالُوا۟ ٱتَّخَذَ ٱللَّهُ وَلَدًۭا : who say: Allah has taken to Himself a son (18:4) and their working to embellish the earth: إِنَّا جَعَلْنَا مَا عَلَى ٱلْأَرْضِ زِينَةًۭ : Surely We have made whatever is on the earth an embellishment for it (18:7). In the last ten verses, Christian beliefs are mentioned again: أَن يَتَّخِذُوا۟ عِبَادِى مِن دُونِىٓ أَوْلِيَآءَ ۚ…that they can take my servants to be friends besides Me? (18:102) and their deeds: ٱلَّذِينَ ضَلَّ سَعْيُهُمْ فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَهُمْ يَحْسَبُونَ أَنَّهُمْ يُحْسِنُونَ صُنْعًا :Those whose efforts goes astray in this world’s life and they think that they are making good manufacture (18:104). Thus, their entire effort will be devoted to this world and to its industries. By drawing attention to their beliefs and their deeds and by sounding a warning not to be taken in by their worldly development and outward attractions, the Quran has pointed the way to safeguard oneself from the mischief of the Dajjal. When a Muslim, who believes in the Quran as the word of God, surveys current world events that were correctly predicted fourteen hundred years ago by the Quran, his belief in the revealed word of God increases greatly and thus he saves himself from the great mischief of the Christians. This also goes to show that what is called the Trial of the Dajjal is just another name for the trial of the Christians. The Quran’s clear exposition is a witness to this. In the Hadith there are many disagreements about the Dajjal and some hadith hold Ibn Sayyad to be the Dajjal although he converted to Islam and died as a Muslim. However, the description in the Quran is so sound that there is no room to disagree with it.

The rationale for the use of the word Dajjal in the Hadith and its meaning: Giving the etymology of the word Dajjal here would be instructive because it explains why the term Masih ud Dajjal is used in the Hadith to refer to Christianity. The literal meaning of دجل الشئ is غَطّاہُ which means to cover up, wrap, conceal, veil, and there are various meanings of دَجَّال depending upon how something is covered. Accordingly, its first meaning is کذاب a great liar because a lie veils the truth, and Ibn Sidah states that Dajjal is named so because it will cover the truth with falsehood. Another version is that Dajjal is so called because it will cover the earth with the sheer number of his organizations. Some others have said that it is because the Dajjal will cast a veil of disbelief on the people. A hadith states: فی اٰخر الزمان دجالونDajjal will manifest in the end of times and another hadith states that the Dajjal will appear before the Resurrection. Azhari states that every liar is a Dajjal. One of the meanings of دَجَّال is a big group which will spread throughout the world due to its vast numbers, and according to some it is a group that travels for trade. It is also said that Dajjal is so called because it manifests the opposite of what is in his heart (LA). All these descriptions taken from Lisan al-Arab make it perfectly clear that the term Trial of the Dajjal given by the Quran to the trial of Christianity is entirely appropriate. Have the events of today not convinced everybody that it is pointless to search for a different Dajjal, and a literal interpretation of the Hadith is misleading, since the description is metaphorical. The term مسیح الدجال is used in the Hadith because the Christianity that is being spread in the world is completely contrary to the actual teachings of Prophet Jesus.

18-2      Rightly directing, to give warning of severe punishment from Him and to give good news to the believers who do good that theirs is a goodly reward,^a

قَيِّمًۭا لِّيُنذِرَ بَأْسًۭا شَدِيدًۭا مِّن لَّدُنْهُ وَيُبَشِّرَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ أَنَّ لَهُمْ أَجْرًا حَسَنًۭا (۲)

18-2a: قَيِّمًۭا – The meaning of قیام is to look after and safeguard something. The Book is called قیّم (which is a superlative) and in another verse, the religion is called قیّم in ذَٰلِكَ ٱلدِّينُ ٱلْقَيِّمُ ۚ That is the right religion (9:36) as well as in : وَذَٰلِكَ دِينُ ٱلْقَيِّمَةِ : and that is the right religion (98:5) The aim of calling a religion قیّم is that it is strong, durable and lasting in preserving the affairs of this world and the next. In فِيهَا كُتُبٌۭ قَيِّمَةٌۭ  : Wherein are (all) right books (98:3) the reference is to the books of Allah that are present in the Quran because the essence of all previous scriptures are found in the Quran. One of the attributive names of Allah is قیوم meaning one who safeguards everything and provides what is necessary to sustain creation (R). Al-Farra’ states that the Quran is قیم over all the heavenly scriptures, since it safeguards them and Abu Muslim states that it establishes what is good for the servants and secures it, and some have said it is perfect and makes others perfect (RM). In reality, Quran is قیم in both these aspects. It safeguards the correct teachings of the heavenly books as is stated in another place that the Quran is مُهَيْمِنًا عَلَيْهِ : a guardian over it (5:48). The Quran is perfect in its knowledge and ability to take humans to their full potential. As a result of its masterful teachings, those who follow it perfectly will reach their perfection.

Two main points in this verse are: There is warning of severe chastisement for those who are described as يَبْغُونَهَا عِوَجًۭا seek to make it (the Quranic way) crooked, and the other is a goodly reward for those who follow the Quran and achieve excellence. If the Quran did not have these qualities, its influence would be incomplete.

18-3      Staying in it for ever;

مَّـٰكِثِينَ فِيهِ أَبَدًۭا (۳)

18-4      And to warn those who say: Allah has taken to Himself a son.^a

وَيُنذِرَ ٱلَّذِينَ قَالُوا۟ ٱتَّخَذَ ٱللَّهُ وَلَدًۭا (۴)

18-4a: The hostility of the Christian nations to Islam: Although a warning is given previously as well at the start of the chapter but the warning is repeated specifically here addressing those who say Allah has taken to Himself a son, or the Christians. The warning is specified after being generalized. The first warning is directed against all opponents who are يَبْغُونَهَا عِوَجًۭا seeking to make it (the Quranic way) crooked and now a specific nation is mentioned who was to become the biggest barrier in the spread of the Quran. This special reference is an indication that their hostility will be greater than the hostility of any other nation against Islam. It is incorrect to apply this warning to the polytheists of Makkah because the next verse clearly mentionsاصحاب کہف Dwellers of the Cave who were Christians.

18-5      They have no knowledge of it, nor had their fathers. Grievous is the word that comes out of their mouths. They speak nothing but a lie.^a

مَّا لَهُم بِهِۦ مِنْ عِلْمٍۢ وَلَا لِـَٔابَآئِهِمْ ۚ كَبُرَتْ كَلِمَةًۭ تَخْرُجُ مِنْ أَفْوَٰهِهِمْ ۚ إِن يَقُولُونَ إِلَّا كَذِبًۭا (۵)

18-5a: كَبُرَتْ كَلِمَةًۭ  – It is نصب علی التمییز and conveys the gravity of what they are saying.

There is no rational or intellectual explanation for the foundational belief of Christianity: There could be no greater blow to the Christian doctrine of sonship and Divinity of Prophet Jesus than what the Quran states here. Christians have no real knowledge of their belief in taking a son of God, since neither they have any scholarly proof, nor did their parents possess any. Something that is put forward with scholarly and rational arguments can be contradicted with other counter arguments, but the Christians themselves consider their beliefs so far removed from rationality and scholarship that when Christian missionaries are asked about salvation etc., they reply that first you should believe and then then you will understand its truth. This is an admission in very clear words that there is no scholarly or rational proof for their belief. This is true not only today but ever since this belief was invented, no scholarly proof has ever been presented.

18-6      Then maybe thou wilt kill thyself with grief, sorrowing after them, if they believe not in this announcement.^a

فَلَعَلَّكَ بَـٰخِعٌۭ نَّفْسَكَ عَلَىٰٓ ءَاثَـٰرِهِمْ إِن لَّمْ يُؤْمِنُوا۟ بِهَـٰذَا ٱلْحَدِيثِ أَسَفًا (۶)

18-6a: بَـٰخِعٌۭ – بخُع means to kill oneself with grief (R). It also occurs in:

لَعَلَّكَ بَـٰخِعٌۭ نَّفْسَكَ أَلَّا يَكُونُوا۟ مُؤْمِنِينَ : Perhaps thou wilt kill thyself with grief because they believe not (26:3).

عَلَىٰٓ ءَاثَـٰرِهِمْ – Its literal meaning will be after them, and it means after their turning away from belief.

Along with the mention of a nation that believes in the sonship of God, there is mention of their insistence and obstinacy in their disbelief. For fourteen hundred years, Islam has been presented to them but barring a small number, they have not accepted it. Both from this verse and the next verse, it is obvious that the Holy Prophet was shown their worldly glamor and glitter and their turning aside from Islam. Further confirmation of this is found in the authentic hadith where the reason given for the coming of the Promised Messiah is to break the Cross which indicates that the Holy Prophet was shown the dominance of the Cross. The Holy Prophet was so grieved by this, that Allah says he may perish from sorrowing after them. No one can imagine the compassion and sympathy for mankind that the Holy Prophet harbored in his chest. Every moment of his life was spent worrying about how to invite humanity to submit before their Lord. So, just as the Holy Prophet’s heart was grieved by the insistence on disbelief of the nation in front of him, he equally felt grief for the nations that were to come, and this grief was consuming him. Just as the grief stricken prayers showed their impact in the past and that nation accepted Islam, certainly the sincere yearning of the Holy Prophet will bear fruit again.

18-7      Surely We have made whatever is on the earth an embellishment for it, so that We may try which of them is best in works.

إِنَّا جَعَلْنَا مَا عَلَى ٱلْأَرْضِ زِينَةًۭ لَّهَا لِنَبْلُوَهُمْ أَيُّهُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلًۭا (۷)

18-8      And We shall surely make what is on it dust, without herbage.^a

وَإِنَّا لَجَـٰعِلُونَ مَا عَلَيْهَا صَعِيدًۭا جُرُزًا (۸)

18-8a: جُرز –  It means to gobble, devour, gorge, swallow up and جَرُوز is a glutton who leaves nothing on the table. ارضٌ جُرُزٌ is land on which vegetation cannot grow as if the land has swallowed all the herbage, as in أَنَّا نَسُوقُ ٱلْمَآءَ إِلَى ٱلْأَرْضِ ٱلْجُرُزِ We drive the water to a land having no herbage (32:27) (LA).

Worldly progress of the Christian nations and a prophecy: The previous verse states that the resources of the earth will be used to embellish it, and there is no doubt that the Christian nations have excelled in doing this. Wherever they hold sway, they embellish the land with everything necessary for a luxurious life. In this way, it is indicated that the reason for their turning away from the truth is that they will get totally absorbed in the glamor and glitter of this world. Alongside the worldly embellishment, they should have turned their attention to embellishing their morals and they should have understood that a person’s beauty is not by his wealth and luxury but by his morals. This is what is indicated in أَيُّهُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلًۭا : which of them is best in works (18:7). It is then stated that Allah will render this embellished earth such that no vegetation will grow on it, and all accoutrements of worldly luxury and enjoyment will be destroyed. This shows that their worldly development that they are so proud of and which hinders their acceptance of Islam, will not benefit them. This that finally this nation will turn to Islam. Generally, it is also true that a fall comes after nations reach the pinnacle of their worldly exaltation. This is the inviolable law of Allah from which no nation has been exempted before, and no nation will be exempted in the future. The present civilization and its means of living a luxurious life will meet the same end as did previous civilizations.

18-9      Or, thinkest thou that the companions of the Cave and the Inscription were of Our wonderful signs?^a

أَمْ حَسِبْتَ أَنَّ أَصْحَـٰبَ ٱلْكَهْفِ وَٱلرَّقِيمِ كَانُوا۟ مِنْ ءَايَـٰتِنَا عَجَبًا (۹)

18-9a: أَصْحَـٰبَ ٱلْكَهْفِ وَٱلرَّقِيمِ –  كَهْف is a cave and فلان کَہۡفُ فلانٍ means that it is a place of refuge for him (LA).

 رَقِيم – It is derived from رَقۡم which means to write in bold letters or to write clearly (R). رَقِيم is an inscription, letter, tablet, message. It is a verb (فعیل) in the sense of its objective complement (مفعول). There is some disagreement about what it meant by رَقِيم here. One opinion is that it is the name of the place, and the other that it is the headstone on which the names of the dwellers were inscribed. Ibn Abbas is quoted as saying he does not know what ٱلرَّقِيمِ is (RM). A hadith has words that show the meaning رَقِيم  as writing the price of clothes on them. Ibn Jarir, after discussing various sayings writes that the correct opinion is that by رَقِيم is meant a tablet, a stone, or other item on which something is written (IJ).

The narration of  أَصْحَـٰبَ ٱلْكَهْفِ Companions of the Cave begins immediately after the mention of the Christian refusal to accept the truth of Islam and their absorption in pursuing worldly embellishments. This is sufficient evidence to prove that the narration of أَصْحَـٰبَ ٱلْكَهْفِ is related to the history of Christianity. The narration of the Companions of the Cave is well-known, and it is also known that the Dwellers were followers of the religion of Prophet Jesus. They were a band of young people who in the reign of Emperor Decius took refuge in a Cave from his persecution. On learning of their whereabouts, the Emperor sealed the Cave by building a wall. According to the various versions of the legend they slept in the Cave for a period of two hundred to three hundred and seventy-five years. When they woke up after this period, Christianity had become the official religion of the Roman empire. When the Dwellers were discovered, the Emperor of the time went himself to meet with them. According to some versions of the story, he met them and in other versions they disappeared and could not be found.

The real purpose of the narration of the Dwellers of the Cave in the Quran: Was this an actual historical incident? The widespread renown of this story seems to indicate that there is a modicum of truth in it, although the story is probably tampered with and embellished. However, the clear evidence from the Quran shows that the youth did not go to sleep after the cave was sealed, as is apparent from the subject of verse 18:17. In short, the Quran does not accept the incident in the way it is known, and in the very beginning addresses them as أَصْحَـٰبَ ٱلْكَهْفِ وَٱلرَّقِيمِ instead of just أَصْحَـٰبَ كَهْفِ. The people who stayed in the cave can rightly be called أَصْحَـٰبَ ٱلْكَهْفِ but what is meant by أَصْحَـٰبَ ٱلرَّقِيمِ. There is considerable disagreement among the commentators about its meaning. It is apparent from the meaning of رَقِيم described above that just as the cave is a distinguishing feature of these people, رَقِيم tablets on which something is written are another of their distinguishing features. Some commentators opine that their names or their narration were written on a stone tablet and accordingly they have been called أَصْحَـٰبَ ٱلرَّقِيمِ, but no such tablet has been found. In addition, the purpose of the historical events narrated in the Quran is not merely to repeat an old story, but the objective is also to shed some light on future events. Viewed in this light, the narration of أَصْحَـٰبَ ٱلْكَهْفِ وَٱلرَّقِيمِ is a retelling of the history of Christianity. It is not as necessary for us to know who the Dwellers of the Cave were and what transpired with them, as it is to know what the Quran has to state about the religion with which Islam had to compete and contest. This is the reason why the Quran has chosen the name أَصْحَـٰبَ ٱلْكَهْفِ وَٱلرَّقِيمِ instead of just أَصْحَـٰبَ كَهْفِ because the summary of the history of Christianity is encapsulated in these two words كَهْف and رَقِيم . The early history of Christianity is associated with كَهْف and its last stage with رَقِيم. Christianity was reared in caves, not only because its early followers had to seek refuge in caves because of persecution but also because early Christianity was monastic. For this reason, the men of note that arose in early Christianity were those who had adopted a monastic lifestyle and achieved their fame while living in caves. They gave up worldly pleasures and lived ascetic lives and consequently this early stage of Christianity is symbolized by the word كَهْف . The later condition of this religion is symbolized by رَقِيم , or the written tablet which is a recent distinguishing feature of this nation. There is not only a written record or inscription of every living person, and an inscribed tombstone for every dead person, but every trading good has a written inscription in the form of instructions for use, or list of ingredients, bar codes etc. The adoption of the word رَقِيم seems to be an indication of this because one of the meanings of رَقۡم is writing prices on cloth. The writing of prices on trading goods appears as an indication of the widespread trade in which this nation will be involved, or to their trade and absorption in the life of this world. Thus, رَقِيم is at the other end of the spectrum from كَهْف and just as كَهْف symbolizes a monastic life which entails abandoning the life of this world completely for religion, رَقِيم symbolizes trading, and abandoning the religion completely for a life of this world in which all moral consideration is sacrificed for obtaining trading benefits. Towards the end of this chapter, the words: ٱلَّذِينَ ضَلَّ سَعْيُهُمْ فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَهُمْ يَحْسَبُونَ أَنَّهُمْ يُحْسِنُونَ صُنْعًا : Those whose efforts go astray in this world’s life, and they think they are making good manufactures (18:104) also refer to a religion which started with asceticism, and will reach the other extreme in which they will be consumed by worldly greed.

The mention of أَصْحَـٰبَ ٱلْكَهْفِ وَٱلرَّقِيمِ Dwellers of the Cave and Inscription is said to be a wonderful sign in this verse, which also indicates that the Dwellers of the Cave are not as remarkable as the real objective of the narration to which this story guides. This chapter also mentions the sallying forth of Gog and Magog whose appearance is associated with the end of times, which also shows that in the story of أَصْحَـٰبَ كَهْفِ  the real purpose is the mention of Christianity.

18-10   When the youths sought refuge in the Cave, they said: Our Lord, grant us mercy from Thyself, and provide for us a right course in our affair.^a

إِذْ أَوَى ٱلْفِتْيَةُ إِلَى ٱلْكَهْفِ فَقَالُوا۟ رَبَّنَآ ءَاتِنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةًۭ وَهَيِّئْ لَنَا مِنْ أَمْرِنَا رَشَدًۭا (۱۰)

18-10a: فِتْيَةُ – It is the plural of فتی for which see 4-25a. It also has another plural فِتیان as in: وَقَالَ لِفِتْيَـٰنِهِ : And he said to his servants (12:62).

The real reason for the أَصْحَـٰبَ كَهْفِ to seek refuge in the Cave: A brief mention of the Dwellers of the Cave is made in this and the next two verses. They were simply a few youths who took refuge in a Cave for the sake of their religion, and they remained cut off from news of the outside world for many years. The real purpose in their going to the Cave was not just to protect themselves from the persecution of an unjust ruler, rather they had a heartfelt desire to spread the words of Allah. That is why when they go towards the Cave, they supplicate for God’s mercy and to grant them رَشَد  a good way or success. In another place it is stated:

 وَيُهَيِّئْ لَكُم مِّنْ أَمْرِكُم مِّرْفَقًۭا : provide for you a profitable course in your affair (18:16) asking that God may grant them something beneficial or profitable so that they are able to achieve the real purpose of life. Simply hiding in the Cave out of fear of persecution and mischief is not رَشَد success. True virtue and righteous deeds are that Allah grants one the ability to spread the name of Allah. This is the رَشَد that was given to the Holy Prophet as mentioned in

 أَن يَهْدِيَنِ رَبِّى لِأَقْرَبَ مِنْ هَـٰذَا رَشَدًۭا : Maybe my Lord will guide me to a nearer course to the right than this (18:24). See 18-24a.

18-11    So We prevented them from hearing in the Cave for a number of years,^a

فَضَرَبْنَا عَلَىٰٓ ءَاذَانِهِمْ فِى ٱلْكَهْفِ سِنِينَ عَدَدًۭا (۱۱)

18-11a: ضَرَبْنَا عَلَىٰٓ ءَاذَانِهِمْ – The objective complement of the verb is omitted. ضَرَبْنَا عَلَىٰٓ ءَاذَانِهِمْ حجابا means to put a cover over their ears (RM). Commentators have mostly interpreted this as sleep, meaning they were put to sleep. The words simply mean that during this period the Dwellers of the Cave remained ignorant of world events.

سِنِينَ عَدَدًۭا – This means سِنِينَ معدودۃ  referring to a number of years (IJ). According to Raghib عدد sometimes conveys few and sometimes many. Both the meanings are possible here, a few years or many years, but the Quran has used this word for few, as in لَن تَمَسَّنَا ٱلنَّارُ إِلَّآ أَيَّامًۭا مَّعْدُودَةًۭ ۚ: Fire will not touch us but for a few days (2:80).

18-12   Then We raised them up that We might know which of the two parties was best able to calculate the time for which they remained.^a

ثُمَّ بَعَثْنَـٰهُمْ لِنَعْلَمَ أَىُّ ٱلْحِزْبَيْنِ أَحْصَىٰ لِمَا لَبِثُوٓا۟ أَمَدًۭا (۱۲)

18-12a: أَحْصَىٰ – The meaning of اِحۡصاء is to count, enumerate, or to encompass. See 14-34a. In عَلِمَ أَن لَّن تُحْصُوهُ : He knows that (all of) you are not able to do it (73:20), the translation has been done in two ways. The first is you do not have the strength for this and the second is you cannot protect or guard these times (and by protect is meant to stand at this time as is clear from the context or to guard it with good deeds). It is stated in a hadith: اِن لِلّٰہِ تسعة و تسعین اسما من احصاھا دخل الجنة Allah has ninety-nine names. Whoever counts them will enter Paradise but the meaning is not to simply count the names but to gain knowledge about them, to believe in them and to be certain of them, and according to some, to act according to their precepts (LA).

Who are the two parties and what is meant by raising (بَعَثْ) them and calculating the time after which they were raised (اِحۡصاۓ مدت)? As regards the two parties, the opinions are:

1. Two parties from the nation of the أَصْحَـٰبَ كَهْفِ both of whom were disbelievers, or one was a believer and another a disbeliever (IJ).
2. The أَصْحَـٰبَ كَهْفِ and the people they lived amongst.
3. The Jews and Christians.
4. The Creator and the created as in ء انتم اعلم ام اللّٰہ Do you know better or Allah.

بَعَثْ is taken to mean waking up from sleep and اِحۡصاۓ مدت is taken to mean counting the years. However, simply counting years is not an important enough event for Allah to use the word لِنَعْلَمَ We might know. It has been proved from several prior verses that by the knowledge of Allah is meant the knowledge that a future affair, which is currently hidden, will occur, or in other words, manifesting its knowledge to others. For example: وَلَمَّا يَعْلَمِ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِين

 جَـٰهَدُوا۟ مِنكُمْ : while Allah has not yet known those from among you who strive hard (3:142).

means events will occur that will reveal the ones who strive hard. This knowledge was previously hidden from people but when the time for striving arises, the ones who strive hard become apparent, and Allah’s previously hidden knowledge becomes manifest. Hence Allah’s knowledge is of two types: one is that which yet unseen by people and they are ignorant of it, and the other is the knowledge of what has occurred, so people also know about it. In events like the one under discussion in this verse, it is the second kind of knowledge that is meant. The counting of years is not significant as an event. The significant knowledge which matters has to do with deeds. This is knowledge that was previously hidden but then became manifest. The interpretation of أَحْصَىٰ counting must be done accordingly. So, it means how did they protect the time they spent in the Cave; did they act during that time in accordance with the purpose for which life is given, and did they safeguard this time with acts of goodness.

For بَعَثْ see 2-246a. It refers to the coming out of the Dwellers from the Cave to go into the world. So, when the Dwellers of the Cave had served their period of isolation and solitude in the best possible way, Allah sent them towards other people so that they may become examples of righteousness for them and show them the heights to which one can rise by worshiping Allah. Their sojourn in the Cave was precisely for the purpose of preparing them for going out to spread the word of God, as shown in 18-10a and not for the purpose of sleeping in the Cave. The purpose of a person’s life is not mere slumber. So, Allah did not mention the story of the Dwellers of the Cave because they slept for a long period because that would provide no guidance for us. The real purpose of the story is اعلاۓ کلمتہ اللّٰہ  spreading the word of Allah. The residing of the Dwellers in the Cave was just a period in which Allah facilitated ease for their mission.

The two parties mentioned are the أَصْحَـٰبَ كَهْفِ who, even though they had to seek refuge in the Cave, did not abandon the truth, and the worldly people whose persecution drove the أَصْحَـٰبَ كَهْفِ to seek refuge in the Cave. They could not see beyond worldly matters to understand the spiritual heights to which humans can rise. The light that is shed by these events on the history of Christianity will be discussed later, but there is also a reference in this narration to the events in the life of the Holy Prophet. The Quran itself points to this in verse 18:24 in these words: وَقُلْ عَسَىٰٓ أَن يَهْدِيَنِ رَبِّى لِأَقْرَبَ مِنْ هَـٰذَا رَشَدًۭا  : Maybe my Lord will guide me to a nearer course to the right than this. This implies that Allah will create favorable conditions for the Holy Prophet in a shorter time than the period the Dwellers of the Cave spent there. This chapter belongs to a period much before the migration to Madinah and it so transpired that the Holy Prophet also had to seek sanctuary in a cave from the disbelievers, but instead of سِنِينَ عَدَدًۭا a number of years, he had to live in the cave for three days. After this, the Holy Prophet reached Madinah and the way opened for اعلاۓ کلمتہ اللّٰہ spreading the word of Allah. The history of Christianity and Islam shows that Islam found the right course or أَقْرَب رَشَدًۭا near right course in a much shorter period. Christianity stayed as a persecuted religion for three hundred years while in the same period, Islam spread widely in the world and its rule was established over much of the known world.    

17-101 And certainly We gave Moses nine clear signs; so ask the Children of Israel. When he came to them, Pharaoh said to him: Surely I deem thee, O Moses, to be one bewitched.^a

وَلَقَدْ ءَاتَيْنَا مُوسَىٰ تِسْعَ ءَايَـٰتٍۭ بَيِّنَـٰتٍۢ ۖ فَسْـَٔلْ بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ إِذْ جَآءَهُمْ فَقَالَ لَهُۥ فِرْعَوْنُ إِنِّى لَأَظُنُّكَ يَـٰمُوسَىٰ مَسْحُورًۭا (۱۰۱)

17-101a: What is meant by nine signs: According to one hadith, two Jews enquired from the Holy Prophet about the nine signs. He responded by stating the nine commandments: do not associate anything with Allah, do not steal, do not commit adultery, etc., which are the foundation of the Mosaic religious law. Although this hadith is included in the Books of Hadith by Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, and Imam Ahmad, it is not acceptable on several grounds, such as the fact that the commandments are ten not nine, and that the ten commandments were given to Bani Israel at a later time when they had migrated from Egypt to the Holy Land, while here Pharoah is mentioned. In the next verse the signs are called بَصَآئِرَ  proofs of the truthfulness of Moses. The proofs of truthfulness can only be miracles and not instructions. Hence by the nine signs are meant the nine signs mentioned in Surah Al Araf for which see 7-134a. For مَسْحُورً see 17-47a. Its meaning can also be demented, and in another place, it is stated: قَالَ إِنَّ رَسُولَكُمُ ٱلَّذِىٓ أُرْسِلَ إِلَيْكُمْ لَمَجْنُونٌۭ : (Pharoah) said: Surely your messenger, who is sent to you, is mad (26:27).

17-102 He said: Truly thou knowest that none but the Lord of the heavens and the earth has sent these as clear proofs; and surely I believe thee, O Pharaoh, to be lost.^a

قَالَ لَقَدْ عَلِمْتَ مَآ أَنزَلَ هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ إِلَّا رَبُّ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ بَصَآئِرَ وَإِنِّى لَأَظُنُّكَ يَـٰفِرْعَوْنُ مَثْبُورًۭا (۱۰۲)

17-102a: مَثْبُور- The meaning of   ثبرis حبس to restrain, hold back (LA). The meaning of ثبور is destruction, ruin, affliction, distress which is unavoidable. Thus, the Quran has: دَعَوْا۟ هُنَالِكَ ثُبُورًۭا : they will there pray for destruction (25:13). According to Ibn Abbas, its meaning is to be devoid of intelligence because this is the biggest ruination (R).

17-103 So he desired to scare them from the land, but We drowned him and those with him, all together;

فَأَرَادَ أَن يَسْتَفِزَّهُم مِّنَ ٱلْأَرْضِ فَأَغْرَقْنَـٰهُ وَمَن مَّعَهُۥ جَمِيعًۭا (۱۰۳)

17-104 And We said to the Children of Israel after him: Abide in the land. But when the latter promise came, We brought you all rolled up.^a

وَقُلْنَا مِنۢ بَعْدِهِۦ لِبَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ ٱسْكُنُوا۟ ٱلْأَرْضَ فَإِذَا جَآءَ وَعْدُ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ جِئْنَا بِكُمْ لَفِيفًۭا (۱۰۴)

17-104a: لفیف – لَفَف is excessive fat on the thighs and لفیف means a large category of various types of people, such as noble and nasty, law abiding and criminal, strong and weak (LA). Ibn Abbas has taken its meaning to be جمیعاً all of them (IJ). In وَجَنَّـٰتٍ أَلْفَافًا  : And luxuriant gardens, the meaning of لفیف is abundance of trees (LA).

وَعْدُ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ  the latter promise is interpreted as the coming of the Resurrection and the meaning is that all types of people will come together before Allah and then He will decide among them. However, immediately after this, it is stated: وَبِٱلْحَقِّ أَنزَلْنَـٰهُ وَبِٱلْحَقِّ نَزَلَ : And with truth have We revealed it, and with truth did it come (17:106) which pertains to the coming of the Holy Prophet. Hence وَعْدُ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ  could refer to the coming of the Holy Prophet because this is a special promise that was made with Moses. This is substantiated not only by the following verse but further on this promise is mentioned again: إِن كَانَ وَعْدُ رَبِّنَا لَمَفْعُولًۭا : Surely the promise of our Lord was to be fulfilled and the ones uttering this are أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْعِلْمَ : those who are given the knowledge. So, in this case, the implication of جِئْنَا بِكُمْ لَفِيفًۭا : We will bring you all together will be that the Israelites will be expelled from the Sacred Land, or that the dispensation of Bani Israel will come to an end and a new succession will be started.

17-105 And with truth have We revealed it, and with truth did it come. And We have not sent thee but as a giver of good news and as a warner.

وَبِٱلْحَقِّ أَنزَلْنَـٰهُ وَبِٱلْحَقِّ نَزَلَ ۗ وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَـٰكَ إِلَّا مُبَشِّرًۭا وَنَذِيرًۭا (۱۰۵)

17-106 And it is a Qur’an We have made distinct, so that thou mayest read it to the people by slow degrees, and We have revealed it in portions.^a

وَقُرْءَانًۭا فَرَقْنَـٰهُ لِتَقْرَأَهُۥ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ عَلَىٰ مُكْثٍۢ وَنَزَّلْنَـٰهُ تَنزِيلًۭا (۱۰۶)

17-106a: فرقنا – The literal meaning of فرق is to separate two things. There can be two interpretations here, namely: explained it explicitly, by separating the various commands and elucidating them in detail, and little by little, by revealing it in portions (R).

مُكْثٍۢ – مُكْثٍۢ means ثُبَاتُ مَعَ انتظارٍ to remain waiting, as in قَالَ لِأَهْلِهِ ٱمْكُثُوٓا۟  : He said to his family: Wait (28:29).and فَمَكَثَ غَيْرَ بَعِيدٍۢ : And he tarried not long (27:22) (R).

For تَنزِيلً see 2-97b.

Revelation of Quran in portions: The Quran was revealed in portions over a period of twenty-three years. The greatness of the Quran is upheld as it has all kinds of teachings and instructions. The wisdom in revealing the Quran in portions is that this is helpful in its memorizing and understanding. The indication in تَنزِيلًۭ is that it was revealed in portions in accordance with what was advisable and expedient. In another place, the wisdom of the revelation in portions is explained as follows: لِنُثَبِّتَ بِهِۦ فُؤَادَكَ : We may strengthen thy heart thereby (25:32).

17-107 Say: Believe in it or believe not. Surely those who are given the knowledge before it, fall down prostrate on their faces, when it is recited to them,^a

 قُلْ ءَامِنُوا۟ بِهِۦٓ أَوْ لَا تُؤْمِنُوٓا۟ ۚ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْعِلْمَ مِن قَبْلِهِۦٓ إِذَا يُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِمْ يَخِرُّونَ لِلْأَذْقَانِ سُجَّدًۭا (۱۰۷)

17-108 And say: Glory to our Lord! Surely the promise of our Lord was to be fulfilled.

وَيَقُولُونَ سُبْحَـٰنَ رَبِّنَآ إِن كَانَ وَعْدُ رَبِّنَا لَمَفْعُولًۭا (۱۰۸)

17-109 And they fall down on their faces, weeping, and it adds to their humility.^a

 وَيَخِرُّونَ لِلْأَذْقَانِ يَبْكُونَ وَيَزِيدُهُمْ خُشُوعًۭا ۩ (۱۰۹)

PROSTRATION

17-109a: أَذْقَان –  It is the plural of ذَقَن which means chin (R). For خرّ see 12-100a. Here a part of the face is interpreted as the whole, so the meaning is the face (RM).

Prophecy of Moses: People may not acknowledge the truth, however anyone who fits the description of أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْعِلْمَ those given knowledge and whose ego does not prevent him from accepting knowledge, cannot deny that the promise Allah made through Prophet Moses in Deuteronomy 18:15-18 is fulfilled in the being of the Holy Prophet. If the Holy Prophet had not come, that promise would have remained unfulfilled. The falling down mentioned twice, first in 17:107 and then in 17:109 could be a reference to the two prostrations in prayer, but the real meaning is that when those given knowledge prostrate to give thanks to Allah on the fulfilment of His promise, their hearts overflow with joy and pleasure at the truth in the Quran and they fall again in prostration, as their knowledge and faith grows.

17-110 Say: Call on Allah or call on the Beneficent. By whatever (name) you call on Him, He has the best names. And utter not thy prayer loudly nor be silent in it, and seek a way between these.^a

قُلِ ٱدْعُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ أَوِ ٱدْعُوا۟ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنَ ۖ أَيًّۭا مَّا تَدْعُوا۟ فَلَهُ ٱلْأَسْمَآءُ ٱلْحُسْنَىٰ ۚ وَلَا تَجْهَرْ بِصَلَاتِكَ وَلَا تُخَافِتْ بِهَا وَٱبْتَغِ بَيْنَ ذَٰلِكَ سَبِيلًۭا (۱۱۰)

17-110a: تُخَافِتْ – خَفُت and خفات is the weakness from hunger or the lowering of the voice. When the voice is cut off and a person becomes silent on death, it is called خافِت  and this word is also used when someone hides something. Example from Quran: يَتَخَـٰفَتُونَ بَيْنَهُمْ : consulting together secretly (20:103) (LA).

All misleading religions are in serious error with regards to the رحمانیت or beneficence of Allah. The idol worshippers of Arabia, like the Christians, did not believe in Allah’s attribute of beneficence, which shows mercy without compensation. Although this chapter is primarily devoted to Bani Israel, the subject is now turned towards Christianity which marks the end of the Mosaic dispensation. Hence there is a clear mention in this verse and the next one of a core principle of Christian doctrine. Quran commentaries cite Ibn Abbas as stating that in Makkah, the Holy Prophet addressed God as either Allah or as Rahman in his supplications. The idol worshippers objected to this by saying that the Holy Prophet preached to them not to worship more than one God, but called on two gods himself. In response to this objection, this verse was revealed stating that these are the names of a Being, since He has different names based on His attributes. The real aim is to convey that humans reach their perfection by praying to Allah with humility and sincerity so they can develop similar qualities. All the attributes of Allah are beautiful. Whichever attribute a person tries to develop in himself, it adds beauty to his character.

The word صلوٰت occurring in this verse means supplication. See 2-3b. Bukhari has both kinds of hadith: a narration by Ibn Abbas that this verse refers to قرأت the recitation of the Quran in the prayer, and a counter opinion by Hazrat Ayesha that the instructions are about ordinary supplications, and this later view is supported by Mujahid and Ibn Abbas in yet another narration (RM). The context shows that the opinion regarding the verse being about ordinary supplication is correct because there is a clear reference to supplication in the previous verse. Thus, it is stated in the previous verse to call on Allah by His attributive names and now it is conveyed that a medium approach should be adopted in supplicating to Him. One should not call Him in a very loud voice so that it appears that Allah only listens to loud voices, and on the other extreme, one should not think that Allah knows what we desire and there is no need to verbalize it and one should remain silent. People have adopted an extreme position even in the matter of how to supplicate. Shouting the prayer is against the decorum of the occasion and remaining silent does not move the heart to bring full earnestness and passion in the supplication which carries the supplication to the point of acceptance. If the meaning of صلوٰت is taken to be prayer, then the interpretation will be that neither should the entire prayer recitation be in a loud voice nor should it entirely be silent; a golden mean is to be adopted between the two. Thus, some portions of the recitation are loud and audible so that the entire congregation is one in standing with bowed heads before the majesty of Allah, and some potions are silent so that each individual is absorbed in the remembrance of Allah in his own way.

17-111  And say: Praise be to Allah! Who has not taken to Himself a son, and Who has not a partner in the kingdom, and Who has not a helper because of weakness; and proclaim His greatness, magnifying (Him).^a

وَقُلِ ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِى لَمْ يَتَّخِذْ وَلَدًۭا وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُۥ شَرِيكٌۭ فِى ٱلْمُلْكِ وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُۥ وَلِىٌّۭ مِّنَ ٱلذُّلِّ ۖ وَكَبِّرْهُ تَكْبِيرًۢا (۱۱۱

17-111a: The oneness of God: The chapter is ended on a note of the greatness of Allah just as it is started with the glorification of Allah. He has no son, no partner and no helper. A son is needed by someone who will die, a partner is needed by someone who cannot do all tasks alone, and a helper is needed by one who does not have the ability to complete a certain task and depends on another. By mentioning the doctrine of sonship, the subject is transitioned into a discussion of the Christian religion which is the subject of the next chapter. The objective of all chapters is the same: that the hearts are awed only by Allah. The real purpose of raising the prophets is to expound the greatness of Allah. The mention of Allah’s greatness before a discussion of the Christian religion is of special significance.  

17-94   And nothing prevents people from believing, when the guidance comes to them, except that they say: Has Allah raised up a mortal to be a messenger?

وَمَا مَنَعَ ٱلنَّاسَ أَن يُؤْمِنُوٓا۟ إِذْ جَآءَهُمُ ٱلْهُدَىٰٓ إِلَّآ أَن قَالُوٓا۟ أَبَعَثَ ٱللَّهُ بَشَرًۭا رَّسُولًۭا (۹۴)

17-95   Say: Had there been in the earth angels walking about secure, We would have sent down to them from the heaven an angel as messenger.^a

قُل لَّوْ كَانَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ مَلَـٰٓئِكَةٌۭ يَمْشُونَ مُطْمَئِنِّينَ لَنَزَّلْنَا عَلَيْهِم مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَلَكًۭا رَّسُولًۭا (۹۵)

17-95a: مُطْمَئِنِّين – اطمینان means tranquility after fear (R) and in this verse it means living or resting.

The topic of messengers being mortal is continued and it is stated that only a human could be a messenger for humans, and mortality is invariably associated with all humans. The disbelievers want to view spiritual matters in a physical form, which is why they ask to see angels. However, angels cannot come to humans as messengers because the function of a messenger is to be an exemplar and for that it is necessary that the exemplar and those for whom he is an example are the same species. If angels were inhabiting the earth, then angels would have been sent as messengers but since humans inhabit the earth, only humans can be sent as messengers and as exemplars. However, this does not preclude the visitation of an angel to a messenger because the messenger does not see the angel with physical senses but with spiritual senses – the same senses with which he hears the messages of Allah.

This verse shows that angels can only be seen by spiritual senses and not by physical senses which are not equipped for this purpose. Angel Gabriel came to the Holy Prophet at all hours of the morning and evening, and he saw other angels as well, but all this was with his prophetic eyes. Some narrations indicate that some companions also saw Angel Gabriel in the form of a desert Arab or in the form of Dahya Kalbi, a companion of the Holy Prophet, but this does not in any manner contradict this verse. Those manifestations were only spiritual visions in which the companions participated with the Holy Prophet as a result of the very strong prophetic vision of the Holy Prophet. This is like the experience of Abu Bakr reported in some narrations in which he heard the sound of revelation as a buzzing when it was being revealed to the Holy Prophet.

This verse also shows that just as angels cannot be messengers for humans, humans cannot be messengers for angels or jinn who are not of the same species as humans and are invisible, intangible beings. It is necessary for any species that requires a messenger for its completion to have that messenger from its own species. The discussion regarding what is meant by a reported event in the Quran in which certain jinn came to the Holy Prophet, listened to the Quran from the Holy Prophet and believed in it, will be discussed in its proper place.

17-96   Say: Allah suffices for a witness between me and you. Surely He is ever Aware of His servants, Seeing.^a

قُلْ كَفَىٰ بِٱللَّهِ شَهِيدًۢا بَيْنِى وَبَيْنَكُمْ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ بِعِبَادِهِۦ خَبِيرًۢا بَصِيرًۭا (۹۶)

17-96a: What is meant by Allah being a witness? It means that by His actions Allah provides evidence of the truth being the truth, and evil being evil. He does this by establishing the truth and making it succeed in the world and by making evil, which tries to destroy the truth, to fail. This is why Allah’s attributes of Aware and Seeing have been brought in at the end of the verse.

17-97   And he whom Allah guides, he is on the right way; and he whom He leaves in error, for them thou wilt find no guardians besides Him. And We shall gather them together on the day of Resurrection on their faces, blind and dumb and deaf. Their abode is hell. Whenever it abates, We make them burn the more.^a

وَمَن يَهْدِ ٱللَّهُ فَهُوَ ٱلْمُهْتَدِ ۖ وَمَن يُضْلِلْ فَلَن تَجِدَ لَهُمْ أَوْلِيَآءَ مِن دُونِهِۦ ۖ وَنَحْشُرُهُمْ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ عَلَىٰ وُجُوهِهِمْ عُمْيًۭا وَبُكْمًۭا وَصُمًّۭا ۖ مَّأْوَىٰهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ ۖ كُلَّمَا خَبَتْ زِدْنَـٰهُمْ سَعِيرًۭا (۹۷)

 17-97a: فَهُوَ ٱلْمُهْتَد he is on the right way– This phrase means such a person walks on a way that will take him to the desired destination. In contrast, a person who goes so far astray that Allah holds him guilty will invariable face His punishment.

عَلَىٰ وُجُوهِهِمْ on their faces– A hadith narrates that the Holy Prophet was asked how would the people be gathered on their faces on the day of Resurrection? The Holy Prophet replied that He Who has the power to make them walk on their feet, also has the power to make them walk on their faces. In another hadith, the Holy Prophet reportedly said: People will be gathered in three groups – a group who will be mounted, a group who would be walking and running, and a group who the angels will bring dragging on their faces. The Quran states: يَوْمَ يُسْحَبُونَ فِى ٱلنَّارِ عَلَىٰ وُجُوهِهِمْ : On the day when they are dragged into the Fire upon their faces (54:48), and in another place, it states: أَفَمَن يَمْشِى مُكِبًّا عَلَىٰ وَجْهِهِۦٓ أَهْدَىٰٓ أَمَّن يَمْشِى سَوِيًّا عَلَىٰ صِرَٰطٍۢ مُّسْتَقِيمٍۢ : Is, then, he who goes prone upon his face better guided or he who walks upright on a straight path (67:22). The rhetorical question that is being asked is whether a path on which a person stumbles and falls on his face at every step, is a path that will lead him to the desired destination. The nature of punishment in the Quran is described as جَزَآءًۭ وِفَاقًا : Requital corresponding (78:26). Hence those who do not follow the straight path in this world and tread on the wrong path on which they fall flat on their face, their requital will be likewise. They were blind and deaf to the truth in this world and hence they will be blind and deaf in the Hereafter, even though in some ways they will be able to see, hear, and to speak. See 17:72 and 20:124. Thus, their punishment is described in the same words as the words describing the wrongdoings they were guilty of. It is apparent from the hadith given above that just as the mounted group, and the walking and running group are described metaphorically, as the people in the mounted group are not actually mounted on horses or trains, similarly the falling flat on their face is a metaphor. Just as they trampled the noblest and highest purpose of life under their feet, similarly the noblest part of their body will turn into their feet.

خَبَتْ – It is derived from خَبۡو , and خِبَاء is a covering or curtain that covers an object. Hence when the heat of a blazing fire is tempered by the formation of a covering of ash, the covering is called خِبَاء (R).

A similitude of the abatement of the fire and then its blazing again is given by:

 كُلَّمَا نَضِجَتْ جُلُودُهُم بَدَّلْنَـٰهُمْ جُلُودًا غَيْرَهَا : As often as their skins are burned, We shall change them for other skins (4:56). This means that the chastisement will persist. The fire is not such that once lighted, it will ultimately die out when the kindling gets covered by ash, but instead its effect will persist. Just as the opponents kept igniting the fire of opposition, the fire of their punishment will similarly be kept ablaze.

17-99   See they not that Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth, is able to create the like of them? And He has appointed for them a term, whereof there is no doubt. But the wrongdoers consent to naught but denying.^a

أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ قَادِرٌ عَلَىٰٓ أَن يَخْلُقَ مِثْلَهُمْ وَجَعَلَ لَهُمْ أَجَلًۭا لَّا رَيْبَ فِيهِ فَأَبَى ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ إِلَّا كُفُورًۭا (۹۹)

17-99a: In the life after death, the body will not be this physical body but it’s like: The life after death in the Resurrection is called مِثْلَهُمْ the like of, or like this life, which shows that the body in the Hereafter is not exactly this body which is subject to constant change, but is like it. The word مِثْلَهُمْ is also suitable because reward and punishment are based on deeds and the mention of أَجَل fixed term is to remind us that this body will end after an appointed term, but our deeds are never destroyed.

17-100 Say: If you control the treasures of the mercy of my Lord, then you would withhold (them) for fear of spending. And man is ever niggardly.^a

 قُل لَّوْ أَنتُمْ تَمْلِكُونَ خَزَآئِنَ رَحْمَةِ رَبِّىٓ إِذًۭا لَّأَمْسَكْتُمْ خَشْيَةَ ٱلْإِنفَاقِ ۚ وَكَانَ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ قَتُورًۭا (۱۰۰)

17-100a: إِنفَاق –إِنفَاق is used for the loss of some wealth or its complete loss . See 2-3c. How is this verse related to the preceding one? Some commentators have said that this is in response to the disbelievers asking that the believers will have gardens, rivers, and houses of gold in the next world, but what about this world? In this case, this verse means Allah will give worldly goods as well which He gives even to sinners, so why would He not give them to good people? Allah is not stingy like humans. However, the majority opinion is that by رَحْمَةِ رَبِّىٓ mercy of my Lord is meant the رَحْمَةِ or the mercy brought by Divine revelation which indicates there are blessings of Allah far greater than wealth which He keeps bestowing without fear that they will run out because His treasures are limitless. The reference is to the success of the Holy Prophet that Allah will grant him many treasures and kingdoms out of His mercy.