34. THE STORY OF THE COMPANIONS OF THE CAVE
Allah, Most High, says, {Do you think that the People of the Cave and the inscription (the news or the names of the People of the Cave) were a wonder among Our Signs? (Remember) when the young men fled for refuge (from their disbelieving folk) to the cave, they said, “Our Lord! Bestow on us mercy from Yourself and facilitate for us our affair in the right way!” Therefore We covered up their (sense of) hearing (causing them to go into a deep sleep) in the cave for a number of years. Then We raised them up (from their sleep), that We might test which of the two parties was best at calculating the time period that they had tarried. We narrate unto you (O, Muhammad) their story with truth: Truly, they were young men who believed in their Lord (Allah) and We increased them in guidance. And We made their hearts firm and strong (with the light of faith in Allah and bestowed upon them patience to bear the separation of their kith and kin and dwellings, etc.) when they stood up and said, “Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the Earth, never shall we call upon any ilah (god) other than Him; if we did, we should indeed have uttered an enormity in disbelief. These our people have taken for worship alihah (gods) other than Him (Allah). Why do they not bring for them a clear authority? And who does more wrong than he who invents a lie against Allah.” (The young men said to one another,) “And when you withdraw from them and that which they worship, except Allah, then seek refuge in the cave, your Lord will open a way for you from His Mercy and will make easy for you your affair (i.e. will give you what you will need of provision, dwelling, etc.).” And you might have seen the sun when it rose, declining to the right from their Cave, and when it set, turning away from them to the left, while they lay in the midst of the cave. That is (one) of the Ayat (proofs, evidences, signs) of Allah. He whom Allah guides is rightly guided; but he whom He sends astray, for him you will find no waliyy (guiding friend) to lead him (to the right Path). And you would have thought them awake, while they were asleep. And We turned them on their right and on their left sides, and their dog stretching forth his two forelegs at the entrance (of the cave or in the space near to the entrance of the cave [as a guard at the gate]). Had you looked at them, you would certainly have turned back from them in flight, and would certainly have been filled with awe of them. Likewise, We awakened them (from their long deep sleep) that they might question one another. A speaker from among them said: “How long have you stayed (here)?” They said, “We have stayed (perhaps) a day or part of a day.” They said, “Your Lord (Alone) knows best how long you have stayed (here). So send one of you with this silver coin of yours to the town, and let him find out which is the good lawful food and bring some of that to you. And let him be careful and let no man know of you. For if they come to know of you, they will stone you (to death or abuse and harm you) or turn you back to their religion, and in that case you will never be successful.” And thus We made their case known to the people, that they might know that the Promise of Allah is true, and that there can be no doubt about the Hour. (Remember) when they (the people of the city) disputed among themselves about their case, they said, “Construct a building over them, their Lord knows best about them,” (then) those who won their point said (most probably the disbelievers), “We verily shall build a masjid over them.” (Some) say they were three, the dog being the fourth among them; (others) say they were five, the dog being the sixth, guessing at the unseen; (yet others) say they were seven, the dog being the eighth. Say (O, Muhammad), “My Lord knows best their number; none knows them but a few.” So debate not (about their number, etc.) except with the clear proof (which We have revealed to you). And consult not any of them (people of the Scripture, Jews and Christians) about (the affair of) the people of the cave. And never say of anything, “I shall do such and such thing tomorrow,” except (with the saying): “If Allah wills!” And remember your Lord when you forget and say, “It may be that my Lord guides me unto a nearer way of truth than this.” And they stayed in their cave three hundred years, and add nine. Say, “Allah knows best how long they stayed. With Him is the unseen of the heavens and the Earth. How clearly He sees, and hears (everything)! They have no waliyy (helper, disposer of affairs, protector, etc.) other than He, and He makes none to share in His Decision and His Rule.”} (Soorah Al-Kahf 18:9-26)
The reason for the sending down of the story of the Companions of the Cave and the information regarding Dhul-Qarnain was, according to what has been reported by Muhammad Ibn Ishaq in his Seerah and by others was that Quraish sent a message to the Jews, asking them about matters with which they might test the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) and questions that they might ask him, in order to see what his answer might be. The Jews said, “Ask him about people who went out in the past and it is not known what they did. And ask him about a man who traveled throughout the Earth. And (ask him) about the Spirit.” So Allah, Most High, revealed: {And they ask you (O, Muhammad) concerning the Rooh (the Spirit)} (Soorah Al-Isra’ 17:85) and: {And they ask you about Dhul-Qarnain} (Soorah Al-Kahf 18:83). And here He says, {Do you think that the people of the cave and the Inscription (the news or the names of the people of the cave) were a wonder among Our Signs?} (Soorah Al-Kahf 18:9). That is, it is not a great wonder, compared with the information that We have conveyed to you, the clear Signs and the strange wonders. And the Arabic word ‘kahf’ means a cavern in a mountain.
It is apparent from the context that their people were polytheists, who worshipped idols. Many of the scholars of tafseer, historians and others said that they lived during the era of a king whose name was Daqyanoos (Dacianus) and they were the sons of leading members of society. It was also said that they were the sons of kings. It happened that they gathered on a day that was a religious holiday for their people and they saw their people occupied in prostration to their idols and glorification of their graven images. They looked with discerning eyes and Allah removed the veil of ignorance from their hearts and inspired them with guidance, so they knew that their people were not following guidance and they abandoned their religion and instead worshipped Allah, Alone, without partners. It was said that when Allah inspired each one of them with belief in His Oneness (Tawheed), they withdrew from the people. These young men gathered in one place, as confirmed by the hadeeth in Saheeh Al-Bukhari: “The spirits are massed armies. Those of them that knew one another are friendly. Those that did not know one another disagree.” So each of them asked the other about his situation and his circumstances and they informed one another about their own individual conditions. They agreed to withdraw from their people, to wash their hands of them and to flee with their Religion from them – and this is what has been legislated in times of trial and tribulation and the appearance of evil. Allah, Most High, says, {We narrate unto you (O, Muhammad) their story with truth: Truly! They were young men who believed in their Lord (Allah) and We increased them in guidance. And We made their hearts firm and strong (with the light of faith in Allah and bestowed upon them patience to bear the separation of their kith and kin and dwellings, etc.) when they stood up and said, “Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the Earth, never shall we call upon any ilah (god) other than Him; if we did, we should indeed have uttered an enormity in disbelief. These our people have taken for worship alihah (gods) other than Him (Allah). Why do they not bring for them a clear authority?”} (Soorah Al-Kahf 18:13-15). That is, a clear evidence for what they are following. {“These our people have taken for worship alihah (gods) other than Him (Allah). Why do they not bring for them a clear authority? And who does more wrong than he who invents a lie against Allah. (The young men said to one another,) “And when you withdraw from them and that which they worship, except Allah…”} (Soorah Al-Kahf 18:15,16). That is, when you abandon their religion and wash your hands of the idols that they worship besides Allah. This was because they used to associate partners with Allah, as Al-Khaleel said, {“Verily, I am innocent of what you worship, except Him (i.e. I worship none but Allah Alone) Who did create me, and verily, He will guide me.”} (Soorah Az-Zukhruf 43:26, 27). Likewise, one of these young men said, “Since you have withdrawn from your people in your religion, remove yourselves physically from their midst, in order to avoid them bringing their evil to you.” {“…then seek refuge in the cave, your Lord will open a way for you from His Mercy and will make your affair easy for you (i.e. will give you what you will need of provision, dwelling, etc.).”} (Soorah Al-Kahf 18:16). That is, He will cause a veil to descend over you and you will be under His Protection and He will make your end to be good, as stated in the hadeeth: “O, Allah! Make the end of all of our affairs us from the humiliation of this world and the punishment of the Hereafter.” Then Allah, Most High, describes the cave in which they sought refuge and how its entrance faces toward the north and its interior faced toward the qiblah. And that was the most beneficial place, with its interior facing toward the qiblah and its entrance facing north. He says, {And you might have seen the sun, when it rose, declining} (Soorah Al-Kahf 18:17). The Arabic word ( زاوَرَ ◌َ تَ) was also recited ( تَزَوَّرَ ) {to the right from their
cave, and when it set, turning away from them to the left} (Soorah Al-Kahf 18:17). So He informs us that the sun, i.e. during the summer time or close to it, when it first rose, appeared to those in the cave on the western side of it, then it gradually departed from it. And that is the meaning of its declining toward the right. Then it rose into the sky and departed from the doorway of the cave. Then when it began to set, it entered it little by little from the eastern side, until the time when it set, as may be seen from a similar position. And the wisdom behind the sun’s entering at different times is so that the air therein did not become spoiled. {…while they lay in the midst of the cave. That is (one) of the Ayat \of Allah} (Soorah Al-Kahf 18:17). That is, their remaining in this situation for a period lasting many years, during which they did not eat or drink and their bodies did not receive any form of nourishment is one of Allah’s Ayat and a proof of His Great Omnipotence. {He whom Allah guides is rightly guided; but he whom He increases in error, for him you will find no waliyy (guiding friend) to lead him (to the right Path). And you would have thought them awake, while they were asleep} (Soorah Al-Kahf 18:17,18). Some of the scholars said that this was because their eyes remained open, so that they would not become decayed by being closed for an extended period of time. {And We turned them on their right and on their left sides} (Soorah Al-Kahf 18:18). It was said that every year they were turned once from one side to the other. It is also possible that they were turned more often than that. And Allah knows better. {…and their dog stretching forth his two forelegs at the entrance} (Soorah Al-Kahf 18:18). Shu‘aib Al-Jaba’i said that the name of their dog was Humran. Others said that the word ‘al-waseed’ used in the Verse means the entrance to the cave. What is meant is that the dog that was with them when they withdrew from their people remained with them, but it did not enter the cave with them; instead, it lay down at the cave’s entrance and placed its front paws at the threshold. It was his nature and habit to lie down at their door as if guarding them. It was sitting outside the door, because the angels do not enter a house in which there is a dog, as was reported in an authentic hadeeth, nor do they enter a house in which there is an image, a person in a state of ritual impurity or a disbeliever, as was narrated in the hadeeth that has been graded hasan. The blessing they enjoyed extended to their dog, so the sleep that overtook them overtook it too. This is the benefit of accompanying good people, and so this dog attained fame and stature. It was said that it was the hunting dog of one of the people which is the more appropriate view, or that it was the dog of the king’s cook, who shared their religious views, and brought his dog with him. And Allah knows better. Much has been related regarding this dog, but most of it was obtained from Isra’eeliyyat and most of it is lies and of no benefit, such as their dispute regarding its name and its color.
But Allah has related what is most beneficial regarding their situation and what is most important concerning their affair, and He has described their situation so that it is as if the listener was witnessing and the one who was informed saw the cave as it was described and their situation therein, and how they turned from side to side and how their dog lay with its paws stretched out at the threshold. Allah says, {Had you looked at them, you would certainly have turned back from them in flight} (Soorah Al-Kahf 18:18). That is, because Allah had made them appear dreadful, so that no one could look at them without being filled with terror, because of the frightening appearance they had been given. This was so that no one would come near them or touch them until the appointed time when their sleep would come to an end as Allah willed, because of the wisdom, clear proof and great mercy involved in that. It is possible that the address in His Words: {Had you looked at them…} is to mankind in general and not only to the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him), as in His Words: {Then what (or who) causes you to deny the Recompense (i.e. Day of Resurrection)?} (Soorah At-Teen 95:7). That is, O, mankind. And this is because it is the nature of mankind to flee from the sight of terrifying things in most cases, which is why He says, {Had you looked at them, you would certainly have turned back from them in flight} (Soorah Al-Kahf 18:18). This proves that hearing about something is not the same as seeing it, as stated in the hadeeth, because the information has been given, but the flight and fear has not occurred. Then Allah informed us that He awakened them from their slumber, after they had slept for three hundred and nine years. And when they awoke, they asked one another, {“How long have you stayed (here)?” They said, “We have stayed (perhaps) a day or part of a day.” They said, “Your Lord (Alone) knows best how long you have stayed (here). So send one of you with this silver coin of yours to the town.”} (Soorah Al-Kahf 18:19). That is, take these dirhams of yours, i.e. that you have with you, to the city. It was said that the name of the city was Dafsoos. {“…and let him find out which is the good, lawful food.”} (Soorah Al-Kahf 18:19). Azka means purest. {and bring some of that to you} (Soorah Al-Kahf 18:19). That is, some of that food, that you may eat of it. They said this because of their asceticism and their piety. {And let him be careful} (Soorah Al-Kahf 18:19). That is, when he enters the city. {and let no man know of you, for if they come to know of you, they will stone you (to death or abuse and harm you) or turn you back to their religion, and in that case you will never be successful.”} (Soorah Al-Kahf 18:19, 20). That is, if you return to their religion after Allah had saved you from it. And all of this is because of their belief that they had slept for a day or part of a day, or more than that, and they did not realise that they had slept for more than three hundred years and that the states and countries and those who ruled them had completely changed, and that the generation among whom they had lived had gone and been replaced by others, who had likewise gone and been replaced by others. And when one of them – whose name, it was said, was Teedhoosis – set out, he arrived at the city in disguise, so that none of his people should recognize him, based on his belief (that they had only slept for a short while). The country had changed beyond recognition and the inhabitants he met did not recognize him. It was said that he fled from them and it was also said that rather, he informed them about himself and his companions and what had befallen them. The people then went with them, in order that he might show them their place. When they approached the cave, he entered it and went to his brothers and informed them of their true situation and of the length of time they had slept. When he told them, they realized that this had been ordained for them by Allah through His Omnipotence. It was said that they continued to sleep and it was also said that rather, they died after that. As for the people of the city, it was said that they were not guided to their place in the cave and that Allah kept their situation secret from them. It was also said that they were unable to physically enter it and that they were in fear of them.
They differed regarding their case and some of them said: {“Construct a building over them…”} (Soorah Al-Kahf 18:21). That is, seal up the doorway of the cave over them, so that they may not exit from it, or so that no harm may reach them. Others – and it was their opinion that was implemented – said, {“We verily shall build a masjid over them.”} (Soorah Al-Kahf 18:21). That is, a place of worship, so that it might become a blessed place for those righteous people who live around it. This was something well-known to those who came before us. But in our religious law, according to what has been confirmed in the Saheehain from the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him): “May Allah curse the Jews and Christians for they built the places of worship at the graves of their Prophets.” He was warning his Companions (May Allah be pleased with them) against doing what they had done. As for His Words: {And thus We made their case known to the people, that they might know that the Promise of Allah is true, and that there can be no doubt about the Hour} (Soorah Al-Kahf 18:21). That is, We revealed their circumstances to the people. Many of the scholars of tafseer said that it means that the people might know that the Promise is true and that there can be no doubt of the Hour, when they knew that these people had slept for more than three hundred years and then woke up as they were before, without any change in them, because He Who caused them to remain as they were is Able to return their bodies, even though they had been eaten by worms and to give life to the dead, even though their bodies and their bones had crumbled. And this is something which the Believers do not doubt. {Verily! Our Word unto a thing when We intend it, is only that We say unto it, “Be!” and it is} (Soorah An-Nahl 16:40). It is also possible that the pronoun in His Words: {that they might know} (Soorah Al-Kahf 18:21) refers to the Companions of the Cave, because their knowledge of this was deeper and more profound than that of others. It is also possible that it refers to everyone. And Allah knows better. Then He, Most High, says, {(Some) say they were three, the dog being the fourth among them; (others) say they were five, the dog being the sixth, guessing at the unseen; (yet others) say they were seven, the dog being the eighth} (Soorah Al-Kahf 18:22). Allah mentions the dispute among the people regarding their number and He relates three sayings. He declares the first two to be weak and He confirms the third and this proves that it is the truth. Since, if there were other opinions, He would have related them. And if this third saying was not the correct one, He would have declared it to be weak. So this proves what we have said. And since there is no avail in disputes such as these and no benefit in them, Allah guided His Prophet (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) to the correct behavior in such cases in which the people dispute, telling him to say, “Allah knows better.” And this is why He says, {Say (O, Muhammad), “My Lord knows best their number.”} (Soorah Al-Kahf 18:22) and He says, {“…none knows them but a few.”} (Soorah Al-Kahf 18:22). That is, of mankind. {So debate not (about their number, etc.) except with the clear proof (which We have revealed to you)} (Soorah Al-Kahf 18:22). That is, gently and politely and do not become engaged in arguments in cases such as these or seek pronouncements from any person. This is why Allah, Most High, left their number unclear at the beginning of the story, saying, {They were young men who believed in their Lord (Allah)} (Soorah Al-Kahf 18:13). And if there was any great benefit in specifying their number, the Knower of the unseen and the seen would have mentioned it. And He, Most High, says, {And never say of anything, “I shall do such and such thing tomorrow,” except (with the saying), “if Allah wills!” And remember your Lord when you forget and say, “It may be that my Lord guides me unto a nearer way of truth than this.”} (Soorah Al-Kahf 18:23,24)
This is a great etiquette to which Allah, Most High, has guided him and which He has encouraged His creation to follow; and that is, that if a person says, “I will do such-and-such in the future,” it is legislated that he should not do so without adding, “…if Allah wills,” so that he will achieve his objective, because the slave does not know what will happen on the morrow and he does not know if this thing that he intends is ordained for him or not. And the addition of the words: “…if Allah wills,” is not a condition, rather it is a statement of certainty, which is why, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (May Allah be pleased with him) said that a person may say “…if Allah wills,” even if it is a year later, it means that if he forgets to say it when he makes the oath or when he speaks, and he remembers it later, even a year later, the Sunnah is that he should say it, so that he will still be following the Sunnah of saying “…if Allah wills,” even if that is after breaking his oath, as we said earlier in the story of Sulaiman (Peace be upon him), when he said, “Tonight I will go around to seventy women (according to some reports, it was ninety or one hundred women) so that each one of them will give birth to a son who will fight for the sake of Allah.” It was said to him (according to one report, the angel said to him), “Say, ‘If Allah wills’,” but he did not say it. He went around to the women but none of them gave birth except for one who gave birth to a half-formed child. The Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “By Him in Whose hand is my soul, had he said, “If Allah wills,” he would not have broken his oath, and that would have helped him to attain what he wanted.” According to another report, “…they would all have fought as horsemen in the cause of Allah.” At the beginning of this Soorah we discussed the reason why this Ayah was revealed: when the Prophet (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) was asked about the story of the People of the Cave, he said, “I will tell you tomorrow.” Then the revelation was delayed for fifteen days.
And He, Most High, says, {And remember your Lord when you forget} (Soorah Al-Kahf 18:24). This is because forgetfulness might be from Shaitan and mentioning Allah repels him from the heart, so that the one who forgets might remember what he had forgotten. And He, Most High, says, {and say, “It may be that my Lord guides me unto a nearer way of truth than this.”} (Soorah Al-Kahf 18:24). That is, when a matter is unclear or a situation is difficult, or the sayings of the people are obscure regarding something, then ask Allah and He will make the matter easy for you and facilitate it for you. Then He says, {And they stayed in their cave for three hundred years, and add nine} (Soorah Al-Kahf 18:25). Because there is a great benefit in knowing the length of time they remained in the cave, Allah, Most High, informs us about it. The extra nine years referred to means in lunar years, since one hundred solar years equals one hundred and three lunar years and so three hundred solar years is equivalent to three hundred and nine lunar years. {Say, “Allah knows best how long they stayed.”} (Soorah Al-Kahf 18:26). That is, if you are asked about a matter similar to this and no information has been conveyed to you, then refer the matter to Allah, the Almighty, the All-Powerful. {“With Him is the unseen of the heavens and the Earth.”} (Soorah Al-Kahf 18:26). That is, He is the Knower of the unseen and no one has access to it except those of His creation whom He wills. {How clearly He sees, and hears (everything)!} (Soorah Al-Kahf 18:26). Ibn Jareer said, “The language used is an eloquent expression of praise.” The phrase may be understood to mean, how much Allah sees of everything that exists and how much He hears of everything that is to be heard, for nothing is hidden from Him! {They have no waliyy (helper, disposer of affairs, protector, etc.) other than He, and He makes none to share in His Decision and His Rule.”} (Soorah Al-Kahf 18:26). That is, your Lord, Who is the sole Owner of the Dominion and Disposer of affairs, Alone, without partners.
By Ibn Katheer
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