14 Sep, 2023
Quran 18:13~16
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We relate to you ˹O Prophet˺ their story in truth. They were youths who truly believed in their Lord, and We increased them in guidance. And We strengthened their hearts when they stood up and declared, “Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. We will never call upon any god besides Him, or we would truly be uttering an outrageous lie.” ˹Then they said to one another,˺ “These people of ours have taken gods besides Him. Why do they not produce a clear proof of them? Who then does more wrong than those who fabricate lies against Allah? Since you have distanced yourselves from them and what they worship besides Allah, take refuge in the cave. Your Lord will extend His mercy to you and accommodate you in your ordeal.” Quran 18:13~16
Al-Kahf (Arabic: الكهف, al-kahf; meaning: The Cave) is the 18th chapter (sūrah) of the Quran with 110 verses (āyāt).
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نَّحۡنُ نَقُصُّ عَلَیۡكَ نَبَأَهُم بِٱلۡحَقِّۚ إِنَّهُمۡ فِتۡیَةٌ ءَامَنُوا۟ بِرَبِّهِمۡ وَزِدۡنَـٰهُمۡ هُدࣰى وَرَبَطۡنَا عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمۡ إِذۡ قَامُوا۟ فَقَالُوا۟ رَبُّنَا رَبُّ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَ ٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ لَن نَّدۡعُوَا۟ مِن دُونِهِۦۤ إِلَـٰهࣰاۖ لَّقَدۡ قُلۡنَاۤ إِذࣰا شَطَطًا هَـٰۤؤُلَاۤءِ قَوۡمُنَا ٱتَّخَذُوا۟ مِن دُونِهِۦۤ ءَالِهَةࣰۖ لَّوۡلَا یَأۡتُونَ عَلَیۡهِم بِسُلۡطَـٰنِۭ بَیِّنࣲۖ فَمَنۡ أَظۡلَمُ مِمَّنِ ٱفۡتَرَىٰ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ كَذِبࣰا وَإِذِ ٱعۡتَزَلۡتُمُوهُمۡ وَمَا یَعۡبُدُونَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهَ فَأۡوُۥۤا۟ إِلَى ٱلۡكَهۡفِ یَنشُرۡ لَكُمۡ رَبُّكُم مِّن رَّحۡمَتِهِۦ وَیُهَیِّئۡ لَكُم مِّنۡ أَمۡرِكُم مِّرۡفَقࣰا
There is a hadith in Sahih Muslim that states that Muhammad said (Concerning The False Messiah, Al-Masih ad-Dajjal):
“He who amongst you would survive to see him should recite over him the opening verses of Sura Kahf”
— Sahih Muslim, Book 41, Number 7015
ہم ان کا اصل قصہ تمہیں سناتے ہیں وہ چند نوجوان تھے جو اپنے رب پر ایمان لے آئے تھے اور ہم نے ان کو ہدایت میں ترقی بخشی تھی ہم نے ان کے دل اُس وقت مضبوط کر دیے جب وہ اٹھے اور انہوں نے اعلان کر دیا کہ "ہمارا رب تو بس وہی ہے جو آسمانوں اور زمین کا رب ہے ہم اُسے چھوڑ کر کسی دوسرے معبود کو نہ پکاریں گے اگر ہم ایسا کریں تو بالکل بیجا بات کریں گے" (پھر انہوں نے آپس میں ایک دوسرے سے کہا) "یہ ہماری قوم تو ربِّ کائنات کو چھوڑ کر دوسرے خدا بنا بیٹھی ہے یہ لوگ ان کے معبود ہونے پر کوئی واضح دلیل کیوں نہیں لاتے؟ آخر اُس شخص سے بڑا ظالم اور کون ہو سکتا ہے جو اللہ پر جھوٹ باندھے؟ اب جبکہ تم ان سے اور اِن کے معبودانِ غیر اللہ سے بے تعلق ہو چکے ہو تو چلو اب فلاں غار میں چل کر پناہ لو تمہارا رب تم پر اپنی رحمت کا دامن وسیع کرے گا اور تمہارے کام کے لیے سر و سامان مہیا کر دے گا"
This Surah was sent down in answer to three questions which the polytheists of Makkah in consultation with the People of the Book (the Jews and the Christians) put to the Prophet. These were:
Who were ‘The Sleepers of the Cave?’
What is the real story of Khidr?
What do you know about Dhul-Qarnain?
These three questions and their stories related to the history of the Christians and the Jews and were unknown in the Arabian Peninsula (Hijaz), so they were being used to test the divine knowledge revealed to the Prophet. However, God informed the Prophet of the complete answer to these questions and also employed the stories in the conflict between Islam and unbelief.
The questioners were told that the ‘Sleepers of the Cave’ believed in the same doctrine of Monotheism (Tawhid) which was being put forward in the Qur’an and that their condition was similar to that of the persecuted Muslims of Makkah. Also, the persecutors of the Sleepers of the Cave behaved in the same way as the disbelievers of Quraysh towards the Muslims. This particular story was a warning to the chiefs of Makkah, who were persecuting the small newly formed Muslim community. Additionally, the Prophet was instructed not to compromise with the persecutors nor consider the chiefs to be more important than his own followers. Likewise, the chiefs too were admonished and informed not to be distracted by the temporary life of this world but seek the eternal life of the hereafter.