Surah 18. Al-Kahf

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Verses [Section]: 1-12[1], 13-17 [2], 18-22 [3], 23-31 [4], 32-44 [5], 45-49 [6], 50-53 [7], 54-59 [8], 60-70 [9], 71-82 [10], 83-101 [11], 102-110 [12]

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Quran Text of Verse 54-5918. Al-Kahf Page 300وَ لَقَدْAnd certainlyصَرَّفْنَاWe have explainedفِیْinهٰذَاthisالْقُرْاٰنِthe Quranلِلنَّاسِfor mankindمِنْofكُلِّeveryمَثَلٍ ؕexampleوَ كَانَBut isالْاِنْسَانُthe manاَكْثَرَ(in) mostشَیْءٍthingsجَدَلًا quarrelsome وَ مَاAnd nothingمَنَعَpreventsالنَّاسَmenاَنْthatیُّؤْمِنُوْۤاthey believeاِذْwhenجَآءَهُمُhas come to themالْهُدٰیthe guidanceوَ یَسْتَغْفِرُوْاand they ask forgivenessرَبَّهُمْ(of) their Lordاِلَّاۤexceptاَنْthatتَاْتِیَهُمْcomes to themسُنَّةُ(the) wayالْاَوَّلِیْنَ(of) the former (people)اَوْorیَاْتِیَهُمُcomes to themالْعَذَابُthe punishmentقُبُلًا before (them) وَ مَاAnd notنُرْسِلُWe sendالْمُرْسَلِیْنَthe Messengersاِلَّاexceptمُبَشِّرِیْنَ(as) bearers of glad tidingsوَ مُنْذِرِیْنَ ۚand (as) warnersوَ یُجَادِلُAnd disputeالَّذِیْنَthose whoكَفَرُوْاdisbelieveبِالْبَاطِلِwith falsehoodلِیُدْحِضُوْاto refuteبِهِtherebyالْحَقَّthe truthوَ اتَّخَذُوْۤاAnd they takeاٰیٰتِیْMy Versesوَ مَاۤand whatاُنْذِرُوْاthey are warnedهُزُوًا (in) ridicule وَ مَنْAnd whoاَظْلَمُ(is) more wrongمِمَّنْthan (he) whoذُكِّرَis remindedبِاٰیٰتِof the Versesرَبِّهٖ(of) his Lordفَاَعْرَضَbut turns awayعَنْهَاfrom themوَ نَسِیَand forgetsمَاwhatقَدَّمَتْhave sent forthیَدٰهُ ؕhis handsاِنَّاIndeed Weجَعَلْنَا[We] have placedعَلٰیoverقُلُوْبِهِمْtheir heartsاَكِنَّةًcoveringsاَنْlestیَّفْقَهُوْهُthey understand itوَ فِیْۤand inاٰذَانِهِمْtheir earsوَقْرًا ؕ(is) deafnessوَ اِنْAnd ifتَدْعُهُمْyou call themاِلَیtoالْهُدٰیthe guidanceفَلَنْthen neverیَّهْتَدُوْۤاthey will be guidedاِذًاthenاَبَدًا ever وَ رَبُّكَAnd your Lordالْغَفُوْرُ(is) the Most ForgivingذُوOwnerالرَّحْمَةِ ؕ(of) the MercyلَوْIfیُؤَاخِذُهُمْHe were to seize themبِمَاfor whatكَسَبُوْاthey have earnedلَعَجَّلَsurely, He (would) have hastenedلَهُمُfor themالْعَذَابَ ؕthe punishmentبَلْButلَّهُمْfor themمَّوْعِدٌ(is) an appointmentلَّنْneverیَّجِدُوْاthey will findمِنْother than itدُوْنِهٖother than itمَوْىِٕلًا an escape وَ تِلْكَAnd theseالْقُرٰۤی[the] townsاَهْلَكْنٰهُمْWe destroyed themلَمَّاwhenظَلَمُوْاthey wrongedوَ جَعَلْنَاand We madeلِمَهْلِكِهِمْfor their destructionمَّوْعِدًا۠an appointed time

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Translation of Verse 54-59

(18:54) In this Qur’an We have propounded for the people every kind of similitude, but man is ever contentious in most things.⁷⁹

(18:55) And nothing prevented the people from believing when guidance reached them, and seek their Lord’s forgiveness, except that the way of the predecessors overtook them⁸⁰ or that the punishment should be brought to them face to face.

(18:56) We send not the Messengers except as giving glad tidings and delivering warnings. But those who disbelieve contend with the help of falsehood so as to defeat the truth thereby. They took My signs and what they were warned about as jest.

(18:57) And who can do greater wrong than he who is reminded of the revelations of his Lord but he turns away from them, and forgets what his hands have forwarded? Indeed, We have placed coverings over their hearts lest they should understand it, and in their ears, deafness. So that if you call them to guidance they will never attain to guidance.

(18:58) Yet your Lord is the All-Forgiving, Lord of Mercy. If He were to call them to account for their doings, surely, He would hasten the punishment on them. But rather, they have an appointed time, and they will not find beyond that a refuge

(18:59) Those towns, We destroyed them when they transgressed, and We had appointed an hour for their destruction.⁸¹

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Commentary

79. “Man is ever contentious in most things,” Qurtubi and Ibn Kathir illustrate this rhetorical remark with an incident involving `Ali b. abi Talib and recorded in Muslim. He himself reports that once the Prophet came to visit him and Fatimah at night. When let in he asked, “Will you two not Pray in this night (i.e., tahajjud)?” `Ali replied, “Messenger of Allah. Our souls are in Allah’s power. If He wills, He will wake us up.” Obviously, the Prophet was taken aback by the answer. He retreated without a word. `Ali says, “I heard him slap his thigh as he walked back, saying, ‘Man is ever contentious in most things.’”

80. That is, they followed the arrogant and intransigent ways of the past nations in rejecting Allah’s Message.

81. The second half of the verse could alternatively mean, “And, for the destruction of these, [i.e., the newest rejecters], is an appointed hour” (Au.). Asad comments: “The “time-limit” [maw`id] signifies, in this context, the end of the sinners’ life on earth or - as in the next verse - the “point of no return” beyond which God does not allow them to sin with impunity.”