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 1-1218. Al-Kahfبِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِاَلْحَمْدُAll Praiseلِلّٰهِ(is) for Allahالَّذِیْۤthe One Whoاَنْزَلَ(has) revealedعَلٰیtoعَبْدِهِHis slaveالْكِتٰبَthe Bookوَ لَمْand notیَجْعَلْ(has) madeلَّهٗin itعِوَجًاؕٚany crookedness قَیِّمًاStraightلِّیُنْذِرَto warnبَاْسًا(of) a punishmentشَدِیْدًاsevereمِّنْfromلَّدُنْهُnear Himوَ یُبَشِّرَand give glad tidingsالْمُؤْمِنِیْنَ(to) the believersالَّذِیْنَthose whoیَعْمَلُوْنَdoالصّٰلِحٰتِrighteous deedsاَنَّthatلَهُمْfor themاَجْرًا(is) a good rewardحَسَنًاۙ(is) a good reward مَّاكِثِیْنَ(They will) abideفِیْهِin itاَبَدًاۙforever وَّ یُنْذِرَAnd to warnالَّذِیْنَthose whoقَالُواsayاتَّخَذَAllah has takenاللّٰهُAllah has takenوَلَدًاۗa son 18. Al-Kahf Page 294مَاNotلَهُمْthey haveبِهٖabout itمِنْanyعِلْمٍknowledgeوَّ لَاand notلِاٰبَآىِٕهِمْ ؕtheir forefathersكَبُرَتْMighty (is)كَلِمَةًthe wordتَخْرُجُ(that) comes outمِنْofاَفْوَاهِهِمْ ؕtheir mouthsاِنْNotیَّقُوْلُوْنَthey sayاِلَّاexceptكَذِبًا a lie فَلَعَلَّكَThen perhaps you would (be)بَاخِعٌthe one who killsنَّفْسَكَyourselfعَلٰۤیoverاٰثَارِهِمْtheir footstepsاِنْifلَّمْnotیُؤْمِنُوْاthey believeبِهٰذَاin thisالْحَدِیْثِ[the] narrationاَسَفًا (in) grief اِنَّاIndeed WeجَعَلْنَاWe have madeمَاwhatعَلَی(is) onالْاَرْضِthe earthزِیْنَةًadornmentلَّهَاfor itلِنَبْلُوَهُمْthat We may test [them]اَیُّهُمْwhich of themاَحْسَنُ(is) bestعَمَلًا (in) deed وَ اِنَّاAnd indeed Weلَجٰعِلُوْنَ(will) surely makeمَاwhatعَلَیْهَا(is) on itصَعِیْدًاsoilجُرُزًاؕbarren اَمْOrحَسِبْتَyou thinkاَنَّthatاَصْحٰبَ(the) companionsالْكَهْفِ(of) the caveوَ الرَّقِیْمِ ۙand the inscriptionكَانُوْاwereمِنْamongاٰیٰتِنَاOur Signsعَجَبًا a wonder اِذْWhenاَوَیretreatedالْفِتْیَةُthe youthsاِلَیtoالْكَهْفِthe caveفَقَالُوْاand they saidرَبَّنَاۤOur Lord!اٰتِنَاGrant usمِنْfromلَّدُنْكَYourselfرَحْمَةًMercyوَّ هَیِّئْand facilitateلَنَاfor usمِنْ[from]اَمْرِنَاour affairرَشَدًا (in the) right way فَضَرَبْنَاSo We castعَلٰۤیoverاٰذَانِهِمْtheir earsفِیinالْكَهْفِthe caveسِنِیْنَyearsعَدَدًاۙa number ثُمَّThenبَعَثْنٰهُمْWe raised them upلِنَعْلَمَthat We make evidentاَیُّwhichالْحِزْبَیْنِ(of) the two partiesاَحْصٰیbest calculatedلِمَاfor whatلَبِثُوْۤا(they had) remainedاَمَدًا۠(in) time

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Surah Introduction

This Meccan sûrah takes its name from the story of the people of the cave in verses 9-26. According to Ibn 'Abbâs, the Prophet ( ﷺ ) was asked about the youths who hid in a cave, a king who dominated large parts of the world, and about the spirit, so 18:9-26, 18:83-99, and 17:85 were revealed. The Prophet ( ﷺ ) says in an authentic narration collected by At-Tirmiⱬi, "No one's feet will move on Judgment Day until they are asked about four things: 1) What they did in their youth. 2) How they earned and spent their wealth. 3) What they did with their knowledge. 4) And how they spent their lives." Interestingly, these four questions correspond to the four stories mentioned in this sûrah: 1) The story of the youths and the cave. 2) The story of the wealthy man with two gardens. 3) The story of Moses and the man of knowledge. 4) And finally the story of Ⱬul-Qarnain and his life and travels in the service of Allah. The four stories are interjected by warnings to the disbelievers and good news to the believers. Like the story of the people of the cave, some miraculous stories appear in the next sûrah.

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Translation of Verse 1-121. In the Name of Allah-the Most Compassionate, Most Merciful.

1. All praise is for Allah Who has revealed the Book to His servant, ⁵⁴³ allowing no crookedness in it,

2. ˹making it˺ perfectly upright, to warn ˹the disbelievers˺ of a severe torment from Him; to give good news to the believers-who do good-that they will have a fine reward,

3. in which they will remain forever;

4. and to warn those who claim, "Allah has offspring." ⁵⁴⁴

5. They have no knowledge of this, nor did their forefathers. What a terrible claim that comes out of their mouths! They say nothing but lies.

6. Now, perhaps you ˹O Prophet˺ will grieve yourself to death over their denial, if they ˹continue to˺ disbelieve in this message.

7. We have indeed made whatever is on earth as an adornment for it, in order to test which of them is best in deeds.

8. And We will certainly reduce whatever is on it to barren ground.

9. Have you ˹O Prophet˺ thought that the people of the cave and the plaque ⁵⁴⁵ were ˹the only˺ wonders of Our signs?

10. ˹Remember˺ when those youths took refuge in the cave, and said, "Our Lord! Grant us mercy from Yourself and guide us rightly through our ordeal."

11. So We caused them to fall into a dead sleep ⁵⁴⁶ in the cave for many years,

12. then We raised them so We may show which of the two groups would make a better estimation of the length of their stay. ⁵⁴⁷

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Commentary

543. Muḥammad ( ﷺ ) .

544. i.e., Jesus in Christianity and the angels in the pagan Arab traditions.

545. Ar-Raqîm is the plaque that was placed at the entrance of the cave with the names and story of the People of the Cave. This is the story of a group of Christian youths who hid inside a cave outside the city of Ephesus around 250 C.E., to escape persecution at the hands of pagans during the reign of the Roman emperor Decius. The Quran does not give an exact number of the youths, although many scholars believe there were seven in addition to a dog. The youths slept for 300 years, plus nine (300 solar years equal 309 lunar years).

546. lit., We cast a cover of ˹deep˺ sleep over their ears.

547. The People of the Cave themselves disagreed on how long they had slept in the cave. See 18:19.