Ramadan Reflections 1444/2023 Part 17
Surah 18 Al-Kahf (The Cave) Verses 9-12
Surah Al-Kahf is a surah that is recited every Friday and it is a chapter full of stories of the past, with profound lessons for the present.
The Surah takes its name from the first story of the young men who fled to the cave fearing persecution by the King for their beliefs.
A cave is a symbolic place of protection, like the Cave of Hira and the Cave of Thawr. So the whole Surah is a protection for those who recite, read, and ponder over it.
The central theme explored throughout the Surah is that God protects those who seek His protection. So if we flee persecution, abuse, and oppression and we seek His protection as we make our decisions, He will provide it.
“Do you find the Companions in the Cave and al-Raqim (the inscription) so wondrous, among all Our other signs? When the youth sought refuge in the Cave and said: "Our Lord! Grant us mercy from Yourself and provide for us rectitude in our affairs.” We sealed their ears [with sleep] in the cave for years. Then We woke them so that We could make clear which of the two parties was better able to work out how long they had been there.”
1. Surah Al-Kahf was revealed in answer to 2 of the 3 questions posed to the Prophet ﷺ by the Quraish, to test the veracity of his Prophethood (the other question about the 'ruh' (soul) was answered in Surah Al-Isra). So Allah says, Oh Quraish, you are challenging the Prophet ﷺ by asking him about something that you think is wondrous? It’s not. This isn’t the most wondrous sign of the truthfulness of the Prophet. The signs of his truth are greater; his conduct, his character, and the Qur’an are greater miracles that prove his Prophethood ﷺ. So the Quraish are given a brief answer in these verses and then after that, a detailed story is told with more information than the Quraish asked for about the people of the cave.
2. After the people of that time learnt about the young men, an inscription was written outside their cave to mark this historic event.
3. Some of the scholars of have said that one third of the Qur’an is made up of stories. People love to listen to stories. The stories of the Qur’an are succinct and only have pertinent facts with no extraneous details. These stories contain wisdom and morals.
4. A group of young men in the prime of their youth sought refuge in a cave, fleeing from a pagan king, to preserve their monotheistic faith.
5. When the youth found themselves in a difficult situation, they made an intention and put in the effort to find a way out of their situation. The first thing they do when they flee to the cave, is to make a supplication to Allah and put their trust in Him. There are two parts to this; when we find ourselves in a troubling situation, we have to make an effort to resolve it and then we make duaa to Allah. So there is a duniyai factor and a deeni factor because Islam is a religion of action and supplication. We cannot sit at home and cry over our situation and do nothing about it.
6. The youth fell into such a deep sleep, that they could hear nothing. When we are asleep, it is like a death because the soul leaves the body but there is still a connection, unlike actual death where the connection is severed. Many people die in their sleep because when the souls are taken in sleep, they are not returned.
7. When the Sleepers of the Cave woke up after years, people disputed over the length of time they had been in the cave and so the verse points out that true knowledge of the unseen is with Allah and He is the one who can provide clarity in our affairs.
Surah Al-Kahf is one of the earliest revelations to the Prophet. It is narrated that whomever memorizes the first 10 verses of Surah Al-Kahf, they will be protected from the Dajjal (the Anti-Christ), the worst fitna (trial) that mankind will ever see.
Once a companion was reciting Surah Al-Kahf and he noticed his horse was restless. He looked up and he saw a cluster of lights coming down from the sky. Whenever he stopped reciting, the lights would go back up. When he asked the Prophet about this, he was told that this was the sakeena (the tranquillity) of the angels coming down to listen to Surah Al-Kahf.
It is said in another narration that whomever recites Surah Al-Kahf on Friday, they will have a light that shines forth from them from one Friday to the next. In another narration, it is said that this light will shine all the way to Mecca. And in another weaker narration, it is said that all the minor sins will be forgiven from one Friday to the next upon the recitation of this Surah. So there are a multitude of blessings in reciting Surah Al-Kahf on Fridays.
Personal Note: I love Surah Al-Kahf. I find guidance, wisdom, protection, safety, and strength in the verses and stories of this chapter. There were years in my life, in the not so distant past, that I would wake up in the morning and even before I opened my eyes, I would wish the day was over, so I could return to the oblivion of sleep. There were so many years when I felt so helpless because I didn’t know what I had to do to get myself to the other side. Today, as I sit on the other side of the chasm I had to cross, despite the immense obstacles cast in my way, by 'friends' and foe alike, I’m filled with awe and gratitude because I found what I needed to find in the Stories of Al-Kahf - in the stories of the four trials of faith, of wealth, of knowledge and of power. Alhamdulillah.
This Surah, like all the other chapters, fortifies our imaan (faith) and teaches us lessons that apply to our daily lives. That is why, we are taught to read Surah Al-Kahf on a weekly basis, for the protections and lessons therein from Friday to the next. The youth fled to seek refuge from persecution, made fervent supplication to The Most Merciful to order their affairs with RUSHD, and then they put their trust in the Most Merciful of The Merciful to grant them rectitude in their affairs. Thus, whomever puts their trust in Allah, stands up makes an effort, and supplicates, Allah will pave a way out for them. Subhan’Allah
*Disclaimer: I'm not a scholar and I don't claim to be one. I'm a seeker of knowledge and I love sharing what I learn. These notes are based on the lectures of Shaykh Yaser Qadhi, available on Youtube.
والله أعلم
