Ramadan Reflections 1444/2023 Part 23
Surah 18 Al-Kahf (The Cave) [Verses 13-16]
Surah Al-Kahf, recited every Friday, is full of stories of the past with profound lessons for the living. The Surah takes its name from the first story of the young men who fled to the cave, fearing persecution. A cave is a symbolic place of protection and thus the whole Surah is a protection for all of us. The central theme in the Surah is that God protects those who seek His protection.
“We narrate to you their story with truth. They were young men who believed in their Lord and We increased them in guidance. And We made their hearts firm and when they rose, they said, "Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth; and we shall never invoke any god other than Him, for then we would be saying something far from the truth. These are people of ours. They have taken to gods other than Him. Why do they not bring a clear proof in their favor? So, who is more unjust than the one who fabricates a lie against God? And when you have turned away from them, and those they worship, except God, then seek refuge in the cave and your Lord will unfold His mercy for you and provide you ease in your matters.”
1. Royal 'We' are the ones who know the real story and can tell it to you with truth.
2. They were fitya (young men) who believed in their Lord and who broke away from their society and culture that were very very far from the truth and following paganism. The youth stood up and spoke the truth about monotheism. It is the young who engage in protest and change. The young are more open-minded, whereas the elders are more entrenched and set in their ways. The elders of the Quraish rejected the Prophet, whereas the youth of Madina accepted the Prophet wholeheartedly.
3. There is a cause and an effect. The group of young believed in their Lord (cause), so We gave them increased Guidance (effect). Whoever walks one step towards Allah (cause), then Allah takes 10 steps towards them (effect). Turn to Allah (cause) and Allah will increase imaan (faith) and give guidance (effect). The more imaan we have, the more our imaan will increase. For every step we take in the way of the deen, the easier the next step will be. When we turn to Allah, the path becomes easier and easier.
4. Their hearts were scared and terrified because their community had threatened to eliminate them for standing up against paganism. So We tied up their hearts and made it firm. When we stand up from Allah, Allah will strengthen us. Blessings begin from within, then they manifest without. There is an emotional protection of the heart, before the physical protection of the cave. When was this done? When they stood up (physical action) with determination (cause), then we strengthened them (effect).
5. Islam is based upon evidence; What Allah has said, what the Messengers have said, what the books say all all proofs of faith. As mentioned previously, one of the most severe of transgressions is to speak about Allah, the Prophets, the Books and the other tenets of the faith, without knowledge. We must be sure of what we are saying when we speak on behalf of Allah.
6. When they broke away to seek safety and they found refuge in the cave, then Allah’s Mercy descended upon them and He made their affairs easier. When should people break away from their communities? When our religion is threatened, when we cannot practice our faith, and we are persecuted to the level of death, then it is better to flee to protect our faith. The youth made Hijra, they emigrated and left everyone and everything. This is known as Ilham, inspiration of doing things He wants us to do. As Allah had willed, they did. When we turn to Allah, when we make Isthikhara and we don’t know what to do, we are inspired is to follow a certain path and we follow it. With every hardship, there is an ease. With every testing, there is a blessing. With every difficulty, there is a mercy. It is said in one interpretation, that these were young men of noble families who fled their luxurious mansions and privileged life to save their faith. From this they fled to a cave in the mountains. When they gave up for the Sake of Allah, Allah blessed them with so much more.
*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
