Notes on Soorah al Kahf Verses 9-12

Verse 9. And do you think that the Companions of the Cave and the inscriptions were wonders among My signs?

The story of the people of the cave is not really something astonishing relative to the Power and Ability of Allah. The creation of the heavens and the earth, the alternation of night and day and the subjugation of the sun, moon and heavenly bodies are more amazing. Allah is capable of doing far more amazing than the incident of the people of the Cave. [Ibn Kathir] (40:57), (79:27).

Humankind is quite insignificant in relationship to the remainder of the creation. Abundance of wealth and technological discoveries often leads them to arrogance and pride.

The Story of Seven Sleepers of Ephesus in circulation amongst the Christians of this time. In 250 CE the Roman Emperor Decius persecutes Christians which lead seven (or eight in some versions) to be concealed in a cave near Ephesus. They were protected from pagan sacrifices and fell into a miraculous sleep. The cave was reopened during the reign of Eastern Roman Emperor Theodosius II (408 – 450). [Encyclopedia Britannica].

Verse 10. When the young men fled for refuge to the cave, they said: "Our Lord! Grant us your mercy and arrange our affairs for us in the right way!"


Concerning fleeing for the sake of one's religion and the abandonment of family, children, relatives, friends, land and wealth out of fear of trials. The Prophet made Hijrah and so did his Companions. Living in isolation and the permissibility of fleeing from tyrants in Sunnah of the Prophets and the saintly.

Depends on a person's ability: Seclusion in caves or mountains or seclusion in one's home (some companions secluded themselves in their homes after the assassination of Caliph's Uthman and did not leave except to their graves).

The power of supplication when in distress. "Our Lord! Grant us your mercy…" The Prophet s.a.w. used to hasten to prayers whenever any matter disturbed him. (Sunan Abu Dawood).

After doing the best one can for himself, he should put his trust in Allah.

YOUTH.

Those who accepted Islam from outside of the Prophet's family were relative youths – none is older than him.

Phenomena in which young people tend to be the ones most receptive to Islam. Vast majority of 3000 Americans who converted to Islam were in their early twenties during the first Gulf War.

The Importance of Faith in Youth. A youth who grows up worshipping Allah is one of those who will be shaded by Allah's shade in the Day of Resurrection. [Refer to the hadeeth of who will be shaded in the Day of Resurrection]. The connection of having a Just Ruler and religious youth is that the Just Ruler will promote Islamic education system, social system and various elements in the society so that it will be relatively easy for a young person to grow up worshipping Allah.

Raising Righteous Children:


Step One: Choose Righteous Spouse
Step Two: Make Supplications
Step Three: Observe the 'Aqeedah
Step Four: Create an Islamic Environment
Step Five: Teach the Religion Early
Step Six: Teach by Example
Step Seven: Marry them to righteous spouses



Verse 11. Then I drew a veil over their ears for a number of years.

Drawing a veil over the ears is a metaphor for deep sleep which prevents sounds from reaching the ears. [Shawkani] The Prophet also used the ear metaphor to describe the corruption of oversleeping "Satan urinated in his ear". [al Qurtubi].

The actual number of years is mentioned in verse 24. "So they stayed in the cave for three hundred years and nine more".

Verse 12. Then I roused them in order to test [to know] which of the two parties was best in calculating the length of time that they passed.


"Then I roused (resurrected) them…" awakening from sleep is referred as resurrection because sleep is a form of death. (6:60) (39:42). [Ibn Uthaimeen].

"In order to know…" the phrase has two meanings:

1.The knowledge of what will be is not the same as knowledge of what was. Allah's knowledge of something before its occurrence is knowledge that it will occur, but after its occurrence, it is knowledge that it occurred.

2.The knowledge on the basis of which there is a reward of what was intended. (47:31). Allah knows the future: who will do good deeds but He will only reward the doer once the act is perform. Neither recompense nor reward is given based on Allah's knowledge unless it occurs. [Ibn Uthaimeen]

However, there is no difference between what He knows will occur and what He knows has occurred as far as certainty is concerned. [Ibn Uthaimeen].