Surah Kahf Pdf:- Surah Kahf (Arabic: الكهف, meaning: The Cave)
is the 18th chapter of the Quran with 110 verses (Ayat).
Surah Kahf in English Roman Text
Bismillah hir rahman nir raheem
In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
1. Alhamdu lillaahil lazeee anzala ‘alaa ‘abdihil kitaaba wa lam
yaj’al lahoo ‘iwajaa
[All] praise is [due] to Allah, who has sent down upon His Servant the
Book and has not made therein any deviance.
2. Qaiyimal liyunzira ba’asan shadeedam mil ladunhu wa yubashshiral
mu’mineenal lazeena ya’maloonas saalihaati anna lahum ajran
hasanaa
[He has made it] straight, to warn of severe punishment from Him and to
give good tidings to the believers who do righteous deeds that they will
have a good reward
3. Maakiseena feehi abadaa
In which they will remain forever
4. Wa yunziral lazeena qaalut takhazal laahu waladaa
And to warn those who say, “Allah has taken a son.”
5. Maa lahum bihee min ‘ilminw wa laa li aabaaa’ihim; kaburat
kalimatan takhruju min afwaahihim; iny yaqooloona illaa
kazibaa
They have no knowledge of it, nor had their fathers. Grave is the word
that comes out of their mouths; they speak not except a lie.
6. Fala’allaka baakhi’un nafsaka ‘alaaa aasaarihim illam yu’minoo
bihaazal hadeesi asafaa
Then perhaps you would kill yourself through grief over them, [O
Muhammad], if they do not believe in this message, [and] out of sorrow.
7. Innaa ja’alnaa ma ‘alal ardi zeenatal lahaa linabluwahum ayyuhum
ahsanu ‘amalaa
Indeed, We have made that which is on the earth adornment for it that We
may test them [as to] which of them is best in deed.
8. Wa innaa la jaa’iloona maa ‘alaihaa sa’eedan juruzaa
And indeed, We will make that which is upon it [into] a barren ground.
9. Am hasibta anna Ashaabal Kahfi war Raqeemi kaanoo min Aayaatinaa
‘ajabaa
Or have you thought that the companions of the cave and the inscription
were, among Our signs, a wonder?
10. Iz awal fityatu ilal Kahfi faqaaloo Rabbanaaa aatinaa mil
ladunka rahmatanw wa haiyi’ lanaa min amrinaa rashadaa
[Mention] when the youths retreated to the cave and said, “Our Lord,
grant us from Yourself mercy and prepare for us from our affair right
guidance.”
11. Fadarabnaa ‘alaaa aazaanihim fil Kahfi seneena ‘adadaa
So We cast [a cover of sleep] over their ears within the cave for a
number of years.
12. Summa ba’asnaahum lina’lama ayyul hizbaini ahsaa limaa labisooo
amadaa (section 1)
Then We awakened them that We might show which of the two factions was
most precise in calculating what [extent] they had remained in time.
13. Nahnu naqussu ‘alaika naba ahum bilhaqq; innahum fityatun
aamanoo bi Rabbihim wa zidnaahum hudaa
It is We who relate to you, [O Muhammad], their story in truth. Indeed,
they were youths who believed in their Lord, and We increased them in
guidance.
14. Wa rabatnaa ‘alaa quloo bihim iz qaamoo faqaaloo Rabbunaa
Rabbus samaawaati wal ardi lan nad’uwa min dooniheee ilaahal laqad
qulnaaa izan shatataa
And We made firm their hearts when they stood up and said, “Our Lord is
the Lord of the heavens and the earth. Never will we invoke besides Him
any deity. We would have certainly spoken, then, an excessive
transgression.
15. Haaa’ulaaa’i qawmunat takhazoo min dooniheee aalihatal law laa
yaatoona ‘alaihim bisultaanim baiyin; faman azlamu mimmaniftaraa
‘alal laahi kazibaa
These, our people, have taken besides Him deities. Why do they not bring
for [worship of] them a clear authority? And who is more unjust than one
who invents about Allah a lie?”
16. Wa izi’tazal tumoohum wa maa ya’budoona illal laaha faawooo
ilal kahfi yanshur lakum Rabbukum mir rahmatihee wa yuhaiyi’ lakum
min amrikum mirfaqa
[The youths said to one another], “And when you have withdrawn from them
and that which they worship other than Allah, retreat to the cave. Your
Lord will spread out for you of His mercy and will prepare for you from
your affair facility.”
17. Wa tarash shamsa izaa tala’at tazaawaru ‘an kahfihim zaatal
yameeni wa izaa gharabat taqriduhum zaatash shimaali wa hum fee
fajwatim minh; zaalika min Aayaatillaah; mai yahdil laahu fahuwal
muhtad, wa mai yudlil falan tajida lahoo waliyyam murshidaa (section
2)
And [had you been present], you would see the sun when it rose,
inclining away from their cave on the right, and when it set, passing
away from them on the left, while they were [laying] within an open
space thereof. That was from the signs of Allah. He whom Allah guides is
the [rightly] guided, but he whom He leaves astray – never will you find
for him a protecting guide.
18. Wa tahsabuhum ayqaazanw wa hum ruqood; wa nuqallibuhum zaatal
yameeni wa zaatash shimaali wa kalbuhum baasitun ziraa’ayhi
bilwaseed; lawit tala’ta ‘alaihim la wallaita minhum firaaranw wa
lamuli’ta minhum rubaa
And you would think them awake, while they were asleep. And We turned
them to the right and to the left, while their dog stretched his
forelegs at the entrance. If you had looked at them, you would have
turned from them in flight and been filled by them with terror.
19. Wa kazaalika ba’asnaahum liyatasaaa’aloo bainahum; qaala
qaaa’ilum minhum kam labistum qaaloo labisnaa yawman aw ba’da yawm;
qaaloo Rabbukum a’lamu bimaa labistum fab’asooo ahadakum biwariqikum
haazihee ilal madeenati falyanzur ayyuhaaa azkaa ta’aaman
falyaatikum birizqim minhu walyatalattaf wa laa yush’iranna bikum
ahadaa
And similarly, We awakened them that they might question one another.
Said a speaker from among them, “How long have you remained [here]?”
They said, “We have remained a day or part of a day.” They said, “Your
Lord is most knowing of how long you remained. So send one of you with
this silver coin of yours to the city and let him look to which is the
best of food and bring you provision from it and let him be cautious.
And let no one be aware of you.
20. Innahum iny yazharoo ‘alaikum yarjumookum aw yu’eedookum fee
millatihim wa lan tuflihooo izan abadaa
Indeed, if they come to know of you, they will stone you or return you
to their religion. And never would you succeed, then – ever.”
21. Wa kazaalika a’sarnaa ‘alaihim liya’lamooo anna wa’dal laahi
haqqunw wa annas Saa’ata laa raiba feehaa iz yatanaaza’oona bainahum
amrahum faqaalub noo ‘alaihim bunyaanaa; Rabbuhum a’lamu bihim;
qaalal lazeena ghalaboo ‘alaaa amrihim lanat takhizanna ‘alaihim
masjidaa
And similarly, We caused them to be found that they [who found them]
would know that the promise of Allah is truth and that of the Hour there
is no doubt. [That was] when they disputed among themselves about their
affair and [then] said, “Construct over them a structure. Their Lord is
most knowing about them.” Said those who prevailed in the matter, “We
will surely take [for ourselves] over them a masjid.”
22. Sa yaqooloona salaasatur raabi’uhum kalbuhum wa yaqooloona
khamsatun saadisuhum kalbuhum rajmam bilghaib; wa yaqooloona
sab’atunw wa saaminuhum kalbuhum; qur Rabbeee a’lamu bi’iddatihim
maa ya’lamuhum illaa qaleel; falaa tumaari feehim illaa miraaa’an
zaahiranw wa laa tastafti feehim minhum ahadaa (section 3)
They will say there were three, the fourth of them being their dog; and
they will say there were five, the sixth of them being their dog –
guessing at the unseen; and they will say there were seven, and the
eighth of them was their dog. Say, [O Muhammad], “My Lord is most
knowing of their number. None knows them except a few. So do not argue
about them except with an obvious argument and do not inquire about them
among [the speculators] from anyone.”
23. Wa laa taqoolanna lishai’in innee faa’ilun zaalika ghadaa
And never say of anything, “Indeed, I will do that tomorrow,”
24. Illaaa any yashaaa’al laah; wazkur Rabbaka izaa naseeta wa qul
‘asaaa any yahdiyani Rabbee li aqraba min haazaa rashadaa
Except [when adding], “If Allah wills.” And remember your Lord when you
forget [it] and say, “Perhaps my Lord will guide me to what is nearer
than this to right conduct.”
25. Wa labisoo fee kahfihim salaasa mi’atin sineena wazdaadoo
tis’aa
And they remained in their cave for three hundred years and exceeded by
nine.
26. Qulil laahu a’lamu bimaa labisoo lahoo ghaibus samaawaati wal
ardi absir bihee wa asmi’; maa lahum min doonihee minw waliyyinw wa
laa yushriku fee hukmihee ahadaa
Say, “Allah is most knowing of how long they remained. He has [knowledge
of] the unseen [aspects] of the heavens and the earth. How Seeing is He
and how Hearing! They have not besides Him any protector, and He shares
not His legislation with anyone.”
27. Watlu maaa oohiya ilaika min Kitaabi Rabbika laa mubaddila li
Kalimaatihee wa lan tajida min doonihee multahadaa
And recite, [O Muhammad], what has been revealed to you of the Book of
your Lord. There is no changer of His words, and never will you find in
other than Him a refuge.
28. Wasbir nafsaka ma’al lazeena yad’oona Rabbahum bilghadaati
wal’ashiyyi yureedoona Wajhahoo wa laa ta’du ‘aynaaka ‘anhum tureedu
zeenatal hayaatid dunyaa wa laa tuti’ man aghfalnaa qalbahoo ‘an
zikrinaa wattaba’a hawaahu wa kaana amruhoo furutaa
And keep yourself patient [by being] with those who call upon their Lord
in the morning and the evening, seeking His countenance. And let not
your eyes pass beyond them, desiring adornments of the worldly life, and
do not obey one whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance and
who follows his desire and whose affair is ever [in] neglect.
29. Wa qulil haqqu mir Rabbikum faman shaaa’a falyu’minw wa man
shaaa’a falyakfur; innaaa a’tadnaa lizzaalimeena Naaran ahaata bihim
suraadiquhaa; wa iny yastagheesoo yughaasoo bimaaa’in kalmuhli
yashwil wujooh’ bi’sash-sharaab; wa saaa’at murtafaqaa
And say, “The truth is from your Lord, so whoever wills – let him
believe; and whoever wills – let him disbelieve.” Indeed, We have
prepared for the wrongdoers a fire whose walls will surround them. And
if they call for relief, they will be relieved with water like murky
oil, which scalds [their] faces. Wretched is the drink, and evil is the
resting place.
30. Innal lazeena aamanoo wa ‘amilus saalihaati innaa laa nudee’u
ajra man ahsana ‘amalaa
Indeed, those who have believed and done righteous deeds – indeed, We
will not allow to be lost the reward of any who did well in deeds.
31. Ulaaa’ika lahum Jannaatu ‘Adnin tajree min tahtihimul anhaaru
yuhallawna feehaa min asaawira min zahabinw wa yalbasoona siyaaban
khudram min sundusinw wa istabraqim muttaki’eena feehaa ‘alal
araaa’ik; ni’mas sawaab; wa hasunat murtafaqaa (section 4)
Those will have gardens of perpetual residence; beneath them rivers will
flow. They will be adorned therein with bracelets of gold and will wear
green garments of fine silk and brocade, reclining therein on adorned
couches. Excellent is the reward, and good is the resting place.
32. Wadrib lahum masalar rajulaini ja’alnaa li ahadihimaa
jannataini min a’naabinw wa hafafnaahumaa binakhilinw wa ja’alnaa
bainahumaa zar’aa
And present to them an example of two men: We granted to one of them two
gardens of grapevines, and We bordered them with palm trees and placed
between them [fields of] crops.
33. Kiltal jannataini aatat ukulahaa wa lam tazlim minhu shai’anw
wa fajjarnaa khi laalahumaa naharaa
Each of the two gardens produced its fruit and did not fall short
thereof in anything. And We caused to gush forth within them a river.
34. Wa kaana lahoo samarun faqaala lisaahibihee wa huwa
yuhaawiruhoo ana aksaru minka maalanw wa a’azzu nafaraa
And he had fruit, so he said to his companion while he was conversing
with him, “I am greater than you in wealth and mightier in [numbers of]
men.”
35. Wa dakhala jannatahoo wa huwa zaalimul linafsihee qaala maaa
azunnu an tabeeda haaziheee abadaa
And he entered his garden while he was unjust to himself. He said, “I do
not think that this will perish – ever.
36. Wa maaa azunnus Saa’ata qaaa’imatanw wa la’ir rudittu ilaa
Rabbee la ajidanna khairam minhaa munqalabaa
And I do not think the Hour will occur. And even if I should be brought
back to my Lord, I will surely find better than this as a return.”
37. Qaala lahoo saahibuhoo wa huwa yuhaawiruhooo akafarta billazee
khalaqaka min turaabin summa min nutfatin summa sawwaaka
rajulaa
His companion said to him while he was conversing with him, “Have you
disbelieved in He who created you from dust and then from a sperm-drop
and then proportioned you [as] a man?
38. Laakinaa Huwal laahu Rabbee wa laa ushriku bi Rabbeee
ahadaa
But as for me, He is Allah, my Lord, and I do not associate with my Lord
anyone.
39. Wa law laaa iz dakhalta jannataka qulta maa shaaa’al laahu laa
quwwata illaa billaah; in tarani ana aqalla minka maalanw wa
waladaa
And why did you, when you entered your garden, not say, ‘What Allah
willed [has occurred]; there is no power except in Allah ‘? Although you
see me less than you in wealth and children,
40. Fa’asaa Rabeee any yu’tiyani khairam min jannatika wa yursila
‘alaihaa husbaanam minas samaaa’i fatusbiha sa’eedan zalaqaa
It may be that my Lord will give me [something] better than your garden
and will send upon it a calamity from the sky, and it will become a
smooth, dusty ground,
41. Aw yusbiha maaa’uhaaa ghawran falan tastatee’a lahoo
talabaa
Or its water will become sunken [into the earth], so you would never be
able to seek it.”
42. Wa uheeta bisamarihee faasbaha yuqallibu kaffaihi ‘alaa maaa
anfaqa feehaa wa hiya khaawiyatun ‘alaa ‘urooshihaa wa yaqoolu
yaalaitanee lam ushrik bi Rabbeee ahadaa
And his fruits were encompassed [by ruin], so he began to turn his hands
about [in dismay] over what he had spent on it, while it had collapsed
upon its trellises, and said, “Oh, I wish I had not associated with my
Lord anyone.”
43. Wa lam takul lahoo fi’atuny yansuroonahoo min doonil laahi wa
maa kaana muntasiraa
And there was for him no company to aid him other than Allah, nor could
he defend himself.
44. Hunaalikal walaayatu lillaahil haqq; huwa khairun sawaabanw wa
khairun ‘uqbaa (section 5)
There the authority is [completely] for Allah, the Truth. He is best in
reward and best in outcome.
45. Wadrib lahum masalal hayaatid dunyaa kamaaa’in anzalnaahu minas
samaaa’i fakhtalata bihee nabaatul ardi fa asbaha hasheeman tazroo
hur riyaah; wa kaanal laahu ‘alaa kulli shai’im muqtadiraa
And present to them the example of the life of this world, [its being]
like rain which We send down from the sky, and the vegetation of the
earth mingles with it and [then] it becomes dry remnants, scattered by
the winds. And Allah is ever, over all things, Perfect in Ability.
46. Almaalu walbanoona zeenatul hayaatid dunya wal baaqiyaatus
saalihaatu khairun ‘inda Rabbika sawaabanw wa khairun amalaa
Wealth and children are [but] adornment of the worldly life. But the
enduring good deeds are better to your Lord for reward and better for
[one’s] hope.
47. Wa yawma nusaiyirul jibaala wa taral arda baariza tanw wa
hasharnaahum falam nughaadir minhum ahadaa
And [warn of] the Day when We will remove the mountains and you will see
the earth prominent, and We will gather them and not leave behind from
them anyone.
48. Wa ‘uridoo ‘alaa Rabbika saffaa, laqad ji’tumoonaa kamaa
khalaqnaakum awala marrah; bal za’amtum allannaj’ala lakum
maw’idaa
And they will be presented before your Lord in rows, [and He will say],
“You have certainly come to Us just as We created you the first time.
But you claimed that We would never make for you an appointment.”
49. Wa wudi’al kitaabu fataral mujrimeena mushfiqeena mimmaa feehi
wa yaqooloona yaa wailatanaa maa lihaazal kitaabi laa yughaadiru
saghee ratanw wa laa kabeeratan illaaa ahsaahaa; wa wajadoo maa
‘amiloo haadiraa; wa laa yazlimu Rabbuka ahadaa (Section 6)
And the record [of deeds] will be placed [open], and you will see the
criminals fearful of that within it, and they will say, “Oh, woe to us!
What is this book that leaves nothing small or great except that it has
enumerated it?” And they will find what they did present [before them].
And your Lord does injustice to no one.
50. Wa iz qulnaa lil malaaa’ikatis judoo li Aadama fasajadooo
illaaa Ibleesa kaana minal jinni fafasaqa ‘an amri Rabbih;
afatattakhizoonahoo wa zurriyatahooo awliyaaa’a min doonee wa hum
lakum ‘aduww; bi’sa lizzaalimeena badalaa
And [mention] when We said to the angels, “Prostrate to Adam,” and they
prostrated, except for Iblees. He was of the jinn and departed from the
command of his Lord. Then will you take him and his descendants as
allies other than Me while they are enemies to you? Wretched it is for
the wrongdoers as an exchange.
51. Maaa ash hattuhum khalqas samaawaati wal ardi wa laa khalqa
anfusihim wa maa kuntu muttakhizal mudilleena ‘adudaa
I did not make them witness to the creation of the heavens and the earth
or to the creation of themselves, and I would not have taken the
misguiders as assistants.
52. Wa Yawma yaqoolu naadoo shurakaaa’i yal lazeena za’amtum
fada’awhum falam yastajeeboo lahum wa ja’alnaa bainahum maw
biqaa
And [warn of] the Day when He will say, “Call ‘My partners’ whom you
claimed,” and they will invoke them, but they will not respond to them.
And We will put between them [a valley of] destruction.
53. Wa ra al mujrimoonan Naara fazannooo annahum muwaaqi’oohaa wa
lam yajidoo ‘anhaa masrifaa (section 7)
And the criminals will see the Fire and will be certain that they are to
fall therein. And they will not find from it a way elsewhere.
54. Wa laqad sarrafnaa fee haazal quraani linnaasi min kulli masal;
wa kaanal insaanu aksara shai’in jadalaa
And We have certainly diversified in this Qur’an for the people from
every [kind of] example; but man has ever been, most of anything, [prone
to] dispute.
55. Wa maa mana’an naasa any yu’minooo iz jaaa’ahumul hudaa wa
yastaghfiroo Rabbahum illaaa an taatiyahum sunnatul awwaleena aw
yaatiyahumul ‘azaabu qubulaa
And nothing has prevented the people from believing when guidance came
to them and from asking forgiveness of their Lord except that there
[must] befall them the [accustomed] precedent of the former peoples or
that the punishment should come [directly] before them.
56. Wa maa nursilul mursaleena illaa mubashshireena wa munzireen;
wa yujaadilul lazeena kafaroo bilbaatili liyudhidoo bihil haqqa
wattakhazooo Aayaatee wa maaa unziroo huzuwaa
And We send not the messengers except as bringers of good tidings and
warners. And those who disbelieve dispute by [using] falsehood to
[attempt to] invalidate thereby the truth and have taken My verses, and
that of which they are warned, in ridicule.
57. Wa man azlamu mimman zukkira bi ayaati Rabbihee fa-a’rada
‘anhaa wa nasiya maa qaddamat yadaah; innaa ja’alnaa ‘alaa
quloobihim akinnatan any yafqahoohu wa feee aazaanihim waqraa; wa in
tad’uhum ilal hudaa falany yahtadooo izan abadaa
And who is more unjust than one who is reminded of the verses of his
Lord but turns away from them and forgets what his hands have put forth?
Indeed, We have placed over their hearts coverings, lest they understand
it, and in their ears deafness. And if you invite them to guidance –
they will never be guided, then – ever.
58. Wa Rabbukal Ghafooru zur rahmati law yu’aakhi zuhum bimaa
kasaboo la’ajala lahumul ‘azaab; bal lahum maw’idul lany yajidoo min
doonihee maw’ilaa
And your Lord is the Forgiving, full of mercy. If He were to impose
blame upon them for what they earned, He would have hastened for them
the punishment. Rather, for them is an appointment from which they will
never find an escape.
59. Wa tilkal quraaa ahlak nahum lammaa zalamoo wa ja’alnaa
limahlikihim maw’idaa (section 8)
And those cities – We destroyed them when they wronged, and We made for
their destruction an appointed time.
60. Wa iz qaalaa Moosaa lifataahu laaa abrahu hattaaa ablugha
majma’al bahrayni aw amdiya huqubaa
And [mention] when Moses said to his servant, “I will not cease
[traveling] until I reach the junction of the two seas or continue for a
long period.”
61. Falammaa balaghaa majma’a bainihimaa nasiyaa hootahumaa
fattakhaza sabeelahoo fil bahri sarabaa
But when they reached the junction between them, they forgot their fish,
and it took its course into the sea, slipping away.
62. Falammaa jaawazaa qaala lifataahu aatinaa ghadaaa’anaa laqad
laqeena min safarinaa haazaa nasabaa
So when they had passed beyond it, [Moses] said to his boy, “Bring us
our morning meal. We have certainly suffered in this, our journey,
[much] fatigue.”
63. Qaala ara’ayta iz awainaaa ilas sakhrati fa innee naseetul
hoota wa maaa ansaaneehu illash Shaitaanu an azkurah; wattakhaza
sabeelahoo fil bahri’ajabaa
He said, “Did you see when we retired to the rock? Indeed, I forgot
[there] the fish. And none made me forget it except Satan – that I
should mention it. And it took its course into the sea amazingly”.
64. Qaala zaalika maa kunnaa nabghi; fartaddaa ‘alaa aasaari him
maa qasasaa
[Moses] said, “That is what we were seeking.” So they returned,
following their footprints.
65. Fa wajadaa ‘abdam min ‘ibaadinaaa aatainaahu Rahmatam min
‘indinaa wa ‘allamnaahu mil ladunnaa ‘ilmaa
And they found a servant from among Our servants to whom we had given
mercy from us and had taught him from Us a [certain] knowledge.
66. Qaala lahoo Moosaa hal attabi’uka ‘alaaa an tu’allimani mimmaa
‘ullimta rushdaa
Moses said to him, “May I follow you on [the condition] that you teach
me from what you have been taught of sound judgement?”
67. Qaalaa innaka lan tastatee’a ma’iya sabraa
He said, “Indeed, with me you will never be able to have patience.
68. Wa kaifa tasbiru ‘alaa maa lam tuhit bihee khubraa
And how can you have patience for what you do not encompass in
knowledge?”
69. Qaala satajiduneee in shaa ‘al laahu saabiranw wa laaa a’see
laka amraa
[Moses] said, “You will find me, if Allah wills, patient, and I will not
disobey you in [any] order.”
70. Qaala fa init taba’tanee falaa tas’alnee ‘an shai’in hattaaa
uhdisa laka minhu zikraa (section 9)
He said, “Then if you follow me, do not ask me about anything until I
make to you about it mention.”
71. Fantalaqaa hattaaa izaa rakibaa fis safeenati kharaqahaa qaala
akharaqtahaa litughriqa ahlahaa laqad ji’ta shai’an imraa
So they set out, until when they had embarked on the ship, al-Khidh r
tore it open. [Moses] said, “Have you torn it open to drown its people?
You have certainly done a grave thing.”
72. Qaala alam aqul innaka lan tastatee’a ma’iya sabraa
[Al-Khidh r] said, “Did I not say that with me you would never be able
to have patience?”
73. Qaala laa tu’aakhiznee bimaa naseetu wa laa turhiqnee min amree
‘usraa
[Moses] said, “Do not blame me for what I forgot and do not cover me in
my matter with difficulty.”
74. Fantalaqaa hattaa izaa laqiyaa ghulaaman faqatalahoo qaala
aqatalta nafsan zakiy yatam bighairi nafs; laqad ji’ta shai’an
nukraa (End Juz 15)
So they set out, until when they met a boy, al-Khidh r killed him.
[Moses] said, “Have you killed a pure soul for other than [having
killed] a soul? You have certainly done a deplorable thing.”
75. Qaala alam aqul laka innaka lan tastatee’a ma’iya sabraa
[Al-Khidh r] said, “Did I not tell you that with me you would never be
able to have patience?”
76. Qaala in sa altuka ‘an shai’im ba’dahaa falaa tusaahibnee qad
balaghta mil ladunnee ‘uzraa
[Moses] said, “If I should ask you about anything after this, then do
not keep me as a companion. You have obtained from me an excuse.”
77. Fantalaqaa hattaaa izaaa atayaaa ahla qaryatinis tat’amaaa
ahlahaa fa abaw any yudaiyifoohumaa fawajadaa feehaa jidaarany
yureedu any yanqadda fa aqaamah; qaala law shi’ta lattakhazta
‘alaihi ajraa
So they set out, until when they came to the people of a town, they
asked its people for food, but they refused to offer them hospitality.
And they found therein a wall about to collapse, so al-Khidh r restored
it. [Moses] said, “If you wished, you could have taken for it a
payment.”
78. Qaala haazaa firaaqu bainee wa bainik; sa unabi ‘uka bitaaweeli
maa lam tastati’ ‘alaihi sabraa
[Al-Khidh r] said, “This is parting between me and you. I will inform
you of the interpretation of that about which you could not have
patience.
79. Ammas safeenatu fakaanat limasaakeena ya’maloona fil bahri fa
arattu an a’eebahaa wa kaana waraaa’ ahum malikuny yaakhuzu kulla
safeenatin ghasbaa
As for the ship, it belonged to poor people working at sea. So I
intended to cause defect in it as there was after them a king who seized
every [good] ship by force.
80. Wa aammal ghulaamu fakaana abawaahu mu’minaini fakhasheenaaa
any yurhiqa humaa tughyaananw wa kufraa
And as for the boy, his parents were believers, and we feared that he
would overburden them by transgression and disbelief.
81. Faradnaa any yubdila humaa Rabbuhumaa khairam minhu zakaatanw
wa aqraba ruhmaa
So we intended that their Lord should substitute for them one better
than him in purity and nearer to mercy.
82. Wa ammal jidaaru fakaana lighulaamaini yateemaini fil madeenati
wa kaana tahtahoo kanzul lahumaa wa kaana aboohumaa saalihan fa
araada Rabbuka any yablughaaa ashuddahumaa wa yastakhrijaa
kanzahumaa rahmatam mir Rabbik; wa maa fa’altuhoo ‘an amree; zaalika
taaweelu maa lam tasti’ ‘alaihi sabra (section 10)
And as for the wall, it belonged to two orphan boys in the city, and
there was beneath it a treasure for them, and their father had been
righteous. So your Lord intended that they reach maturity and extract
their treasure, as a mercy from your Lord. And I did it not of my own
accord. That is the interpretation of that about which you could not
have patience.”
83. Wa yas’aloonaka ‘an Zil Qarnaini qul sa atloo ‘alaikum minhu
zikraa
And they ask you, [O Muhammad], about Dhul-Qarnayn. Say, “I will recite
to you about him a report.”
84. Innaa makkannaa lahoo fil ardi wa aatainaahu min kulli shai’in
sababaa
Indeed We established him upon the earth, and We gave him to everything
a way.
85. Fa atba’a sababaa
So he followed a way
86. Hattaaa izaa balagha maghribash shamsi wajadahaaa taghrubu fee
‘aynin hami’a tinw wa wajada ‘indahaa qawmaa; qulnaa yaa Zal
Qarnaini immaaa an tu’az ziba wa immaaa an tattakhiza feehim
husnaa
Until, when he reached the setting of the sun, he found it [as if]
setting in a spring of dark mud, and he found near it a people. Allah
said, “O Dhul-Qarnayn, either you punish [them] or else adopt among them
[a way of] goodness.”
87. Qaala amma man zalama fasawfa nu’azzibuhoo summa yuraddu ilaa
Rabbihee fa yu ‘azzibuhoo azaaban nukraa
He said, “As for one who wrongs, we will punish him. Then he will be
returned to his Lord, and He will punish him with a terrible punishment.
88. Wa ammaa man aamana wa ‘amila saalihan falahoo jazaaa’anil
husnaa wa sanaqoolu lahoo min amrinaa yusraa
But as for one who believes and does righteousness, he will have a
reward of Paradise, and we will speak to him from our command with
ease.”
89. Summa atba’a sababaa
Then he followed a way
90. Hattaaa izaa balagha matli’ash shamsi wajdahaa tatlu’u alaa
qawmil lam naj’al lahum min doonihaa sitraa
Until, when he came to the rising of the sun, he found it rising on a
people for whom We had not made against it any shield.
91. Kazaalika wa qad ahatnaa bimaa ladaihi khubraa
Thus. And We had encompassed [all] that he had in knowledge.
92. Summa atba’a sababaa
Then he followed a way
93. Hattaaa izaa balagha bainas saddaini wajada min doonihimaa
qawmal laa yakaa doona yafqahoona qawlaa
Until, when he reached [a pass] between two mountains, he found beside
them a people who could hardly understand [his] speech.
94. Qaaloo yaa Zal qarnaini inna Yaajooja wa Maajooja mufsidoona
fil ardi fahal naj’alu laka kharjan ‘alaaa an taj’ala bainanaa wa
bainahum saddaa
They said, “O Dhul-Qarnayn, indeed Gog and Magog are [great] corrupters
in the land. So may we assign for you an expenditure that you might make
between us and them a barrier?”
95. Qaala maa makkannee feehi Rabbee khairun fa-a’eenoonee
biquwwatin aj’al bainakum wa bainahum radmaa
He said, “That in which my Lord has established me is better [than what
you offer], but assist me with strength; I will make between you and
them a dam.
96. Aatoonee zubaral hadeed, hattaaa izaa saawaa bainas sadafaini
qaalan fukhoo hattaaa izaa ja’alahoo naaran qaala aatooneee ufrigh
‘alaihi qitraa
Bring me sheets of iron” – until, when he had leveled [them] between the
two mountain walls, he said, “Blow [with bellows],” until when he had
made it [like] fire, he said, “Bring me, that I may pour over it molten
copper.”
97. Famas taa’ooo any yazharoohu wa mastataa’oo lahoo naqbaa
So Gog and Magog were unable to pass over it, nor were they able [to
effect] in it any penetration.
98. Qaala haaza rahmatummir Rabbee fa izaa jaaa’a wa’du Rabbee
ja’alahoo dakkaaa’a; wa kaana; wa du Rabbee haqqaa
[Dhul-Qarnayn] said, “This is a mercy from my Lord; but when the promise
of my Lord comes, He will make it level, and ever is the promise of my
Lord true.”
99. Wa taraknaa ba’dahum Yawma’iziny yamooju fee ba’dinw wa nufikha
fis Soori fajama’naahum jam’aa
And We will leave them that day surging over each other, and [then] the
Horn will be blown, and We will assemble them in [one] assembly.
100. Wa ‘aradnaa jahannama Yawma’izil lilkaafireena ‘ardaa
And We will present Hell that Day to the Disbelievers, on display –
101. Allazeena kaanat a’yunuhum fee ghitaaa’in ‘an zikree wa kaanoo
laa yastatee’oona sam’aa (section 11)
Those whose eyes had been within a cover [removed] from My remembrance,
and they were not able to hear.
102. Afahasibal lazeena kafarooo any yattakhizoo ‘ibaadee min
dooneee awliyaaa’; innaaa a’tadnaa jahannama lil kaafireena
nuzulaa
Then do those who disbelieve think that they can take My servants
instead of Me as allies? Indeed, We have prepared Hell for the
disbelievers as a lodging.
103. Qul hal nunabbi’ukum bilakhsareena a’maalaa
Say, [O Muhammad], “Shall we [believers] inform you of the greatest
losers as to [their] deeds?
104. Allazeena dalla sa’yuhum fil hayaatid dunyaa wa hum yahsaboona
annahum yuhsinoona sun’aa
[They are] those whose effort is lost in worldly life, while they think
that they are doing well in work.”
105. Ulaaa’ikal lazeena kafaroo bi aayaati Rabbihim wa liqaaa’ihee
fahabitat a’maaluhum falaa nuqeemu lahum Yawmal Qiyaamati
waznaa
Those are the ones who disbelieve in the verses of their Lord and in
[their] meeting Him, so their deeds have become worthless; and We will
not assign to them on the Day of Resurrection any importance.
106. Zaalika jazaaa’uhum jahannamu bimaa kafaroo wattakhazooo
Aayaatee wa Rusulee huzuwaa
That is their recompense – Hell – for what they denied and [because]
they took My signs and My messengers in ridicule.
107. Innal lazeena aamanoo wa ‘amilus saalihaati kaanat lahum
Jannaatul Firdawsi nuzulaa
Indeed, those who have believed and done righteous deeds – they will
have the Gardens of Paradise as a lodging,
108. Khaalideena feeha laa yabghoona ‘anhaa hiwalaa
Wherein they abide eternally. They will not desire from it any transfer.
109. Qul law kaanal bahru midaadal li kalimaati Rabbee lanafidal
bahru qabla an tanfada Kalimaatu Rabbee wa law ji’naa bimislihee
madadaa
Say, “If the sea were ink for [writing] the words of my Lord, the sea
would be exhausted before the words of my Lord were exhausted, even if
We brought the like of it as a supplement.”
110. Qul innamaaa ana basharum mislukum yoohaaa ilaiya annamaa
ilaahukum Ilaahunw Waahid; faman kaana yarjoo liqaaa’a Rabbihee
falya’mal ‘amalan saalihanw wa laa yushrik bi’ibaadati Rabbiheee
ahadaa (section 12)
Say, “I am only a man like you, to whom has been revealed that your god
is one God. So whoever would hope for the meeting with his Lord – let
him do righteous work and not associate in the worship of his Lord
anyone.”
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Circumstances of revelation of Surah Kahf
Arab Muslim historian and hagiographer, Ibn Ishaq, reported in his
traditional book (oral traditions) of biography of Muhammad,
Sirat Rasul Allah that the 18th surah of the Quran (which includes the
story of Dhu l-Qarnayn) was revealed to the Islamic prophet Muhammad by
God on account of some questions posed by rabbis residing in the city of
Medina.
The verse was revealed during the Meccan period of Muhammad's
life. According to Ibn Ishaq, Muhammad's tribe, the powerful Quraysh, were
greatly concerned about their tribesman who had started claiming
prophethood and wished to consult rabbis about the matter.
The Quraysh sent two men to the rabbis of Medina, reasoning that they
had superior knowledge of the scriptures and about the prophets of
God.
The two Quraysh men described their tribesman, Muhammad, to the
rabbis.
The rabbis told the men to ask Muhammad three questions:-
They [the rabbis] said, "Ask him about three things which we will tell you to ask, and if he answers them then he is
a Prophet who has been sent; if he does not, then he is saying things
that are not true, in which case how you will deal with him will be up
to you.
1. Ask him about some young men in ancient times, what was their
story for theirs is a strange nd wondrous tale.
2. Ask him about a man who traveled a great deal and reached the east
and the west of the earth. What was his story.
3. And ask him about the Ruh (Holy spirit) – what is it?
If he tells you about these things, then he is a Prophet, so follow
him, but if he does not tell you, then he is a man who is making things
up, so deal with him as you see fit."
According to Ibn Ishaq, when Muhammad was informed of the three
questions from the rabbis, he said that he would have the answers in the
morning but did not say "if God wills it".
For fifteen days, Muhammad waited eagerly for the revelation. Muhammad
did not answer the question until then.
Doubt in Muhammad began to grow amongst the people of Mecca. Then,
after fifteen days, Muhammad received the revelation of Surah al-Kahf as an answer to the questions.
Surah Kahf Hadith
There is a hadith in Sahih Muslim that states that Muhammad said
(Concerning The False Messiah, Al-Masih ad-Dajjal):
"He who amongst you would survive to see him should recite over him the
opening verses of Sura Kahf"-Sahih Muslim, Book 41, Number
7015[20]
"Whoever reads Sura Kahf on Friday, light shall shine forth for him
between the two Fridays."
Surah Al-Kahf Tafseer
Name of Surah Kahf
This Surah takes its name from v. 9 in which the word (al-kahf) occurs.
Period of Revelation of Surah Kahf
This is the first of those Surahs which were sent down in the third stage
of Prophethood at Makkah. We have already divided the life of the Holy
Prophet at Makkah into four stages in the Introduction to Chapter VI.
According to that division the third stage lasted from the fifth to the
tenth year of Prophethood. What distinguishes this stage from the second
and the fourth stages is this.
During the second stage the Quraish mainly resorted to ridiculing,
scoffing, threatening, tempting, raising objections and making false
propaganda against the Holy Prophet and his followers in order to suppress
the Islamic Movement.
But during the third stage they employed the weapons of persecution, man
handling and economic pressure for the same purpose. So much so that a
large number of the Muslims had to emigrate from Arabia to Habash, and
those who remained behind were besieged in Shi'ib Abi Talib along with the
Holy Prophet and his family.
To add to their misery, a complete social and economic boycott was applied
against them. The only redeeming feature was that there were two
personalities, Abu Talib and Hadrat Khadijah, whose personal influence had
been conducive to the support of two great families of the Quraish.
However, when in the tenth year of Prophethood these two persons died, the
fourth stage began with such revere persecutions as forced the Holy
Prophet and all his Companions to emigrate from Makkah.
It appears from the theme of the Surah that it was revealed at the
beginning of the third stage when in spite of persecutions and opposition,
migration to Habash had not yet taken place.
That is why the story of "Ashab-i-Kahf" (the Sleepers of the Cave) has
been related to comfort and encourage the persecuted Muslims and to show
them how the righteous people have been saving their Faith in the past.
Subject and Topics of Surah Kahf
This Surah was sent down in answer to the three questions which the
mushriks of Makkah, in consultation with the people of the Book, had put
to the Holy Prophet in order to test him.
These were: (1) Who were "the Sleepers of' the Cave"? (2) What is the real
story of Khidr? and (3) What do you know about Zul-Qarnain?
As these three questions and the stories involved concerned the history of
the Christians and the Jews, and were unknown in Hijaz, a choice of these
was made to test whether the Holy Prophet possessed any source of the
knowledge of the hidden and unseen things.
Allah, however, not only gave a complete answer to their questions but
also employed the three stories to the disadvantage of the opponents of
Islam in the conflict that was going on at that time at Makkah between
Islam and un-belief:
The questioners were told that "the Sleepers of the Cave" believed in the same doctrine of Tauhid which was being put forward in
the Quran and that their condition was similar to the condition of the
persecuted Muslims of Makkah.
On the other hand, the persecutors of the Sleepers of the Cave had behaved
in the same way towards them as the disbelievers of the Quraish were
behaving towards the Muslims.
Besides this, the Muslims have been taught that even if a Believer is
persecuted by a cruel society, he should not bow down before falsehood but
emigrate from the place all alone, if need be, with trust in God.
Incidentally the disbelievers of Makkah were told that the story of the
Sleepers of the Cave was a clear proof of the creed of the Hereafter, for
this showed that Allah has the power to resurrect anyone He wills even
after a long sleep of death as He did in case of the Sleepers of the Cave.
The story of the Sleepers of the Cave has also been used to warn the
chiefs of Makkah who were persecuting the small newly formed Muslim
Community.
At the same time, the Holy Prophet has been instructed that he should in
no case make a compromise with their persecutors nor should he consider
them to be more important than his poor followers.
On the other hand, those chiefs have been admonished that they should not
be puffed up with the transitory life of pleasure they were then enjoying
but should seek after those excellences which are permanent and eternal.
The story of Khidr and Moses has been related in such a way as to supply
the answer to the question of the disbelievers and to give comfort to the
Believers as well.
The lesson contained in this story is this "You should have full faith in
the wisdom of what is happening in the Divine Factory in accordance with
the will of Allah.
As the reality is hidden from you, you are at a loss to understand the
wisdom of what is happening, and sometimes if it appears that things are
going against you, you cry out, 'How and why has this happened'.
The fact is that if the curtain be removed from the "unseen", you would
yourselves come to know that what is happening here is for the best. Even
if some times it appears that something is going against you, you will see
that in the end it also produces some good results for you.
The same is true of the story of Zul-Qarnain for it also admonishes the
questioners, as if to say, "0 you vain chiefs of Makkah you should learn a
lesson from Zul-Qarnain.
Though he was a great ruler, a great conqueror and the owner of great
resources, yet he always surrendered to his Creator, whereas you are
rebelling against Him even though you are insignificant chieftains in
comparison with him.
Besides this, though Zul-Qarnain built one of the strongest walls for
protection, yet his real trust was in Allah and not in the "wall".
He believed that the wall could protect him against his enemies as long as
it was the will of Allah and that there would be crack and holes in it,
when it would be
His will : whereas you who possess only insignificant fortified abodes and
dwellings in comparison with him, consider yourselves to be permanently
safe and secure against all sorts of calamities."
While the Quran turned the tables on the questioners who had tried to
"expose" the Holy Prophet, in the end of the Surah the same things have
been reiterated that were stated at its beginning:
"Tauhid and the Hereafter are absolutely true and real and for your own
good you should accept these doctrines, mend your ways in accordance with
them and live in this world with this conviction that you are accountable
to Allah: otherwise you shall ruin your life and all your doings shall be
set at naught."
1. That is, "There is nothing intricate or complicated in it that may be
beyond anyone's understanding nor is there anything that deviates
from the straight path of the Truth and thus cause hesitation in the
mind of a truth-loving person."
2. "Those people" includes the Christians, the Jews and the mushrik
Arabs who assigned offspring to Allah.
3._____
4. This refers to the real cause of the anxiety of the Holy Prophet at
the time of the revelation of this Surah . It clearly shows that the
Holy Prophet did not grieve at the persecution from which he and his
Companions were suffering but at the deviation and moral degeneration of
his people.
What was consuming him was that, though he was trying to bring them out
from their disgraceful state, they persisted in it.
He was grieved because he was convinced that their deviation would
inevitably lead them to destruction and scourge of Allah. Therefore he
was working day and night to save them but it appeared that they were
bent upon incurring the chastisement of Allah.
The Holy Prophet himself has described this state of his mind in a
Tradition to this effect: "I may describe this thing in a parable. A
person kindled a fire to spread light but the moths persist in falling
over it to burn themselves alive.
He vies to save them from the fire but the moths reduce his efforts to
failure. The same is true of me and you. I hold you by your skirts to
keep you away from the fire, but you are bent upon falling into it."
(Bukhari, Muslim).
Though apparently it is merely stated "...... it may be that you will
consume your life for their sake out of sorrow...." it also contains a
sort of consolation for the Holy Prophet, as if to say, "As you are not
responsible for forcing them to believe, why should you consume yourself
for their sake?
Your only duty is to give good news and warning and not to turn people
into Believers. Therefore you may go on carrying out your mission of
giving good news to the Believers and warning of the bad consequences to
the disbelievers."
5. V. 6 was addressed to the Holy Prophet, but vv. 7-8 have been
directed to the disbelievers indirectly, as if to say, "You must
understand it clearly that all the things that you see in the world and
which allure you, are a transitory adornment which has been arranged
merely to test you, but it is a pity that you have been involved in the
misunderstanding that all these things have been created to cater for
your pleasure and enjoyment.
That is why the only aim and object of life you have set before you is:
"Eat, drink and be merry.." As a result of this you do not pay any
attention to your true and real well-wisher.
You must understand it well that these things have not been provided for
pleasure but are actually a means of testing you. You have been placed
among them to see which of you is allured by these from the real aim of
life and which of you keeps steadfast in the worship of Allah, for which
you have been sent to the world.
All these things and means of pleasure shall come to an end on the Day
your examination is over and nothing will remain on the earth because it
will be turned into a bare plain."
6. The Arabic word (Kahaf) literally means a vast cave.
7. There is a difference of opinion about the meaning of ar-raqim. Some
Companions and their followers opined that it was the name of that
habitation where this event took place and that it was situated
somewhere between Aylah and Palestine.
There are other commentators who take it to mean the "Inscription" that
had been set up at the Cave as a memorial to "the Sleepers of the Cave".
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, in his commentary, Tarjmanul-Qur'an, has
preferred the first meaning and opined that it is the same place which
has been called Rekem in the Bible (Joshua, 18: 27).
Then he identifies it with the ancient historical city of Petra. But he
has not considered the fact that Rekem, as mentioned in the Bible,
belonged to the children of Benjamin and according to the Book of
Joshua, the territory of this clan was situated to the west of river
Jordan and the Dead Sea and that the ruins of Petra are situated to the
south of Jordan.
That is why the modern archaeologists do not believe that Petra and
Rekem are one and the same place. (Please refer to Encyclopedia
Britannica, 1946, Vol XVII, page 658). We are also of the opinion that
by "Ar-raqim"is meant "the inscription.”
8. This question has been posed to expose the skeptical attitude of the
disbelievers towards the “Sleepers of the Cave,” as if to say, “Do you
think that Allah,
Who has created the heavens and the earth, does not have the power to
keep a few persons in a state of sleep for a couple of hundred years and
then to raise them up as hale and hearty as they were at the time of
going to sleep?
If you ever had pondered over the wonderful creation of the sun and the
moon and the earth, you would never have expressed any doubt that such a
thing was anything difficult for Allah.”
9. The oldest evidence of this story is found in a homily written in
Syriac by Jacob of Sarug, a Christian priest of Syria, who was born in
A.D. 452, a few years after the death of "the Companions of the Cave."
The homily which describes the legend in great detail was composed by
him in or about A.D. 474.
On the one hand, this same Syriac version came into the hands of our
early commentators, and Ibn Jarir Tabari cited it in his commentary with
various authorities, and on the other, it reached Europe where its
translations and abridged versions were published in Greek and Latin.
The abridged story as told by Gibbon in Chapter 33 of his The Decline
and Fall of the Roman Empire under the heading, "The Seven Sleepers", so
closely resembles the story told by our commentators that both the
versions seem to have been drawn from the same source.
For instance, the name of the king, whose persecutions made the Seven
Christian youths of Ephesus take refuge in the cave, was Emperor Decius
according to Gibbon.
He ruled the Roman Empire from A.D. 249 to 251 and whose reign is very
notorious because of his persecution of the followers of Prophet Jesus
Christ, while our commentators call him `Decanus', `Decaus', etc.
The city, where this event happened, was `Aphesus', or `Aphesos'
according to our commentators, while according to Gibbon it was Ephesus,
which was the biggest Roman city and sea-port on the west coast of Asia
Minor. The ruins of this city can still be seen 20 to 25 miles south of
the modern Turkish city of Izmir. (Please see Map No. 1 for reference).
Again the name of the king, during whose reign "the Companions of the
Cave" awoke was `Tezusius' according to the Muslim commentators and
Theodosius II according to Gibbon. He ruled over Rome from A.D. 408 to
450, after the Roman Empire had accepted Christianity.
The resemblance between the two versions is so close that even the name
of the companion whom the Sleepers sent to the city to buy food after
waking up has been mentioned as `Jamblicha' by the Muslim scholars and
Jamblichus by Gibbon.
The details of the story in both the versions are also similar which are
briefly as follows:
When during the reign of the Emperor Decius the followers of Prophet
Jesus Christ were being mercilessly persecuted, the Seven Christian
youths hid themselves in a cave and fell into a sleep.
Then in the 38th year of the reign of the Emperor Theodosius II
(approximately in A.D. 445 or 446) they awoke when the whole of the
Roman Empire had become Christian. Thus, they slept in the cave for
nearly 196 years.
On this ground some orientalists have rejected that the above-mentioned
story is the same as that given in the Qur'an because the period of
their stay in the cave according to the Qur'an (v. 25) was 309 years. We
have, however, answered this objection in E.N. 25.
There are a few minor differences between the Quranic and Syriac
versions, on the basis of which Gibbon has charged the Holy Prophet with
"ignorance".
However, the Syriac version, on the basis of whose authenticity he has
committed this gross insolence, was even according to him written thirty
to forty years after the event by a Syrian.
He has not taken the trouble to consider the fact that verbal versions
of events do change a bit during such a long time while they are
communicated from one country to the other.
Therefore it is wrong to take such a version of the story for granted
and literally true and to charge the Qur'an with discrepancy for any
main difference with it. Such an attitude is worthy only .of those
people who are so blinded by religious prejudices that they discard even
the most ordinary demands of reason.
The city of Ephesus where the event of the Sleepers of the Cave took
place, was built about 11th century B.C. and became a great center of
idol worship, its chief deity being the moon goddess, Diana, whose
temple was regarded as a wonder of the ancient world.
Most of her devotees belonged to Asia Minor and the Roman Empire also
had accepted her as one of its deities.
After Prophet Jesus when his message started reaching different parts of
the Roman Empire, a few youths of Ephesus also gave up idol worship and
accepted God as their only Lord. Gregory of Tours has collected details
about these Christian youths in his Meraculorum Liber, which are briefly
as follows:
"They were seven youths. When the Emperor Decius heard of their change
of faith, he summoned them and questioned them about their new religion.
It spite of knowing that the Emperor was deadly against the followers of
Christ, they frankly admitted before him that their Lord is the Lord of
the earth and heavens, and that they recognized none else as Deity for
if they did so, they would be committing a grave sin.
The Emperor became furious to hear this, and warned that he would have
them killed, but then considering their tender age, he granted them
three days in which they were counseled to revert to their old faith,
otherwise they would be put to death.
"The seven youths took advantage of the situation and fled the city to
conceal themselves in a cave in the mountains. On the way a dog also
followed them: they did their best to scare it away, but it would not
leave them.
At last they found a spacious cave as a suitable refuge and hid in it,
and the dog sat at the entrance. Being tired they soon fell into a deep
slumber. This happened in about 250 A.D.
After about 197 years, in 447 A.D., during the reign of Emperor
Theodosius II, they awoke suddenly when the whole Roman Empire had
embraced Christianity and the Ephesians had given up idolatry.
"At this time a fierce controversy was going on among the Romans
regarding the reality of the life-after-death and Resurrection, and the
Emperor himself was anxious to eradicate somehow the disbelief in the
life-after-death from the minds of his people.
So much so that one day he prayed that God in His mercy may show a sign
which tray help restore and correct the people's belief. In precisely
the same days the Seven Sleepers awoke in the cave.
"After waking up the youths started asking one another about how long
they might have slept. Some said it might have been a day: others said
it was a part of a day. When they reached no conclusion, they stopped
arguing, leaving the knowledge of the exact period to God.
Then they sent Jean, a companion, to the city with a few silver coins to
buy food, and warned him to be on his guard lest the people should
recognize him, for they feared that if they were discovered the
Ephesians would force them to bow before Diana.
But when Jean came to the city he was astonished to see that the world
had changed: the whole population had embraced Christianity, and there
was nobody in the city to worship Diana.
He came to a shop and wanted to buy a few loaves of bread. When he paid
in a coin bearing the image of Emperor Decius, the shopkeeper could not
believe his eyes and asked the stranger from where he had obtained that
coin.
When the young man said that it was his own, a dispute began between
them and soon a crowd gathered around them, and the matter reached the
chief officer of the city.
The officer himself was puzzled and wanted to know the whereabouts of
the treasure-house from where the young man had taken the coin, but the
latter insisted that it belonged to him.
The officer did not believe him because he thought that a young man like
him could not possibly possess a centuries-old coin which had not even
been seen by the elders in the city. When Jean came to know that the
Emperor Decius had died., he was pleasantly surprised.
He told the crowd that he and his six companions had fled the city only
the other day and taken refuge in a cave to escape Decius' persecution.
The officer was greatly surprised and followed the young man to see the
cave where his companions lay in hiding.
And a great crowd followed behind them. When they came to the cave, it
was fully established that the youths really belonged to the Emperor
Decius' period. Consequently, Emperor Theodosius was informed and he
also visited the cave to receive grace.
Then the seven youths went back into the cave and lay down and breathed
their last. Seeing this clear sign the people's belief in the
life-after-death was restored, and a monument was ordered to be built
over the cave by the Emperor."
The story of the Sleepers of the Cave as narrated above, corresponds so
closely with that mentioned in the Qur'an that the seven youths can
easily be regarded as "Ashab-i-Kahf" (the Companions of the Cave).
Some people, however, have raised the objection that this story concerns
a city of Asia Minor, and the Qur'an does not discuss or refer to any
event that might have taken place outside Arabia; therefore it would be
against the Quranic style and spirit to label this Christian story as
the story of Ashab-i-Kahf'. In our opinion this objection is not
correct.
The Qur'an means to impress and warn the Arabs by relating stories
concerning the various ancient tribes who had transgressed from the
right path and with whom they were familiar, whether they lived and
flourished inside Arabia or outside it. It is for this very reason that
a mention has been made of the ancient history of Egypt in the Qur'an,
whereas Egypt has never been a part of Arabia.
The question is that when the history of Egypt can be mentioned in the
Qur'an, why cannot Rome and the Roman history with which the Arabs were
as familiar as with the Egyptian history?
The Roman frontiers adjoined the northern Hijaz and the Arab caravans
traded with the Romans almost throughout the year. Then there were a
number of Arab tribes who were directly under Roman domination and the
Roman Empire was in no way unknown to the Arabs, a fact which is fully
borne nut by Surah Ar-Rum.
Another thing which should be borne in mind is that the story of the
Sleepers of the Cave has been related in the Qur'an in response to a
query raised by the disbelievers of Makkah, who had been prompted by the
Jews and Christians to question the Holy Prophet on such matters as were
wholly unknown to the Arabs in order to test his Prophethood.
10. That is, when they had believed sincerely, Allah increased their
faith in the guidance and enabled them to become firm and steadfast on
the way of the Truth even at the risk of their lives rather than
surrender before falsehood.
11. When these God-worshiping youths fled the habitations to take refuge
in the hills, the city of Ephesus was the principal center of
idol-worship and sorcery in Asia Minor. There was a great temple
dedicated to the goddess Diana, which was well-known in the whole world
and attracted devotees from far end wide.
The sorcerers, workers of magic and occult arts, sooth-sayers and amulet
writers of Ephesus were well-known and their black business had spread
throughout Syria and Palestine, even as far as Egypt. The Jews also had
a big share in it, who attributed this art to Prophet Solomon. (Please
see Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature under `Ephesus', for details).
The predicament in which the righteous people living in an environment
of idolatry and superstition were involved can well be imagined from the
remark of "the Companions of the Cave¦ that occurs in v. 20: "....... if
they succeed in over-powering us, they will surely stone us to death or
force us back into their Faith."
12. It has not been mentioned that in accordance with this mutual
resolve, they left the city and went to a secret Cave in the mountains
in order to escape from death or forced apostasy.
13. This is to show that the mouth of the Cave faced the north. That is
why the light of the sun could not enter inside the Cave and the one who
passed by it could not see who was inside it.
14. That is, "If some one could have peeped at the Seven Persons from
outside and seen them turning from one side to the other at intervals,
he would have thought that they were not asleep but were relaxing
themselves."
15. Allah had so arranged their refuge that none dared go inside the
Cave and know about them for it was pitch dark in the Cave and the dog
was keeping watch at the entrance.
If someone ever peeped into the Cave and saw the Sleepers, he took them
for some robbers and at once turned on his heels. This was the reason
why their refuge remained a secret to the outer world for such a long
period.
16. They were roused from their sleep in the same miraculous way that
was employed in sending them to sleep and keeping them hidden from the
outer world.
17. The secret of their sleep was revealed when one of them went to
Ephesus to buy food for them and offered a coin of the period of Emperor
Decius. As it was a changed world, he naturally attracted attention for
he was wearing a costume of 300-year old fashion and spoke a language
different from that in vogue.
This was because during those two centuries the language, culture, dress
etc., had undergone a marked change. So the shopkeeper looked askance at
him and, according to a Syriac tradition, suspected that he had dug up
some ancient treasure.
Accordingly, he gathered some people of his neighborhood and they took
him before the ruler. On questioning, it was discovered that he was one
of those followers of Christ, who had fled the city 300 years ago to
save their Faith.
As most of the population had embraced Christianity, the news
immediately spread throughout the city and a big crowd of the people
along with the Christian Roman Ruler, arrived at the Cave.
It was then that the Sleepers of the Cave came to know that they had
slept for about three hundred years. So after making salutations to
their Christian brothers they lay down and their souls left their
bodies.
18. According to the Syriac tradition, at the time of this occurrence,
hot discussions were going on in Ephesus about Resurrection and the
Hereafter.
Though the people had embraced Christianity under the influence of the
Roman Empire, yet traces of shirk and idolatry of the Romans and the
effects of the Greek philosophy were still very powerful. So in spite of
the Christian creed of the Hereafter, many people denied this, or at
least were skeptical about this.
To add to this the Sadducee sect of the Jews, who formed a great part of
the population of the city, openly denied the Hereafter and professed to
base this on the Torah.
The Christian scholars, however, could not put forward any strong
arguments to refute them: so much so that the reports of the polemical
discussion given in Matthew, Mark and Luke, attributed to Prophet
Christ, are admittedly very weak even according to the Christian
scholars.
(Please refer to Matthew 22: 23-33, Mark 12: 18-27, Luke 20: 27-40).
That is why the disbelievers in the Hereafter were having the upper hand
and even the believers were being involved in doubts about it.
It was at that time that the Sleepers of the Cave were raised up and
furnished an absolute proof of the life-after-death and turned the
scales in favor of the believers in this dispute.
19. It appears from the context that this was the saying of the
righteous people from among the Christians. They were of the opinion
that a wall should be raised at the entrance of the Cave in order to let
the Sleepers remain in the same condition in which they were, for they
argued that their Lord alone knew best about their rank and position and
the reward they deserved.
20. The people "who prevailed in their matter" were the Roman rulers and
the priests of the Christian Church, who did not let the righteous
Christians have their way.
This was because by the middle of the fifth century, the common people,
especially the orthodox among the Christians, had become fully involved
in shirk and the worship of saints and tombs. They used to visit the
tombs of the saints to worship them and kept the statues of Jesus, Mary
and the apostles in their churches: so much so that a few years before
the rising up of the Sleepers of the Cave, in 431 A.D.,
a great council of the representatives of the Christian World had been
held in Ephesus itself, in which it was resolved that the creed of the
divinity of Christ and of Mary as the mother of God, should be included
in the articles of the Christian Church.
If we keep in view the year 431, it becomes clear that by "those who
prevailed in their matter" are meant the leaders of the Church and the
officers of the government, who had the reins of the religious and
political powers in their hands.
In fact these were the people who were the upholders of shirk and who
decided that a mausoleum should be built over the Cave of the Sleepers
to make it a place of worship.
21. It is an irony that some people among the Muslims have misconstrued
this verse of the Qur'an so as to make it lawful for themselves to build
mausoleums, monuments and mosques over the tombs of the righteous
persons and saints.
The Qur'an has, in fact, pointed out the deviation of the workers of
iniquity who prevailed upon others and built a place of worship over the
Cave of the Sleepers, who were indeed a Sign of Resurrection and of the
life-after-death. But they abused this good opportunity and produced
another means of practicing shirk.
One fails to understand how anyone can deduce from this verse an
argument for the legality of building mosques over the tombs of the
righteous people, when the Holy Prophet has categorically prohibited
this:
(1) "Allah has cursed those women who visit tombs and those people who
build mosques over them and burn lights over them" (Ahmad, Tirmizi, Abu
Dawud, Nasa'i, Ibn Majah).
(2) "Beware that the people, who have passed before you, made the tombs
of their Prophets the places of their worship. I forbid you to do that."
(Muslim)
(3) "Allah has cursed the Jews and the Christians, for they made the
tombs of their Prophets the places of their worship." (Ahmad, Bukhari,
Muslim, Nasa'i).
(4) "The behavior of those people was strange: if a righteous person
from among them, died they would build a mosque over his grave and draw
his pictures. They will be treated as worst criminals on the Day on
Resurrection." (Ahmad, Bukhari, Muslim, Nasa'i).
Thus, it is clear from the above Sayings of the Holy Prophet that
building of the places of worship over the tombs is utterly unlawful;
the Qur'an has merely stated as a historical fact the sinful act of the
Christian priests and the Roman rulers and has not sanctioned such a
thing.
Therefore no God-fearing person can turn this into an argument for
building mosques over the tombs.
Incidentally, it will be worth while to cite a statement of Rev. T.
Arundell who published his Discoveries in Asia Minor in 1834. He says
that he had seen the remains of the Mausoleums of Mary and the Seven
Sleepers on a hillock near the remains of the ancient city of Ephesus.
22. This shows that about three hundred years after this event, at the
time of the revelation of the Qur'an, different stories had become
current among the Christians about the Sleepers of the Cave, but
generally these stories had no authentic source behind them.
' This was because that was not the age of the press in which authentic
books might have been published. Therefore naturally the stories of
events were carried from place to place by means of oral traditions, and
with the passage of time many tales of fiction got mixed up with the
real story.
23. This is meant to impress that the real thing in this story is not
the number of the Sleepers but the lessons it teaches: (1) A true
believer should not on any account turn away from the truth and bow
before falsehood.
(2) A believer should not merely rely on the material means but on
Allah. He should trust in God and follow the right way, even though the
outward adverse circumstances might appear to be unfavorable.
(3) It is wrong to suppose that Allah is bound by any so-called "Law of
Nature", for He is able to do any thing He wills even though that might
seem to be against some common experience. He has the power to change
any so-called law of nature, whenever and wherever He wills and bring
about any extraordinary "supernatural" thing.
So much so that He can raise up anyone who might have been asleep for
two hundred years, as if he had slept only for a few hours, without
letting any change take place in his appearance, dress, health, indeed
in anything, during the passage of time.
(4) This teaches us that Allah has the power to bring to life all the
generations-past, present and future all together as asserted by the
Prophets and Divine Scriptures. (5) It teaches us that ignorant people
have always been perverting the Signs of Allah which are sent for the
right guidance of the people.
That is how the miracle of the Sleepers of the Cave, which had been
shown as a proof of the Hereafter, had been turned into a means of
shirk, as if they were some saints who had been sent only for this
purpose.
It is obvious from the above-mentioned real lessons, which one can learn
from the story of the Sleepers, that a wise man will pay his attention
to these things and not divert it in search of their number, their
names, the color of their dog and the like.
Only those people, who have no interest for the reality but for
superficial things, will spend their time and energy in making
investigations about such things.
That is why Allah instructed the Holy Prophet: "You should not enter
into useless and irrelevant discussions about such things, if other
people try to involve you in them. Instead of wasting your time in such
useless things, you should concentrate your attention only on your
mission.
" That is why Allah has not Himself told their exact number lest it
should encourage such people as are always hankering after useless
things.
24. This is a parenthetical clause which has been inserted here because
of its relevancy to the preceding verse, in which it was asserted that
the correct number of the Sleepers of the Cave is known only to Allah
and a research into it is a useless task. Therefore one should refrain
from investigating into unimportant things, nor enter into discussions
about them.
This has led to the instruction contained in the parenthetical clause
for the benefit of the Holy Prophet and the Believers who have been told
never to make a positive assertion like this: "I will do this thing
tomorrow", for you do not know whether you will be able to do that thing
or not: you have neither the knowledge of the unknown nor have full
powers to do what you like.
If ever inadvertently you utter anything like this, you should at once
remember your Lord and say, "Insha Allah." Besides this you do not know
whether there will be any good for you in the thing about which you say,
“I will do this.” It is possible that you may do another thing better
than that.
Therefore you should trust in God and say, "I hope that my Lord will
guide me in this matter with that thing which is nearer to the right way
for me."
25. This sentence is connected with the theme preceding the
parenthetical clause like this: "Some people wilt say, `They were three
and the fourth was their do:.....' and some people will say that they
remained in the Cave for three hundred years and some others would add
nine more years (to the reckoning of the period)".
We are of the opinion that the number of the years "300 and 309" have
not been stated by Allah Himself but Allah has cited these as sayings of
the people. "this opinion is based on this succeeding sentence: "Allah
knows best about the period of their stay there.
If the number of years, given in v. 25, had been from Allah, this
succeeding sentence would have been meaningless. hadrat `Abdullah bin
'Abbas has also opined that this is not the saying of Allah but that of
the people which has been cited as a part of the story.
26. After relating the story of the Sleepers of the Cave, the Qur'an
begins to review the condition of the Muslims of Makkah at the time of
the revelation of the Surah.
27. This does not mean at all that, God forbid, the Holy Prophet was
inclined to make any changes in the Qur'an to please the disbelievers of
Makkah and was thinking of some formula of compromise with the chiefs of
the Quraish which necessitated a warning that he was not authorized to
do so.
As a matter of tact, though this was apparently addressed to the Holy
Prophet, it was really meant for the disbelievers that they should not
entertain any hope whatsoever for anything like this, as if to say, "You
must understand it once for all that Our Messenger is nut authorized to
make any changes in Our Revelation, for he has to precisely just as it
is sent down to him.
If you want to accept it, you will have to accept it in its entirety as
it is being sent by the Lord of the Universe: and if you want to reject
it, you may do so but you must understand it well that no modification
even in the least, will be made in it to please you. " This was the
answer to the repeated demand of the disbelievers.
"If you do insist, O Muhammad (Allah's peace be upon him), that we
should accept your Message in its entirety, then make certain
modifications in it to accommodate some creeds and customs of our
forefathers, and we will accept your Message.
This is our offer for a compromise and this will save our people from
dis-union. " This demand of the disbelievers has been cited in the
Qur'an at several places and the same answer has been given, e.g. "When
Our clear Revelations are recited to them, those who do not expect to
meet Us, say, `Bring an other Qur'an in its stead or make some
amendments in it' ...." (X: 15)
28. Though these words have also been addressed to the Holy Prophet,
they are really meant for the chiefs of the Quraish. According to a
Tradition related by Ibn `Abbas, the chiefs of the Quraish would say to
the Holy Prophet that they considered it below their dignity to sit with
such people as Bilal, Suhaib, 'Ammar, Khabbab, Ibn-Mas`ud and the like
who generally remained in his company: and that if he should send them
away, they would be willing to attend his meetings in order to learn
about his Message.
At this Allah revealed this verse: "And keep yourself whole-heartedly
content with those who pray to their Lord morning and evening in order
to win His approval and do not turn your attention away from them: (Do
you desire to discard these sincere but poor people so that the chiefs
of the Quraish, the well-to-do people, should come and sit near you?)"
This was meant to warn the chiefs of the Quraish to this effect: "Your
wealth, your pomp and show of which you are so proud, has no value at
all in the sight of Allah and His Messenger; nay, those poor people are
really more worthy in their sight, for they are sincere and always
remember Allah.
" The same was the attitude of the chiefs of Prophet Noah's people, who
said, "And we see also that none but the meanest and the most shallow of
our people have become your followers. " .... (Noah replied,) "I am not
going to drive away those who have believed in me, nor can I say about
those whom you disdain, `Allah has not bestowed any good on them' . . .
" (XXI: vv. 27, 29, 31)
29. That is, "Do not yield to what he says, nor submit to him, nor
fulfill his desire, nor follow his bidding."
30. The original Arabic text may also mean, "Who discards the truth,
breaks all moral limits and rushes on headlong." But in both cases it
comes to this: "The one, who is neglectful of Allah and becomes a slave
of his lust, inevitably transgresses all limits and becomes a victim of
immoderation.
Therefore the one,who will submit to him, will also follow the same way
and wander about in deviation after him.
31. This verse makes it quite plain that the story of the Sleepers of
the Cave has been related to tell the opponents of Islam: "This is the
Truth from your Lord: now whosoever wills, he may accept it and
whosoever wills, he may reject it.
But people must understand that no compromise will be made in regard to
the Truth just as the Sleepers of the Cave did not make any compromise
with regard to their creed. They did not make any compromise in regard
to the Doctrine of Tauhid after they had believed in it and
categorically declared, "Our Lord is the One Who alone is the Lord of
the heavens and the earth.
" After this declaration they did not in any way accede to the making of
any compromise with their people, who had gone astray, but firmly
declared, "We will not give Him up and pray to other deities, because it
will be the most improper thing, if we do so.
" After making this declaration they left their people and deities and
took refuge in the Cave without taking any provisions with them.
After' this when they rose up, the only thing about which they showed
any anxiety, was that their people might not succeed in forcing them
back to their own faith.
After relating these things, the Qur'an addresses the Holy Prophet to
the effect (though these words are really meant for the opponents of
Islam): "It is absolutely out of question whether any compromise can be
made with mushriks and disbelievers. present the truth intact to them
whether they accept it or not.
f they do not accept it, they themselves will meet with an evil end. As
regards those, who have accepted the Truth (whether they be youngsters
or poor, indigent people or slaves or laborers,) they are really those
people who have a worth with Allah, and they alone will be honored.
Therefore you should not discard them and prefer the chiefs and the rich
people who may be neglectful of Allah and be slaves of their lust, even
though they might be possessors of worldly grandeur."
32. The Arabic word (Suradiq) literally means sides of a tent but, as
used in the case of Hell, it may mean its external boundaries to which
its flames and heat may reach.
According to some commentators, it applies to the future reuse "...its
flames will encircle them" so as to refer to the flames of Hell in the
Hereafter. But we are of the opinion that its flames have already
encircled, in this very world, these workers of iniquity, who have
turned away from the Truth and that they cannot escape them.
33. The Arabic word (muhl) has several lexical meanings. According to
some people, it means "the residue of oil"; according to others, "lava",
which is formed by the melting of things in the earth; according to
some, "molten matter" and according to others "pus and blood"
34. The dwellers of Paradise will be adorned with bracelets of gold like
the kings of ancient times. This will be to show that they will be
adorned like the kings of this world, whereas an unbeliever and wicked
king will be disgraced there.
35. The Arabic word (ara aik) is plural of arikah which is that kind of
throne that is covered with an umbrella. This is also to show that in
Paradise the Believers will sit on thrones like the kings of this world.
36. In order to understand the significance of this parable we should
keep in view v. 28 in which arrogant chiefs , of Makkah were told that
the poor Companions of the Holy Prophet would not be discarded to please
them.
37. He considered his gardens to be "Paradise". Thus he behaved like
those mean persons, who, when rise to power and wealth, are always
involved in the misunderstanding that they are enjoying "Paradise" in
this world; therefore they do not stand in need of any other Paradise.
38. That is, “I don't think there is any life-after-death, but supposing
there be one, 1 shall fare even better there than in my present life,
for my prosperity is a clear proof that I am a favorite of God.”
39. This shows that "unbelief " in Allah is not confined to the denial
of the existence of God in so many words, but arrogance, pride, vanity
and the denial of the Hereafter are also kufr. Although that person did
not deny the existence of Allah,
may be he professed it as is apparent from his words ("If ever I am
returned to my Lord-"), yet in spite of his profession, his neighbor
charged him with unbelief in Allah. This is because the person, who
considers his wealth and his grandeur etc.,
to be the fruits of his own power and capability and not the favors of
Allah, and who thinks that they are everlasting and none can take than
away from hint and that he is not accountable to anyone, is guilty of
"unbelief in Allah,” even though he might profess belief in Him, for he
acknowledges Allah as a Being and not as his Master, Owner and
Sovereign.
In fact, belief in Allah demands not merely the profession of His
existence but also the acknowledgment of His Sovereignty, Mastery, Rule
and the like.
40That is, "If we are able to do anything, it is by the help and support
of Allah alone."
41. "Allah has power over everything": He gives life and also death: He
causes the rise and the downfall: It is by His command that the seasons
change.
Therefore, O disbelievers, if you are enjoying prosperity today, you
should be under no delusion that this condition will remain for ever.
That God, by Whose command these things have been bestowed on you, has
the power to snatch away all this by another command.
42. The mountains will begin to move about like clouds when the
gravitation of the earth shall be brought to an end. The Qur'an has
described the same thing in XXVII: 88 in this way: "When you see the
mountains, you consider them to be firmly fixed, but they shall be
floating about like clouds at that time."
43. "You will find the Earth quite naked": You will find no vegetation
and no building on it and it will become a barren plain. It is the same
thing that has been stated in v. 8 of this Chapter.
44. That is, "We will muster together every human being from the first
Man, Adam, to the last one born in the last moment of the Day of
Resurrection: even that child which had breathed the first breath after
its birth, shall be resurrected and all shall be mustered at one and the
same tune."
45. This thing will be addressed to those who denied the Hereafter, as
if to say, "Well, now you see that the information given by the Prophets
has come out to be true.
They told you that Allah would bring you to life again as He first
brought you out from the wombs of your mothers but you disbelieved in
it. Now say whether you have been brought to life for the second time or
not."
46. "Your Lord will not be unjust to anyone in the least": Neither will
an evil deed not committed by someone have been recorded in his Conduct
Register, nor shall anyone be punished more than one deserved for his
crime, nor shall an innocent person be punished at all.
47. The reference to the story of Adam and Iblis has been made here to
warn the erring people of their folly. It is an obvious folly that
people should discard their Prophets, who were their well-wishers, and
get entangled in the snare set by their eternal enemy, Iblis, who has
been jealous of man ever since he refused to bow down before Adam and
became accursed.
48. It was possible for Iblis to disobey Allah because he was not one of
the angels but one of the jinns. It must be noted that the Qur'an is
very explicit that the angels are inherently obedient:
(1) "They do not show arrogance; they fear their Lord Who is above them,
and do whatever they are bidden." (XVI: 50)
(2) "..... They do not disobey the Command that is given to them by
their Lord and do whatever they are bidden to do." (LXVI: 6)
In contrast to the angels, the jinns have been, like human beings, given
the option to obey or not to obey. Therefore they have been given the
power to believe or disbelieve, to obey or not to obey.
This thing has been made explicit here by saying that Iblis was one of
the jinns, so he deliberately chose the way of disobedience.
Incidentally, this verse removes all those misunderstandings that are
generally found among the common people that Iblis was one of the angels
and not an ordinary angel but the instructor of the angels.
As regards the difficulty that arises because of this statement of the
Qur'an, "When We said to the angels, `Bow down before Adam.
They bowed down but Iblis did not'," it should be noted that the Command
to the angels was meant for all those on the Earth who were under the
administration of the angels so that they should also be made submissive
to man.
Accordingly all these creatures bowed along with the angels but Iblis
refused to bow down along with them.
49. This thing has been asserted to impress on the disbelievers that the
satans were not entitled to their submission and worship, for they had
no share at all in the creation of the heavens and the earth, nay, they
themselves were the creation of Allah: therefore Allah alone was worthy
of worship.
50. This theme has already been stated at several places in the Qur'an.
This is to impress that it is shirk to discard the commandments and the
guidance of Allah and to follow the orders and guidance of any other
than Allah, though one may not be professing with one's tongue that
there is any partner of Allah: nay, if one might be cursing others but
at the same time following their orders instead of Divine Commandments,
even then that one shall be guilty of shirk.
For instance, we see that everyone in this world curses satans but still
follows them.
According to the Qur'an, in spite of cursing them, if people follow
satans, they shall be guilty of setting up satans as partners with
Allah. Though this will not be shirk in so many words, it will be
tantamount to the practice of shirk and the Qur'an denounces this as
shirk.
51. Generally the commentators have assigned two meanings to this. The
one is the same that we have adopted in our translation and the other is
this: "We will cause enmity between them.
" That is, "Their friendship in this world shall be turned into bitter
enmity in the Hereafter.”
52. This is to warn the people that the Qur'an has left no stone
unturned in making the Truth plain. It has employed all kinds of
arguments, parables, similitudes and used all the possible effective
ways to appeal to the heart and the mind of man, and adopted the best
possible style. In short, nothing has been left that could persuade the
people to accept the Truth.
If, in spite of this, they do not accept the truth, it is obvious that
they are waiting for God's scourge like the one that visited the former
communities to make them realize their error.
53. This verse has two meanings:
(1) We send Our Messengers to forewarn the people before the coming of
the judgment of the good results of obedience and the evil consequences
of disobedience. But these foolish people are not taking advantage of
these forewarnings and insist on seeing the same evil end from which the
Messengers desire to save them.
(2) It' they insist on meeting with the scourge, they should not demand
this from the Messenger because the Messenger is sent not to bring a
scourge but to warn the people beforehand to escape from it.
54. Allah puts a covering over the heart of a person and makes his ears
hard of hearing the Truth when he adopts the attitude of contention,
dispute, wrangling and argumentation towards the admonition of a
well-wisher and tries to defeat the truth with the weapons of falsehood
and cunning.
Naturally this attitude produces in him obduracy and obstinacy so that
he turns a deaf ear towards guidance, and is unwilling to realize his
error before seeing his evil end.
For such people pay no heed to admonition and warning and insist on
falling into the abyss of perdition: then and then alone they are
convinced that it was perdition towards which they were rushing
headlong.
55. This is to warn the foolish people that they should not be deluded
by the respite that is given to them and presume that they will never be
taken to task whatever they may go on doing.
They forget that Allah gives them respite because He is Forgiving and
Forbearing and does not punish the evil-doers on the spot, for His Mercy
demands that the evil-doers should be given respite so that they may
mend their ways.
56. The ruined habitations were of Saba, Thamud, Midian and the people
of Prophet Lot, which were visited by the Quraish during their trade
journeys, and which were quite well known to other Arabs also.
57. Though this story was told in answer to the question of the
disbelievers, it has been used to impress a very important truth on the
minds of both the disbelievers and the believers.
It is this: those people who draw their conclusions only from the
seeming aspects of events, make a very serious error in their
deductions, for they only see what is apparent and do not go deep into
the Divine Wisdom that underlies them.
When they daily see the prosperity of the tyrants and the afflictions of
the innocent people, the affluence of the disobedient people and the
indigence of the obedient people, the enjoyments of the wicked people
and the adversity of the virtuous people, they get involved in mental
conflicts, nay, they become victims of misunderstandings because they do
not comprehend the wisdom behind them.
The disbelievers and the tyrants conclude from this that the world is
functioning without any moral laws and has no sovereign, and, if there
is one, he must be senseless and unjust: therefore one may do whatever
one desires for there is none to whom one shall be accountable.
On the other hand, when the believers see those things, they become so
frustrated and disheartened that sometimes their faiths are put to x
very hard trial.
It was to unravel the wisdom behind this mystery that Allah slightly
lifted the curtain from the Reality governing His factory, so that Moses
might see the wisdom behind the events that are happening day and night
and how their seeming aspect is quite different from the Reality.
Now let us consider the question: when and where did this event take
place? The Qur'an says nothing about this. There is a tradition related
by Aufi in which he cites a saying of Ibn 'Abbas to this effect: "This
event happened after the destruction of Pharaoh when Prophet Moses had
settled his people in Egypt".
But this is not supported by other more authentic traditions from Ibn
'Abbas which Dave been cited in the collection of Bukhari and other
books of Traditions, nor is there any other source which may prove that
Prophet Moses ever settled in Egypt after the destruction of Pharaoh. On
the contrary, the Qur'an says explicitly that Prophet Moses passed the
whole of his life after Exodus from Egypt in the desert (Sinai and
At-Tilt).
Therefore the tradition from 'Aufi cannot be accepted. However, if we
consider the details of this story, two things are quite obvious:
(1) These things would have been demonstrated to Prophet Moses in the
earlier period of his Prophethood because such things are needed in the
beginning of Prophethood for the teaching and training of the Prophets.
(2) As this story has been cited to comfort the Believers of Makkah, it
can be reasonably concluded that these demonstrations would have been
shown to Prophet Moses, when the Israelites were encountering the same
conditions as the Muslims of Makkah did at the time of the revelation of
this Surah.
On the basis of these two things, we are of the opinion (and correct
Knowledge is with Allah alone) that this event relates to the period,
when the persecution of the Israelites by Pharaoh was at its height and,
like the chiefs of the Quraish,
Pharaoh and his courtiers were deluded by delay in the scourge that
there was no power above them to take them to task, and like the
persecuted Muslims of Makkah, the persecuted Muslims of Egypt were
crying in their agony, as if to say, "Our Lord! how long will the
prosperity of these tyrants and our adversity continue ?"
So much so that Prophet Moses himself cried out: ".... Our Lord,
Thou hast bestowed on Pharaoh and his nobles splendor and possessions in
the worldly life; O our Lord, hast Thou done this drat they might lead
astray the people from Thy Way?..." (X: 88)
If our conjecture is correct, then it may be concluded that probably
this event took place during Prophet Moses' journey to Sudan, and by the
confluence of the rivers is meant the site of the present city of
Khartum where the Blue Nile and the White Nile meet together.
The Bible does not say anything about this event but the Talmud does
relate this though it assigns it to Rabbi Jochanan, the son of Levi,
instead of to Prophet Moses, and according to it the other person was
Elijah who had been taken up alive to heaven and joined with the angels
for the purpose of the administration of the world. (The Talmud
Selections by H. Polano, pp. 313-16).
It is just possible that like the events, which happened before the
Exodus. this event also might not have remained intact but during the
passage of centuries changes and alterations might have been made in it.
But it is a pity that some Muslims have been so influenced by the Talmud
that they opine that in this story Moses does not refer to Prophet Moses
but to some other person bearing the same name.
They forget that every tradition of the Talmud is not necessarily
correct, nor have we any reason to suppose that the Qur'an has related
the story concerning some unknown person bearing the name "Moses".
Above all, when we learn from an authentic Tradition related by
Ubayy-bin-Ka`ab that the Holy Prophet himself made it clear that in this
story, by Moses is meant Prophet Moses, there is absolutely no reason
why any Muslim should consider any statement of the Talmud at all.
The Orientalists have, as usual, tried to make a "research" into the
"sources" of this story and have pointed out that "The Kuranic story may
be traced back to three main sources:'(1) The Gilgamesh Epic, (2) The
Alexander Romance and (3) The Jewish Legend of Elijah and Rabbi Joshua
hen Levi (Encyclopaedia of Islam new edition and Shorter Erlcyclopaedia
of !slam under the heading Al Khadir).
This is because these malicious "scholars" decide beforehand that their
"scientific research" must lead to the conclusion that the Qur'an is not
a revealed book: therefore they have, anyhow or other, to produce a
proof that whatever Muhammad (Allah's peace be upon him) has presented
as Revelation, has been plagiarized from such and such "sources".
In this these people brazen facedly use "facts" and "quotations" so
cunningly and cleverly as to achieve their mean end and one begins to
have nausea at their "research".
If that is research what these bigoted forgers make, then one is
compelled to curse their "knowledge and research."
We ask them to answer our questions in order to expose their "research":
(I) What proof have you got to make the claim that the Qur'an has based
a certain statement on the contents of a couple of ancient books?
Obviously it will not be "research" to build this claim on the scant
basis that a certain statement trade in the Quran is similar to the one
found in these books.
(2) Do you possess any knowledge that at the time of the revelation of
the Qur'an there was a library at Makkah from which the Holy Prophet
collected material for the Qur'an?
This question is pertinent because if a list were to be trade of the
numerous books in different languages, which you allege were sources of
the stories and statements contained in the Qur'an, it will become long
enough for a big library.
Have you got any proof that Muhammad (Allah's peace be upon him) had
arranged for such translators as translated into Arabic those books from
different languages for his use?
If it is not so and your allegation is based on a couple of journeys
which the Holy Prophet made outside Arabia, a question arises: How many
books did the Holy Prophet copy or commit to memory during these trade
journeys before his Prophethood?
And how is it that even a day before he claimed to be a Prophet, no sign
at all was displayed in. his conversation that he had gathered such
information as was revealed in the Qur'an afterwards?
(3) How is it then that the contemporary disbelievers of Makkah and the
Jews and the Christians, who like you, were always in search of such a
proof, could not put forward even a single instance of plagiarism?
They had a goad reason to produce an instance of this because they were
being challenged over and over again to refute the claim that the Qur'an
was a revealed book and it had no other source than Divine Knowledge and
that if they said that it was a human work, they were to prove this by
bringing the like of it.
Though this challenge had broken the back of the contemporary opponents
of Islam, they could not point out even a single plausible source that
might prove reasonably that the Qur'an was based on it.
In the light of these facts one may ask, "Why had the contemporaries of
the Holy Prophet failed in their research and how have the opponents of
Islam succeeded in their attempt today after the passage of more than a
thousand years?"
(4) The last and the most important question is: Does it not show that
it is bigotry and malice that has misled the opponents of Islam to
discard the possibility that the Qur'an may be a revealed book of Allah
and to concentrate all their efforts to prove that it is not so at all ?
The tact that its stories are similar to those contained in the former
books, could be considered equally in this light that the Qur'an was a
revealed book and was relating them in order to correct those errors
that had crept into them during the passage of time.
Why should their research be confined to prove that those books are the
real source of the stories of the Qur'an and not to consider the other
possibility that the Qur'an itself was a revealed book?
An impartial person who will consider these questions will inevitably
arrive at the conclusion that the "research" which the orientalists have
presented in the name of "knowledge" is not worth any serious
consideration.
58. That is, "The same was the sign of the place of our destination".
This shows that Prophet Moses had taken this journey at Allah's behest
to meet His Servant. He had been told that he would meet the Servant at
the place where the fish would disappear.
59. The name of this Servant has been stated to be “Khidr” in all the
authentic books of traditions. Thus there is no reason why it should be
considered at all that his name was Elijah, as some people have asserted
under the influence of the Israelite traditions.
Their assertion is incorrect not only because it contradicts the
assertion of the Holy Prophet but it is also absurd because Prophet
Elijah was born several hundred years after Prophet Moses.
Though the Qur'an does not mention the name of the attendant of Prophet
Moses, according to some traditions he was Joshua, the son of Nun, who
succeeded him.
60. In connection with this story, a very hard problem arises to which
an answer must be found: Two of the three things done by Hadrat Khidr
are obviously against those commandments of the Law which have always
been in force since the creation of man.
No law allows anyone the right to damage the property of another and
kill an innocent person.
So much so that if a man were to know by inspiration that some usurper
would illegally seize a certain boat, and that a certain boy would be
involved in a rebellion and unbelief, even then no law, sent down by
Allah, makes it lawful that one should bore a hole in the boat and kill
the innocent boy by virtue of one's inspiration.
If in answer to this, one were to say that Hadrat Khidr committed these
two acts by the Commands of Allah, this does not solve the problem, for
the question is not this, "By whose command did Hadrat Khidr commit
these acts"? but it is this: "What was the nature of these commands"?
This is important because Hadrat Khidr did these acts in accordance with
Divine Command, for he himself says that these acts of his were not done
by his own authority, but were moved by the mercy of Allah, and Allah
Himself has testified this by saying: "We gave him a special knowledge
from Ourselves".
Thus it is beyond any doubt that these acts were done by the Command of
Allah, but the question about the nature of the command remains there,
for it is obvious that these commands were not legal because it is not
allowed by any Divine Law, and the fundamental principles of the Qur'an
also do not allow that a person should kill another person without any
proof of his guilt.
Therefore we shall have to admit that these commands belonged to one of
those decrees of Allah in accordance with which one sick person
recovers, while another dies: one becomes prosperous and the other is
ruined.
If the Commands given to Hadrat Khidr were of this nature, then one must
come to the conclusion that Hadrat Khidr was an angel (or some other
kind of Allah's creation) who is not bound by the Divine Law prescribed
for human beings, for such commands as have no legal aspect, can be
addressed to angels only.
This is because the question of the lawful or the unlawful cannot arise
about them: they obey the Commands of Allah without having any personal
power. In contrast to them, a man shall be guilty of a sin whether he
does any such thing inadvertently by intuition or by some inspiration,
if his act goes against some Divine Commandment.
This is because a man is bound to abide by Divine Commandments as a man,
and there is no room whatsoever in the Divine Law that an act may become
lawful for a man merely because he had received an instruction by
inspiration and had been informed in a secret way of the wisdom of that
unlawful act.
The above-mentioned principle has been unanimously accepted by scholars
of the Divine Law and the leaders of Sufism.
`Allamah Alusi has cited in detail the sayings of 'Abdul Wahhab
Shi`irani, Muhy-ud-Din ibn-`Arabi, Mujaddid Alf Thani, Shaikh
'Abdul-Qadir Jilani, Junaid Baghdadi, Sirri Saqti, Abul-Hussain An-nuri,
Abu Said-al-Kharraz, Ahmad ud-Dainauri and Imam Ghazzali to this effect
that it is not lawful even for a sufi to act in accordance with that
inspiration of his own which goes against a fundamental of law.
(Ruh-ul-Ma ani, Vol. XVI, pp. 16-18).
That is why we have come to the conclusion that Hadrat Khidr must be an
angel, or some other kind of Allah's creation, exempted from human law,
for he could not be the only exception to the above-mentioned formula.
Therefore we inevitably come to the conclusion that he was one of those
Servants of Allah who act in accordance with the will of Allah and not
in accordance with the Divine Law prescribed for human beings.
We would have accepted the theory that Hadrat Khidr was a human being,
if the Qur'an had plainly asserted that the "servant" to whom Prophet
Moses was sent for training, was a man, but the Qur'an does not
specifically say that he was a human being but says that he was “one of
Our Servants” which does not show that he was necessarily a human being.
Besides this, there is no Tradition which specifically says that Hadrat
Khidr was a human being.
In the authentic traditions related by Said bin Jubair, Ibn `Abbas,
Ubayy bin Ka`ab from the Holy Prophet, the Arabic word, ,}i~ (rajul) has
been used for Hadrat Khidr, which though generally used for human
beings, is not exclusively used for human beings. In the Holy Qur'an
itself, this word has been used for Jinns also (LXXIII 6).
It is also obvious that when a jinn or an angel or an invisible being
will come before a human being, he will surely come in human shape and,
in that form; he will be called a bashar (man), just like the angel who
came before Mary in the shape of a human being (XIX: 17).
Thus the word rajul, used for Hadrat Khidr in the above mentioned
Tradition by the Holy Prophet, does not necessarily mean that he was a
human being.
Therefore we are quite justified in the light of the above discussion to
believe that Hadrat Khidr was one of the angels or some other kind of
Allah's creation who is not bound by the Divine Law prescribed for human
beings. Some of the former scholars of the Qur'an have also expressed
the same opinion which . has been cited by lbn Kathir in his Commentary
on the authority of Mawardi.
61. It is quite obvious that the conjunction "wao " joins this story
with the previous story of Khidr.
Thus it is a self-evident proof that the previous two stories of the
"Sleepers of the Cave" and "Moses and Khidr" were also related in answer
to the queries of the disbelievers of Makkah who, in consultation with
the people of the Book, had put these questions to Muhammad (Allah's
peace be upon him) as a test of his Prophethood.
62. The identification of Zul-Qarnain has been a controversial matter
from the earliest times. in general the commentators have been of the
opinion that he was Alexander the Great but the characteristics of
Zul-Qarnain described in the Qur'an are not applicable to him. However,
now the commentators are inclined to believe that Zul-Qarnain was Cyrus,
an ancient king of Iran.
We are also of the opinion that probably Zul-Qarnain was Cyrus, but the
historical facts, which have come to light up to this time, are not
sufficient to make any categorical assertion.
Now let us consider the characteristics of Zul-Qarnain in the light of
his story as given in the Quran:
(1) The title Zul-Qarnain ("The Two-Horned") should have been quite
familiar to the Jews, for it was at their instigation that the
disbelievers of Makkah put this question to the Holy Prophet.
Therefore we must turn to the Jewish literature in order to learn who
was the person known as "The Two-Horned" or which was the kingdom known
as "The Two-Horned."
(2) Zul-Qarnain must have been a great ruler and a great conqueror whose
conquests might have spread from the East to the West and on the third
side to the North or to the South. Before the revelation of the Qur'an
there had been several persons, who were such great conquerors. So we
must confine our research for the other characteristics of Zul-Qarnain
to one of these persons.
(3) This title should be applicable to such a ruler who might have
constructed a strong wall across a mountain pass to protect his kingdom
from the incursions of Gog and Magog. In order to investigate this
thing, we will have to determine as to who were Gog and Magog.
We will also have to find out when such a wall was built and by whom and
to which territory it was adjacent.
(4) Besides possessing the above-mentioned characteristics, he should
also be a God-worshiper and a just ruler, for the Qur'an has brought
into prominence these characteristics more than anything else.
The first of these characteristics is easily applicable to Cyrus, for
according to the Bible Prophet Daniel saw in his vision that the united
kingdom of Media and Persia was like a two-horned ram before the rise of
the Greeks. (Dan. 8: 3,"20).
The Jews had a very high opinion of "The Two-horned" one, because it was
his invasion which brought about the downfall of the kingdom of Babylon
and the liberation of the Israelites (Please also refer to E.N. 8 of
Chapter XVII).
The second characteristic is applicable to him to a great extent but not
completely. Though his conquests spread to Syria and Asia Minor in the
West and to Bakhtar (Balkh) in the East, there is no trace of any of his
great expeditions to the North or to the South, whereas the Qur'an makes
an explicit mention of his third expedition.
Nevertheless, this third expedition is not wholly out of question for
history tells us that his kingdom extended to Caucasia in the North.
As regards Gog and Magog, it has been nearly established that they were
the wild tribes of Central Asia who were known by different names:
Tartars, Mongols, Huns and Scythians, who 'had been making inroads on
settled kingdoms and empires from very ancient times.
It is also known that strong bulwarks had been built in southern regions
of Caucasia, though it has not been as yet historically established that
these were built by Cyrus.
As regards the last characteristic, Cyrus is the only known conqueror
among the ancient rulers, to whom this may be applicable, for even his
enemies have been full of praise for him for his justice, and, Ezra, a
book of the Bible, asserts that he was a God-worshiper
and a God-fearing king who set free the Israelites because of his
God-worship, and ordered that the Temple of Solomon should be rebuilt
for the worship of Allah, Who has no partner.
In the light of the above, we admit that of all the conquerors, who had
passed away before the revelation of the Qur'an, Cyrus alone is the one
to whom the characteristics of "Zul-Qarnain" are most applicable, but we
need more evidence to determine specifically that Cyrus is definitely
"Zul-Qarnain.
" Anyhow, there is no other conqueror to whom the characteristics stated
in the Qur'an are as much applicable as to Cyrus.
Historically it is enough to say that Cyrus was a Persian ruler, whose
rise began about 549 B.C. In a few years, he conquered the kingdom of
Media and Lydia and afterwards conquered Babylon in 539 B.C. After this
no powerful kingdom was left to oppose him.
His conquests extended to Sind and the territory known as Turkistan on
one side, and to Egypt and Libya and to Thrace and Macedonia and to
Caucasia and Khawarzam in the North. In fact, the whole civilized world
was under his sway.
63. "The limit where the sun set" does not mean the "place" of the
setting of the sun. According to Ibn Kathir, it means that he marched to
the West conquering one country after the other till he reached the last
boundary of the land, beyond which there was ocean.
64. "He found the sun setting in black muddy waters of the sea": if Zul
Qarnain was Cyrus, then that place would be the western limit of Asia
Minor and the "black waters" would be the Aegean Sea.
This interpretation is supported by the use of the word "`ain"instead of
"bahr" in the Qur'an.
65. "We said to him" does not necessarily mean that Allah directly
revealed to him these words, and that Zul-Qarnain was a Prophet or was
the one who received inspiration from Allah, and the same is the
reasonable conjecture.
This concerns the time when Zul-Qarnain had taken possession of the land
as a conqueror and the conquered people were utterly at your mercy. Then
Allah posed a question before his conscience, as if to say, "Now is the
time of your trial.
These people are utterly at your mercy, and you have the option either
to behave unjustly towards them or to treat them generously."
66. That is, “When he advanced towards the East, conquering one country
after the other, he reached a territory where the limits of the
civilized world had come to an end and beyond which was the territory of
barbaric people, who had no shelter at all of tents or buildings.”
67. The "two mountains" must have been parts of that mountain range
which runs between the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea (as stated in v.
96). This must be so because beyond them was the territory of Gog and
Magog.
68. That is, "It was difficult to communicate with them: their language
was almost foreign to Zul-Qarnain and his companions, and, as they were
quite barbaric, none could understand their language, nor were they
acquainted with any foreign language."
69. As has already been pointed out in E.N. 62, Gog and Magog were the
wild tribes of North Eastern Asia which, from the very early times had
been making inroads on settled kingdoms and empires in Asia and Europe
and ravaging them.
According to Genesis (Chapter 10), they were the descendants of Japheth,
the sort of Noah, and the Muslim historians have also accepted this. And
according to the book of Ezekiel (Chapters 38, 39), they inhabited the
territories of Meshech (Moscow) and Tubal (Tubalsek).
According to the Israelite historian Josephus, they were the Scythians
and their territory spread to the north and the east of the Black Sea.
According to Jerome, Magog inhabited the territory to the north of
Caucasia near the Caspian Sea.
70. That is, "As a ruler it is my duty to protect you from the ravages
of your enemies: therefore it is not lawful for me to levy any extra
taxes on you for this purpose. The treasury that Allah has placed in my
custody, suffices for this purpose. You shall, however, have to help me
with your manual labor."
71. That is, "Though I have built a very strong iron-wall, as far as it
was possible for me, it is not ever-lasting, for it will last only as
long as Allah wills, and will fall down to pieces when the time of my
Lord's promise shall come. Then no power in the world shall be able to
keep it safe and secure."
As regards the time of Allah's promise, it has two meanings: (1) It may
mean the time of the destruction of the wall, and (2) it may also mean
the time of the death and destruction of everything destined by Allah at
the end of the world i.e., the Hour of Resurrection.
Some people have entertained the misunderstanding that the wall
attributed here to Zul-Qarnain refers to the famous Wall of China,
whereas this wall was built between Derbent and Dar'yal, two cities of
Daghestan in the Caucasus, the land that lies between the Black Sea and
the Caspian.
There are high mountains between the Black Sea and Dar'yal having deep
gorges which cannot allow large armies to pass through them. Between
Derbent and Dar'yal, however, there are no such mountains and the passes
also are wide and passable.
In ancient times savage hordes from the north invaded and ravaged
southern lands through these passes and the Persian rulers who were
scared of them had to build a strong wall, 50 miles long, 29 feet high
and 10 feet wide, for fortification purposes, ruins of which can still
be seen.
Though it has not yet been established historically who built this wall
in the beginning, the Muslim historians and geographers assign it to
ZulQarnain because its remains correspond with the description of it
given in the Qur'an.
Ibn Jarir Tabari and Ibn Kathir have recorded the event, and Yaqut has
mentioned it in his Mu jam-ul-Buldan that when after the conquest of
Azerbaijan, Hadrat `Umar sent Suraqah bin `Amr, in 22 A.H.
on an expedition to Derbent, the latter appointed `Abdur Rehman bin
Rabi`ah as the chief of his vanguard. When 'Abdur Rehman entered
Armenia, the ruler Shehrbraz surrendered without fighting.
Then when `Abdur Rehman wanted to advance towards Derbent, Shehrbraz
informed him that he had already gathered full information about the
wall built by Zul-Qarnain, through a man, who could supply all the
necessary details and then the man was actually presented before `Abdur
Rehman.
(Tabari, Vol. III, pp. 235-239; AI-Bidayah wan-Nihayah, Vol. VII, pp.
122-125, and Mu jam-ul-Buldan, under Bab-ul-Abwab: Derbent).
Two hundred years later, the Abbasid Caliph Wathiq (227-233 A.H.)
despatched a party of 50 men under Sallam-ul-Tarjuman to study the wall
of Zul Qarnain, whose observations have been recorded in great detail by
Yaqut in Mu jam-ul-Buldan and by Ibn Kathir in AI-Bidayah.
They write that this expedition reached Samarrah from where they reached
Tiflis (the present Tbilisi) and then through As-Sarir and Al-Lan, they
reached Filanshah, from where they entered the Caspian territory. From
there they arrived at Derbent and saw the wall.
(AIBidayah Vol. II, p. 111, Vol. VII, pp. 122-125; Mu jam-ul-Buldan:
under Bab-ulAbwab). This clearly shows that even up till the third
century of Hijrah the Muslim scholars regarded this wall of the Caucasus
as the wall of Zul-Qarnain.
Yaqut in his Mu jam-ul-Buldan has further confirmed the same view at a
number of places. For instance, under Khazar (Caspian) he writes:
"This territory belongs to the Turks, which adjoins the Wall of Zul
Qarnain just behind Bab-ul-Abwab, which is also called Derbent."
In the same connection, he records a report by Ahmad bin Fadlan, the
ambassador of Caliph Al-Muqtadar-billah, who has given a full
description of the Caspian land, saying that Caspian is the name of a
country whose capital is Itil (near the present Astrakhan) right through
which flows River Itil, which joins the Caspian front Russia and
Bulghar.
Regarding Bab-ul-Abwab he says that this city is called both Al-Bab and
Derbent, which is a highly difficult passage for the people coming from
the northern lands towards the south. Once this territory was a part of
the kingdom of Nausherwan, and the Persian rulers paid particular
attention to strengthening their frontiers on that side.
72. Here the story of Zul-Qarnain comes to an end. Though this story has
been related in answer to the questions put by the disbelievers of
Makkah as a test along with the stories of the "Sleepers of the Cave"
and "Moses and Khidr", the Qur'an has utilized this story, too, for its
own aim and object, as if to say, “Zul Qarnain, about whose glory you
have heard from the people of the Book, was not merely a conqueror, but
also a believer of the doctrines of Tauhid and the life after-death and
acted upon the principles of justice and generosity.
He was not a mean person like you who have been puffed up by the
possession of petty estates, and give yourselves airs of superiority.”
73. "On that Day": "The Day of Resurrection". As if to continue the
theme of life-after-death to which Zul-Qarnain referred as the "time of
my Lord's promise", the Qur'an has added verses 99-101 to it.
74. This is the conclusion of the whole Surah and is not connected with
the story of Zul-Qarnain only but with the subject-matter of this Surah
as a whole. That theme was enunciated at the beginning of the Surah
(1-8): The Holy Prophet invited his people (1) to give up shirk and
adopt the doctrine of Tauhid instead, (2) to give up the worship of the
world and to believe in the life of the Hereafter.
But the chiefs of his people, who were puffed up with their wealth and
grandeur, not only rejected his invitation but also persecuted and
insulted those righteous people who had accepted his invitation. The
discourse deals with the Same themes and utilizes in an excellent manner
the.
Three stories which were related in answer to the questions put by the
opponents of Islam as a test of his Prophethood.
75. That is, "Do they still stick to their presumption even after
hearing all this, and believe that their attitude will be profitable for
them?"
76. This verse has two meanings. The one is the same that we have
adopted in the translation. The other meaning is this: "...those who
confined all their endeavors to the worldly life". That is, whatever
they did, they did for this world without paying any regard to God and
the Hereafter.
As they considered the worldly life to be the real life, they made the
success and prosperity in this world their sole aim and object.
Even if they professed the existence of Allah, they never paid any heed
to the two implications of this profession: to lead their lives in a way
to please Allah and to come out successful on the Day they shall have to
render an account of what they did in this world.
This was because they considered themselves to be mere rational animals
who were absolutely independent and free from every kind of
responsibility and had nothing else to do but to enjoy the good things
of the world like animals in a meadow.
77. "All their deeds were lost" in the sense that they will be of no
avail to them in the life-after-death, even though they might have
considered them as their great achievements but the fact is that they
will lose all their value as soon as the world shall come to an end.
When they will go before their Lord, and all their deeds shall be placed
in the Scales, they will have no weight at all whether they had built
great palaces, established great universities and libraries, set up
great factories and laboratories, constructed highways and railways, in
short, all their inventions, industries, sciences and arts and other
things of which they were very proud in this world, will lose their
weights in the Scales.
The only thing which will have weight there will be that which had been
done in accordance with the Divine instructions and with the intention
to please Allah.
It is, therefore, obvious that if all of one's endeavors were confined
to the worldly things and the achievement of worldly desires whose
results one would see in this world, one should not reasonably expect to
see their results in the Hereafter, for they would have gone waste with
the end of this world.
It is equally obvious, that only the deeds of the one, who performed
them strictly in accordance with His instructions to win His approval
with a view to avail of their results in the Hereafter, will find that
his deeds had weight in the Scales. On the contrary, such a one will
find that all his endeavors in the world had gone waste.
78. "...they will never desire to go anywhere (else)," because they will
find no place and no condition better than those in Paradise.
79. By "Words" are meant "the marvelous works, the excellences and the
wonders of His Power and Wisdom.”