ٱلْكَهْف ١١
- فَضَرَبۡنَا maka Kami jadikan tutup
- عَلَىٰٓ atas
- ءَاذَانِهِمۡ telinga mereka
- فِي didalam
- ٱلۡكَهۡفِ gua
- سِنِينَ beberapa tahun
- عَدَدٗا berbilang
Maka Kami tutup telinga mereka di dalam gua itu,1 selama beberapa tahun,
Catatan kaki
1 *486) Allah menidurkan mereka selama 309 tahun qamariah dalam gua itu (lihat ayat 25 surat ini) sehingga mereka tak dapat dibangunkan oleh suara apa pun.
(Maka kami tutup telinga mereka) yakni kami buat mereka tidur (bertahun-tahun dalam gua itu) selama bertahun-tahun.
Tafsir Surat Al-Kahfi: 9-12
Apakah kamu mengira bahwa orang-orang yang mendiami gua dan (yang mempunyai) raqim itu termasuk tanda-tanda kekuasaan Kami yang menakjubkan?
(Ingatlah) tatkala pemuda-pemuda itu mencari tempat berlindung ke dalam gua, lalu mereka berdoa, "Wahai Tuhan kami, berilah kami rahmat dari sisi-Mu dan sempurnakanlah bagi kami petunjuk yang lurus dalam urusan kami (ini).
Maka kami tutup telinga mereka beberapa tahun dalam gua itu,
Kemudian Kami bangunkan mereka, agar Kami mengetahui mana di antara kedua golongan itu yang lebih tepat dalam menghitung berapa lama mereka tinggal (dalam gua itu).
Ayat 9
Hal ini merupakan berita dari Allah ﷻ yang menceritakan tentang orang-orang yang menghuni gua secara singkat, kemudian diterangkan dengan panjang lebar sesudahnya.
Allah ﷻ berfirman: “Apakah kamu mengira.” (Al-Kahfi: 9) hai Muhammad. “Bahwa orang-orang yang menghuni gua dan (yang mempunyai) raqim itu termasuk tanda-tanda kekuasaan Kami yang menakjubkan?” (Al-Kahfi: 9)
Maksudnya tiadalah peristiwa yang mereka alami menakjubkan mengingat kekuasaan dan kemampuan Kami, karena sesungguhnya penciptaan langit dan bumi, silih bergantinya siang dan malam, peredaran matahari serta rembulan, bintang-bintang, dan lain-lain adalah tanda-tanda yang lebih besar yang menunjukkan akan kekuasaan Allah ﷻ. Dan bahwa Allah Maha Kuasa atas semua yang dikehendaki-Nya, tiada sesuatu pun yang dapat membuat-Nya tidak berdaya. Semuanya itu jauh lebih menakjubkan daripada peristiwa orang-orang yang menghuni gua itu.
Ibnu Juraij meriwayatkan dari Mujahid sehubungan dengan makna firman-Nya: “Apakah kamu mengira bahwa orang-orang yang mendiami gua dan (yang mempunyai) raqim itu termasuk tanda-tanda kekuasaan Kami yang menakjubkan?” (Al-Kahfi: 9) Maksudnya sesungguhnya pada sebagian tanda-tanda kekuasaan Kami terdapat banyak hal yang lebih menakjubkan dari itu.
Al-’Aufi meriwayatkan dari Ibnu Abbas sehubungan dengan makna firman-Nya: “Apakah kamu mengira bahwa orang-orang yang mendiami gua dan (yang mempunyai) raqim itu termasuk tanda-tanda kekuasaan Kami yang menakjubkan?” (Al-Kahfi: 9) Artinya, apa yang Aku berikan kepadamu berupa ilmu, sunnah, dan Al-Qur'an ini jauh lebih menakjubkan daripada kisah ashabul kahfi (orang-orang yang menghuni gua) yang mempunyai raqim itu.
Muhammad ibnu Ishaq mengatakan sehubungan dengan makna ayat ini, bahwa makna yang dimaksud seakan-akan mengatakan, "Hujah-hujah-Ku (argumentasi-Ku) yang jelas terhadap hamba-hamba-Ku jauh lebih menakjubkan daripada kisah para penghuni gua dan pemilik raqim itu."
Al-Kahfi artinya gua yang terdapat di sebuah bukit yang dijadikan tempat bersembunyi oleh para pemuda yang disebutkan kisahnya dalam surat ini. Yang dimaksud dengan ar-raqim, menurut Al-Aufi dari Ibnu Abbas adalah sebuah lembah yang terletak di dekat kota Ailah (Yordania sekarang). Hal yang sama dikatakan oleh Atiyyah, Al-Aufi dan Qatadah.
Ad-Dahhak mengatakan bahwa kahfi adalah sebuah gua yang ada di lembah itu, sedangkan ar-raqim adalah nama lembah tersebut. Mujahid mengatakan bahwa ar-raqim adalah nama sebuah kitab yang diletakkan di depan bangunan tempat mereka bersembunyi. Sebagian orang mengatakan bahwa raqim adalah nama sebuah lembah yang padanya terdapat gua tempat mereka bersembunyi.
Abdur Razzaq mengatakan, telah menceritakan kepada kami As-Sauri, dari Sammak, dari Ikrimah, dari Ibnu Abbas sehubungan dengan makna ar-raqim, bahwa Ka'b menduga ar-raqim adalah nama sebuah kampung (kota). Ibnu Juraij meriwayatkan dari Ibnu Abbas bahwa ar-raqim adalah sebuah bukit yang di dalamnya terdapat gua tersebut. Ibnu Ishaq meriwayatkan dari Abdullah ibnu Abu Nujaih, dari Mujahid, dari Ibnu Abbas yang mengatakan bahwa nama bukit itu adalah Banglius.
Ibnu Juraij mengatakan, telah menceritakan kepadaku Wahb ibnu Sulaiman, dari Syu'aib Al-Jiba-i, bahwa nama bukit tempat gua itu adalah Banglius, nama guanya adalah Haizam dan nama anjing mereka adalah Hamran.
Abdur Razzaq mengatakan, telah menceritakan kepada kami Israil, dari Sammak, dari Ikrimah, dari Ibnu Abbas yang mengatakan, "Semua nama di dalam Al-Qur'an saya mengetahuinya kecuali Hannan, Awwah, dan Raqim".
Ibnu Juraij mengatakan, telah menceritakan kepadaku Amr ibnu Dinar; ia mendengar Ikrimah berkata, "Ibnu Abbas pernah mengatakan bahwa ia tidak mengetahui apakah ar-raqim itu nama sebuah prasasti atau bangunan."
Ali ibnu Abu Talhah telah meriwayatkan dari Ibnu Abbas bahwa ar-raqim adalah sebuah prasasti. Sa'id ibnu Jubair mengatakan, raqim adalah sebuah prasasti yang tertulis pada sebuah batu; mereka menulis kisah ashabul kahfi padanya, kemudian meletakkannya di pintu gua itu.
Abdur Rahman ibnu Zaid ibnu Aslam mengatakan bahwa ar-raqim artinya kitab, kemudian ia membacakan firman-Nya untuk menguatkan alasannya, yaitu: “(Ialah) kitab yang bertulis.” (Al-Muthaffifin: 9) Memang inilah yang dapat disimpulkan dari makna lahiriah ayat, dan pendapat inilah yang dipilih oleh Ibnu Jarir. Ibnu Jarir mengatakan bahwa raqim ber-wazan fa'il yang maknanya marqum (tertulis). Sebagaimana dikatakan qatil terhadap si terbunuh, dan orang yang terluka disebut jarih.
Ayat 10
Firman Allah ﷻ: (Ingatlah) tatkala pemuda-pemuda itu mencari tempat berlindung ke dalam gua, lalu mereka berkata, "Wahai Tuhan kami,berilah kami rahmat dari sisi-Mu dan sempurnakanlah bagi kami petunjuk yang lurus dalam urusan kami (ini)". (Al-Kahfi: 10)
Allah ﷻ menceritakan tentang para pemuda yang melarikan diri dengan membawa agamanya agar agama mereka selamat dari gangguan kaumnya yang pasti akan memfitnah mereka. Mereka lari memisahkan diri dari kaumnya, lalu berlindung di dalam sebuah gua yang berada di suatu bukit, sebagai tempat persembunyian mereka agar kaumnya tidak tahu keberadaan mereka. Ketika hendak memasuki gua itu, mereka memohon kepada Allah agar rahmat dan kelembutan-Nya dilimpahkan kepada diri mereka. Mereka berkata dalam doanya seperti yang disitir oleh firman-Nya:
“Wahai Tuhan kami, berilah kami rahmat dari sisiMu.” (Al-Kahfi: 10)
Yakni anugerahkanlah kepada kami dari sisi-Mu rahmat yang dengannya Engkau merahmati kami dan menyembunyikan kami dari kaum kami.
“Dan sempurnakanlah bagi kami petunjuk yang lurus dalam urusan kami (ini).” (Al-Kahfi: 10)
Maksudnya, berilah kami petunjuk ke jalan yang lurus dalam urusan kami ini. Dengan kata lain, dapat disebutkan bahwa jadikanlah jalan yang lurus untuk urusan kami ini. Seperti pengertian yang terdapat di dalam sebuah hadits, yaitu: “Dan untuk segala apa yang Engkau putuskan bagi kami, kami mohon agar sudilah Engkau menjadikan jalan yang lurus bagi kami.”
Di dalam kitab ‘Musnad’ disebutkan melalui hadits Busr ibnu Artah, dari Rasulullah ﷺ, bahwa beliau ﷺ berkata dalam doanya: “Ya Allah, berilah akhir yang baik bagi semua urusan kami, dan lindungilah kami dari kehinaan di dunia dan azab di akhirat.”
Ayat 11
Firman Allah ﷻ : “Maka Kami tutup telinga mereka beberapa tahun dalam gua itu. (Al-Kahfi: 11)
Yaitu Kami beri mereka rasa kantuk yang berat di saat mereka memasuki gua itu, lalu mereka tertidur selama bertahun-tahun.
Ayat 12
“Kemudian Kami bangunkan mereka” (Al-Kahfi: 12) dari tidur mereka yang nyenyak itu. Kemudian salah seorang dari mereka keluar dari gua itu dengan membawa uang dirham perbekalan mereka untuk mereka tukarkan dengan makanan yang diperlukan. Perincian tentang hal tersebut akan diterangkan sesudah ini.
Allah ﷻ berfirman: “Kemudian Kami bangunkan mereka agar Kami mengetahui mana di antara kedua golongan itu” (Al-Kahfi: 12)
Yaitu di antara kedua kelompok yang berbeda pendapat tentang lamanya mereka tinggal di gua itu.
“Yang lebih tepat dalam menghitung berapa lamanya mereka tinggal (dalam gua itu)” (Al-Kahfi: 12).
Menurut satu pendapat, makna yang dimaksud adalah bilangan mereka. Sedangkan menurut pendapat lain adalah lamanya mereka tinggal di dalam gua itu, seperti dalam pengertian kata-kata orang Arab 'sabaqal jawwadu', bilamana kuda tersebut telah mencapai garis finis. Kata al-amad ini menunjukkan tujuan dan makna yang dimaksud dalam ayat ini adalah lamanya waktu.
Maka Kami kami mengabulkan doa mereka, Kami tutup telinga mereka di dalam gua itu, agar mereka tidak dapat mendengar suara, maka
mereka tertidur lelap di dalam gua itu selama beberapa tahun, yaitu sekitar tiga ratus tahun seperti yang akan disebutkan pada ayat 25. Kemudian apabila telah tiba waktunya, Kami bangunkan mereka dari
tidur yang lelap agar Kami mengetahui manakah di antara kedua golongan
itu yang berselisih pendapat tentang berapa lamanya mereka tertidur
di dalam gua, yang lebih tepat dalam menghitung berapa lamanya mereka
tinggal dalam gua itu. Tidak ada siapa pun di antara mereka yang dapat
menghitungnya dengan tepat, maka mereka pun menyerahkan urusan
ini kepada Allah. Hanya Allah yang mengetahui berapa lamanya mereka tinggal di dalam gua itu.
Allah mengabulkan doa para pemuda itu dengan menutup penglihatan dan pendengaran mereka, hingga mereka tidur nyenyak dan tidak ada suara yang akan membangunkan mereka dari tidur di dalam gua itu selama ratusan tahun. Sangat besar rahmat Allah yang diberikan kepada mereka. Tidak mudah bagi seseorang untuk tidur, di waktu jiwanya sedang gelisah dan takut. Dengan tidur, seseorang mendapatkan ketenteraman hati.
Dalam ayat ini dikatakan "menutup telinga" karena telinga itulah tempat masuknya suara yang menjadi sebab bangunnya seseorang dari tidur. Seseorang dapat dikatakan tidur, bilamana telinganya tidak mendengar sesuatu lagi.
Belum tersedia. Dibutuhkan biaya untuk menambahkan tafsir ini.
Belum tersedia. Dibutuhkan biaya untuk menambahkan tafsir ini.
Belum tersedia. Dibutuhkan biaya untuk menambahkan tafsir ini.
Belum tersedia. Dibutuhkan biaya untuk menambahkan tafsir ini.
Belum tersedia. Dibutuhkan biaya untuk menambahkan tafsir ini.
ASHHABUL KAHFI (PENGHUNI NGALAU) (I)
Menjadi buah pembicaraan orang pulalah di waktu itu di negeri Mekah tentang beberapa orang yang tidur di dalam gua atau ngalau beratus tahun lamanya karena melarikan diri dari tekanan dan tindasan penguasa, atau raja mereka yang zalim. Di antara yang turut masuk ke dalam gua itu ada pula seekor anjing. Menurut cerita itu pula di muka gua tersebut ada dituliskan sedikit kisah dari orang-orang yang tidur di dalamnya itu. Penduduk Mekah mendengar berita ini dari ahli kitab. Maka untuk menguji benarkah Nabi Muhammad itu Rasulullah, mereka datang menanyakan cerita itu kepada beliau.
Ada beberapa riwayat tentang tersiarnya berita itu. Satu riwayat mengatakan bahwa berita ini keluar dari sumber-sumber Yahudi yang banyak tinggal di Madinah. Datang utusan mereka dengan sembunyi ke Mekah menyuruh tanyakan kepada Nabi Muhammad ﷺ tentang tiga soal.
Pertama tentang jumlah anak muda yang pergi bersembunyi ke dalam sebuah gua atau ngalau (Kahfi) dan hubungan cerita itu dengan raqim (pahatan).
Kedua tentang seorang pengembara ke timur ke barat yang bernama Dzulqarnain (mempunyai dua tanduk), siapakah orangnya dan bagaimana perjuangannya.
Ketiga tentang Ruh, apakah Ruh itu.
Satu riwayat lagi menyatakan bahwa orang Mekah sendirilah yang mengutus dua orang ke Madinah menemui pemuka-pemuka Yahudi, meminta pendapat mereka tentang orang yang mendakwakan dirinya jadi nabi ini (Muhammad ﷺ). Kedua utusan itu ialah:
1. An-Nadhr bin al-Harits bin Kaidah,
2. Uqbah bin Abu Mu'aith.
Setelah bertemu dengan pemuka-pemuka Yahudi itu, mereka menyuruh orang Quraisy menanyakan kepada Muhammad tentang Ashhabul Kahfi, tentang Dzulqarnain dan perihal Ruh. Kata mereka, Kalau jawabnya tepat, memanglah dia Nabi! Tetapi kalau tidak, maka terbuktilah bahwa dia itu hanya seorang mu-taqawwil saja atau tukang ngomong.
Maka disampaikan merekalah pertanyaan yang tiga itu. Lalu Rasulullah ﷺ berjanji akan menjawab besok harinya karena mengharap pada malam itu akan datang Jibril membawa wahyu.Beliaulupamengucapkan"lnsyaaAllah''!
Besok paginya mereka itu pun datang menagih janji, namun wahyu tidak datang. Dan besoknya lagi dan besoknya lagi, wahyu tidak juga datang. Nyarislah bertambah ejekan kaum musyrikin kepada Nabi dan hampirlah cemas orang-orang yang beriman kepada beliau, dan hampirlah beliau sendiri gelisah. Setelah lima belas hari berlalu, barulah Jibril datang membawa wahyu, yaitu seluruh surah al-Kahfi ini berturut-turut. Dimulai dengan ayat pertama menyatakan puji bagi Allah yang telah menurunkan sebuah kitab kepada hamba-Nya. Dibuka juga rasa hati beliau, Rasulullah ﷺ yang kadang-kadang sangatlah iba hatinya melihat kaumnya yang amat dikasihinya itu tidak mau menerima kebenaran, hingga maulah dia rasanya membinasakan dirinya sendiri. Lalu diterangkanlah bahwa segala yang ada di muka bumi ini adalah perhiasan belaka bagi bumi. Maka diujilah manusia, siapa yang sanggup berbuat baik dengan bumi dan perhiasannya itu. Memperebutkan perhiasan bumi itulah kerja manusia di dunia ini. Maka akan diuji Allah mana yang jujur dan mana yang curang. Sedang bumi itu sendiri kelak tidaklah akan tetap berhias saja. Akhir kelaknya dia akan datar dan tandus, tak ada isinya lagi. Sesudah itu barulah dibicarakan soal al-Kahfi dan ar-Raqim bersama penghuninya yang dihebohkan orang itu. Memang hal itu pernah kejadian. Memang itu sebagian dari keganjilan takdir Allah. Manusia bisa tidur tidak bangun selama tiga ratus tahun. Tetapi Allah peringatkan bahwa keadaan penghuni
Kahfi itu hanyalah perkara kecil belaka jika dibandingkan dengan Maha Kekuasaan Allah yang lain meliputi alam ini. Kejadian langit dan bumi, bintang-bintang yang berjuta banyaknya, bahkan Matahari yang tidak pernah padam itu, semuanya jauh lebih ganjil menakjubkan daripada cerita Ashhabul Kahfi.
Kisah Ashhabul Kahfi, atau penghuni-penghuni gua atau ngalau yang di dalam bahasa Arab disebut Kahfi itu, adalah satu kisah percontohan tentang iman yang teguh dan keyakinan yang tidak dapat digoyahkan lagi sehingga diri penganutnya ditelan dengan segala kerelaan hati oleh keyakinan hidupnya itu. Telah dinyatakan bahwa segala yang ada di muka bumi ini adalah perhiasan bagi bumi, dengan segala macam kekayaan dan kelebihannya, yang manusia bersitumpu dan berhuru-hara memperebutkan perhiasan itu sehingga terjadi perebutan dan kalau perlu mengalahkan dan menewaskan lawan, asal keuntungan jatuh kepada diri. Namun dalam saat yang demikian sekelompok pemuda meninggalkan perebutan itu, lalu menyorokkan dirinya ke dalam gua atau ngalau, memutuskan hubungan dengan manusia banyak. Mereka pergi mengasingkan diri dengan penuh kepercayaan kepada Allah. Dan Allah pun memelihara mereka dari segala bahaya bilang ratusan tahun.
Banyak riwayat tentang penghuni Kahfi itu sebelum Al-Qur'an turun. Diceritakan dari mulut ke mulut dari yang tua kepada yang muda, tidak kurang ditambahi dengan dongeng atau cerita karangan sendiri, kadang-kadang dimasukkan pula ke dalam kata-kata tafsir. Tetapi kalau kita baca langsung ayat-ayat yang diwahyukan Allah dengan langsung kepada Nabi kita Muhammad ﷺ dan dibersihkan menurut aslinya, tampaklah pengajaran yang mendalam untuk jadi perbandingan bagaimana teguhnya orang memegang keyakinan hidupnya. Biarpun untuk itu dia akan memisahkan dirinya jauh-jauh dari masyarakat yang tidak disetujuinya. Maka dimulailah firman Allah tentang penghuni Kahfi itu demikian.
“Atau apakah engkau sangka bahwa penghuni al-Kahfi dan an-Raqim itu saja sebagian dari tanda-tanda Kami yang ajaib?"
(ayat 9)
Seperti kita nyatakan dalam kata pendahuluan. Al-Kahfi artinya ialah gua yang besar, sedang kalau gua yang kecil disebut ghar. Dalam bahasa Melayu pun berbeda di antara dua lubang di lereng gunung itu. Yang kecil disebut gua, sedang yang besar disebut ngalau.
Ar-Raqim dari kalimat raqm, yaitu berarti pahatan. Diroqamkan atau dipahatkan huruf-huruf pada batu-batu keras (gramik) di gunung sehingga dapat dibaca orang dan karena dia dipahatkan sukarlah untuk dihapus. Kata tersebut pun telah dipakai dalam bahasa Indonesia (Melayu) dengan perubahan ejaan sedikit yaitu rekam, rekaman, direkamkan. Suara yang dipindahkan ke dalam pita tape recorder disebut suara rekaman.
Menurut beberapa tafsir disebut raqim di samping kahfi ialah karena di puncak ngalau tersebut setelah beberapa ratus tahun kemudian telah diketahui orang letak gua itu dan penghuni yang ada di dalamnya, lalu direkamkan atau dipahatkanlah nama-nama mereka di muka gua itu akan jadi kenang-kenangan bagi orang yang datang di belakang hari. Said bin Jubair berkata, “Raqim ialah sehelai batu picak, dituliskan padanya kisah Kahfi itu lalu ditempelkan di atas pintu Kahfi itu."
Maka maksud ayat 9 ini ialah apakah engkau menyangka atau manusia menyangka bahwa manusia dibuat Allah tertidur beratus tahun di dalam gua yang sunyi terpencil itu sudah sebagian dari keganjilan kuasa Ilahi? Padahal banyak lagi takdir Allah di dalam alam ini yang lebih menakjubkan dan lebih ganjil. Sungguhpun kisah penghuni ngalau ini belumlah suatu yang ganjil di sisi Allah, Yang Mahakuasa mengatur Alammenurutkehendak-Nya, demi untuk memuaskan kehendak orang yang bertanya, pertanyaan tentang penghuni gua atau ngalau itu diterangkan Allah sebagai wahyu dan dikisahkan duduk perkaranya.
Terlebih dahulu diterangkanlah keringkasan kisah itu dari ayat 9 sampai ayat 12.
Ayat 9 sudah kita salinkan di atas. Kemudian datanglah ayat yang selanjutnya,
“(Yaitu) seketika berlindung bebenapa orang pemuda ke dalam sebuah ngalau."
(pangkal ayat 10)
Dan setelah sampai mereka di sana berserulah mereka kepada Allah, “Ya Tuhan kami, anugerahilah kami suatu rahmat langsung dari Engkau!" Selain dari doa memohonkan rahmat, mereka bermohon pula,
“Dan sediakan kiranya untuk kami, dalam keadaan kami ini, suatu tuntunan."
(ujung ayat 10)
Dengan ringkas di sini Allah mewahyukan bahwa ada beberapa orang pemuda yang ru-panya sedang ditimpa kesulitan, lalu meninggalkan kampung halaman mereka dan pergi bersembunyi ke dalam sebuah gua atau ngalau. Dan dalam perjalanan itu tidak lupa mereka memohon rahmat perlindungan dari Allah, disertai pula tuntunan dan pimpinan jangan sampai mereka tersesat dari jalan yang benar.
“Maka Kami tutupkanlah telinga mereka di dalam gua itu bertahun-tahun bilangannya."
(ayat 11)
Artinya bahwa ditakdirkanlah oleh Allah bahwa mereka pun tertidur lelap nyenyak sehingga tidak suatu jua pun lagi yang terdengar oleh mereka (orang yang tidur tidak lagi mendengar apa-apa) dalam bilangan bertahun-tahun. Dan tidak ada pula orang lain yang tahu karena jauh letak gua itu dari tempat kediaman manusia.
“Kemudian itu"—yaitu setelah melalui masa bertahun-tahun— “Kami bangunkanlah mereka."
(pangkal ayat 12)
Kami bangunkanlah mereka dari tidur yang nyenyak itu,
“Karena hendak Kami buktikan siapa dari kedua golongan itu yang lebih sanggup menghitung betapa lamanya mereka tinggal di situ."
(ujung ayat 12)
Artinya setelah semuanya dibangunkan dengan takdir Ilahi dari tidur yang nyenyak itu, tanya-bertanyalah di antara yang satu kepada yang lain, berapa lama kita telah tertidur di dalam gua ngalau ini. Maka timbullah dua macam perkiraan, sebagian merasa bahwa tidur itu baru sehari atau setengah hari, sedang yang sebagian lagi tidak dapat memastikan berapakah lamanya mereka tidur, akan tetapi tentu lebih dari setengah hari dan lebih dari satu hari.
Begitulah pokok pangkal cerita penghuni gua ngalau tersebutyang dengan ayat 9 sampai 12 diterangkan dengan simpulan ringkas untuk memberi jawab sekadarnya terhadap pertanyaan yang dikemukakan oleh orang-orang Quraisy itu.
Seterusnya lalu Allah menurunkan wahyu-wahyu menerangkan soal itu lebih panjang.
"
The Story of the People of Al-Kahf
Here Allah tells us about the story of the people of Al-Kahf in brief and general terms, then He explains it in more detail.
He says:
أَمْ حَسِبْتَ
Do you think, -- O Muhammad --
أَنَّ أَصْحَابَ الْكَهْفِ وَالرَّقِيمِ كَانُوا مِنْ ايَاتِنَا عَجَبًا
that the people of Al-Kahf and Ar-Raqim were a wonder among Our signs!
meaning, their case was not something amazing compared to Our power and ability, for the creation of the heavens and earth, the alternation of night and day and the subjugation of the sun, moon and heavenly bodies, and other mighty signs indicate the great power of Allah and show that He is able to do whatever He wills. He is not incapable of doing more amazing things than the story of the people of the Cave.
Similarly, Ibn Jurayj reported Mujahid saying about,
أَمْ حَسِبْتَ
أَنَّ أَصْحَابَ الْكَهْفِ وَالرَّقِيمِ كَانُوا مِنْ ايَاتِنَا عَجَبًا
(Do you think that the people of Al-Kahf and Ar-Raqim were a wonder among Our signs),
""Among Our signs are things that are more amazing than this.""
Al-Awfi reported that Ibn Abbas said:
أَمْ حَسِبْتَ
أَنَّ أَصْحَابَ الْكَهْفِ وَالرَّقِيمِ كَانُوا مِنْ ايَاتِنَا عَجَبًا
(Do you think that the people of Al-Kahf and Ar-Raqim were a wonder among Our signs),
""What I have given to you of knowledge, the Sunnah and the Book is far better than the story of the people of Al-Kahf and Ar-Raqim.""
Muhammad bin Ishaq said:
""(It means) I have not shown My creatures a proof more amazing than the story of the people of the Al-Kahf and Ar-Raqim.""
Al-Kahf refers to a cave in a mountain, which is where the young men sought refuge.
With regard to the word Ar-Raqim, Al-Awfi reported from Ibn Abbas:
""it is a valley near Aylah.""
This was also said (in another narration) by Atiyah Al-`Awfi and Qatadah.
Ad-Dahhak said:
""As for Al-Kahf, it is a cave in the valley, and Ar-Raqim is the name of the valley.""
Mujahid said,
""Ar-Raqim refers to their buildings.""
Others said it refers to the valley in which their cave was.
Abdur-Razzaq recorded that Ibn Abbas said about Ar-Raqim:
""Ka`b used to say that it was the town.""
Ibn Jurayj reported that Ibn Abbas said,
""Ar-Raqim is the mountain in which the cave was.""
Sa`id bin Jubayr said,
""Ar-Raqim is a tablet of stone on which they wrote the story of the people of the Cave, then they placed it at the entrance to the Cave.""
إِذْ أَوَى الْفِتْيَةُ إِلَى الْكَهْفِ فَقَالُوا رَبَّنَا اتِنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً وَهَيِّيْ لَنَا مِنْ أَمْرِنَا رَشَدًا
(Remember) when the young men fled for refuge to Al-Kahf. They said:
""Our Lord! Bestow on us mercy from Yourself, and facilitate for us our affair in the right way!""
Here Allah tells us about those young men who fled from their people for the sake of their religion, fearing persecution. So they fled taking refuge in the cave of a mountain, where they hid from their people. When they entered the cave, they asked Allah to show mercy and kindness towards them,
رَبَّنَا اتِنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً وَهَيِّيْ لَنَا مِنْ أَمْرِنَا رَشَدًا
Our Lord!
Bestow on us mercy from Yourself, and facilitate for us our affair in the right way.
رَبَّنَا اتِنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً
Our Lord! Bestow on us mercy from Yourself,
meaning, `give us Your mercy and conceal us from our people.'
وَهَيِّيْ لَنَا مِنْ أَمْرِنَا رَشَدًا
and facilitate for us our affair in the right way.
means, direct our matter well, i.e., grant us a good end.
As was reported in the Hadith:
وَمَا قَضَيْتَ لَنَا مِنْ قَضَاءٍ فَاجْعَلْ عَاقِبَتَهُ رَشَدًا
Whatever You have decreed for us, make its consequences good.
فَضَرَبْنَا عَلَى اذَانِهِمْ فِي الْكَهْفِ سِنِينَ عَدَدًا
Therefore, We covered up their hearing in the cave for a number of years.
meaning, `We caused them to sleep when they entered the cave, and they slept for many years.
ثُمَّ بَعَثْنَاهُمْ
Then We raised them up,
from that slumber,
and one of them went out with his Dirhams (silver coins) to buy them some food, as it will be discussed in more detail below.
Allah says:
ثُمَّ بَعَثْنَاهُمْ لِنَعْلَمَ أَيُّ الْحِزْبَيْنِ
Then We raised them up, that We might test which of the two parties,
meaning, the two parties who disputed about them,
أَحْصَى لِمَا لَبِثُوا أَمَدًا
was best at calculating the time period that they tarried.
It was said that this refers to how long they stayed in the cave
Their Belief in Allah and their Retreat from their People
Allah
نَحْنُ نَقُصُّ عَلَيْكَ نَبَأَهُم بِالْحَقِّ إِنَّهُمْ فِتْيَةٌ امَنُوا بِرَبِّهِمْ
We narrate unto you their story with truth:Truly, they were young men who believed in their Lord (Allah),
From here Allah begins to explain the story in detail.
He states that they were boys or young men, and that they were more accepting of the truth and more guided than the elders who had become stubbornly set in their ways and clung to the religion of falsehood.
For the same reason, most of those who responded to Allah and His Messenger were young people. As for the elders of Quraysh, most of them kept to their religion and only a few of them became Muslims.
So Allah tells us that the people of the cave were young men.
Mujahid said,
""I was informed that some of them wore some kind of earrings, then Allah guided them and inspired them to fear Him, so they recognized His Oneness, and bore witness that there is no god besides Him.""
وَزِدْنَاهُمْ هُدًى
and We increased them in guidance.
From this and other similar Ayat, several scholars, such as Al-Bukhari and others, understood that faith may increase, that it may vary in degrees, and that it may fluctuate.
Allah says:
وَزِدْنَاهُمْ هُدًى
(and We increased them in guidance), as He said elsewhere:
وَالَّذِينَ اهْتَدَوْاْ زَادَهُمْ هُدًى وَءَاتَـهُمْ تَقُوَاهُمْ
While as for those who accept guidance, He increases their guidance and bestows on them their Taqwa. (47:17)
فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ ءامَنُواْ فَزَادَتْهُمْ إِيمَـناً وَهُمْ يَسْتَبْشِرُونَ
As for those who believe, it has increased their faith, and they rejoice. (9:124)
لِيَزْدَادُواْ إِيمَـناً مَّعَ إِيمَـنِهِمْ
that they may grow more in faith along with their (present) faith. (48:4)
There are other Ayat indicating the same thing.
It has been mentioned that they were followers of the religion of Al-Masih `Isa, `Isa bin Maryam, but Allah knows best.
It seems that they lived before the time of Christianity altogether, because if they had been Christians, the Jewish rabbis would not have cared about preserving because of their differences. We have mentioned above the report from Ibn Abbas that the Quraysh sent a message to the Jewish rabbis in Al-Madinah to ask them for things with which they could test the Messenger of Allah, and they told them to ask him about these young men, and about Dhul-Qarnayn (the man who traveled much) and about the Ruh.
This indicates that this story was something recorded in the books of the People of the Book, and that it came before Christianity. And Allah knows best.
وَرَبَطْنَا عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ إِذْ قَامُوا فَقَالُوا رَبُّنَا رَبُّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالاَْرْضِ
And We made their hearts firm and strong when they stood up and said:""Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth,
Here Allah is saying:`We gave them the patience to go against their people and their city, and to leave behind the life of luxury and ease that they had been living.'
Several of the earlier and later Tafsir scholars have mentioned that;
they were sons of the kings and leaders of Byzantium, and that they went out one day to one of the festivals of their people. They used to gather once a year outside the city, and they would worship idols and offer sacrifices to them. They had an arrogant, tyrannical king who was called Decianus, who commanded and encouraged the people to do that. When the people went out to attend this gathering, these young men went out with their fathers and their people, and when they ﷺ their people's actions with clear insight, they realized that the prostrations and sacrifices the people were offering to their idols should only be dedicated to Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth.
Each of them started to withdraw from his people and keep aloof from them. The first one of them to move away on his own went and sat in the shade of a tree, then another came and sat with him, then another came and sat with them, then four more followed suit one by one. None of them knew the others, but they were brought together by the One Who instilled faith in their hearts.
As it says in the Hadith recorded by Al-Bukhari with an incomplete chain of narrators from A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), the Messenger of Allah said:
الاَْرْوَاحُ جُنُودٌ مُجَنَّدَةٌ فَمَا تَعَارَفَ مِنْهَا ايْتَلَفَ وَمَا تَنَاكَرَ مِنْهَا اخْتَلَف
Souls are like recruited soldiers. Those that recognize one another will come together, and those that do not recognize one another will turn away from each another.
Muslim also recorded this in his Sahih from the Hadith of Suhayl from his father from Abu Hurayrah from the Messenger of Allah.
People say that similar qualities or characteristics are what bring people together. So each of the young men was trying to conceal what he really believed from the others, out of fear of them, not knowing that they were like him.
Then one of them said, ""O people, you know by Allah that only one thing is making you leave your people and isolate yourselves from them, so let each one of you say what it is in his case.""
Another said, ""As for me, by Allah I ﷺ what my people are doing and I realized that it was false, and that the only One Who deserves to be worshipped Alone with out partner or associate is Allah Who created everything, the heavens, the earth and everything in between.""
Another said, ""By Allah, the same thing happened to me.""
The others said the same, and they all agreed and became brothers in faith. They adopted a particular location as a place of worship and began worshipping Allah there, but their people found out about them and told their king about them. The king ordered them to appear before him, and asked them about their beliefs. They told him the truth and called him to Allah, as Allah says about them:
وَرَبَطْنَا عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ إِذْ قَامُوا فَقَالُوا رَبُّنَا رَبُّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالاَْرْضِ لَن نَّدْعُوَ مِن دُونِهِ إِلَهًا
And We made their hearts firm and strong when they stood up and said:""Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth, never shall we call upon any god other than Him...""
""Never"" (Lan) implies an absolute and eternal negation, meaning, `this will never happen, and if we were to do that it would be false.'
So Allah says about them:
لَقَدْ قُلْنَا إِذًا شَطَطًا
if we did, we should indeed have uttered an enormity in disbelief.
meaning, untruth and utter falsehood
هَوُلَاء قَوْمُنَا اتَّخَذُوا مِن دُونِهِ الِهَةً لَّوْلَا يَأْتُونَ عَلَيْهِم بِسُلْطَانٍ بَيِّنٍ
These, our people, have taken for worship gods other than Him (Allah). Why do they not bring for them a clear authority!
meaning, why do they not produce some clear evidence and genuine proof for their behavior!
فَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ افْتَرَى عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِبًا
And who does more wrong than he who invents a lie against Allah.
They said:`but by saying that they are lying transgressors.'
It was said that when they called their king to believe in Allah, he refused, and warned and threatened them. He commanded them to be stripped of their clothing bearing the adornments of their people, then he gave them some time to think about the situation, hoping that they would return to their former religion.
This was a way that Allah showed kindness for them, because during that time they managed to escape from him and flee from persecution for the sake of their religion.
This is what is prescribed in the Shariah during times of trial and persecution -- a person who fears for his religion should flee from his persecutors, as was reported in the Hadith:
يُوشِكُ أَنْ يَكُونَ خَيْرُ مَالِ أَحَدِكُمْ غَنَمًا يَتْبَعُ بِهَا شَعَفَ الْجِبَالِ وَمَوَاقِعَ القَطْرِ يَفِرُّ بِدِينِهِ مِنَ الْفِتَن
Soon there will come a time when the best wealth any of you can have will be sheep, which he can follow to the tops of the mountains and places where rain falls, (fleeing) for the sake of his religion from persecution.
In such cases, it is allowed to seclude oneself from people, but this is not prescribed in any other case, because by such seclusion one loses the benefits of congregational and Friday prayers.
These young men were determined to flee from their people, and Allah decreed that for them, as He says about them
وَإِذِ اعْتَزَلْتُمُوهُمْ وَمَا يَعْبُدُونَ إِلاَّ اللَّهَ
And when you withdraw from them, and that which they worship, except Allah,
meaning, when you depart from them and follow a different religion, opposing their worship of others besides Allah, then separate from them in a physical sense too,
فَأْوُوا إِلَى الْكَهْفِ يَنشُرْ لَكُمْ رَبُّكُم مِّن رَّحمته
then seek refuge in the cave; your Lord will open a way for you from His mercy,
meaning, He will bestow His mercy upon you, by which He will conceal you from your people.
ويُهَيِّيْ لَكُم مِّنْ أَمْرِكُم مِّرْفَقًا
and will make easy for you your affair.
means, He will give you what you need. So they left and fled to the cave where they sought refuge.
Then their people noticed they were missing, and the king looked for them, and it was said when he could not find them that Allah concealed them from him so that he could not find any trace of them or any information about them.
As Allah concealed His Prophet Muhammad and his Companion (Abu Bakr) As-Siddiq, when they sought refuge in the cave of Thawr. The Quraysh idolators came in pursuit, but they did not find him even though they passed right by him. When the Messenger of Allah noticed that As-Siddiq was anxious and said, ""O Messenger of Allah, if one of them looks down at the place of his feet, he will see us,""
he told him:
يَا أَبَا بَكْرٍ مَا ظَنُّكَ بِاثْنَيْنِ اللهُ ثَالِثُهُمَا
O Abu Bakr, what do you think of two who have Allah as their third?
And Allah said:
إِلاَّ تَنصُرُوهُ فَقَدْ نَصَرَهُ اللَّهُ إِذْ أَخْرَجَهُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ ثَانِيَ اثْنَيْنِ إِذْ هُمَا فِى الْغَارِ إِذْ يَقُولُ لِصَاحِبِهِ لَا تَحْزَنْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَنَا
فَأَنزَلَ اللَّهُ سَكِينَتَهُ عَلَيْهِ وَأَيَّدَهُ بِجُنُودٍ لَّمْ تَرَوْهَا وَجَعَلَ كَلِمَةَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ السُّفْلَى وَكَلِمَةُ اللَّهِ هِىَ الْعُلْيَا وَاللَّهُ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ
If you help him not, for Allah did indeed help him when the disbelievers drove him out, the second of the two; when they were in the cave, he said to his companion:""Do not grieve, surely, Allah is with us.""
Then Allah sent down His tranquility upon him, and strengthened him with forces which you ﷺ not, and made the word of those who disbelieved the lower, while the Word of Allah became the higher; and Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise. (9:40)
The story of this cave (Thawr) is far greater and more wondrous than that of the people of the Cave."
So We smote their ears, that is, We made them sleep, in the Cave for several years, for a [fixed] number of years.
People of Kahf: Place and Period
Tafsir authority al-Qurtubi of al-Andulus (Spain) has reported some events at this juncture in his Tafsir. Some of these events, that belong to different cities, he had heard or seen himself. First of all, he says on the basis of a report from Dahhak that al-Raqim is the name of a town in Rum (the Greco-Roman territory) where twenty-one men are lying in a cave as if they are sleeping. Then, he reports from Tafsir authority, Ibn ` Atiyyah that he had heard from many people that there was a cave in Sham (Syria) which had some dead bodies in it. Attendants said that they were the ones called the People of Kahf. And adjacent to the cave, there was the structure of a mosque and residential house called Raqim. In addition to the dead bodies, the skeleton of a dead dog was also present there.
Then, al-Qurtubi writes about another event relating to al-Gharnatah (Granada) in al-Andulus (Spain), again reporting from Ibn ` Atiyyah who says, 'there is a cave in Lawshah (Lojah), a village outside al-Gharnatah. It has some dead bodies and along with these there is the skeleton of a dead dog as well. Most of the dead bodies have no flesh left reducing them to bare skeletons. However, some do have signs of flesh and skin still being there. Centuries have passed over this. But, nothing is known about them authentically. Some people say that they were the People of Kahf. Ibn ` Atiyyah further says, 'when I heard this news, I personally went there in the Hijrah year 504. On arrival there, I really found those bodies in the same state. Close by there is a mosque and a structure of the Roman period called Raqim. It seems to have been some palace from the remains of several walls still there. This thing is located in an unpopulated area with wild growth around. He also said, 'remains of an old city are found in the area characterized by higher altitudes in al-Gharnatah. It is Roman in style. The name of the city is said to be Raqyus. We have seen many graves and strange things in its ruins.' From what has been said here it will be realized that al-Qurtubi who lived in Spain avoids calling anyone as the People of Kahf definitely, despite that he has described these events as reported. Then, there is the case of Ibn ` Atiyyah who, despite his personal observation, did not claim that they were the People of Kahf. He rather limits himself to reporting what was popular. But, Abu Hayyan, the seventh century commentator from al-Andulus (Spain) was born in al-Gharnatah itself in Hijrah year 654. There he was raised and there he lived. He too mentions the cave of al-Gharnatah in his Tafsir, al-Bahr al-Muhit, very much like al-Qurtubi has done. After having written about the eye witness account of Ibn ` Atiyyah, he says, 'when I was in al-Andulus (that is, before shifting to Cairo), many people went to see this cave. They used to say that, despite that those bodies are still there and the visitors do count them out but, somehow, they always make a mistake in giving their correct number.' After that he said, 'as for the city of Raqyus mentioned by Ibn ` Atiyyah which is located on the side of al-Gharnatah that faces the Qiblah, I have myself passed by it so many times and I have seen unusually large rocks in it.' After that, he says: " و یترحج کون اھل الکھف بالاندلس لکثرۃ دین النصاریٰ بھا حتّٰی ھی بلاد مملکتھم العظمیٰ " (one reason for preferring the possibility of the People of Kahf being in al-Andulus could be that it is predominantly Christian to the extent that this particular region is their largest religious center - Tafsir al-Bahr al-Muhit, p. 102, v. 6).
Tafsir authority Ibn Jarir and Ibn Abi Hatim following a report of 'Awfi from Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ say that Raqim is the name of a valley which is located near Ailah ('Aqabah) south of Palestine. And the two of them along with other Hadith experts also report from Sayyidna ` Abdull ah ibn ` Abbas ؓ that he said, 'I do not know what Raqim is. But, when I asked Ka'b al-Ahbar, he said that Raqim is the name of the town where the People of the Kahf lived before going into the Cave.' (Ruh al-Ma` ani)
Ibn Abi Shaibah, Ibn al-Mundhir and Ibn Abi Hatim report Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn ` Abbas ؓ to have said, 'we waged a Jihad against Byzantine forces in the company of Sayyidna Mu` awiyah ؓ which is known as the battle of al-Madiq (المضیق). On this trip, we passed through the site of the Cave of the People of Kahf. The Qur'an mentions it. Sayyidna Mu` awiyah wanted to go into the cave and see the bodies of the People of Kahf. Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ said, 'let us not do so because Allah Ta` ala has already prohibited someone better than you from seeing them, that is, the Rasul of Allah. Is it not that Allah says in the Qur’ an: لَوِ اطَّلَعْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ لَوَلَّيْتَ مِنْهُمْ فِرَارًا وَلَمُلِئْتَ مِنْهُمْ رُعْبًا (If you had a look at them, you would have fled away from them and would have been filled with awe of them - 18)? But, Sayyidna Mu` awiyah ؓ did not accept this suggestion of Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ perhaps for the reason that the state in which they were portrayed by the Qur'an related to the time when they were alive and it was not necessary that they would still be found in the same state. Therefore, a few men were sent to have a look at them. They reached the cave. But, when they wanted to enter into the cave, Allah Ta` ala sent a punishing wind upon them that turned all of them out and away from the cave. (Ruh al-Ma` ani p. 227, v. 15)
The reports and narratives appearing above establish that commentators have given three locations for the site of the Cave of the People of Kahf. Firstly, in Ailah near 'Aqabah on the shore of the Gulf of 'Aqabah. Most of the narrations from Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ favour this interpretation.
From the personal observation of Ibn ` Atiyyah, and Abu Hayyan's support, it seems likely that this cave is in al-Gharnatah, al-Andulus (Spain). Out of these two places, the name of a city or particular building has also been given as Raqim. Similarly, the name of the great structure in ruins close to the cave in al-Gharnatah has been cited as Raqim. Then, none of the two kinds of reports decisively say that this cave was The Cave of the People of Kahf. Both rely on popular local talk and oral tradition. As for the old name of the city where the People of Kahf lived, it has been mentioned as Ifsus (Ephesus as in the Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Ephesians - Holy Bible, p. 239), with Tarsus as its Islamic name, in nearly all Tafsir reports of al-Qurtubi, Abu Hayyan and Ibn Jarir. That this city was located on the western coast of Asia Minor is a fact accepted by historians. This shows that the Cave is also within Asia Minor. Therefore, there is no proof to declare any one of these as true and the rest as false. As for probability, all three are probable. In fact, no one can deny the very probability that the events relating to these caves, despite being true, may not be relevant to the Cave of the People of Kahf that has been mentioned in the Qur’ an. May be, it is somewhere else. And it is also not necessary that Raqim at this place may exclusively be the name of some city or building. In fact, no one can reject even the probability that Raqim denotes the inscription engraved with the names of the People of Kahf on a tablet and placed on the entrance to the cave by some king.
Investigations of Modern Historians
Some contemporary historians have made considerable efforts to determine the place and time of the Cave of the People of Kahf with the help of Christian and European historical accounts.
Abul-Kalam Azad has declared the present city of Petra near Ailah ('Aqabah) - Arabicized by Arab historians as Batra - as the old city of Raqim. With reference to current historical accounts, he reports the remnants of a cave in the mountain and of some mosque adjacent to it. In confirmation, he refers to the Book of Joshua in the Old Testament (18:27) where the place has been mentioned as Raqm or Raqim. According to him, this is the place now called Petra. But, this has been considered doubtful as the reference to Raqm or Raqim in the Book of Joshua is connected with the inheritance of Bani bin Yamin (Benyamin). Then, this territory was located west of River Jordan and the Dead Sea where the city of Petra could have not possibly been located. Therefore, contemporary archaeologists are very reluctant in accepting Petra and Raqim as one and the same. (Encyclopedia Britannica 1946, v. 17, p. 658)
Commentators in general have pointed out to the city of Ifsus, a major Byzantine city on the western coast of Asia Minor the remains of which are still found twenty or twenty five miles south of the modern Turkish city of Izmir (Samarna).
Maulana Sayyid Sulaiman Nadwi while mentioning the city of Petra in his book, Ard al-Qur'an, has put Raqim in parenthesis. But, he has not given any evidence in support of the proposition that the old name of the city of Petra was Raqim. Maulana Hifzur-Rahman Sihwarwi has also adopted this view. For evidence, he refers to Torah: The book of Numbers and the book of Isaiah and gives the name of Petra as Raqimah. (Dai’ rah al-Ma’ arif al-` Arabiyah)
When a cave was discovered in a desolate jungle area close to Amman in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Archaeological Department of the Government started digging operations on that site in the year 1963. After having removed the upper strata of topsoil and rocks, they found six coffins filled with bones and stones, and two graves. Towards the south side of the cave, they found inscriptions on rocks in Byzantian script. Local people think that this is the place called Raqim close to which is this cave of the People of Kahf. Allah knows best.
My revered teacher and master, Maulana Ashraf All Thanavi (رح) ، relying on Tafsir Haqqani, has reported the following historical account of the place and time of the People of Kahf. According to this account, when the People of Kahf had escaped the tyranny of the king of the time and taken shelter in the cave, the time was the year 250A.D. Then they re-mained asleep for three hundred years. Thus, it comes to a total of 550A.D. And the Holy Prophet ﷺ was born in 570 A.D. Therefore, this event of their wakening occurred twenty years before the birth of the Holy Prophet ﷺ . Then, in Tafsir Haqqani as well, their locale has been deter-mined as the city of Ifsus or Tarsus that used to be in Asia Minor. Its ruins still remain. And Allah knows best the reality of it.
These historical and geographical details have been given here from the reports of classical commentators, then from contemporary historians. This humble writer had already submitted that neither does the understanding of any verse of the Qur'an depend on these, nor does any essential part of the objective for which the Qur’ an has related this story belongs thereto. Then, relevant reports and stories and their indicators and connections are so different that, despite all investigations and efforts, it is just not possible to take any categorical decision in this mat-ter. Having preferences and inclinations is all that is left to do here. But, in our time, educated people have acquired an increased taste in historical investigations. It is for this satisfaction that these details have been reported for they, by way of introduction and hypothesis, tell us at least this much that this event came to pass after Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) close to the time of the Holy Prophet ﷺ . And that most reports seem to agree on this being near the city of Ifsus or Tarsus. Even then, Allah knows best. And the truth is that we, after all these investigations, are standing where we had started from - that there is no need to fix an exact location, nor can this be fixed with any certain modality. The Tafsir and Hadith authority, Ibn Kathir has said exactly this about it:
قد اَخبَرنَا اللہُ تَعَلٰی بذٰلِک وَاَرَادَ مِنَّا فَھمَہ وَتَدَ ؓ رَہ، وَ لَم یُخبِرنَا بِمَکَانِ ھٰذَا الکَھفِ فِی ایِّ البلادِ مِنَ الاَرضِ اِذلاَ فَایٔدَۃ لَنَا فِیہ ولا قصد شَرعِی
Allah Ta` ala has already told us about that. And He expects us to understand it and deliberate into it. And He did not tell us about the location of this Cave in a particular city out of this earth because there is nothing beneficial for us in it nor does any religious objective hinge upon it - Ibn Kathir, v. 3, p. 75.
When did the event relating to the People of Kahf come to pass and why did they take shelter in the Cave?
This segment of the story is also the same upon which neither does the understanding of any verse of the Qur’ an depend, nor does it influence the objective of the story in any significant way, nor do the Qur’ an and Sunnah make any statement about it. What we have here is no more than historical stories. Therefore, in Tafsir al-Bahr al-Muhit, Commentator Abu Hayyan has said:
وَ الرُّوَاۃُ مُختَلِفُونَ فِی قِصَصِھِم وَ کَیفَ کَانَ اِجتِمَاعُھُم وَخپرُجُھُم ولَم یَاتِ فِی الحَدِیثِ الصَّحیحِ کَیفِیَّۃ ذٰلِک وَلَافِی القُرانِ
And narrators differ in stories about them, and about how they got together and moved out, and the mode and manner of that has neither been mentioned in any authentic Hadith nor in the Qur'an - al-Bahr al-Muhit, p. 101, v. 6.
However, when we provided some information about the site of the remnants of the People of Kahf a little earlier, it was in consideration of the curiosity of contemporary temperament. For the same reason, we are providing here brief notes of information regarding the period and causes of the passing of this event from exegetic and historical reports. As for a detailed and comprehensive description of this story, the respected scholar, Qadi Thana'ulla Panipati has reported it on the authority of different narratives in his Tafsir Mazhari. But, given here is a brief version of the event that Ibn Kathir has presented with reference to many early and later commentators. He says:
“ The Ashab al-Kahf were the progeny of kings and chiefs among their people who were idol-worshippers. Once their people went out of the town to participate in some religious festival of theirs. This was a place where they met every year, worshipped their idols and sacrificed animals to please them. Their king was a tyrant. Called Daqyanus دقیانوس ، he used to force his people to worship idols. That year, when everyone had gathered together in this festival, these young men identified as the Ashab al-Kahf also reached there and ﷺ their people taking rocks carved with their own hands as God, worshipping them and sacrificing for them. At that time, Allah Ta` ala blessed them with the good sense to shun this absurd practice of their people. Thus, when they used their reason, they arrived at the conclusion that this worship belongs to none but that supreme Power who has created the heavens and the earth and everything therein. This thought crossed the minds of those few young men simultaneously and they started moving away from there to avoid the absurd practice of their people in the fair name of worship. The first young man who withdrew went far from the crowd and sat down under a tree. After that, came another and he too sat there. Similarly, came the third, and the fourth, and each one of them kept taking a seat under the tree. But, none of them were familiar with each other, nor did they know as to why they had come there. The truth of the matter is that they were brought together on that spot by the Power that lit the light of faith in their hearts."
The real foundation of nationalism and collectivism
After having transmitted that, Ibn Kathir comments that people tend to take nationalism and common race as the cause of cohesion and union in social life. But, the reality lies in what has been said in a Hadith of Sahih al-Bukhari, that unity or disunity first germinates in souls, then it affects the bodies in this world. Souls that have experienced congruity and unity among them in 'azal (eternity) go on to become mutually connected and get molded into the form of a confraternity. As for those that did not have the experience of this mutual congruity and unity - in fact, remained separated there - they will remain separated here too. Take this very event as an example and see how the same thought crossed everyone's mind separately and it was this thought that brought everyone unconsciously together.
In short, these people got together at one place all right, but everyone was concealing his belief from the other lest this person reports him to the king and he gets arrested. After having remained there all together in silence, one of them spoke out, 'brothers, there must be some reason why all of us have broken away from our people and reached here. It seems appropriate that we all should get to know each other's thoughts.' Thereupon, one person declared, 'the truth is that the faith and worship in which I found my people involved gave me the certitude that this whole thing is false. ` Ibadah or worship should be for One Allah who is most exalted in His majesty and who has no partner or associate in the act of the creation of this universe.' This broke the ice. Others were prompted to speak out and they all declared that this was the thought, the belief that separated them from their people and brought them there.
Now they were an ideologically unified group enjoying mutual fellowship and friendship. They set up a separate House of Worship for themselves where they would assemble and worship Allah who is One and who has no partner in His divinity.
But, by and by they became the talk of the town. Backbiters told on them before the king who ordered that they all should be brought to him. When they came into the royal court, the king asked them about their belief and its mores. Allah gave them the courage to state their belief in the Oneness of Allah. In fact, they invited the king himself to believe as they did. This is precisely what has been mentioned in the verses appearing next: وَرَبَطْنَا عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ إِذْ قَامُوا فَقَالُوا رَبُّنَا رَبُّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ لَن نَّدْعُوَ مِن دُونِهِ إِلَـٰهًا (And We made their hearts firm. And when they rose, they said, "Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth; and we shall never invoke any god other than Him, for then we would be saying something far from the truth. These are people of ours. They have taken to gods other than Him. Why do they not bring a proof in their favour? So, who is more unjust than the one who fabricates a lie against Allah?" - al-Kahf, 18:14, 15)
When these young men acted bold before the king and invited him to believe, he turned the call down and threatened them with drastic action. He had the princely robes they donned on their bodies taken off in reprisal so that they may think and change their behavior. In order that they actually do so, he gave them respite for a few days saying that they were young, therefore, he did not wish to kill them right away. In fact, he wanted them to have the time to think over it. Then, if they reverted to the faith of their people, they will be allowed to live as usual, other-wise they would be killed.
It must have been the mercy of Allah Ta’ ala on His believing servants that this respite given to them opened an escape door for them. They ran from there and took refuge in a cave.
Usual reports carried by commentators agree that these people were followers of the faith of Sayyidna ` Isa Masih (علیہ السلام) . Ibn Kathir and most commentators have mentioned it. However, Ibn Kathir has not accepted it. According to him, had these people been the followers of the Christian faith, the Jews of Madinah would have not suggested that a question be asked about them just because of their mutual hostility and thus would have not given them that importance. But, this is not a sufficient basis because of which all reports should be rejected. When the Jews of Madinah proposed that such a question should be asked, they were simply looking at it as a unique event - very similar to the question about Dhul-Qarnain which was also on that basis. That there was no Jewish-Christian prejudice involved in questions of this nature is fairly obvious here.
In Tafsir Mazhari, based on a report from Ibn Ishaq, these people have been identified as monotheists who, after the decline of the original Christian faith, were among the rare remnants still adhering to the true faith of the Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) and to pure monotheism. In this report of Ibn Ishaq too, the name of the oppressive king has been given as Daqyanus while the city in which these young men lived before they went into hiding in the cave has been called Ifsus.
Then, the event has been described in the same manner in the report of Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn ` Abbas ؓ as well and the name of the king has been given as Daqyanus. The report of Ibn Ishaq also adds that the name of the king of the people who were followers of the faith of Sayyidna Masih and had taken over the country at the time the Ashab al-Kahf woke up was Baidusis.
So, at least the strong likelihood of the People of Kahf being committed to the true faith brought by Sayyidna ` Isa Masih (علیہ السلام) stands proved from the reports as a whole, and that they belong to the post-Masih period, and that the Mushrik king they ran from was called Daqyanus. At the time they woke up after three hundred and nine years, the name of the righteous and believing king who ruled the country has been named as Baidusis in the report of Ibn Ishaq. If this is seen in conjunction with the contemporary calendar, it is possible to determine their period, at the least as a matter of conjecture and approximation. Trying to determine it any more than that is needless, nor there exist the means to acquire this knowledge.
Are the People of Kahf still alive?
In this matter, the correct and obvious approach is that they have died. Tafsir Mazhari carries the detailed report of Ibn Ishaq. According to this report, when the People of Kahf woke up, their unique event be-came the talk of the town. They went to meet the king. When they took leave of king Baidusis, they bid farewell to him and prayed for him. The king was still there when they went back to the place only to lie down where they had been lying for such a long time. And that was exactly when Allah Ta’ ala sent death to them.
At this stage, the following report from Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn ` Abbas ؓ has been reproduced by Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir and many more from among the commentators:
قال قتادَۃُ غَزَا ابنُ عَبَّاس مَعَ حَبیبِ بنِ مَسلَمَۃ فَمَرُّوا بِکَھفِ فِی بِلَادِ الرُّومِ فَرَأوا فیہ عِظَاماً فقال ھٰذِہٖ عِظَامَ اَھلِ الکَھفِ فقال ابن عَبَّاسِ ؓ لَقَد بَلِیَت عِظَامُھُم مِّن اکثَرَ مِن ثلٰثمِایٔۃِ سِنَۃِ (ابن کثیر)
Qatadah says that Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ participated in a Jihad in the company of Habib ibn Maslamah when they passed by a cave in the Roman territory. There they ﷺ bones in it. Then someone said, 'These are the bones of the People of Kahf.' Thereupon, Ibn ` Abbas ؓ said, 'The bones of them have already become dust more than three hundred years ago' – Ibn Kathir.
These were particular segments of the story that were neither described by the Qur'an, nor by the Hadith of the Holy Prophet ﷺ . In addition to that, neither does some specified purpose of this event or the understanding of any verse of the Qur'an depend on it - nor can any categorical decision be arrived at in these matters on the basis of historical reports. As far as the remaining segments of the story already described within the text of the Qur'an are concerned, their details appear under the commentary on relevant verses.
Up to this point, the Qur'an had mentioned this story in brief. Details follow.
