The Story of Ashab al-Kahf in detail

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We relate unto you their story accurately. This was said because various versions of the story had been circulated by people. Hence, we are being told that the correct version is the one contained herein. They, the people of the cave, were a handful of youth who according to true Christian teachings brought faith in their Lord and upon their bringing faith We increased them in guidance by additionally giving them qualities of patience, perseverance, reliance, and the ability to resist worldly and carnal desires, and from this increased guidance was that We strengthened their hearts with patience and perseverance, when they having become firm in religion, said between themselves or in front of the king and the people, Our Lord is He who is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. We are not, in exclusion to Him, going to worship any god. Because if we were to do this, God forbid, in that case we will surely have said something far from the truth. Speech attributed with being far from truth has been predicated upon worshiping false gods because worship without doubt presupposes acknowledgement of their being worthy of worship, not to mention, the uttering of words of reverence and veneration in front of them. These, our people, leaving Him have taken up gods because this entire nation along with their king were idolaters. So why don’t these people bring upon the worship of these worshiped ones any clear proof, similar to how monotheists carry clear proof upon Tawheed. So despite Tawheed being established by proof, who then, is more atrocious than one who forges against Allah a lie that, ma’aadh Allah, He also has partners?

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And between themselves they said, Since you have separated from them in beliefs and also separated from the worship of their worshiped ones, except from Allah have not separated, rather on account of him have separated from all others, then in that case benefit dictates that you take refuge in the direction of the certain cave which was probably discussed earlier among them, so that you may worship your Lord in peace and tranquility. Your Lord will spread upon you his mercy, and will validate for you the means of success in your task.

This expectation is the very prayer related from them above, “رَبَّنَآ ءَاتِنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحۡمَةً۬ وَهَيِّئۡ لَنَا مِنۡ أَمۡرِنَا رَشَدً۬ا“. And O Addressee, that cave is positioned in a manner that you would see the sun, when it rises, inclining away from their cave, i.e. stays away from the opening of the cave, and when it sets, it would avoid them to the left of the cave, in other words, even at sunset the sun does not fall on the opening in order to protect them from its heat. And they were in a spacious portion of it. That is to say, in such deep caves where there are wide and narrow cavities, they happened to be residing in a wide area, protecting them from claustrophobia and allowing sufficient air. This, receiving guidance in spite of weakness and small numbers on the one hand, and the enemy being strong and plentiful on the other, is from the signs of Allah’s power to show how he strengthens and encourages his chosen servants without any conventional means. It is therefore established that whomever Allah guides, only he will be guided, and whomever Allah leads astray, you will not find for him a helping guide.

Benefits

The right and left of the cave are either in relation to the one entering it or the one exiting from it. Thus, in the first case, the cave was facing North, and in the second, it was facing South. Had it been facing East, sunlight would have fallen upon it during the rising of the sun. Similarly, facing West would have caused the sun to shine upon it while setting. The purpose is to illustrate how safe and protected it was.