Al-Kahf
| Classification | Makkan |
|---|---|
| Meaning of the name | The Cave |
| Statistics | |
| Sura number | 18 |
| Number of verses | 110 |
| Juz' number | 15 to 16 |
| Hizb number | 30 to 31 |
| Number of Sajdahs | none |
| Previous Sura | Al-Isra |
| Next Sura | Maryam |
Sura al-Kahf "The Cave" (Arabic: سورة الكهف, Sūratu al-Kahf) is the 18th surah of the Qur'an with 110 ayat. It is a Meccan sura.
Contents |
[edit] Contents and themes
[edit] People of the Cave
Verses 9 – 26[1] of the chapter tell the story of the People of the Cave (Ashabu Al-Kahf). Some number of young monotheistic men lived in a time where they were persecuted. They fled the city together, and took refuge in a cave where they fell asleep. God caused them to remain sleeping for 300 solar years, or 309 lunar years, and when they woke the surrounding area had become monotheistic as well.
[edit] The spirit
Surah al-Kahf also mentions the ruh, or soul/spirit in verse 28[2]. Wrong quotation: Verse 28 does not mention the Ruh/ the soul:
The verse that mentions the Ruuh/ the Soul is Verse # 85 In Surat Al Israa'
[edit] The story of the rich and the poor
In verses 32 – 44 the surah discusses a Parable of two men, who one of them had been given blessings from God and the other was poor. The rich one wronged his soul and started showing off with his wealth and noble lineage.
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."
At the end of the parable God destroys what he had given the man.[4]
[edit] Moses and Al-Khidr
The third main story within the chapter (verses 60 – 82[5]) is that of Moses traveling to gain knowledge from another servant of God who is never mentioned by name, but according to the tafsir of ibn Kathir is called Al-Khidr[6].
[edit] Dhul-Qarnayn
Finally, the surah mentions in verses 83 – 98[7] a man who traveled a great deal and reached the east and the west of the earth – namely, Dhul-Qarnayn.
[edit] Circumstances of revelation
Muslim historian and hagiographer, Muhammad bin Ishaq, reported in his book Sira that the eighteenth chapter of the Qur'an (which includes the story of Dhu l-Qarnayn) was revealed to the Islamic prophet Muhammad by Allah 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. Ask him about some young men in ancient times, what was their story For theirs is a strange and wondrous tale. Ask him about a man who travelled a great deal and reached the east and the west of the earth. What was his story And ask him about the Ruh (soul or 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."[8]
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 awaited 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 al-Kahf as an answer to the questions.
[edit] Virtues
There is a hadith in Sahih Muslim that states that Muhammad said (Concerning The False Messiah, 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[9]
"Whoever reads Sura Kahf on Friday, light shall shine forth for him between the two Fridays."[10]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Surat Al-Kahf (18:9–26) – The Holy Qur'an – القرآن الكريم
- ^ Surat Al-Kahf (18:28) – The Holy Qur'an – القرآن الكريم
- ^ Surat Al-Kahf (18:34) – The Holy Qur'an – القرآن الكريم
- ^ Surat Al-Kahf (18:32–44) – The Holy Qur'an – القرآن الكريم
- ^ Surat Al-Kahf (18:60–82) – The Holy Qur'an – القرآن الكريم
- ^ The Story of Musa and Al-Khidr – Tafsir Ibn Kathir
- ^ Surat Al-Kahf (18:83–98) – The Holy Qur'an – القرآن الكريم
- ^ Tafsir ibn Kathir [1]
- ^ Sahih Muslim – Book 41, Hadith No. 7015
- ^ Al-Mustadrak alaa al-Sahihain, by Hakim al-Nishaburi.
[edit] External link
 |
Wikisource has original text related to this article: |
| Previous sura: Al-Isra |
The Qur'an - Sura 18 | Next sura: Maryam |
| Arabic text | ||
|
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 |
||
