Path
Chapter 18, The Cave (Al-Kahf) · verses 1–5The Quran is the corrected edition of previous divine scriptures.Chapter 18, The Cave (Al-Kahf) · verses 6–8‘Perhaps you may destroy yourself’—this statement shows what condition a preacher of truth is driven into by the intensity of his feelings, if he is serious and sincere in his mission.Chapter 18, The Cave (Al-Kahf) · verses 9–12The incident of the Men of the Cave shows symbolically the stages through which true believers have to pass in their lives and the hurdles which they have to surmount.Chapter 18, The Cave (Al-Kahf) · verses 13–15‘Why do they not produce clear evidence?’Chapter 18, The Cave (Al-Kahf) · verse 16When a man, on account of his devotion to truth, becomes isolated from his fellow-beings, he comes closer to God.Chapter 18, The Cave (Al-Kahf) · verse 17In the days when the Men of the Cave were propagating their faith, the struggle between them and their countrymen increased.Chapter 18, The Cave (Al-Kahf) · verse 18God had arranged a long period of unbroken sleep for the Men of the Cave and had taken different measures for their safety.Chapter 18, The Cave (Al-Kahf) · verses 19–20When the Men of the Cave woke up from their sleep, they naturally started discussing the duration of their sleep.Chapter 18, The Cave (Al-Kahf) · verse 21The span of a man’s life in this world is hardly a hundred years or even much less than that.Chapter 18, The Cave (Al-Kahf) · verse 22Some of the citizens indulged in unnecessary arguments about the Men of the Cave.Chapter 18, The Cave (Al-Kahf) · verses 23–24The Quraysh of Makkah sent Nadar ibn Harith and ‘Uqbah ibn Mu‘it to Madinah to meet the Jewish scholars and ask for information about the Prophet Muhammad, because the Jews had knowledge about prophets.Chapter 18, The Cave (Al-Kahf) · verses 25–26According to the respective Quranic commentaries of Qatada and Mutrif ibnChapter 18, The Cave (Al-Kahf) · verses 27–28In ancient Makkah, for those who supported the Prophet Muhammad and who had embraced a religion free from any human interpolation, it was not an easy task.Chapter 18, The Cave (Al-Kahf) · verse 29The truth which comes from God is the absolute truth.Chapter 18, The Cave (Al-Kahf) · verses 30–31The condition of those who are free from pride, consideration of self-interest and love of outward show is such that when God’s Truth appears before them, they immediately recognise it, even though such Truth might have come through the medium of a human being like themselves.Chapter 18, The Cave (Al-Kahf) · verses 32–36Take the example of a lush green garden which, due to a sudden natural calamity, is completely destroyed.Chapter 18, The Cave (Al-Kahf) · verses 37–41If God showers His blessings on a man, he should always remain grateful to Him.Chapter 18, The Cave (Al-Kahf) · verses 42–44An individual may invest his money in a venture and also apply his talents to it, hoping that his investment and his talents will lead to a successful result and will bring him good returns.Chapter 18, The Cave (Al-Kahf) · verses 45–46Things in this present world make the world hereafter understandable to us.Chapter 18, The Cave (Al-Kahf) · verses 47–48The conditions made available by God in the present world exist merely for the purpose of trying and testing mankind.Chapter 18, The Cave (Al-Kahf) · verse 49Whatever a man does is put on record by God’s arrangement.Chapter 18, The Cave (Al-Kahf) · verse 50By tradition, Satan (Iblis) was a God-worshipping jinn.Chapter 18, The Cave (Al-Kahf) · verse 51Those who are regarded as powerful and as objects of worship by men, are in fact so powerless that they have no say either in the creation of the universe or in their own creation.Chapter 18, The Cave (Al-Kahf) · verses 52–53The leaders on whose backing man denies the Truth in this world will not be helpful to him on Doomsday.Chapter 18, The Cave (Al-Kahf) · verses 54–55In the present world, the freedom given for the purposes of human trial allows man to find some excuse or the other for not admitting the Truth.Chapter 18, The Cave (Al-Kahf) · verses 56–57God’s words are supported by sound arguments, that is why those who do not want to accept this truth cannot find any real counter arguments.Chapter 18, The Cave (Al-Kahf) · verses 58–59When a man flouts the Truth, but does not immediately receive the punishment for this, it makes him arrogant.Chapter 18, The Cave (Al-Kahf) · verses 60–62God continuously manages the affairs of this world through His angels.Chapter 18, The Cave (Al-Kahf) · verses 63–65Moses was told about a further sign, i.e. that when he reached the required destination, the fish kept for eating would go down into the water in a peculiar manner.Chapter 18, The Cave (Al-Kahf) · verses 66–70God had bestowed on this servant, Khidr, special knowledge and powers, so that he could bring certain extraordinary influence to bear upon the affairs of this world.Chapter 18, The Cave (Al-Kahf) · verses 71–74Damaging a good boat and killing a child do not appear to be good deeds.Chapter 18, The Cave (Al-Kahf) · verses 75–78The Prophet Moses and Khidr, God’s favoured servants, who were very near to Him, wanted the local people of a place they had reached to treat them as guests and feed them.Chapter 18, The Cave (Al-Kahf) · verse 79Khidr had not rendered the boat completely useless; he had only made it defective for the time being.Chapter 18, The Cave (Al-Kahf) · verses 80–81This incident of the child indicates the different ways in which God helps his subjects.Chapter 18, The Cave (Al-Kahf) · verse 82It may be gathered from these examples that God is always actively taking care of this world.Chapter 18, The Cave (Al-Kahf) · verses 83–84The literal meaning of ‘Dhu’l Qarnayn’ is ‘possessor of two horns’ i.e. the king whose conquests encompass the further reaches of the world to the east and west.Chapter 18, The Cave (Al-Kahf) · verses 85–88Dhu’l-Qarnayn, in making his conquests, possibly proceeded in a westward direction from Iran, and thus reached Asia Minor, halting only when he came to the ‘black water’ of the Aegean Sea.Chapter 18, The Cave (Al-Kahf) · verses 89–91Dhu’l-Qarnayn’s next expedition was towards the east of Iran.Chapter 18, The Cave (Al-Kahf) · verses 92–94Probably Dhu’l-Qarnayn’s third campaign was in the north east, in the direction of Iran.Chapter 18, The Cave (Al-Kahf) · verses 95–98The high ranges of the Caucasus in what is now Russian territory running between the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea, serve as a natural dividing wall between Europe and Asia.Chapter 18, The Cave (Al-Kahf) · verses 99–101At the onset of Doomsday, the present world will no longer be the same.Chapter 18, The Cave (Al-Kahf) · verse 102Acceptance of the Truth (Reality) is in fact acceptance of God, while denial of the truth is in fact denial of God.Chapter 18, The Cave (Al-Kahf) · verses 103–106Man strives in this world and observes that, as a result, he gains wealth and honour.Chapter 18, The Cave (Al-Kahf) · verses 107–108To lead a life of faith and piety in this world is to give proof of tremendous sacrifice.Chapter 18, The Cave (Al-Kahf) · verse 109Those who do not accept God’s message are in fact denying the most established of all established facts.Chapter 18, The Cave (Al-Kahf) · verse 110The prophet is neither god nor angel.