016-2 The Cave 18:47 to 49 - Naked & Not Circumcised

016-2 The Cave 18:47 to 49 - Naked & Not Circumcised
Translation, Commentary & Explanation of Chapter 18 Al-Kahfi.

[47]
On the day WE make the mountains move and you will
see the Earth flat and bare. And WE gather them all.

And WE will not leave a single one of them.

[48]
And they will be paraded before your Lord in rows.
Definitely, you have come to US just as WE have
created you at the first time.

Yes indeed! though you have said that WE will not
fix a time to meet you.

[49]

Then the report book of life will be presented

to all mankind. And you will see that those who

have done many sinful things will be very

frightened of what are written in their report

book.

And after seeing the contents of their books,

the sinful people will exclaim,

"O we will be in trouble.

What kind of book is this

that never omit our smallest sins

and the biggest one,

but rather it records all incidents."

They will find that whatever they have done

during their lifetime, are all recorded in this

report book.

Your LORD will not discriminate anyone.

====================================================

Imam Jalalain commented that :-

On that day WE will make the mountains disappear from the face of the Earth and they become like flying dust. Then there will be nothing left on Earth, that is, no mountains, no plants and no rivers.

WE will gather all human beings, wether believers or unbelievers, and no one is left behind.

That each particular row represent a certain nation. Every individual come to meet ALLAH alone, without shoes, naked and not circumcised.

++++++

My understanding from Harun Yahya commentary in his book

"The signs of The End Times in Surat Al-Kahf" :-

This universe has its fixed time, known as "The Hour". Only ALLAH knows when the Hour will occur.

"Truly ALLAH has knowledge of the Hour, sends down abundant rain and knows what is in the womb. No one knows what it will earn tomorrow, and no one knows where he will die. ALLAH is All-Knowing and All-Aware.

[Surah Luqman Verse 34]

Surah Al-Kahfi relates some of the people's presumptions about when the Hour will come.

But...most people believe that life on Earth will continue forever and that the Hour will not come.

They think that death is nothingness and it is the end of the history of a person.

They mock that Judgement Day is a myth.

With this verse, GOD is saying that, although the Hour is the end of this world, but, it is not the final end of the history of human beings.

The Hour is the beginning of the Eternal Life in the Hereafter, that is, the Kingdom of God.

After the Hour, man will be brought to the Judgement Day, where we will be paraded before GOD.

GOD created us from nothing. When our parents got married and our fathers' sperm were discharged into our mothers' wombs, it was our beginning.

Then GOD turns the sperm into blood clot, and then it became spongy meat, and then slowly the bones came into shape and we became a baby in our mothers womb.

We are thankful to GOD that we were born and survive until today. Some babies were lost in miscarriages, whilesome other babies died when they were very very young.

Therefore, this verse is telling us that when we die and/or after The Hour, which ever come first, we will return to GOD, in the manner before we were born.

Most learned scholars said that, we will exist in the Hereafter in the form of our original souls.

Until today nobody knows what is the shape of the souls, although some writers wrote that they are in the form of birds.

Anyway, my friends, do not be afraid of the Judgement Day, because GOD says in the Quran,

"My servants, you will feel no fear today, you will know no sorrow"

[Chapter Az-Zukhruf Verse 68].

All we have to do, now, and urgently now, is to make sure we are the good servants of GOD.

Thanks for reading my share of thoughts.

======= will be continued with the help of GOD ====

Squeezing & clasping of hands

Translation, Commentary & Explanation of The Quran
Chapter 18 Al-Kahfi (The Cave) Verse 42

The meaning of verse 42

And then it really happened that his fruitful garden was ruined, as mentioned in verse 40.

He looked at his two gardens, squeezing and clasping his hands in distress and regrets,

over what he had spent on his two gardens that are now destroyed.

He regretfully said,

"O wouldn't it be better that I had not attributed any partner to my Lord."

We are helpless drop of sperm

Translation, Commentary & Explanation of The Quran
Chapter 18 Al-Kahfi (The Cave) Verse 36 to 39.

The meaning of Verse 36

"And I don't think that The Last Hour will come. Even if it come and I meet GOD on Judgement Day, surely GOD will reward me with something better than my present garden"



====================================================
My observation :-
He was arrogant. Showing himself to his friend who was not as successful as him. He was also making fun of his friend's religious belief of Judgment Day.

The meaning of Verse 37

His pious friend replied,
"Are you going against GOD WHO has created you from clay. And then from a drop of sperm. Then HE shaped you in a perfect manner and made you a man?"

====================================================
My observation :-

His friend was hinting him that GOD has created Adam from clay and then the offspring of Adam from drop of sperm, trying to make him realize that this worldly life is nothing compared to GOD'd kingdom. This life is like a drop of sperm. Therefore, as human we cannot be arrogant by saying things such as "no disaster will fall on my garden".

Harun Yahya mentioned in his book, "Signs ofthe End of Times in Surat Al-Kahfi", that the pious man was trying to help his arrogant friend to realize the greatness of GOD, by mentioning GOD's sign in Nature and origin of man which is a helpless drop of sperm.

Harun Yahya continues that we often meet these self-contradicting people. They talk profoundly about GOD but they do not lead a life that pleases GOD and did not follow the footsteps of Prophet Muhammad.

Despite that they consider themselves rigtheous and destined for Paradise. They are actually deceiving themselves.

The meaning of Verse 38

"As for me, HE is THE GOD, My LORD. I will not consider anyone equal to my Lord."

====================================================
My observation :-

His pious friend wanted to make him realize that GOD is the only source of success. That is why you find that the theme of the narration here suddenly switch from beautiful garden to GOD.

The arrogant man was so boastful of his garden and successful life that his friend had to interrupt him by mentioning GOD so that he will not forget GOD totally.

The meaning of Verse 39

Why didn't you say, when you enter your garden, that

"All these are from GOD. There is no power except the power of GOD"

Although you may see that I had less wealth, less children than you, but may be, GOD will give me something better than what you have.

GOD can cause calamity to fall on your garden, and it will become barren and dust.
Or GOD can make the water to sink deep into the ground that you will never get water supply again for your garden.



====================================================
Imam Jalalain commented with a hadis, that :-

"Who ever had been given the good things in life, or a beautiful wife or plenty of wealth, and then he said

'All these are from GOD. There is no power except the power of GOD'

then he will never see any unfavourable things happen to whatever he owns."

009-5 The Cave 18:29 - Boiling water will scald the faces

Translation, Commentary & Explanation of Chapter 18 Al-Kahfi.

The meaning of Verse 29

Say, "The Truth is from your Lord. Who wants to believe, let them believe. And who wants to reject, let them reject."

We have prepare for those who reject The Truth, fire, which will surround them from all sides like a wall.

And when they beg for drinking water, they will be given drinking water hot like molten lead, or boiling oil, which will scald their faces.

How dreadful is the drink! How miserable is that resting place (Hell).

====================================================

Imam Jalalain commented that :-

1) the sentence,

"And who wants to reject, let them reject." is a warning from God. It is not an option.

2) the word 'resting place' in this verse has a negatif meaning. It is an opposite to Verse 31 later in this same Chapter 18, which means;

"And Paradise is the most pleasant resting place"

It must be understood in this way, as it is not appropiate to say that Hell is a 'resting place'.


=====to be continued if GOD's will========

006-4e1 Continuation of the Historical events on The Cave

Translation, Commentary & Explanation of Chapter 18 Al-Kahfi.

So the 2 delegates returned to the unbelievers Quraisy people and said,"We return to you with matters between you and Muhammad."

Then the Quraisy went to meet Prophet Muhammad and asked him the 3 questions.

Prophet Muhammad replied,

"I will tell you the answer tomorrow." without saying, if GOD wills.

Then they went away and Prophet Muhammad was silent for 15 days waiting for revelation from GOD for the answers, but, the angel Gabriel did not come down with the revelation and answer from GOD. There were commotions among the Meccan people.

Meanwhile, Prophet Muhammad was in a sad and difficult situation because the revelation has stopped coming to him with the answers.

Then, the angel Gabriel came with the revelation of this Chapter 18 of the Quran.

In these verses are the answers to the 3 questions regarding the history of the 7 youths who went for seclusion in the Cave and the man who conquered the Far West and Far East.

However, the verse for the answer about the spirit was categorised as a verse in

Chapter 17 - Al Isra' Verse 85.

"They asked you about the spirit. Tell them that the spirit come from my Lord and you will not understand its nature as you have been granted very little knowledge."

*Note
[Both Muhammad Asad and Abdullah Yusuf Ali were of the opinion that, by the spirit, it was meant to be the nature of the revelations that were brought down by angel Gabriel, and not meant to be the soul, as it was generally understood, by other commentators.]

Translation, Commentary & Explanation of Chapter 18 Al-Kahfi.

{page 2 of the above continuation}

Ibnu Murdawaih brought forward a hadis from Ibnu Abbas, a companion of Prophet Muhammad, who narrated, that, one day there was a meeting of the unbelieving Quraisy people.

Among them were Atabah ibnu Rabi'ah, Syaibah ibnu Rabi'ah, Abu Jahal ibnu Hisyam, An Nadhr ibnu Harits, Umayyah ibnu Khalaf, Al Ashi ibnu Wa'il, Al Aswad ibnu Abdul Muthalib and Abu Buhturi.

Seeing that, Prophet Muhammad was very heavily saddened by their rejection of his call. Thus GOD reveal to him the following verseof the Quran,

"So perhaps you will destroy and kill yourself, in grief, after they turn away from you and do not believe in the explanation of the Quran, because you are sad, as you really wanted them to believe."

[CHAPTER 18 - AL-KAHFI Verse 6]

GOD is giving us some kind of counselling on how to live in this world. All that GOD wants from us is to convet the message, but we do not have to ensure that people will listen and follow our mission.

Accepting the message of GOD is purely with the will of GOD himself. HE will choose who among mankind will believe and follow.

Of course GOD can change what HE has decided on. HE has HIS wishes. HE can make us go to Heaven, if we really work very hard for it, even after HE has decided that we go to Hell.

HE is the MOST POWERFUL GOD. HE does what HE likes. You and I cannot question HIM.

Our duty is live this life a good way. The rest is all in the hands of GOD.

Do not be depressed of what happen in this world.

Do not be angry with what other people do, but be mindful about what we do.

006-3e Historical events of The Cave

Translation, Commentary & Explanation of Chapter 18 Al-Kahfi.

We pause for a while to focus on the historical events relating to the revelation of the Sleepers of the Cave. In short the unbelievers of Mecca did not believe that Prophet Muhammad is a prophet. This chapter in the Quran revealed to them and to us that Prophet Muhammad is a prophet to lead mankind to the real success in this world and the Hereafter.

Allow me to call you to reflect on the purpose why we live in this world. This life on Earth is temporary, just as what was told to us by Prophets Abraham, Eshmael, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad. We will return to the Kingdom of GOD, in the Hereafter, when this world and the universe come to an End.

Somehow, some people in history changed the evidences and created differences between the religion brought by the prophets mentioned above.

Let us be united again as one mankind because the END of the Worlds is very near around the corner. Let us be saved and returned to The Almighty God, Lord of the Worlds with HIS acceptance.

Yeah....I agree with you. Who is GOD?

I have no answer for you. You have to find HIM on your own. It starts with your sincere eagerness and dedtermination to find HIM in your pure hearts.

Lets now look back into the Commentary in Tafsir Jalalain.

Asbabun Nuzul [1] on Chapter 18 The Cave.

In the name of The God Most Compassionate Most Merciful

Ibnu Jarir brought forward a hadis [2] via the narration of Ibnu Ishaq who received it from a Syekh in Egypt, who received it from Ikrimah, and Ikrimahreceived it from a companion of the Prophet, Ibnu Abbas, who narrated that, once the unbelieving Quraisy peoplesent An Nadhr ibnul Harits and Uqbah ibnu Abu Muithas delegation to the Jewish Rabbis in Madinah.

The Quraisy requested the 2 delegates to ask the Rabbis,"Ask them about Muhammad and the news that he brought, because they were the first community to be given the Holy Sciptures. They had the knowledge about the prophets which we do not have."

When the 2 delegates reached Madinah they immediately asked the Rabbis about Muhammad's claim as a prophet and some of what he said.

The Rabbis advised the 2 delegates,
"Ask Muhammad about 3 things. If he can answer them, then he is a true prophet. If he cannot answer them, then he is a fake. Ask him about the youths of the past who went for seclusion from their people, ask him about a man who conquered the Far West and Far East, and ask him about the spirit, What is spirit?"



- - - - will be continued with God's will- - - - - - - - -

Footnote:

[1] Asbabun Nuzul can be understood as the historicalincidents or events that occured before or after a certain verses of the Quran was revealed. Literally, it means "reasons for coming down".

[2] hadis = saying of Prophet Muhammad

006-2e The Cave 18:26 - Only YOU know how long

For my new visitors, this series of the meaning of the Holy Qur'an taken from an authentic source of Tafsir Jalalain. I was translating it into English. May this small effort brings the favour of GOD on all mankind. I fetched the meanings from other translations of the Qur'an as well, to make sure I am on the right track.

Translation, Commentary & Explanation of Chapter 18 Al-Kahfi.

Literal Translation of verse 26.
Say GOD knows best about their stay. To HIM belongs the unseen of the heavens and earth. HIS vision of them is Most Clear and HIS hearing is Most Sharp. They have no protector other than HIM. And there is no any partner in HIS rule.

Commentary by Jalalain.
Say, ALLAH knows best how long they stayed in the cave, than the people who were talking about them. To HIM belongs all the knowledge of that which are hidden in the heavens and earth. How clear is HIS sight and how sharp is HIS hearing, and HE sees, HE hears and HE knows everything. There is no protector for the inhabitants of the heavens and earth other than HIM. And HE does not appoint any assistant in making HIS decision, as HE does not need any partner.

Commentary by Muhammad Asad.
Say "GOD knows best how long they remained there. HIS alone is the knowledge of the hidden reality of the heavens and the earth. How well does HE see and hear! No guardian have they, apart from HIM, because HE allots to no one a share in HIS rule."

Commentary by Abdullah Yusuf Ali.
Say "ALLAH knows best how long they stayed. With him is the knowledge of the secrets of the heavens and the earth. How clearly HE sees, How finely HE hears, They have no protectors other than HIM. Nor does HE shares HIS command with any person whatsoever.

005-8e The Cave 18:22 - Three Five or Seven?

Translation, Commentary & Explanation of Chapter 18 Al-Kahfi.

Literal Translation of verse 22.

They will say that there were 3 of them and the forth was their dog, and they will say that there were 5 of them and the sixth was their dog, as their guess of the unseen. Then they will say that there were 7 of them and the eight was their dog. Say,

"My Lord knows best their numbers. None knew their numbers except a few."

Therefore, do not dispute about their affairs, except physical debate only, and do not ask about

it from any of them.

Commentary by Jalalain.

The people during Prophet Muhammad time disputed about the number of the youths in the cave. Some said they were 3 and the 4th was their dog, some others said they were 5 and the 6th was their dog. These 2 opinions came from the Christians in Najran, which were only speculations, as there were no evidence to substantiate their narration.

Then another opinion, among the Muslims, said that they were 7 and the 8th was their dog.

Imam Jalalain explained that the grammatical arrangement of the original Arabic words and sentences, shows that, the third opinion is the acceptable one.

He also narrated that Ibnu Abbas, whom Prophet Muhammad said was well-versed with the knowledge of the Quran, declared that he was among the "few" who knew the correct number

of the youths in the cave, and he said there were 7 of them.

Therefore, do not argue anymore about this matter anddo not ask anyone, not even the people of the book, or the Jews.

Commentary by Muhammad Asad.

And in times to come some people will say they were three and their dog is the fourth. Some others will say they were five and their dog was the sixth, as they idly guessing without any knowledge, until some people will say that they were seven and the eighth of them being their dog. Say,

"My Sustainer knows best how many they were. None but a few have any real knowledge of them. Hence, do not argue about them otherwise than by way of an obvious argument, and do not ask any of those storytellers to enlighten you about them."

Muhammad Asad wrote in his footnote that, the future tense in the first word "sayakuluna" points to the legendary character of the story, and implies that all speculation about its detail is irrelevant to its parabolic, ethical purport. Do not argue about them except for self-evident ethical lesson.

Commentary by Abdullah Yusuf Ali.

The controversy is after ages about the number of the Sleepers: were they 3 or 5 or 7?
People answered not from knowledge, but from conjecture.

Gibbon's version, which has now become well-known, makes the number of Sleepers seven.

The number is immaterial. We should pay attention to the spiritual lesson.

The true significance of the story is known only to a few. Most people discuss the details which are not in their knowledge.

It is unprofitable to enter into such immaterial controversies, and many other controversies

that have been waged about religion by shallow men from time immemorial.

Yes, if there is a matter of clear knowledge from experience that matters, we must openly proclaim it, so that the world may be brought to listen to God's Truth.

Vulgar story-mongers as such know little of the true significance of stories and parables.

We have a clear exposition in The Quran. What need is there to go into details of the

number of men in the Cave, or of the length of time they remained in it?

Commentary by Muhammad Taqiuddin & Muhsin Khan

Some say they were 3 and the dog was the 4th. Others say they were 5 and the dog was the 6th, guessing at the unseen. Yet others say they were 7, and the dog was the 8th. Say,

"My Lord knows best their number, none knows them but a few."

So debate not except with clear proof. And consult not any of the people of the book, Jews and Christians, about the affairs of the people of the Cave.

Commentary by Harun Yahya

Such speculation is wrong as they were only guessingat the Unseen. Muslims must not arguebut just say that

"ALLAH knows best."

Obviously, there is no point in listening to arguments based on hearsay, conjecture and ignorance.

ALLAH warns against such arguments,


"Do not pursue what you have no knowledge of. Hearing, sight and hearts will
all be questioned"

[Chapter Al-Isra' Verse 36]


However, ALLAH do reveals some of the unseen to HIS messengers.


"HE is the Knower of the Unseen, and does not divulge HIS Unseen to anyone -
except a Messenger with whom HE is well pleased, and then HE posts sentinels before him
and behind him"

[Chapter Al-Jinn Verse 26 - 27]



--------------to be continued--------------------

005-7e The Cave 18 : 21 Signs of Doomsday

Translation, Commentary & Explanation of Chapter 18 Al-Kahfi.

Literal Translation of verse 21.

That is how we show them, so that they know that the promise of God is true, and that there is no doubt about the coming of The Hour. When they were contradicting about their affair, some people said,

"Let us built on their cave a building. Their Lord knows best about them."

The people who were dominating their affair said,

"We will built on it a place of worship."

Commentary by Jalalain.

The awakening of the people of the cave, is a sign of the truth of the Day of Resurrection and also as a sign to all people, that ALLAH, The Most Powerful, can put them to death for a long time in their sleep and their body were still intact without food and drink. Thus ALLAH is Very Powerful to bring the dead back to life.

The people of the town had conflicting opinion about building a memorial structure at the location of the cave. The non-religious people preferred a building to cover them up, while the dominating religious faction unanimously agreed to build a house of worship at the entrance of the cave.

Muhammad Taqiuddin Al-Hilali

commented that it was, most probably, the non-religious faction of the people who won the case and build a house of worship over them.

Commentary by Muhammad Asad.

And in this way We have drawn people's attention to their story, so that they know that God's promise of resurrection is true, and there is no doubt about the coming of the Last Hour.

Some people suggest to build a memorial building. Finally, the prevailed opinion agreed to built a house of worship in their memory.

Note that Muhammad Asad did not mentioned wether they were religous or non-religious factions.

Harun Yahya

mentioned in his book "Signs of the End Times in Surat Al-Kahfi",

that, this verse contains clear signs of the End Times and The Hour.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!to be continued!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

005-6e The Cave 18:20 - Stone throw away

Translation, Commentary & Explanation of Chapter 18 Al-Kahfi.

Literal Translation of verse 20.
Certainly, if they know where you stay, they will throw stones on you. Or they will force you back to their religion, and you will never succeed forever.

Commentary by Jalalain.
Possibly they will kill you with the throwing of the stones.If you are forced to revert to their religion, then there will be no success for you forever.

Commentary by Muhammad Taqiuddin Al-Hilali
If they come to know of you, they will stone you to death or turn you back to their religion. In that case, you will never be successful.

[My Understanding]

After the 7 youths woke up from their 300 years of sleep, they were hungry.

They discussed about going to the town to buy food. Due to tyrannic

ruler they had, they were very cautious not to exposed themselves, or else,

the king will killed them.

===========to be continued=====================

005-5e The Cave 18 : 19 - How long did they sleep in the cave

Translation, Commentary & Explanation of Chapter 18 Al-Kahfi.

Literal Translation of verse 16.
And that was how We woke them up so that they asked one another. One of them asked,

"How long have you stayed here?"

Some of them answered,

"Perhaps a day or half-a-day."

The others answered,

"Your Lord knows best how long you have stayed here. So let one of you go to the town with some silver money, and buy some good food. He must be gentle and should not tell anyone of your affair"

Commentary by Imam Jalalain.
That was what We had done to the People of the Cave. We woke them up so that they asked among themselves of their condition and the period of their stay in the cave. They had entered the cave during sunrise, and they woke up during sunset, so some of them thought that they had been in the cave only for a day.

The Arabic word "wariqikum" means "your silver money". According to an opinion, the town was Tharasus. Good food signify lawful for eating.

+++++++++++to be continued+++++++++++++++++++++++

005-4e The Cave - Chapter 18 : Verse 18

Translation, Commentary & Explanation of Chapter 18 Al-Kahfi.

Literal Translation of verse 18.
And you would have thought that they were awake, but they were asleep. We tossed them around to the right and to the left, while their dog stretched it's legs in front of the cave. And if you would have seen them, surely, you would have turn around and ran away with fear.

Imam Jalalain wrote that, if you would have seen them, you would think they were not asleep because their eyes were opened. God tossed them around so that their flesh was not worn out by the earth, while their dog strecthed it's front legs forward outside the mouth of the cave. When the youth tossed around, their dog also did the same. The dog was also sleeping although it's eyes were opened. Allah protected them by instilling fear to anyone who wanted to enter their cave, such that they were in a peacefully seclusion.

Dr Taqiuddin Al-Hilali & Dr Muhammad Muhsin Khan commented similar as the literal meaning above but added that the dog stretched its 2 forelegs at the entrance of the cave as a guard of the gate. Had you looked at them you would turn back and would have been filled with awe.

Muhammad Asad wrote that God turned them over repeatedly to the right and left and their dog lay on the threshold with its paws outstretched. An accidental onlooker would felt the mystic, awe-inspiring aura that surrounded the Men of the Cave, and would become concious that he stood before God's elect. This was the opinion of Iman Tabari, Razi, Ibnu Katsir and Baydawi.

+++++++++++++++++++++to be continued++++++++++++++++++++

005-3e The Cave 18 : 17 The sun did not shine on them

Translation, Commentary & Explanation of Chapter 18 Al-Kahfi.

Literal Translation of verse 17.
And you will see that when the sun rise, it will be slanting to the right of their cave, and when the sun set, it will be slanting to the left, while they were in a spacious place in the cave. This is a sign of God. Whomsoever, God give guidance will be guided, and whom Heled astray, you will never find a guide to show them the way.

Commentary by Jalalain.
The sun ray did not touched them during sunrise and sunset. While they were in a spacious cave where there were free flow of fresh cooling breeze. This is a proof of the Greatness of God.

Commentary by Dr Taqiuddin & Dr Muhammad Muhsin Khan.
During sunrise the sun was declining to the right from the cave, and during sunset it was declining to the left. While they lay in the midst of the cave. That is one of the signs of Allah. He whom Allah guides, is rightly guided. He whom He sends astray, for him you will find no guiding friend to lead him to the right path.

Commentary by Muhammad Asad.
The rising sun incline away from their cave on the right, and the setting sun, turn aside from them on the left, while they lived on in that spacious chamber.
The cave opened to the north, so the that heat of the sun never disturbed them. I believe this is an echo of the many Quranic allusions to the hapiness of the righteous in paradise, i.e. in everlasting shades.

Commentary by Abdullah Yusuf Ali.
The latitude of Ephesus was 38 degree North and well above the sun's northern declination. As the mouth of the cave was facing North, it would never have the heat of the sun within it, as the sunny side would be the south. If the youths lay on their backs with their faces looking to the north entrance of the cave, the sun would rise on their right and set on their left, leaving them cool and comfort. Such are among the signs of Allah.

The youths were rightly guided. As they had faith and trust in God, they found safety and refuge in the cave. They wereprotected from the persecution and violence of the Emperor.

Note: As you would have noticed, I am not translating the commentaries word for word, but more like a summary.

========With the will of God this will be continued=========

005-2c The Cave 18:16 Reason for hiding in The Cave

Translation, Commentary & Explanation of Chapter 18 The Cave.

Literal Translation of verse 16.
And when you leave them and the things they worship other than The God, look for a hiding place in a cave. Your Lord will shower you with His mercy and will sustain you with your needs.

Commentary by Jalalain.
The word "mirfaqan" at the end of the verse can be read as "marfiqan" and means "daily needs such as lunch and dinner".

Commentary by Dr Taqiuddin & Dr Muhammad Muhsin Khan.
The young men said to one another that "when you withdraw from them and what they worship, except Allah, then seek refuge in the cave. Your Lord will open a way for you from His Mercy and will make your affairs easy for you." e.g. provisions and dwelling etc...

Commentary by Abdullah Yusuf Ali.
The 7 sleepers were taking counsel among themselves, and one of them said "Do not be afraid of anything. Put your case in the hands of God. At present you are being persecuted. He will solve your difficulties and give you ease and comfort".

========will be contiued with God's will============

005-1c The Cave 18:14 - 15 The 7 Sleepers of Ephesus

Translation, Commentary & Explanation of Chapter 18 The Cave.

Literal Translation of verse 14.

And We strengthened their hearts at the time they were standing and then they said,

"Our Lord is the Lord ofthe heaven and Earth. We will never call upon other than Him, as God. Verily, if we do that, we had said something far from the Truth."

Commentary by Jalalain.

We strengthened their hearts to hold on to the words of Truth, when they were standing

infront of their king who were forcing them to worship idols. Then they said,

"Our Lord is the Lord of the heaven and Earth. We will never call upon other than Allah, as God. Certainly, if we do that, we had said something far from the Truth."

If we call upon God other than Allah then those are extreme words and very sinful

Commentary by Muhammad Asad.

And We endowed their hearts with strength, so that they stood up and said to one another,

"Our Sustainer is the Sustainer of the heavens and the earth. Never shall we invoke any deity other than Him. If we did, we should indeed have uttered an enormity".

They stood up to their mis-guided fellowmen and rulerswho persecuted the believers.

Commentary by Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Given the strength the youths were not afraid to speak out the Truth openly in public against the tyrant Roman Emperor. After that, they fled to the cave.

==============================================================

Literal Translation of Verse 15

They, our people, had taken other than Him as gods.Why didn't they provide, for what they were doing,a clear proof. Who is more unjust than those who innovate falsehood against God.

Commentary by Jalalain.

They, our people, had made other than Him as gods.Why didn't they justify what they worship. Thereis none more unjust than those who attribute partnersto Allah.

Commentary by Abdullah Yusuf Ali.

Besides the heathen gods, the cult of the Emperorsalso became fashionable in the Roman Empire in thefirst 3 centuries of the Christian Era. The statueof Diana (Artemis) at Ephesus had been one of the wonders of the ancient world. The city was a great sea port and the capital of the Roman Asia. The heathen cults had flourished there. St Paul spent 3 years preaching there, but was mobbed, assaultedand compelled to leave (Acts 19:1-41).

In the book "Decline & Fall of the Roman Empire" Edward Gibbon, wrote that due to the persecutionsby a Roman Emperor Decius in 249 to 251 AD, 7 Christianyouths of Ephesus left the town and hid in a cave, where they fell asleep. When they woke up, one of them went back to the town to buy provisions. He found out that Christianity had became the State religion and not persecuted anymore, and that the current Roman Emperor was Theodosius II (who reign from 408 to 450 AD).

Ephesus was a famous city on the West Coast of Asia Minorabout 50 miles south of Smyrna, now probably a coastaltown of Lebanon or Turkey. Caliph Wathiq in 842 to 846 ADsent an expedition to examine and identify the locality.

=========will be continued with the will of God=========

004-3c The Cave 18:12-13 A mark to the world

Translation, Commentary & Explanation of Chapter 18 Al-Kahfi.

Translation of Verse 12.
Then We awakened them so that We know which of the two parties is more accurate regarding their staying period.

Tafsir Jalalain
Then We awakened them so that We know and witness with clarity which of the two groups, who differed in opinion regarding their stay in the cave, is more accurate and more acceptable, regarding the period of their stay in the cave.

Tafsir Muhammad Asad
And then We awakened them. We did all this so that We might mark out to the world which of the two points of view showed a better comprehension of the time-span during which they had remained in this state.

They were awakened to return to the active life of this world.

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Translation of verse 13.
We narrate their story to you with truth. Verily, they were youths who had faith in their Lord and We increased to them guidance.

Tafsir Jalalain.
We narrate and read their story to you with truth and enthusiasm. Verily, they were youths who had faith in their Lord and We increased to them guidance.

Tafsir Muhammad Asad.
And now We shall truly relate to you their story, without fictitious additions.
Behold they were young men who had attained to faith in their Sustainer, and so We deepened their consciousness of the right way.

============to be continued============

004-2c Al-Kahfi Verse 10 - 11 Asked for Right Guidance

Translation, Commentary & Explanation of Chapter 18 Al-Kahfi.

Literal Translation of verse 10.
The youth hid in the cave and said

"Our Lord shower upon us mercy from You, and accomplish our affair with the right guidance."

Tafsir Jalalain.
Remember that when the youth were finding a hiding place in the cave, they were worried of their faith being influenced by the unbelieving people around them.

So they prayed, "Our Lord shower upon us mercy from You, and accomplish and make good our affair with the right guidance"

Tafsir Muhammad Asad.
When those youth took refuge in the cave, they prayed,

"O our Sustainer, bestow on us Your grace, and endow us, whatever our outward condition, with consciousness of what is right."

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Literal Translation of verse 11.
Then We covered their ears in the cave for a number of years.

Tafsir Jalalain.
Then We covered their ears by putting them to sleepfor a number of years in the cave.

Tafsir Muhammad Asad.
And thereupon We veiled their ears in the cave for many a year.
God caused them to remain cut-off, physically or metaphorically, from then sounds and the bustle of the outside world. The classical commentators take the above phrase to mean that God "veiled their ears with sleep".

Tafsir Abdullah Yusuf Ali.
Covered their ears means a veil sealing their ears, so that they hear nothing. As they were in the cave, they saw nothing . They were completely cut off from the outer world, as if they had died. Their knowledge and ideas stopped at the point they entered the cave.

004-1c The Cave 18:9 The 7 sleepers of Ephesus

Translation, Commentary & Explanation of Chapter 18 Al-Kahfi.

Translation of Verse 9.
Do you counted that the People of the Cave and the Inscription were wonders among Our signs?

Tafsir Jalalain
Or you consider that the Dwellers of the Cave at a certain hill and the Stone Inscription as one of the wonders of Our signs.

According to Jalalain, the names of the Dwellers of the Cave and their genealogy were inscribed on the Stone Inscription. Once the Prophet were asked about them.

Gramatically, this verse means that, do you think that the People of the Cave are more wondrous than the other signs of God? Verily, no, they are not more wondrous.

Tafsir Muhammad Asad
And since the life of this world is but a test, do you really think that the parable of the Men of the Cave and of their devotion to the scriptures could be deemed more wondrous than any other of our messages?

Popular belief is that those youths were true Christians, who did not want to submit to the persecution of the Roman Emperor Decius of the Third Century, and to the people around them who had began to worship other gods.

Another version is that they were young and pious Jews of the Essen Brotherhood who were committed and dedicated to the writings, studying and preservation of the Holy Scriptures, in a secluded place near the Dead Sea. Jesus was believed to belong to this group. After the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, they became known as the Qumran community.

Tafsir Abdullah Yusuf Ali.
There are 4 lessons to be learned from the wonderful story of the Companions of the Cave.

1) the relativity of time.

2) the unreality of persecutor and persecuted.

3) the truth of final resurrection.

4) the potency of faith and prayer.

Such wonder are not more wondrous, as it happens everyday on God's earth.

The unbelieving Quraish people of Makkah were in the habit of questioning Prophet Muhammad in order to discredit him. The Christian legend of the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus is one of their question.

Prophet Muhammad told them the main story and pointed out the different variations and disputes among the people regarding the seven sleepers, and emphasized that the story is a parable with spiritual lessons of the highest value.

+++++++++++

Moral Lessons

The truth of Religion and God is not judge by magical powers and incidents but by the plain simple message of being sincere and to GOD. As in the case of Moses and the crossing of the Red Sea, these seven sleepers are simply one of the sign of the greatness of GOD to make things happen out of the scientific reasoning.

You cannot reason how come the Moses and his followers could cross the Red Sea without a boat or a ship! Thus you cannot reason, how come these 7 syouths can sleep in a cave for 309 years??

Therefore the truth is what the prophets had taught us. Anf for us, The Quran is the sign of the greatness of GOD revealed to Prophet Muhammad.

You only need to read and study the Holy Quran to see The Truth.

I have read many other religious books including The Bible and they are not better than the Holy Quran.

003-2c The Cave 18 : 7 - 8 - The Best Specimen

Translation, Commentary & Explanation of Chapter 18 Al-Kahfi.

Literal Translation of Verse 7.
Verily We have made whatever is on earth as its ornaments,to test them, whom among them are of the best conduct.

Tafsir Jalaian.
Verily We have made whatever on earth, such as animals,vegetation, trees, rivers etc. as its decorations,so that We test mankind and observes whom among them has the best conduct in this world, that is, who amongthem are less attach to the worldly matters.


Tafsir Muhammad Asad.
Behold, We have willed that all beauty on earth be a meansby which We put men to a test, showing which of them arebest in conduct.
God lets men reveal their real characters in their respective attitudes, moral or immoral, towards the material goods and benefits which the world offer them. In further analysis, this passage implies that the real motive underlying men's refusal to believe in God'sspiritual message, is almost always their excessive blind attachment to the good of this world, combinedwith false pride in what they regard as their own achievements.

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Literal Translation of Verse 8.
And verily, We will surely make whatever on it to be flattened and barren.

Tafsir Jalaian.
And verily, We will surely make whatever on it to beflattened to the ground level, dry, barren and infertile.


Tafsir Muhammad Asad.
And, verily, in time We shall reduce all that is on itto barren dust

==============to be continued================
Moral
We should not be too much attached to these temporary worldly activities and all its fanciful attractions, but, instead we should pay more attention and spend most of our time on the activities that will bring us permanent success and happiness in the hereafter, that is paradise, which is promised by GOD.
Otherwise, we will end up roasted in the burning Fire of Hell.

003-1c The Cave 18:6 Grief can destroy

Translation, Commentary & Explanation of Chapter 18 Al-Kahfi.

Translation of Verse 6.
So perhaps you may want to destroy yourself with grief over their unwillingness to believe in this saying/word.

Tafsir Jalalain.
So perhaps you will destroy and kill yourself, in grief, after they turn away from you and do not believe in the explanation of the Quran, because you are sad, as you really wanted them to believe.

Tafsir Muhammad Asad
But would you perhaps torment yourself to death with grief over them if they are not willing to believe in this message?
This question was addressed to the Prophet, who was distressed by the hostility which his message aroused among the pagan Meccans, and suffered agonies of apprehension regarding their spiritual fate.
Beyond that, however, it applies to everyone who, havingbecome convinced of the truth, is dismayed at the indifference with which his social environment reacts to it.


Moral : Do not grief over anything, but, be sad because GOD did not shower HIS
blessing to other people.
=================to be continued========================