The Cave — Verse 15

Their Belief in Allah and their Retreat from their People 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." وَزِدْنَـهُمْ 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: وَزِدْنَـهُمْ 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 ﷺ, 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 قَامُواْ فَقَالُواْ رَبُّنَا رَبُّ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ (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 saw 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 ﷺ said: «الْأَرْوَاحُ جُنُودٌ مُجَنَّدَةٌ، فَمَا تَعَارَفَ مِنْهَا ائْتَلَفَ 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 ﷺ. 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 saw 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 قَامُواْ فَقَالُواْ رَبُّنَا رَبُّ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ لَن نَّدْعُوَاْ مِن دُونِهِ إِلـهاً (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: لَّقَدْ قُلْنَا إِذًا شَطَطًا (...if we did, we should indeed have uttered an enormity in disbelief.) meaning, untruth and utter falsehood. هَـؤُلاءِ قَوْمُنَا اتَّخَذْواْ مِن دُونِهِ ءَالِهَةً لَّوْلاَ يَأْتُونَ عَلَيْهِم بِسُلْطَـنٍ 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 Shari`ah 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 إَلاَّ 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, فَأْوُواْ إِلَى الْكَهْفِ يَنْشُرْ لَكُمْ رَبُّكُم مِّن رَّحْمَتِهِ (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. وَيُهَيِّىءْ لَكُمْ مِّنْ أَمْرِكُمْ 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 ﷺ 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 لاَ 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 tranquillity upon him, and strengthened him with forces which you saw 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.

These hā’ūlā’ is the subject of the sentence our people qawmunā is an explicative supplement to the subject have taken gods besides Him. Why if what they claim is true do they not bring some clear warrant some manifest argument regarding them? regarding worship of these idols. And who does greater wrong — in other words no one does greater wrong — than he who invents a lie against God? by ascribing partners to Him exalted be He. Some among the youths said to the others

These, our people: an allusion to the commanding soul and its faculties. For every people have a deity whom they worship, [that deity] being what they desire and seek, and the soul worships vain desire, as in where He says: Have you then seen him who has taken as his god his [own] vain desire [Q. 45:23]. Or [it is an allusion] to the people who lived at the time when each of them had gone forth summoning to God, since whoever cleaves to something which he desires then he worships it. Why [if what they claim is true] do they not bring regarding them, that is, regarding their worship of them, their divinity, their effect and their existence, some clear warrantḍ, some clear proof: this is an indication of the corrupted nature of [their] practice and a rebuke to the effect that to establish a proof for the divinity of something other than God or for the effect and existence of such [a thing] is impossible, as He Himself has said: These are nothing but names which you have named, you and your fathers. God has not revealed any warrant for them [Q. 53:23]. In other words, these [things] are mere names without objects named [by those names], since they are nothing [in reality].

These, our people: an allusion to the commanding soul and its faculties. For every people have a deity whom they worship, [that deity] being what they desire and seek, and the soul worships vain desire, as in where He says: Have you then seen him who has taken as his god his [own] vain desire [Q. 45:23]. Or [it is an allusion] to the people who lived at the time when each of them had gone forth summoning to God, since whoever cleaves to something which he desires then he worships it. Why [if what they claim is true] do they not bring regarding them, that is, regarding their worship of them, their divinity, their effect and their existence, some clear warrantḍ, some clear proof: this is an indication of the corrupted nature of [their] practice and a rebuke to the effect that to establish a proof for the divinity of something other than God or for the effect and existence of such [a thing] is impossible, as He Himself has said: These are nothing but names which you have named, you and your fathers. God has not revealed any warrant for them [Q. 53:23]. In other words, these [things] are mere names without objects named [by those names], since they are nothing [in reality].

ثم قال بعضهم لبعض: هؤلاء قومنا اتخذوا لهم آلهة غير الله، فهلا أتَوْا على عبادتهم لها بدليل واضح، فلا أحد أشد ظلمًا ممن اختلق على الله الكذب بنسبة الشريك إليه في عبادته.

" هؤلاء قومنا اتخذوا من دونه آلهة " لولا يأتون عليهم بسلطان بين أي هلا أقاموا على صحة ما ذهبوا إليه دليلا واضحًا صحيحًا " فمن أظلم ممن افترى على الله كذبا" يقولون: بل هم ظالمون كاذبون في قولهم ذلك فيقال إن ملكهم لما دعوه إلى الإيمان بالله أبى عليهم وتهددهم وتوعدهم وأمر بنزع لباسهم عنهم الذي كان عليهم من زينة قومهم وأجلهم لينظروا في أمرهم لعلهم يرجعون عن دينهم الذي كانوا عليه وكان هذا من لطف الله بهم فإنهم في تلك النظرة توصلوا إلى الهرب منه والفرار بدينهم من الفتنة وهذا هو المشروع عند وقوع الفتن في الناس أن يفر العبد منهم خوفًا على دينه كما جاء في الحديث " يوشك أن يكون خير مال أحدكم غنمًا يتبع بها شعف الجبال ومواقع القطر يفر بدينه من الفتن "ففي هذه الحال تشرع العزلة عن الناس ولاتشرع فيما عداها لما يفوت بها من ترك الجماعات والجمع فلما وقع عزمهم على الذهاب والهرب من قومهم واختار الله تعالى لهم ذلك وأخبر عنهم بذلك.

حكى - سبحانه - عن هؤلاء الفتية أنهم لم يكتفوا بإعلان إيمانهم الصادق ، بل أضافوا إلى ذلك استنكارهم لما عليه قومهم من شرك فقال : ( هؤلاء قَوْمُنَا اتخذوا مِن دُونِهِ آلِهَةً لَّوْلاَ يَأْتُونَ عَلَيْهِم بِسُلْطَانٍ بَيِّنٍ .. ) .و ( هؤلاء ) مبتدأ ، و ( قومنا ) عطف بيان ، وجملة ( اتخذوا مِن دُونِهِ آلِهَةً ) هى الخبر .و " لولا " للتحضيض ، وهو الطلب بشدة والمقصود بالتحضيض هنا : الإِنكار والتعجيز ، إذ من المعلوم أن قومهم لن يستطيعوا أن يقيموا الدليل على صحة ما هم عليه من شرك .والمراد بالسلطان البين : الحجة الواضحة .أى : أن أولئك الفتية بعد أن اجتمعوا ، وتعاهدوا على عبادة الله - تعالى - وحده ، ونبذ الشرك والشركاء قالوا على سبيل الإِنكار والاحتقار لما عليه قومهم : هؤلاء قومنا بلغ بهم السفه والجهل ، أنهم اتخذوا مع الله - تعالى - أصناما يشركونها معه فى العبادة ، هلا أتى هؤلاء السفهاء بحجة ظاهرة تؤيد دعواهم بأن هذه الأصنام تصلح آلهة لا شك أنهم لن يستطيعوا ذلك .قال صاحب الكشاف وقوله : ( لَّوْلاَ يَأْتُونَ عَلَيْهِم بِسُلْطَانٍ بَيِّنٍ ) تبكيت لأن الإِتيان بالسلطان على صحة عبادة الأوثان محال ، وهو دليل على فساد التقليد ، وأنه لا بد فى الدين من حجة حتى يصح ويثبت .وشبيه بهذه الآية فى تعجيز المشركين وتجهيلهم قوله تعالى : ( قُلْ هَلْ عِندَكُم مِّنْ عِلْمٍ فَتُخْرِجُوهُ لَنَآ إِن تَتَّبِعُونَ إِلاَّ الظن وَإِنْ أَنتُمْ إَلاَّ تَخْرُصُونَ ) وقوله - سبحانه - : ( قُلْ أَرَأَيْتُمْ مَّا تَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ الله أَرُونِي مَاذَا خَلَقُواْ مِنَ الأرض أَمْ لَهُمْ شِرْكٌ فِي السماوات ائتوني بِكِتَابٍ مِّن قَبْلِ هاذآ أَوْ أَثَارَةٍ مِّنْ عِلْمٍ إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ ) ثم ختم - سبحانه - الآية الكريمة بما يدل على تكذيبهم لقومهم ، ووصفهم إياهم بالظلم فقال : ( فَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ افترى عَلَى الله كَذِباً ) .أى : لا أحد أشد ظلماً من قوم افتروا على الله - تعالى- الكذب ، حيث زعموا أن له شريكا فى العبادة والطاعة ، مع انه - جل وعلا - منزه عن الشريك والشركاء : ( أَلاَ لَهُ الخلق والأمر تَبَارَكَ الله رَبُّ العالمين ).

القول في تأويل قوله تعالى : هَؤُلاءِ قَوْمُنَا اتَّخَذُوا مِنْ دُونِهِ آلِهَةً لَوْلا يَأْتُونَ عَلَيْهِمْ بِسُلْطَانٍ بَيِّنٍ فَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ افْتَرَى عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِبًا (15)يقول عز ذكره مخبرا عن قيل الفتية من أصحاب الكهف: هؤلاء قومنا اتخذوا من دون الله آلهة يعبدونها من دونه ( لَوْلا يَأْتُونَ عَلَيْهِمْ بِسُلْطَانٍ بَيِّنٍ ) يقول: هلا يأتون على عبادتهم إياها بحجة بينة ، وفي الكلام محذوف اجتزئ بما ظهر عما حذف، وذلك في قوله: ( لَوْلا يَأْتُونَ عَلَيْهِمْ بِسُلْطَانٍ بَيِّنٍ ) فالهاء والميم في " عليهم " من ذكر الآلهة، والآلهة لا يؤتى عليها بسلطان، ولا يسأل السلطان عليها، وإنما يسأل عابدوها السلطان على عبادتهموها، فمعلوم إذ كان الأمر كذلك، أن معنى الكلام: لولا يأتون على عبادتهموها، واتخاذهموها آلهة من دون الله بسلطان بين.وبنحو ما قلنا في معنى السلطان، قال أهل التأويل.* ذكر من قال ذلك:حدثنا بشر، قال: ثنا يزيد، قال: ثنا سعيد، عن قتادة، قوله ( لَوْلا يَأْتُونَ عَلَيْهِمْ بِسُلْطَانٍ بَيِّنٍ ) يقول: بعذر بين.وعنى بقوله عز ذكره: ( فَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ افْتَرَى عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِبًا )ومن أشدّ اعتداء وإشراكا بالله، ممن اختلق، فتخرّص على الله كذبا، وأشرك مع الله في سلطانه شريكا يعبده دونه، ويتخده إلها.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------الهوامش:(1) البيت غير منسوب. واللقاح : هي النوق ذوات اللبن ، تنتج في أول الربيع فتكون لقاحا ، واحدتها لقحة ( بفتح اللام وكسرها ) فلا تزال لقاحا حتى يدبر الصيف عنها . ( انظر اللسان: لقح ) . وتروحت : عادت من مراعيها إلى مراحها. أو تروحت : أصابتها الريح . والهدج ( بسكون الدال ) مصدر هدج يهدج هدجا وهدجانا ، وهو المشي الرويد في ضعف . يقال : هدج الظليم يهدج هدجانا والرئال : جمع رأل ، وهو ولد النعام ، وخص بعضهم به الحولي . ويقال في جمعه : أرؤل ، ورئلان ، ورئال ، ورئالة ( اللسان : رأل ) وتكبهن: تلقيهن على صدورهن في الأرض. والشمال : الريح تهب من جهة الشمال . شبه سير اللقاح في رجوعها إلى مراحها بهدجال الرئال ، وهو مشي ضعيف يريد أن اللقاح في ذلك الوقت تهدج في سيرها هدج الرئال حين تسوقهن ريح الشمال .والشاهد في قوله : تكبهن شمالا ، فإن شمالا منصوب على التمييز ، وهو محول عن الفاعل . والأصل تكبهن شمال . وهو نظير نصب كلمة من قوله تعالى : ( كَبُرَتْ كَلِمَةً ) فإن كلمة منصوبة على التمييز ، وهو تمييز نسبة محول عن الفاعل والأصل كبرت كلمة ( بالرفع ).(2) البيت في ديوان ذي الرمة طبع كيمبردج سنة 1919 ص 251 من القصيدة الثانية والثلاثين وعدتها ثمانية وسبعون بيتا. والباخع القاتل : ونحته عدلته وصرفته . والبيت من شواهد أبي عبيدة في مجاز القرآن ( 1: 393 ) قال : " فلعلك باخع نفسك " : مهلك نفسك . قال ذو الرمة : " ألا أيهذا ... " البيت.أي نحته مشدد. ويقال بخعت له نفسي ونصحي : أي جهدت له وقال الفراء في معاني القرآن ( الورقة 183 من مصورة الجامعة رقم 24059 ) باخع نفسك مخرج ، وقاتل نفسك .أه وفي ( اللسان بخع ) نفسه يبخعها بخعا وبخوعا : قتلها غيظا أو غما . وفي التنزيل ( فَلَعَلَّكَ بَاخِعٌ نَفْسَكَ عَلَى آثَارِهِمْ ) قال الفراء : أي محرج نفسك ، وقاتل نفسك . وقال ذو الرمة " ألا يهذأ ...بشيء... " البيت . وقال الأخفش : بخعت لك نفسي ونصحي : أي جهدتها . أبخع بخوعا.(3) البيت من مشطور الرجز . وهو من شواهد أبي عبيدة في (مجاز القرآن 1 : 394) قال جرزا : أي غلظا لا ينبت شيئا ، والجميع : أرضون أجراز . ويقال للسنة المجدبة : جرز ، وسنون أجراز، ولجدوبها ، ويبسها، وقلة مطرها . ثم أنشد بيتا لذي الرمة ، ثم بيت الشاهد ، والبيت أيضا من شواهد ( اللسان : جرز ) قال : وسنة جرز : إذا كانت جدبة . والجرز السنة المجدبة قال الراجز : " قد جرفتهن ..." البيت ، ومعنى وجرفتهن : أي ذهبت بهن كلهن أو جلهن . والضمير راجع إلى إبله . ويجوز أن يكون معنى جرفتهن بالتشديد : هزلتهن ، وذهبت بما فيهن من شحم ولحم ، ولقلة المرعى.(4) شعيب الجبئي : هو شعيب بن الأسود الجبئي المحدث من أقران طاووس ، أخذ العلم عنه محمد بن إسحاق وسلمة بن وهران . وهو منسوب إلى الجبأ ، بالهمز والقصر ، كما قال الهمداني في صفة جزيرة العرب في مواضع ، وهو كورة المعافر ، بالقرب من الجند ( انظر معجم ما استعجم للبكري ، طبعة القاهرة ، في رسم الجبأ ص 360 ) .(5) قال القرطبي في تفسيره (10: 360) وأما أسماء أهل الكهف فأعجمية ، والسند في معرفتها واه ، ونقلها عن الطبري .(6) البيت للنابغة الذبياني ، في ( مختار الشعر الجاهلي ، بشرح مصطفى السقا ، طبعة مصطفى البابي الحلبي وأولاده ص 152 ) من قصيدته التي مطلعها: يــا دار ميــة بالعليــاء فالسـندوهي خمسون بيتا ، والشاهد هو السادس والعشرون منها . قال شارحه: الأمد الغاية التي تجري إليها ( وعلى هذا استشهد المؤلف ) يقول : لا تنطو على حقد وغضب ، إلا لمن هو مثلك في الناس ، أو قريب منك.(7) البيت للأحوص بن محمد . وهو من شواهد أبي عبيدة في ( مجاز القرآن 1 : 394 ) قال : ( قُلْنَا إِذًا شَطَطًا ) : أي جورا وغلوا ، قال ألا يـا لقـوم قـد أشـطت عـواذلي...البيت وذكر بعده بيتا آخر وهو:وَيَلْحَــيْنِي فـي اللَّهْـوِ أنْ لا أُحِبُّـهُوللَّهْــوِ داعٍ دائِــبٌ غـيرُ غـافِلِوفي ( اللسان : شطط ) : الشطط : مجاوزة القدر في بيع أو طلب أو احتكام أو غير ذلك من كل مشتق منه . أه . وقال : وشط في سلعته وأشط : جاوز القدر ، وتباعد عن الحق . وشط عليه في حكمه يشط شططا. واشتط ، وأشط : جار في قضيته . وقال أبو عبيدة : شططت أشط، بضم الشين ، وأشططت : جرت . قال ابن بري : أشط : بمعنى أبعد، وشط بمعنى بعد . وشاهد أشط بمعنى أبعد ، قول الأحوص : * ألا لقـومي قـد أشـطت عواذلي *...البيت.

( هؤلاء قومنا ) يعني : أهل بلدهم ( اتخذوا من دونه ) أي من دون الله ( آلهة ) يعني : الأصنام يعبدونها ( لولا ) أي : هلا ( يأتون عليهم ) أي : على عبادتهم ( بسلطان بين ) بحجة واضحة تبين وتوضح أن الأصنام لا تستحق العبادة من دون الله ] ( فمن أظلم ممن افترى على الله كذبا ) وزعم أن له شريكا وولدا .

لما كان النهي عن الجهر بالدعاء أو قراءة الصلاة سداً لذريعة زيادة تصميمهم على الكفر أعقب ذلك بأمره بإعلان التوحيد لقطع دابر توهم من توهموا أن الرحمان اسم لمسمى غير مسمى اسم الله ، فبعضهم توهمه إلهاً شريكاً ، وبعضهم توهمه مُعيناً وناصراً ، أمر النبي بأن يقول ما يقلع ذلك كله وأن يعظمه بأنواع من التعظيم .وجملة { الحمد لله } تقتضي تخصيصه تعالى بالحمد ، أي قصر جنس الحمد عليه تعالى لأنه أعظم مستحق لأن يحمد . فالتخصيص ادعائي بادعاء أن دواعي حمد غير الله تعالى في جانب دواعي حمد الله بمنزلة العدم ، كما تقدم في سورة الفاتحة .و ( مِن ) في قوله : { من الذل } بمعنى لام التعليل .والذل : العجز والافتقار ، وهو ضدّ العز ، أي ليس له ناصر من أجل الذل . والمراد : نفي الناصر له على وجه مؤكد ، فإن الحاجة إلى الناصر لا تكون إلا من العجز عن الانتصار للنفس . ويجوز تضمين ( الولي ) معنى ( المانع ) فتكون ( من ) لتعدية الاسم المضمن معناه .ومعنى { كبره } اعتقد أنه كبير ، أي عظيم العِظم المعنوي الشامل لوجوب الوجود والغِنى المطلق ، وصفات الكمال كلها الكاملة التعلقات ، لأن الاتصاف بذلك كله كمال ، والاتصاف بأضداد ذلك نقص وصغار معنوي .وإجراء هذه الصلات الثلاث على اسم الجلالة الذي هو متعلق الحمد لأن في هذه الصلاة إيماء إلى وجه تخصيصه بالحمد . والإتيان بالمفعول المطلق بعد { كَبّره } للتوكيد ، ولما في التنوين من التعظيم ، ولأنّ من هذه صفاته هو الذي يقدر على إعطاء النعم التي يعجز غيره عن إسدائها .

قوله تعالى : هؤلاء قومنا اتخذوا من دونه آلهة لولا يأتون عليهم بسلطان بين فمن أظلم ممن افترى على الله كذباقوله تعالى : هؤلاء قومنا اتخذوا من دونه آلهة أي قال بعضهم لبعض : هؤلاء قومنا أي أهل عصرنا وبلدنا ، عبدوا الأصنام تقليدا من غير حجة .لولا أي هلا .يأتون عليهم بسلطان بين أي بحجة على عبادتهم الصنم . وقيل : عليهم راجع إلى الآلهة ; أي هلا أقاموا بينة على الأصنام في كونها آلهة ; فقولهم لولا تحضيض بمعنى التعجيز ; وإذا لم يمكنهم ذلك لم يجب أن يلتفت إلى دعواهم .

‘Why do they not produce clear evidence?’ This question indicates that after embracing the new faith, there were prolonged discussions between these young men and the leaders of their community. But the statements made by these leaders in the course of discussions did not contain any convincing arguments in favour of polytheism (shirk). Therefore, they (the Men of the Cave) found it impossible to give up a faith whose merits stood proved for the sake of a belief which had no such advantage. On being opposed as above, had they given importance to the ‘greatness’ of the leaders of their community, they would have fallen a prey to hesitancy and doubt. But, when they gave more weight to sound reasoning and convincing arguments, it enhanced their faith. For, in respect of reasoning and arguments, these ‘great men’ appeared small to them. In spite of their outward greatness, they were found to be standing on false grounds and not on the grounds of truth.

The first sentence of verse 14: وَرَ‌بَطْنَا عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ (And We made their hearts firm) refers to the event described by Ibn Kathir a little earlier. This tells us that Allah made the hearts of these people firm when the king who was cruel and worshipped idols summoned them in his court and questioned them. This was a matter of life and death. But, despite their apprehension for the worst, Allah Ta` ala made His love, awe and grandeur prevail over their hearts which empowered them to face any eventuality of death or distress. The outcome was that they proclaimed their belief clearly and courageously saying that they did not worship anyone or anything other than Allah and would not do that in future as well. People who firmly resolve to do something for the sake of Allah, this is how they receive help from Allah Ta’ ala.

(These, our people, have chosen (other) gods) they have worshipped idols (beside Him though they bring no clear warrant) a clear proof ((vouchsafed) to them) that Allah commanded them to worship them. (And who doth greater wrong than he who inventeth a lie concerning Allah) that He has a partner?