The Cave — Verse 16

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.

And when you withdraw from them and from that which they worship except God then take refuge in the Cave. Your Lord will reveal for you something of His mercy and prepare for you in your affair some comfort’ read mirfaqan or marfiqan that is to say something for you to find comfort in in the way of lunch or supper.

Take refuge in the cave. Your Lord will unfold for you of His mercy and furnish you with kindliness in your affair. “Go into this cave of jealousy in the shade of solicitude, the embrace of friendship, and the world of protection. Your Lord will unfold for you of His mercy and keep you in the curtain of sinlessness, clothing you in the garment of mercy, giving you a place in the embrace of exaltedness.” What a lovely day when someone is walking on a road and all at once the one entrusted with this talk comes down and throws the lasso of seeking around his neck and pulls! He fastened to them the word of godwariness [48:26]. “You are Mine and I am yours: 'Be for Me as you always were, and I will be for you as I always have been.'”

Take refuge in the cave. Your Lord will unfold for you of His mercy and furnish you with kindliness in your affair. “Go into this cave of jealousy in the shade of solicitude, the embrace of friendship, and the world of protection. Your Lord will unfold for you of His mercy and keep you in the curtain of sinlessness, clothing you in the garment of mercy, giving you a place in the embrace of exaltedness.” What a lovely day when someone is walking on a road and all at once the one entrusted with this talk comes down and throws the lasso of seeking around his neck and pulls! He fastened to them the word of godwariness [48:26]. “You are Mine and I am yours: 'Be for Me as you always were, and I will be for you as I always have been.'”

Take refuge in the cave. Your Lord will unfold for you of His mercy and furnish you with kindliness in your affair. “Go into this cave of jealousy in the shade of solicitude, the embrace of friendship, and the world of protection. Your Lord will unfold for you of His mercy and keep you in the curtain of sinlessness, clothing you in the garment of mercy, giving you a place in the embrace of exaltedness.” What a lovely day when someone is walking on a road and all at once the one entrusted with this talk comes down and throws the lasso of seeking around his neck and pulls! He fastened to them the word of godwariness [48:26]. “You are Mine and I am yours: 'Be for Me as you always were, and I will be for you as I always have been.'”

Take refuge in the cave. Your Lord will unfold for you of His mercy and furnish you with kindliness in your affair. “Go into this cave of jealousy in the shade of solicitude, the embrace of friendship, and the world of protection. Your Lord will unfold for you of His mercy and keep you in the curtain of sinlessness, clothing you in the garment of mercy, giving you a place in the embrace of exaltedness.” What a lovely day when someone is walking on a road and all at once the one entrusted with this talk comes down and throws the lasso of seeking around his neck and pulls! He fastened to them the word of godwariness [48:26]. “You are Mine and I am yours: 'Be for Me as you always were, and I will be for you as I always have been.'”

Take refuge in the cave. Your Lord will unfold for you of His mercy and furnish you with kindliness in your affair.�Go into this cave of jealousy in the shade of solicitude, the embrace of friendship, and the world of protection. Your Lord will unfold for you of His mercy and keep you in the curtain of sinlessness, clothing you in the garment of mercy, giving you a place in the embrace of exaltedness.�What a lovely day when someone is walking on a road and all at once the one entrusted with this talk comes down and throws the lasso of seeking around his neck and pulls! He fastened to them the word of godwariness [48:26]. �You are Mine and I am yours: 'Be for Me as you always were, and I will be for you as I always have been.'�

وحين فارقتم قومكم بدينكم، وتركتم ما يعبدون من الآلهة إلا عبادة الله، فالجؤوا إلى الكهف في الجبل لعبادة ربكم وحده، يَبْسطْ لكم ربكم من رحمته ما يستركم به في الدارين، ويسهل لكم من أمركم ما تنتفعون به في حياتكم من أسباب العيش.

في قوله" وإذ اعتزلتموهم وما يعبدون إلاالله" أي وإذا فارقتموهم وخالفتموهم بأديانكم في عبادتهم غير الله ففارقوهم أيضًا بأبدانكم فأووا إلى الكهف ينشر لكم ربكم من رحمته أي يبسط عليكم رحمة يستركم بها من قومكم ويهيء لكم من أمركم الذي أنتم فيه مرفقا أي أمرًا ترتفقون به فعند ذلك خرجوا هرابا إلى الكهف فأووا إليه ففقدهم قومهم من بين أظهرهم وتطلبهم الملك فيقال إنه لم يظفر بهم وعمى الله عليه خبرهم كما فعل بنبيه محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم وصاحبه الصديق حين لجآ إلى غار ثور وجاء المشركون من قريش في الطلب فلم يهتدوا إليه مع أنهم يمرون عليه وعندها قال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم حين رأى جزع الصديق في قوله: يارسول الله لو أن أحدهم نظر إلى موضع قدميه لأبصرنا فقال "يا أبا بكر ما ظنك باثنين الله ثالثهما؟"وقد قال تعالى إلا تنصروه فقد نصره الله إذ أخرجه الذين كفروا ثاني اثنين إذا هما في الغار إذ يقول لصاحبه لاتحزن إن الله معنا فأنزل الله سكينته عليه وأيده بجنود لم تروها وجعل كلمة الذين كفروا السفلى وكلمة الله هي العليا والله عزيز حكيم فقصة هذا الغار أشرف وأجل و أعظم وأعجب من قصة أصحاب الكهف وقد قيل إن قومهم ظفروا ووقفوا على باب الغار الذي دخلوه فقالوا ما كنا نريد منهم من العقوبة أكثر مما فعلوا بأنفسهم فأمر الملك بردم بابه عليهم ليهلكوا مكانهم ففعلوا ذلك وفي هذا نظر والله أعلم فإن الله تعالى قد أخبر أن الشمس تدخل عليهم في الكهف بكرة وعشيا كما قال تعالى.

ثم حكى - سبحانه - بعد ذلك ما تناجوا به فيما بينهم ، بعد أن وضح موقفهم وضوحا صريحا حاسما ، وبعد أن أعلنوا كلمة التوحيد بصدق وقوة . . فقال - تعالى - : ( وَإِذِ اعتزلتموهم وَمَا يَعْبُدُونَ إِلاَّ الله فَأْوُوا إِلَى الكهف يَنْشُرْ لَكُمْ رَبُّكُم مِّن رَّحْمَتِهِ وَيُهَيِّئْ لَكُمْ مِّنْ أَمْرِكُمْ مِّرْفَقاً ) .و " إذ " يبدو أنها هنا للتعليل . والاعتزال : تجنب الشئ سواء أكان هذا التجنب بالبدن أم بالقلب . و " ما " فى قوله ( وَمَا يَعْبُدُونَ إِلاَّ الله ) اسم موصول فى محل نصب معطوف على الضمير فى قوله ( اعتزلتموهم ) وقوله : ( إلا الله ) استثناء متصل ، بناء على أن القوم كانوا يعبدون الله - تعالى - ويشكرون معه فى العبادة الأصنام . و " من " قالوا إنها بمعنى البدلية .وقوله : ( مرفقاً ) من الارتفاق : بمعنى الانتفاع ، وقرأ نافع وابن عامر مرفقا - بفتح الميم وكسر الفاء .

القول في تأويل قوله تعالى : وَإِذِ اعْتَزَلْتُمُوهُمْ وَمَا يَعْبُدُونَ إِلا اللَّهَ فَأْوُوا إِلَى الْكَهْفِ يَنْشُرْ لَكُمْ رَبُّكُمْ مِنْ رَحْمَتِهِ وَيُهَيِّئْ لَكُمْ مِنْ أَمْرِكُمْ مِرْفَقًا (16)يقول تعالى ذكره مخبرا عن قيل بعض الفتية لبعض:وإذا اعتزلتم أيها الفتية قومكم الذين اتخذوا من دون الله آلهة ( وَمَا يَعْبُدُونَ إِلا اللَّهَ ) يقول: وإذا اعتزلتم قومكم الذين يعبدون من الآلهة سوى الله، فـ " ما " إذ كان ذلك معناه في موضع نصب عطفا لها على الهاء، والميم التي في قوله ( وَإِذِ اعْتَزَلْتُمُوهُمْ )وبنحو الذي قلنا في ذلك، قال أهل التأويل.* ذكر من قال ذلك:حدثنا بشر، قال: ثنا يزيد، قال: ثنا سعيد، عن قتادة، قوله ( وَإِذِ اعْتَزَلْتُمُوهُمْ وَمَا يَعْبُدُونَ إِلا اللَّهَ ) وهي في مصحف عبد الله: " ومَا يَعْبُدُونَ مِنْ دُونِ الله " هذا تفسيرها.وأما قوله: ( فَأْوُوا إِلَى الْكَهْفِ ) فإنه يعني به:فصيروا إلى غار الجبل الذي يسمى بنجلوس، ( يَنْشُرْ لَكُمْ رَبُّكُمْ مِنْ رَحْمَتِهِ ) يقول: يبسط لكم ربكم من رحمته بتيسيره لكم المخرج من الأمر الذي قد رُمِيتم به من الكافر دقينوس وطلبه إياكم لعرضكم على الفتنة.وقوله: ( فَأْوُوا إِلَى الْكَهْفِ ) جواب لـ " إذ " ، كأن معنى الكلام: وإذ اعتزلتم أيها القوم قومكم، فأْوُوا إلى الكهف ، كما يقال: إذ أذنبت فاستغفر الله وتب إليه.وقوله: ( وَيُهَيِّئْ لَكُمْ مِنْ أَمْرِكُمْ مِرفَقًا ) يقول: وييسر لكم من أمركم الذي أنتم فيه من الغمِّ والكرب خوفا منكم على أنفسكم ودينكم مرفقا، ويعني بالمرفق: ما ترتفقون به من شيء، وفي المرفق من اليد وغير اليد لغتان: كسر الميم وفتح الفاء، وفتح الميم وكسر الفاء ، وكان الكسائي يُنكر في مِرْفَق الإنسان الذي في اليد إلا فتح الفاء وكسر الميم ، وكان الفرّاء يحكي فيهما، أعني في مرفق الأمر واليد اللغتين كلتيهما، وكان ينشد في ذلك قول الشاعر:بت أجافي مرفقا عن مرفقي (1)ويقول: كسر الميم فيه أجود.وكان بعض نحويي أهل البصرة يقول في قوله: ( مِنْ أَمْرِكُمْ مِرفَقًا ) شيئا ترتفقون به مثل المقطع، ومرفقا جعله اسما كالمسجد، ويكون لغة، يقولون: رفق يرفق مرفقا، وإن شئت مرفقا تريد رفقا ولم يُقْرأ.وقد اختلفت القراء في قراءة ذلك. فقرأته عامة قراء أهل المدينة: " وَيُهَيِّئْ لَكُمْ مِنْ أمْرِكُمْ مِرْفَقا " بفتح الميم وكسر الفاء، وقرأته عامة قراء العراق في المصرين (مِرْفَقا) بكسر الميم وفتح الفاء.والصواب من القول في ذلك أن يقال: إنهما قراءتان بمعنى واحد، قد قرأ بكل واحدة منهما قراء من أهل القرآن، فبأيتهما قرأ القارئ فمصيب ، غير أن الأمر وإن كان كذلك، فإن الذي أختار في قراءة ذلك: ( وَيُهَيِّئْ لَكُمْ مِنْ أَمْرِكُمْ مِرفَقًا ) بكسر الميم وفتح الفاء، لأن ذلك أفصح اللغتين وأشهرهما في العرب، وكذلك ذلك في كل ما ارتفق به من شيء.------------------------الهوامش:(1) هذا بيت من الرجز ، استشهد به المؤلف على أن المرفق الذي يرتفق بع وينتفع : يجوز فيه فتح الميم مع كسر الراء وكسر الميم مع فتح . وكذلك مرفق اليدين ، وهو موافق لما قاله الفراء في معاني القرآن ( الورقة 184 من مصورة الجامعة ) قال : وقوله "من أمركم مرفقا " كسر الميم الأعمش والحسن ، ونصبها أهل المدينة وعاصم ، فكأن الذين فتحوا الميم وكسروا الفاء ، أرادوا أن يفرقوا بين المرفق من الأمر ، والمرفق من الإنسان . وأكثر العرب على كسر الميم من الأمر ومن الإنسان. والعرب أيضا تفتح الميم من مرفق الإنسان، لغتان فيهما . أه أما أبو عبيدة في مجاز القرآن ( 1 : 95 ذ) فإنه قال : المرفق : ما ارتفق به ، ويقرؤه قوم مرفقا ( أي بالفتح ) فأما في اليدين فهو مرفق . ولم أجد هذا الشاهد عند الفراء ، ولا عند أبي عبيدة ، ولا في لسان العرب . ومعنى أجافي : أبعد.

ثم قال بعضهم لبعض : ( وإذ اعتزلتموهم ) يعني قومهم ( وما يعبدون إلا الله ) قرأ ابن مسعود " وما يعبدون من دون الله " وأما القراءة المعروفة فمعناها أنهم كانوا يعبدون الله ويعبدون معه الأوثان يقولون : وإذ : اعتزلتموهم وجميع ما يعبدون إلا الله فإنكم لم تعتزلوا عبادته ( فأووا إلى الكهف ) فالجأوا إليه ( ينشر لكم ) يبسط لكم ( ربكم من رحمته ويهيئ لكم ) يسهل لكم ( من أمركم مرفقا ) أي : ما يعود إليه يسركم ورفقكم قرأ أبو جعفر ونافع وابن عامر " مرفقا " بفتح الميم وكسر الفاء وقرأ الآخرون بكسر الميم وفتح الفاء ومعناهما واحد ، وهو ما يرتفق به الإنسان .

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 : وإذ اعتزلتموهم وما يعبدون إلا الله فأووا إلى الكهف ينشر لكم ربكم من رحمته ويهيئ لكم من أمركم مرفقاقوله تعالى : وإذ اعتزلتموهم وإذ اعتزلتموهم قيل : هو من قول الله لهم . أي وإذ اعتزلتموهم فأووا إلى الكهف . وقيل : هو من قول رئيسهم يملخا ; فيما ذكر ابن عطية . وقال الغزنوي : رئيسهم مكسلمينا ، قال لهم ذلك ; أي إذ اعتزلتموهم واعتزلتم ما يعبدون . ثم استثنى وقال إلا الله أي إنكم لم تتركوا عبادته ; فهو استثناء منقطع . قال ابن عطية : وهذا على تقدير إن الذين فر أهل الكهف منهم لا يعرفون الله ، ولا علم لهم به ; وإنما يعتقدون الأصنام في ألوهيتهم فقط . وإن فرضنا أنهم يعرفون الله كما كانت العرب تفعل لكنهم يشركون أصنامهم معه في العبادة فالاستثناء متصل ; لأن الاعتزال وقع في كل ما يعبد الكفار إلا في جهة الله . وفي مصحف عبد الله بن مسعود " وما يعبدون من دون الله " . قال قتادة هذا تفسيرها .قلت : ويدل على هذا ما ذكره أبو نعيم الحافظ عن عطاء الخراساني في قوله - تعالى - وإذ اعتزلتموهم وما يعبدون إلا الله قال : كان فتية من قوم يعبدون الله ويعبدون معه آلهة فاعتزلت الفتية عبادة تلك الآلهة ولم تعتزل عبادة الله . ابن عطية : فعلى ما قال قتادة تكون إلا بمنزلة " غير " ، وما من قوله وما يعبدون إلا الله في موضع نصب ، عطفا على الضمير في قوله اعتزلتموهم . ومضمن هذه الآية أن بعضهم قال لبعض : إذا فارقنا الكفار وانفردنا بالله - تعالى - فلنجعل الكهف مأوى ونتكل على [ ص: 330 ] الله ; فإنه سيبسط لنا رحمته ، وينشرها علينا ، ويهيئ لنا من أمرنا مرفقا . وهذا كله دعاء بحسب الدنيا ، وعلى ثقة كانوا من الله في أمر آخرتهم . وقال أبو جعفر محمد بن علي بن الحسين - رضي الله عنه - : كان أصحاب الكهف صياقلة ، واسم الكهف حيوم .مرفقا قرئ بكسر الميم وفتحها ، وهو ما يرتفق به وكذلك مرفق الإنسان ومرفقه ; ومنهم من يجعل " المرفق " بفتح الميم الموضع كالمسجد وهما لغتان .

When a man, on account of his devotion to truth, becomes isolated from his fellow-beings, he comes closer to God. He comes so close to his Lord that he can converse with God. He talks with his Lord and receives a response from Him. The new faith of the ‘Men of the Cave,’ their fearless preaching, their willingness to forego everything rather than to forego the right path, had all bestowed upon them the high status of nearness to God. Whatever they had apparently lost was nothing compared to what they had gained. It was this sense of achievement which enabled them to tolerate the loss of all else but the truth. They reconciled themselves to the position that they were living in a cave, renouncing the comforts of their homes and their town, while still entertaining the hope that God would help them and ameliorate their condition. Ibn Jarir has quoted ‘Ata as saying that they were seven in number. While in the cave, they used to pray to God, used to cry and seek His help. (Tafsir ibn Kathir). Finally God made them fall into a long deep slumber.

About the verse: فَأْوُوا إِلَى الْكَهْفِ (then seek refuge in the Cave - 16), Ibn Kathir says that the course adopted by the People of Kahf was that they left the city in which it was not possible to worship Allah and took refuge in the Cave. This is the Sunnah, the way of all prophets. They migrate from such places and opt for a place where ` Ibadah could be done.

(And when ye withdraw from them) and when you leave them and their religion (and that which they worship) of idols beside Allah, therefore worship none (except Allah, then seek refuge in the Cave) enter this Cave; (your Lord will spread for you) He will bestow upon you (of His mercy) of His blessings (and will prepare for you a pillow in your plight) He will prepare for you that which will be kind towards you tomorrow. All this was said by the group of youth.