Dr. Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri

Surah 18. The Cave (al-Kahf)

110 verses Meccan
1 A Warning to Christians
2 Dwellers in the Cave
3 Dwellers in the Cave
18:19
وَكَذَ ٰلِكَ بَعَثۡنَـٰهُمۡ لِیَتَسَاۤءَلُوا۟ بَیۡنَهُمۡۚ قَالَ قَاۤىِٕلࣱ مِّنۡهُمۡ كَمۡ لَبِثۡتُمۡۖ قَالُوا۟ لَبِثۡنَا یَوۡمًا أَوۡ بَعۡضَ یَوۡمࣲۚ قَالُوا۟ رَبُّكُمۡ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَا لَبِثۡتُمۡ فَٱبۡعَثُوۤا۟ أَحَدَكُم بِوَرِقِكُمۡ هَـٰذِهِۦۤ إِلَى ٱلۡمَدِینَةِ فَلۡیَنظُرۡ أَیُّهَاۤ أَزۡكَىٰ طَعَامࣰا فَلۡیَأۡتِكُم بِرِزۡقࣲ مِّنۡهُ وَلۡیَتَلَطَّفۡ وَلَا یُشۡعِرَنَّ بِكُمۡ أَحَدًا ۝١٩
Dr. Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri
And likewise, We raised them up so that they could probe amongst themselves. (So) the vocal one amongst them said: ‘How long have you stayed (here)?’ They said: ‘We have tarried (here) for a day or (even) a part of that.’ (Winding it up, they) said: ‘Your Lord knows best how long you have stayed (here). So send someone of you to the city with this coin of yours. He should then find which food is more lawful and clean and bring you some of that. He should remain slow and polite (in going, buying and coming back), not leaving any clue about you (even) to a single person
wakadhālika baʿathnāhum liyatasāalū baynahum qāla qāilun min'hum kam labith'tum qālū labith'nā yawman aw baʿḍa yawmin qālū rabbukum aʿlamu bimā labith'tum fa-ib'ʿathū aḥadakum biwariqikum hādhihi ilā l-madīnati falyanẓur ayyuhā azkā ṭaʿāman falyatikum biriz'qin min'hu walyatalaṭṭaf walā yush'ʿiranna bikum aḥada
18:21
وَكَذَ ٰلِكَ أَعۡثَرۡنَا عَلَیۡهِمۡ لِیَعۡلَمُوۤا۟ أَنَّ وَعۡدَ ٱللَّهِ حَقࣱّ وَأَنَّ ٱلسَّاعَةَ لَا رَیۡبَ فِیهَاۤ إِذۡ یَتَنَـٰزَعُونَ بَیۡنَهُمۡ أَمۡرَهُمۡۖ فَقَالُوا۟ ٱبۡنُوا۟ عَلَیۡهِم بُنۡیَـٰنࣰاۖ رَّبُّهُمۡ أَعۡلَمُ بِهِمۡۚ قَالَ ٱلَّذِینَ غَلَبُوا۟ عَلَىٰۤ أَمۡرِهِمۡ لَنَتَّخِذَنَّ عَلَیۡهِم مَّسۡجِدࣰا ۝٢١
Dr. Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri
And in this way, We unveiled their (state) to those (who succeeded them some centuries later) so that they might know that Allah’s promise is true, and (also) that there is no doubt about the coming of the Last Hour. (When these people of the cave died) and the people of the town disputed concerning their matter, they said: ‘Raise a building over their (cave as a monument). Their Lord knows best their state of (saintly) affairs.’ Those (believers) who had the upper hand in their matter said: ‘We shall certainly build a mosque (at their door so that the believers may pray therein, and acquire special bounty by obtaining spiritual nearness to the people of the cave).
wakadhālika aʿtharnā ʿalayhim liyaʿlamū anna waʿda l-lahi ḥaqqun wa-anna l-sāʿata lā rayba fīhā idh yatanāzaʿūna baynahum amrahum faqālū ib'nū ʿalayhim bun'yānan rabbuhum aʿlamu bihim qāla alladhīna ghalabū ʿalā amrihim lanattakhidhanna ʿalayhim masjida
18:22
سَیَقُولُونَ ثَلَـٰثَةࣱ رَّابِعُهُمۡ كَلۡبُهُمۡ وَیَقُولُونَ خَمۡسَةࣱ سَادِسُهُمۡ كَلۡبُهُمۡ رَجۡمَۢا بِٱلۡغَیۡبِۖ وَیَقُولُونَ سَبۡعَةࣱ وَثَامِنُهُمۡ كَلۡبُهُمۡۚ قُل رَّبِّیۤ أَعۡلَمُ بِعِدَّتِهِم مَّا یَعۡلَمُهُمۡ إِلَّا قَلِیلࣱۗ فَلَا تُمَارِ فِیهِمۡ إِلَّا مِرَاۤءࣰ ظَـٰهِرࣰا وَلَا تَسۡتَفۡتِ فِیهِم مِّنۡهُمۡ أَحَدࣰا ۝٢٢
Dr. Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri
(Now) some will say: ‘(The people of the cave) were three and the fourth was their dog,’ and still some will say: ‘(They) were five and the sixth was their dog.’ These are the estimations made without seeing. And others will say: ‘(They) were seven and the eighth was their dog.’ Say: ‘My Lord is the One Who exactly knows their number and none knows their (exact number) except a few.’ So do not discuss about them with anyone except the details that have been revealed. Nor seek any information from any of them (about the People of the Cave)
sayaqūlūna thalāthatun rābiʿuhum kalbuhum wayaqūlūna khamsatun sādisuhum kalbuhum rajman bil-ghaybi wayaqūlūna sabʿatun wathāminuhum kalbuhum qul rabbī aʿlamu biʿiddatihim mā yaʿlamuhum illā qalīlun falā tumāri fīhim illā mirāan ẓāhiran walā tastafti fīhim min'hum aḥada
4 Qur'an as a guidance
5 A Parable
6 Guilty are judged
7 Their Helplessness
8 Warning is disregarded
9 Moses' search of Knowledge
10 Moses' search of Knowledge
11 Dhu-l-qarnain — Gog and Magog
12 Christian Nations
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