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Section 2
The Companions of the Cave
The youth seeking protection of the Lord were
made to sleep for centuries in the Cave
to prove, how man can be made to live long beyond the ordinary expectation and
how
time could be passed without being felt, and the Day of Judgment.
11- ÝóÖóÑóÈúäóÇ Úóáóì ÁóÇÐóÇäöåöãú Ýöì ÇáúßóåúÝö Óöäöíäó ÚóÏóÏÇð
12- Ëõãøó ÈóÚóËúäóÇåõãú áöäóÚúáóãó Ãíøõ ÇáúÍöÒúÈóíúäö ÃóÍúÕóì áöãóÇ áóÈöËõæÇ ÃóãóÏÇð
13- äóÍúäõ äóÞõÕøõ Úóáóíúßó äóÈóÇóåõã ÈöÇáúÍóÞøö Åöäøóåãú ÝöÊúíóÉñ ÁóÇãóäõæÇ ÈöÑóÈøÜöåöãú æóÒöÏúäóÇåõãú åõÏðì
11. “ Then We set over their ears (a curtain of sleep) in the Cave for a number of years.”
12. “ Afterwards We raised them up in order to test which of the two parties would better calculate the time they had tarried.”
13. “ We relate to you their story with the truth; verily they were youths who believed in their Lord and We increased them in guidance.”
Commentary:
Then Allah accepted the prayer of 'the Companions of the Cave' and covered a veil of sleep over their ears in the Cave so that they slept for a number of years. Then, He roused them in order to test and make it clear which of those two parties was
best at calculating the term of years they had slept. Here are the statements of the Qur'an:
“ Then We set over their ears (a curtain of sleep) in the Cave for a number of years.”
“ Afterwards We raised them up in order to test which of the two parties would better calculate the time they had tarried.”
Next to a short statement of this story, the Qur'an refers to it by detailed explanation through fourteen verses, and begins explaining it as follows:
“ We relate to you their story with the truth; …”
Then the Qur'an continues saying:
“ …verily they were youths who believed in their Lord and We increased them in guidance.”
It is understood precisely from the Qur'an and vastly from the history that the Companions of the Cave were living in an environment and at a time that idolatry and polytheism had surrounded them. A tyrannical government, which was the protector and the guardian of paganism, infidelity, ignorance, and offence committed against those people, had cast an inauspicious shadow upon them.
But this group of youths, who had enjoyed an enough spiritual intelligence and truthfulness, realized the corruption of that creed and decided to rise against it, or, if they could not afford to stand against it, they would emigrate from that polluted environment.
Explanations:
People are divided into three groups in connection with corruption which is done in a polluted society:
1. A part of people may assume the corruption of the society. These are those who do not migrate, and have not a complete Faith, either.
2. There are some people who are inside a polluted society but they try to protect themselves from pollution, (like the Companions of the Cave).
3. There are also a group of people who change others and improve their polluted society into a good one, (like prophets and saints).
However, there are some Islamic traditions which indicate that the Companions of the Cave will be amongst the friends and helpers of Hadrat Mahdi (May Allah hasten his glad advent). (Muntakhab-ul-'Athar, p.485)
* * * * * *
14- æóÑóÈóØúäóÇ Úóáóì ÞõáõæÈöåöãú ÅöÐú ÞóÇãõæÇ ÝóÞóÇáõæÇ ÑóÈøõäóÇ ÑóÈøõ ÇáÓøóãóÇæóÇÊö æóÇáÇóÑúÖö áóä äóÏúÚõæóÇú ãöä Ïõæäöåö ÅöáóåÇð áóÞóÏú Þõáúäó ÅöÐÇð ÔóØóØÇð
15- åóÄõáÂÁö ÞóæúãõäóÇ ÇÊøóÎóÐõæÇ ãöä Ïõæäöåö ÁóÇáöåóÉð áøóæúáÇó íóÃúÊõæäó Úóáóíúåöã ÈöÓõáúØóÇäò ÈóíøÜöäò Ýóãóäú ÃóÙúáóãõ ãöãøóäö ÇÝúÊóÑóì Úóáóì Çááøóåö ßóÐöÈÇð
16- æóÅöÐö ÇÚúÊóÒóáúÊõÜãõæåõãú æóãóÇ íóÚúÈõÏõæäó ÅöáÇøó Çááøóåó ÝóÃúææÇ Åöáóì ÇáúßóåúÝö íóäÔõÑú áóßõãú ÑóÈøõßõã ãöä ÑøóÍúãóÊöåö æóíõåóíøÁú áóßõã ãöä ÃóãúÑößõã ãöÑúÝóÞÇð
14. "And We strengthened their hearts, when they stood up and said: 'Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth; never will we call upon any god besides Him, for then we should have uttered extravagantly'. "
15. " These our people have taken gods other than Him; why do they not bring any clear authority regarding them? Who is then more unjust than he who forges a lie against Allah? "
16. " And when you withdraw from them and what they worship save Allah, then seek refuge in the Cave, (and) your Lord will shower on you of His mercy, and furnish you with a gentle issue of your affair."
Commentary:
Following the former discussion, the Qur'an implies that their hearts were given strength when they stood up and said that their Lord is the Lord of the heavens and of the earth, and
that they would never call upon any god other than Him, since if they did so, they would indeed had uttered an extravagance. The verse says:
"And We strengthened their hearts, when they stood up and said: 'Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth; never will we call upon any god besides Him, for then we should have uttered extravagantly'."
In fact, those faithful youths, in order to prove Unity and negate any gods attached a manifest proof and said that they saw clearly that the heavens and the earth had a Lord, and the existence of the regulation of creation was a reason for their existence, and they were a part of that existence.
Therefore, they said that their Lord was also the same Lord of the heavens and of the earth.
Then, they attached to another reasoning and said that their people had taken some gods for worship other than Him. The verse says:
" These our people have taken gods other than Him; … "
Can a belief exist without having any proof and reasoning? Then, why did they not bring a clear proof for the deity of those gods?
The verse continues saying:
" … why do they not bring any clear authority regarding them? …"
Can an imagination or illusion or a blindly imitation be taken as a proof for such a belief? What a manifest injustice and a great aberration it is! Therefore, the verse says:
" … Who is then more unjust than he who forges a lie against Allah? "
This 'calumny' is an injustice both unto him himself and unto the society wherein he announces this falsehood and he
deviates it. Also, it can be considered as an injustice unto the Pure Essence of the Lord, as well as a disdain unto his Exalted Rank.
Those youths, the monotheists, tried to do their best to wipe out the rust of polytheism from the hearts, and to grow the twig of Unity in their place, but the shout of idolatry was so load in that environment that their melodies of Unity were lost in their throats.
Then, in order to deliver themselves from that corruptive environment, and to find a quieter place, they could not help deciding to migrate.
Thus, they began consulting with each other. They said among themselves that when they turned away from those idolaters and that which they worshipped besides Allah, and separated their own account from theirs, they should seek refuge in the Cave.
The verse says:
" And when you withdraw from them and what they worship save Allah, then seek refuge in the Cave, … "
It was in that case that their Lord would unfold to them of His mercy and might open to them a way from their difficulty towards calmness, easiness, and happiness. Then the verse continues saying:
" … (and) your Lord will shower on you of His mercy, and furnish you with a gentle issue of your affair."
Explanations:
1. The Arabic term /satata/ means: 'extravagant separation from truth, and saying a falsehood which by no means is acceptable'.
2. The term /'iftira/ (calumny) involves with the meaning of 'lie', yet the word /kaoiba/ has again been applied in the verse. This application, maybe, is for the fact that there are two kinds of 'calumny'. In one kind, there is sometimes the probability of this attribution, but, sometimes, there is not any probability of it either. And polytheism is of the second kind, because attributing partners to 'The Infinite Power and Knowledge' is impossible.
3. This holy verse is from the tongue of the leader of the Companions of the Cave, which makes the youths accompanied with him hopeful of the mercy of the Lord and that He provides them with a gentle issue of their affair. A true monotheist both leaves out idols, and separates from idol-worshippers.
Being a Cave-dweller with the atmosphere of Divine Unity is better than being a citizen in the atmosphere of paganism. Its example is Yusuf, the Prophet (a.s.), who preferred being in the prison to living in the castle, and he said: " … My Lord! The prison is dearer to me than that to which they invite me; … " (SuraYusuf, No.12, verse 33).
* * * * * *
17- æóÊóÑóì ÇáÔøóãúÓó ÅöÐóÇ ØóáóÚóÊ ÊóÒóÇæóÑõ Úóä ßóåúÝöåöãú ÐóÇÊó ÇáúíóÜãöíäö æóÅöÐóÇ ÛóÑóÈóÊ ÊóÞúÑöÖõåõãú ÐóÇÊó ÇáÔøÜöãÇáö æóåõãú Ýöì ÝóÌúæóÉò ãöäúåõ Ðóáößó ãöäú ÁóÇíóÇÊö Çááøóåö ãóä íóåúÏö Çááøóåõ Ýóåõæó ÇáúãõåúÊóÏö æóãóä íõÖúáöáú Ýóáóä ÊóÌöÏó áóåõ æóáöíøÇð ãõÑúÔöÏÇð
17. " And (had you been there) you might have seen the sun when it rose, declining from their Cave towards the right, and when it set, leaving them away unto the left, and they were in a wide space thereof. This is of the Signs of Allah, whomever Allah guides, he is rightly guided, and whomever He leaves to stray, you shall never find for him any guiding friend."
Section 3
The Sure Coming of the Resurrection Proved
From the sleep for centuries together caused
to fall upon the Companions of the Cave
which period they felt to be a day or a part of a day was proved how
the dead would pass the time unfelt for its length and how they will be raised
on
the Resurrection .
18- æóÊóÍúÓóÈõåõãú ÃóíúÞóÇÙÇð æóåõãú ÑõÞõæÏñ æóäõÞóáøÜöÈõåõãú ÐóÇÊó ÇáúíóÜãöíäö æóÐóÇÊó ÇáÔøÜöãóÇáö æóßóáúÈõåõãú ÈóÇÓöØñ ÐöÑóÇÚóíúåö ÈöÇáúæóÕöíÏö áóæö ÇØøóáóÚúÊó Úóáóíúåöãú áóæóáøóíúÊó ãöäúåõãú ÝöÑóÇÑÇð æóáóãõáöÆúÊó ãöäúåõãú ÑõÚúÈÇð
18. “ And you might think them awake while they were asleep, and We turned them unto the right and unto the
left (sides), and their dog stretching out his paws on the threshold. If you looked at them you would certainly turn back from them in flight and you would certainly be filled with terror of them.”
Commentary:
Through these holy couple of verses, the Qur'an has referred to the details of the wonderful life of the Companions of the Cave where it has mentioned six specialties:
1. The doorway of the Cave was set toward the north, and since its location had certainly been in the northern hemisphere, the sun did not shine directly inside the Cave, as the holy verse says:
“ And (had you been there) you might have seen the sun when it rose, declining from their Cave towards the right, and when it set, leaving them away unto the left, … ”
Thus, the direct sunshine, whose continuation might cause their bodies to decay, did not meet them, but there was enough indirect light there from the sun.
2. The verse continues saying:
“ …and they were in a wide space thereof. …”
This part of the verse is an indication that the arrival of the Cave, which is usually strait, was not their dwelling-place, but they had chosen the middle parts of the Cave to be both out of sight and out of direct shining of the sun.
Here, the Qur'an ceases the thread of the current speech and pays to a spiritual conclusion, because it is the main aim of the statement of all these events. It says:
“ …This is of the Signs of Allah, whomever Allah guides, he is rightly guided, and whomever He leaves to stray, you shall never find for him any guiding friend.”
Yes, those who step in the way of Allah and struggle for Him, Allah will help them with His Grace in every single of their steps. It is not only for the basis of their work, but His Grace encompasses them in all their affairs, too.
3. Their sleep was not an ordinary sleep, because if you looked at them you might think that they were awake, but they had been sleeping. The verse says:
“ And you might think them awake while they were asleep, … ”
This exceptional case, perhaps, had been for the sake that harmful animals would not approach them, or for the sake that their view might become so dreadful that none would dare approach them, in a manner that this circumstance could work as a protective shield for them.
4. In order that their bodies would not decay as a result of passing a long time of years when they were in their sleep, they were turned unto the right and unto the left sides, so that their bodies could remain sound. They were turned this side and that side for that the blood of their bodies might not concentrate in one point of the body, and the pressure and the height, which were on those muscles that were on the ground for a long time, would not affect on the body harmfully. The verse continues saying:
“ …and We turned them unto the right and unto the left (sides), … ”
5. Their dog had stretched forth his two fore-legs on the threshold of the Cave, guarding them. The verse continues saying:
“ … and their dog stretching out his paws on the threshold. … ”
6. Another fact about them was that they had a dreadful sight, so that:
“ … If you looked at them you would certainly turn back from them in flight and you would certainly be filled with terror of them.”
Explanations:
1. The cave of the Companions of the Cave geographically was neither toward the East nor toward the West, but it was toward the North-eastern, where the sun would not shine into the depth of it in any season.
The ideas are divided upon the sight of the Cave. Some commentators say that it had been in the mountains around Syria which is now known as 'the cave of the Companions of the Cave'. Some others believe that it had been located around Omman, the capital of Jordan, where several ancient graves are found and an engraving of a dog is carved on the wall, upon which there is an old monastery, and Muslims have built a mosque thereabout, too.
However, the peculiarities of the Cave are some examples of the grace of Allah which were promised to in the previous verse
2. The Divine protection is not always seen in the form of a miracle, but sometimes the natural factors work as a means of protection.
3. The succour of Faith, leaving the people of polytheism, and taking refuge to a Cave, with those peculiarities, may not happen save by the guidance of Allah.
* * * * * *
19- æóßóÐóáößó ÈóÚóËúäóÇåõãú áöíóÊóÓóÂÁóáõæÇ Èóíúäóåõãú ÞóÇáó ÞóÂÆöáñ ãöäúåõãú ßóãú áóÈöËúÊõãú ÞóÇáõæÇ áóÈöËúäóÇ íóæúãÇð Ãóæú ÈóÚúÖó íóæúãò ÞóÇáõæÇ ÑóÈøõßõãú ÃóÚúáóãõ ÈöãóÇ áóÈöËúÊõãú ÝóÇÈúÚóËõæÇ ÃóÍóÏóßõã ÈöæóÑöÞößõãú åóÐöåö Åöáóì ÇáúãóÏöíäóÉö ÝóáúíóäÙõÑú ÃóíøõåóÂÃóÒúßóì ØóÚóÇãÇð ÝóáúíóÃúÊößõã ÈöÑöÒúÞò ãöäúåõ æóáúíóÊóáóØøóÝú æóáÇó íõÔúÚöÑóäøó Èößõãú ÃóÍóÏÇð
20- Åöäøóåõãú Åöä íóÙúåóÑõæÇ Úóáóíúßõãú íóÑúÌõãõæßõãú Ãóæú íõÚöíÏõæßõãú Ýöì ãöáøóÊöåöãú æóáóä ÊõÝúáöÍõæÇ ÅöÐÇð ÃóÈóÏÇð
19. " And in like manner We did raise them that they might question among themselves.One of them said: 'How long have you tarried?' They said: 'We have tarried a day, or part of a day'.(Finally) they said: 'Your Lord knows best how long you have tarried.Therefore send one of you with this money of yours to the city and let him see which of them has purest food, and bring you provision from it, and let him behave with (care and) gentleness, and let him not inform any one about you. "
20. " For verily if they prevail against you, they will stone you, or turn you back to their religion, and then never will you succeed. "
Commentary:
Wakefulness after a Long Sleep!
When explaining the commentary of the coming verse, we will detail that the Companions of the Cave's sleep prolonged so much that it took about 309 years. Thus, it was a sleep like death, and its wakefulness was rather similar to Resurrection. Therefore, the Qur'an in this verse says:
" And in like manner We did raise them … "
This statement means that in like manner that Allah was able to put them in such a long sleep, He returned them to wakefulness again. The verse continues saying:
" …that they might question among themselves. One of them said: 'How long have you tarried?' … "
Then, the verse adds:
" …They said: 'We have tarried a day, or part of a day'. …"
But, finally, since they could not know precisely the length of their sleep, they expressed as follows:
"…(Finally) they said: 'Your Lord knows best how long you have tarried. … "
However, they felt a serious hunger and they needed to eat food, because what they had in reserve in their bodies were consumed. Therefore, their first suggestion was that they would give the silver coins they had in their possession to one of their own members and send him to the city to see which of the sellers of that city had the purest food to bring them some of it enough for their provision.
The verse says:
" …Therefore send one of you with this money of yours to the city and let him see which of them has purest food, and bring you provision from it, … "
Immediately after that, the verse adds:
" …and let him behave with (care and) gentleness, and let him not inform any one about you. "
The reason of that precaution was that they thought if the people of the city were informed of their position, and found them, they would stone them and might bring them back to their own creed, (the creed of idolatry).
Explanations:
1. The Arabic term /wariq/, mentioned in the verse, had been called to the silver coins which had the design of the king of that time on them.
2. The Qur'anic phrase /walyatalattaf/ has been occurred exactly in the middle of the Qur'an. It means: 'conciliation and spiritual intelligence accompanied with kindness', which itself is a grace that the middle-word of the holy Qur'an has spiritually been made up of conciliation, mercy, and kindness.
3. The wakefulness of the Companions of the Cave had two results. One of them was for themselves that they asked question, " …that they might question… ", and the other was for others that they were an illustration of Resurrection and raising in Hereafter.
4. No one should surprise upon the subject of Resurrection and being raised, because every single wakefulness of men from sleep is a kind of raising and Resurrection.
* * * * * *
21- æóßóÐóáößó ÃóÚúËóÑúäóÇ Úóáóíúåöãú áöíóÚúáóãõæÇ Çóäøó æóÚúÏó Çááøóåö ÍóÞøñ æóÇóäó ÇáÓøóÇÚóÉó
áÇó ÑóíúÈó Ýöíåó ÅöÐúíóÊóäóÇÒóÚõæäó Èóíúäóåõãú ÃóãúÑóåõãú ÝóÞóÇáõæÇ ÇÈúäõæÇ Úóáóíúåöãú ÈõäúíóÇäÇð
ÑóÈøõåõãú ÃóÚúáóãõ Èöåöãú
ÞóÇáó ÇáøóÐöíäó ÛóáóÈõæÇ ÚóáóíÃóãúÑöåöãú áóäóÊøóÎöÐóäó Úóáóíúåöã ãøóÓúÌöÏÇð
21.
" And in like manner We did make (the people) to get knowledge of them
that they might know that the promise of Allah is true,
and that, as for the Hour (of Judgment), there is no doubt about it.
When they disputed among themselves of their affair then they said: 'Build a
building (monument) over them; their Lord best knows of them.' Those who
prevailed over their affair said: 'We will build over them a place of worship'.
"
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