Tafsir Surah Kahf (Echoes of A Cave) (Nasr)

Echoes of a Cave
dat
Ikhfa Ikhfa Meem Saakin Iqlaab Idghaam Idghaam Meem Saakin GhunnaQalqalah
2
PREFACE

Verily all the Praises are due to Allah , we praise Him, we seek His aid and we ask
for His forgiveness. And we seek refuge in Him from the evil within our souls and from the
evils of actions. Whomsoever Allah guides, no one can misguide him and
whomsoever He misguides, no one can guide him. We bear witness that there is no God but
Allah and that Muhammad is His final Prophet and Messenger.
We thank Allah Who helped us all along the way in producing this document and
it would be no exaggeration to say that without His Help we would have indeed failed. We also
thank Him who preferred us upon many of His believing slaves in preparing this
document.

This document contains the notes from the AlMaghrib seminar Echoes of a Cave which was
taught by our own Shaykh Ahsan Hanif in Qabeelat Nasr on 22
nd
-24
th
January and
3o
th
-31st January in the year 2010.

AlMaghrib Institute or its instructors are not responsible for the material inside this booklet.
There is no copyright associated with this work. It is highly encouraged to spread around this
knowledge to everyone however, it should be done without editing.

Allah says,

and man was created weak
1

So indeed, in this booklet you will find mistakes but since we are weak creatures, we do
mistakes so please accept our apology in advance. JazakAllah khayr. Any mistakes found
should be emailed to:
adwj@gmail.com and inshaAllah we shall correct them.

We ask Allah to make us of those who will get His shade on the Day when there
will be no shade except His as we, inshaAllah, seek to amongst the youth who grew up in the
1
Surat an-Nisaa:28
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worship of Allah which is mentioned in the saying of Prophet when
he was telling us about the seven fortunate people,

"a youth who grew up in the worship of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic'"
2

We hope that Allah accepts from us this work and benefits the Muslims and non-
Muslims alike as a source of guidance and away from misguidance, so that it can be a source of
hasanaat for us even after death; as Prophet said,

When a man dies, his good deeds come to an end except three: ongoing charity,
beneficial knowledge and righteous offspring who will pray for him.
3
Ameen

Make dua for your brothers who have indeed drowned in the deep ocean of sins so that Allah
would forgive their sins and admit them into Paradise under which the rivers flow
wherein they could reside for eternity.

Ahl Aldhikr wal Jamaah
Those who remember Allah much

2
Sahih al-Bukhari
3
Sahih Muslim
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TABLEOFCONTENTS

Appetisers
1. What, How, Where and Why? An Introduction to Tafseer........................................................5
2. Behind the Scenes: Introduction to surah al-kahf.......................................................................11
3. Safe Card: Memorisation of Surah al-Kahf....................................................................................14
4. Basic Tajweed................15

Main Course
5. Two Shades of People: The Believers and Disbelievers [verses 1-8]..18
6. Young Men of Piety: The people of the Cave [Verses 9-18]..25
7. Sleep Today, Awake Tomorrow?! The People of the Cave cont...[verses 19-26]...33
8. I cant Hear You! The Heedful and The Neglectful [verses 27-31] ..43
9. Money, Money and More Money! The Man with Two Gardens [verses 32-44]..50
10. Deceptive Appearances: Similitude of this World and the Reality of the Hereafter
[verses 45-49] 59
11. Arch Enemies: Adam and Iblis [verse 50] .................64
12. Sorry State of Affairs: The Disbelievers [verses 51-59] 66
13. Lessons Galore! Musa and Khidr Meet [verses 60-82] 73
14. King of the World: Dhul-Qarnayn [verses 83-99] ...88
15. Winners and Losers: The Great Loss of the Disbelievers and the Everlasting Bliss of the
Believers [100-110] .102

Dessert
16. Icing on the Cake: Conclusion ...110

The secret Ingredients
17. Secret Ingredient #1.111
18. Secret Ingredient #2.112

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WHAT,HOW,WHEREANDWHY?AN
INTRODUCTIONTOTAFSEER

The Dua of the Prophet for Ibn Abbas:

O Allah grant him understanding of the religion and teach him interpretation (of the
Quran)

W Wh ha at t i is s t ta af fs se ee er r? ?

Linguistically
To make apparent or to reveal

Technically
To clarify the meaning of the verse and anything related to it, such as reason of revelation

H Ho ow w i it t a al ll l B Be eg ga an n

Companions interpreting verses:
The 4 khulafaa, Aishah, Ibn Abbas, Ibn Masood, Zayd ibn Thabit, Ubayy ibn Kab
These were the companions that interpreted the verses and taught the tafseer of the Quran.

S Sc ch ho oo ol ls s o of f T Ta af fs se ee er r: :

Makkah: Ibn Abbas
Mujahid
Ikrimah
Said ibn Jubayr

Madinah: Ubayy ibn Kaab
Zayd ibn Aslam
Abul Aaliyah
Iraq: Ibn Masood
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Hasan al-Basri
Alqamah
Shabi

C Ca at te eg go or ri ie es s o of f T Ta af fs se ee er r

Tafseer of the Words
o There is meaning in the words of the surah and verse.
Tafseer of the Meanings

Ibn Abbas stated that the types of Tafseer are 4:
1. Known to the Arabs
a. Through the language a portion can be understood and they can do that because it is their
language and they know Arabic.
2. Known to all
a. It is a necessity for their Tawheed.
b. It is taken from the Quran
3. Known to the Scholars
a. There is a deeper level of knowledge that can be only understood by these scholars who
specialize in certain levels of knowledge.
4. Known only to Allah
a. It is only known and understood by Allah alone because only Allah has that knowledge and
can only understand it. There is always an element of the unseen in everything that we
believe in and act on.

M Me et th ho od ds s o of f T Ta af fs se ee er r

Tafseer of the Quran by:

1. The Quran
i. It is used to give tafseer of the Quran by the Quran. It explains itself by using itself.
2. The Sunna
i. The Sunnah explains to us how to pray and how to fast and how to pay zakah and
other commandments.
3. The Companions
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i. The companions are another source that we use in order to understand what the
Quran says when the prophet has not done so or was not there to do so.
4. Later scholars
i. These are interpretations that are done according to the scholars when the
companions and the Prophet were not there to interpret.
5. Intellect
i. This one is the one that is not allowed because we need to have certain knowledge of
Allah and his Prophet and his Sunna.

A A G Gl li im mp ps se e a at t t th he e C Co om mp pi il la at ti io on n o of f T Ta af fs se ee er r

Earliest work: Mujahid
The first scholar to compile the first works of Tafseer.

Chapters: Ibn Uyaynah, Shubah, Yazid ibn Harun
These scholars only used to do only certain chapters.

Earliest complete work: Tabari
The only book of tafseer that is still available and is compiled and still used. The greatest
and largest compilation that we have. It was done by getting his student to get 3000 pages
of tafseer.

Sectarian Tafseer
Specialisation: Qurtubi, Jassas
o These were certain specializations of the Quran, for example, the morphology, the
meaning, the rulings and so on.

Abridgement and further notes: Ibn Kathir
o These are notes that are added to the tafseer that we have.
Tafseer of the Quran by Intellect

Two main Foundations
1. Knowledge of Aqeedah.
2. Study of speech of Allah (Quran)

The way to increase iman is to recite Quran.

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Three essentials to make a cake
1. Ingredients
2. Toppings
3. Apparatus (tools)

This is the qiyas that we use for the sciences of Quran.

Tafseer is an essential part of the religion.
It is also part of all the three essentials. It can be part of the Ingredients, part of the Toppings and also
part of the Apparatus.

The major theme that this Surat deals with is the trials that one will face as a Muslim in this world. This
Surah is a specific guide because we are supposed to use it every Friday by reciting it or at least the 1
st

ten ayahs.

There are six major trials in the Surah.

You may come across them one by one or all at once or even a combination of each.

In Verse 2 in Surat Al-A'nkabut we learn about the tests that man will face upon accepting Islam as his
religion and Allah as his Lord.

Do men think that they will be left alone on saying, "We believe", and that they will not be
tested?
4

How do you find the theme of the Surah?

The theme is found by looking at the end of the Surat and the beginning of the next Surat.

The Surah before Al-Kahf is Isra. And the last ayah of Isra talks of Shirk which implicates Tawheed, and
the beginning of Al-Kahf talks about Tawheed and even the end of Al-Kahf also talks about Tawheed.
All three parts mentioned in the beginning of the Surat, Praising Allah, the Messenger
and the Quran pertain to Tawheed.

4
SuratAlAnkabutverse2
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Surat Al-Isra is linked to al-Kahf because Al-Isra was a trial. It was a trial because barely anyone
believed the Prophet and Tawheed is very much the same way, it is tested throughout
our life. The night the Prophet came back from Isra and Mi'raj Abu Jahal came and
asked him where he went and the Prophet told him that he had travelled to Al-Quds
and to the Heavens. Abu Jahal brought all the people so that they could hear this and ridicule him. So
the people came and when they heard this they ridiculed him and they went to Abu Bakr to
tell him and he said "if he said it then it is true."

Whenever we are advised by the Prophet to do something or know something or recite
something or even memorize something then we know that this is very important.

The Prophet said" those who recite the Quran with beautiful recitation, then they will be
with the Kiramin Barara (the best of the angels) and those who recite it with difficulty then they will
receive double the reward.

The trial of Isra was one of the hardest trials the Prophet encountered.
Allah protected the Prophet by revealing what the he has seen through his
travel from Jerusalem to Makkah. Another incident in Isra was the ascending of the Prophet
into the heavens, the reasons was to instruct the Prophet of prayer being 50 rakahs
every day. The Salah came down to 5 rakahs however the reward was 50 times.

The purpose of the prophet going back and forth 10 times in order to reduce the Salah
from 50 to 5 is so that we remember Allah day and night all the time. Our goal is to praise
and remember Allah day and night and all the time.

Surat Al-Kahf is the same way, it starts with the praise of Allah so that we remember Allah
. The entering greeting is Assalamu Alikum and the final greeting is Alhamdulillah.

How many times has Allah referred to the messenger as servant?
It was three times, and one of them is in this surah in the 1st ayah.

One of the wisdoms of why Allah refers to the Prophet as servant is because of the
concept of Tawheed. The Prophet is nothing more than a servant like any of the people who believe in
Allah alone. Slavery here when it comes to the Prophet it is related to honour and greatness
and the prophet is the best of slaves.

The first instance is in the defence of the Prophet in Surat al-Baqarah.
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The second instance is in this Surat in the case of revelation.
The third instance is in Surat Al-Isra describing him as the most honourable servant in the most noble
of events.

The methodology used in the Surah is also something that we will study and adopt, and it is also very
important.

Allah is referred to in the first ayah 5 times.
He is mentioned in the surah explicitly 30 times.
He is implicitly referred to 165 times in the surah.
Allah is mentioned so many times in the surah in order to tell the people that when a
person believes in Allah and obeys Allah and follows Allah then they will be protected from
everything. It is also to re-enforce the protection of Allah for his servants.

Kalimatu Rabbi Yadulluni ila Rabbi.
The words of my Lord bring (guide) me back to my Lord.

The guide has to be
Not crooked but It is upright.
Here Allah refers to the Quran which is the guide to mankind, and it has to be upright and not crooked
in order for the people to follow it.

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BEHINDTHESCENES:
INTRODUCTIONTOTHESURATALKAHF

S Sy yn no op ps si is s

MANY INTERESTING QUESTIONS MAY BE ASKED
What is the main theme of this surah?
What is the connection between this particular surah and the Dajjal?
What is the relevance of the story of Musa and Khidr?
Why do we find that within this surah there are minute changes in the structure and usage of
words?
Why are these particular stories mentioned in the order they are mentioned?

Inshallah we will tackle the above and much, much more.

W WH HE ER RE E W WA AS S I IT T R RE EV VE EA AL LE ED D? ?

According to the majority, Surah Al-Kahf is a Makki surah.
Any surah that was revealed before the conquest of Madina is a Madani surah, and anything after the
conquest is a Mekkan Surah.
Ibn Qatada says it was revealed in Makkah except certain verses, 1-8, 28, 107-110. These were
revealed in Madina. The rest said it was a Makki surah.

M MA AI IN N T TH HE EM ME E

The severe trials that accompany the message of Tawheed

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V Vi ir rt tu ue es s o of f S Su ur ra ah h A Al l- -K Ka ah hf f

1. The Prophet mentioned concerning Surah al-Isra, Al-Kahf and Maryam, They
were from the first batch and what I first learned.
5

2. Whoever memorises the first ten verses of Surah Al-Kahf will be saved from the trials of the
Dajjal. And in a different narration, Whoever reads the first ten verses...
6

3. Whoever recites Surah Al-Kahf on a Friday will have a light emanating for him between that
Friday and the next.
7

R Re ea as so on n f fo or r R Re ev ve el la at ti io on n

According to one narration, a major portion of the surah was revealed due to the following incident:
The Quraysh sent An-Nadr ibn al-Harith and Uqbah ibn Abi Muit to the rabbis of Madinah saying,
Go and ask them concerning Muhammad, and describe him to them and inform them of his statements.
Indeed they are the people of the Book and with them is knowledge of the prophets which we do not
possess. Upon arriving in Madinah, they spoke to the rabbis and informed them of the situation. The
rabbis replied, Ask him about three; if he responds he is a Messenger and Prophet, and if he is unable to
then he is a soothsayer. Ask him about a group of young men in the past; what happened to them?
Indeed, their affair is amazing. Secondly, ask him about a man who traverses the east and west of the
world, and thirdly ask him about the reality of the spirit (Ruh).
The two men returned to the Quraysh saying, We have brought for you what will prove to be decisive
between you and Muhammad. They came to the Prophet and asked him the three
questions, to which he replied, I will inform you tomorrow, but he did not say in shaa Allah. (this part
is related to the verse in the surah where Allah reminds us that we should say "Inshallah"
when we want to do something or say something.) The Prophet remained waiting for
15 days without receiving revelation or seeing Jibreel until the Makkans became ecstatic and the
Prophet became saddened due to the cessation in revelation. Then, Jibreel descended
with Surah Al-Kahf, in which Allah rebuked the Prophet for being saddened by the
5
Sahih AlBukhari
6
Sahih Muslim
7
Al-Hakim
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Makkans. Also, within the surah was mention of the people of the cave and the other man, as well as the
verse about the spirit (ruh).
8

T Th he e N Na am me e o of f t th he e R Re ev ve el la at ti io on n

SURAH AL-KAHF
SURAH ASHAB AL-KAHF

Whats the link?
What is the link between the name of the surah and the main theme of the surah?

Theme: Safety from trials
Name: Kahf [Cave]
Link: Pondering over this surah gives you the keys to safety from the major trials, as if you have taken
shelter in an impenetrable cave.

Snap! Recurring themes at the beginning and ending of Surah Al-Kahf

1. Tawheed: Verse 1 / Verse 110
2. Revelation: Verse 1 / Verse 109
3. The duty of the Messenger
4. Glad Tidings: Verses 2 and 3 / Verses 107 and 108
5. Warning: Verse 4 / Verse 102 and 106.

8
Tabari
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SAFE CARD: MEMORISATION OF SURAT AL-KAHF

WHAT?
Memorization of a minimum of the first ten verses of Surah Al-Kahf.

WHY?
Enacting the prophetic statement, Whoever memorises the first ten verses of Surah Al-Kahf will be
saved from the trials of the Dajjal.
9

WHEN?
From the first Saturday of the course until the following Sunday of the second weekend, that is a total of
9 days, making an average of just over 1 verse a day.

HOW?
1. Look over the basic tajweed rules at the back of the binder.
2. Work with another person and test one another to help eliminate mistakes.
3. Listen to its recitation to perfect your pronunciation.
4. Set aside 15-20 minutes a day to work on your memorisation.
5. Dedicate another 5 minutes to go over all the previous verses that you have memorised, thus
linking them together.
6. You will be tested on this, Inshallah at some point during the seminar.

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SahihMuslim
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BASIC TAJWEED

M Ma ak kh ha ar ri ij j a al l- -H Hu ur ru uf f [ [O Or ri ig gi in ns s o of f t th he e P Pr ro on nu un nc ci ia at ti io on n o of f L Le et tt te er rs s] ]

There are 5 points of articulation from which letters are pronounced. They are:

1. A-Jawf [Chest Area]
The madd letters : , ,
2. Al-Halq [ The Throat]
Deepest part of the throat: (Hamza) (Haa)
Mid throat: (ayn), (Haa)
Top throat: (ghayn), (khaa)
3. Lisaan [Tongue]
Innermost part of the tongue next to the throat: (qaaf)
Innermost part of the tongue toward the mouth: (kaaf)
Middle tongue: (jeem), (sheen), (yaa)
One or both edges of the tongue along with upper back molars: (dhaad)
Between the edge of the tongue and gums of the upper front molars: (laam)
Tip of the tongue: (noon)
Upper part of the tip of the tongue: (raa)
Tip and a portion of the upper surface of the tongue: (taa), (daal), (taa)
Tip of the tongue and inner plates of the central incisors: (saad), (seen), (zaay)
Upper surface of the tongue near the end: (dhaa), (dhal), (thaa)
4. Shafatan [Lips]
Between the two lips: (baa), (meem), (waaw)
The inside of the lower lip: (faa)
5. Khayshum [Nasal Passage]
Ghunnah

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G Gh hu un nn na ah h/ /N No oo on nS Sa ak ki in na ah h& &T Ta an nw we ee en n

Ghunnah is a sound made from the nasal passage. As a general rule in the Quraan, any noon or meem
which has a shaddah on top is read with a ghunnah. All ghunnahs are for 2 counts. There are 4 rules of
noon sakinah and tanween:

1. Idhaar [To make apparent]
2. When noon sakinah or tanween are followed by any of the following 6 letters,
there is no ghunnah, and you read as normal. The 6 letters are the letters of the
throat.
HamzaH
haa
Ayn
Haaa
Ghyan
Khaa

3. Idghaam [To merge]

When noon sakinah or tanween are followed by any of the following 6 letters, idghaam takes place.
Thus, the noon or tanween are assimilated into the next letter.

There are 2 types of Idghaam:
a) Idghaam with ghunnah this is where there will also be a ghunnah with the
assimilation
waaw
meem
yaa
noon
b) Idghaam without ghunnah this is where there will be NO ghunnah with the
assimilation
Laam
Raa

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4. Iqlaab [To change]
When noon sakinah or tanween are followed by the letter baa, they are changed into a
meem.
5. Ikhfaa [To Hide]
When noon sakinah or tanween are followed by any of the remaining letters, there is a
ghunnah.

M Me ee em mS Sa ak ki in na ah h
There are 3 rules of meem sakinah. To distinguish between the rules of meem and noon
sakinah, meem sakinah rules have the word shafawi added to the end.

1. Idghaam shafawi
When meem sakinah is followed by another meem, the two are merged with a
ghunnah.
2. Ikhfaa Shafawi
When meem sakinah is followed by a baa, the meem is concealed behind the baa, and
there is a ghunnah.
3. Idhaar Shafawi
When meem sakinah is followed by any other remaining letter, there is no ghunnah
and it is read as normal.

M Ma ad dd d
The letters of madd are alif sakinah, waaw sakinah and yaa sakinah. There are many types of
madd, we will only mention 2 here:
Muttasil [connected]
If after any of the madd letters there is a hamzah in the SAME word, there is an obligatory
madd of 5 counts.
Munfasil [Seperated]
If after any of the madd letters there is a hamzah in the NEXT word, there is an optional madd
of 2, 4 or 5 counts.

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TWO SHADES OF PEOPLE: THE BELIEVERS AND
DISBELIEVERS [VERSES 1-8]

Verse 1

) (

[All] praise is [due] to Allah, who has sent down upon His Servant the Book and has not made
therein any deviance

The beginning of this surah in of itself is a manifestation of Tawheed, as it starts with the praise of Allah
. By saying, [All] praise is [due] to Allah, one is praising Allah with all kinds of
admiration and at the same time it is negating any other deity from being praised.

-This word denotes the special type of praise that contains both love and glorification.
One of the significant things to underline in this verse is that the Messenger of Allah has
been mentioned here as abd.

There are 3 instances in which the Prophet is mentioned as abd [in the Quran] :
1) Surat ul-Baqarah: ayah 23
2) Surat ul-kahf: ayah 1
3) Surat ul-Isra: ayah 1

Three key reasons to mention Muhmmad as a abd is:
1) A link to Tawheed.
2) An example to establish the servitude.
3) To honor the Messenger of Allah , as it is an honor to be a slave of Allah
.
Allah said in Surat al-Baqarah,

This is the Book (the Qur'n), whereof there is no doubt, a guidance to those who are Al-
Muttaqn
10

10
SuratAlBaqarah:23
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This established that the Quran is a book of guidance. However, the guide has to be upright and not
crooked. In the first verse of surat ul-Kahf, Allah is establishing that He has not made
therein [in the Quran] any deviance. The people of Quraish said that the Quran and its words are
words of a mad man, poetry, abnormal and so on. In order to protect His book, Allah put this
verse to emphasize that this book is straight and upright.

Verse 2

) (

[He has made it] straight, to warn of severe punishment from Him and to give good tidings to
the believers who do righteous deeds that they will have a good reward

This means upright; straight, that is opposite of crookedness. It is one of the oft-used
methodologies of the Quran where Allah mentions the opposites. In this particular context
Allah mentioned the opposite words, one after the other, which shows a clear contrast.
Besides the different methodologies used, the Quran also shows the eloquence of the Words of Allah
.

-The meaning of this word alludes to a punishment so wicked that can only come as a result of
severe anger. This is a contrast to the way parents punish their child; they do it out of love. However,
here Allah is warning those who do the contrary of that which He had ordained.
Nonetheless, out of His mercy, Allah has provided us with a choice by mentioning the
opposite. [... Who do righteous deeds that they will have a good reward.]

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Verse 3

) (

In which they will remain forever

Depending on what we do, Paradise or Hellfire will be our abode. Those who will be placed in Paradise
will live therein forever while those who will meet Allah on the Day of Judgment as
disbelievers will be placed in Hellfire for eternity. It is mentioned in that these people will live in Hellfire
forever 3 times in the Quran:
1) Surat an-Nisa: ayaat 168-169
2) Surat al-Ahzab: ayaat 64-65
3) Surat al-Jinn: ayah 23

Aqeedah: Paradise and Hellfire are already in existence. Allah has mentioned this verse in
the past tense to stress their previous existence and the use of words like forever affirm that they will
continue to exist.

Verse 4

) (

And to warn those who say, Allah has taken a son.

Here the word those is used by Allah to refer to:
1) The Jews. Prophet Uzair was thought to be a son of God by a certain sect of Jews.
2) The Christians
3) The Pagan Arabs and any others who make claims that Allah has taken a son.
This ayah tells us that this Quran [which Allah has revealed upon his Messenger
] is also a warning to those who commit shirk (associating any other deity in worship with Allah
.

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Verse 5

) (

They have no knowledge of it, nor had their fathers. Grave is the word that comes out of their
mouths; they speak not except a lie.

They have no knowledge of Allah nor do they have any poof for their claim(s).
Their forefathers are mentioned here because this is the greatest excuse that these people had for not
accepting the truth.

Ruling: There is no obedience of creation where the creator is disobeyed.
Example: If ones parents order him/her to disobey Allah , then there is no obedience
of the parents in such a case. However, one should take the example of Ibrahim as a
way to deal with this type of situation.

Warning: The greatest sin that will lead to shirk is to speak about Allah without knowledge.

Verse 6

) (

Then perhaps you would kill yourself through grief over them, [O Muhammad], if they do not
believe in this message, [and] out of sorrow.

This ayah illustrates how guidance is not in the hands of the Prophet , rather it is from
Allah , that the Messenger of Allah can only deliver the message.
The reason the Prophet was so sad was because the non believers rejected the message of
Islam. On the other hand, when it comes to us, when were rejected by people, we take things personally
and get upset over the wrong reasons. This should not be the case if we do dawah solely for the sake of
Allah .

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Verse 7

) (

Indeed, We have made that which is on the earth adornment for it that We may test them [as
to] which of them is best in deed.

A very important thing to note in this ayah is that revelation always comes before creation ( example:
surat Ar-Rahman, al-A'alaq, and al-Kahf). We must always refer back to the Quran and Sunnah, and
then the people. Not the other way around.
Allah has made this earth with adornment so that He may test us, to see who is best in deeds.
The word
means better than the best. This term is a word of encouragement for us to do
better than the best, which is how Muslims should be in their good deeds. We need to always high,
because we always have shortcomings.

Verse 8

) (

And indeed, We will make that which is upon it [into] a barren ground.

This verse talks about the earth on the Day of Judgement and how it will be.

The desert is one of the harshest places because nothing can survive in it while a place of snow can be a
Rahmah because snow becomes water and water is essential for survival.

Theses first 8 verses are the introduction to the whole surah.

C Co on nt te em mp pl la at ti io on ns s: :
1) Allah is truly deserving of all praise
2) 3 unique traits of the Revelation :
Revealed by Allah, therefore its honour stems from its source
It contains no crookedness
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It is firm and upright
3) The messengers are chosen to receive the message
4) The reality of accounting and recompense
5) Certain knowledge is unlike conjecture
6) This world, with all its beauty and adornments is a test for the believers

M Me et th ho od do ol lo og gi ie es s: :

1) Constant Remembrance of Allah
In the first ayah, there are 5 references to Allah . In this surah, Allah has
mentioned Himself 30 times explicitly, and He is referred to 165 times implicitly.
This establishes the first methodology that we are going to discuss in this surah, and that is the
constant remembrance of Allah .

Allah is mentioned abundantly in this surah in order to tell the people that if a
person believes in Allah , obeys Him and follows His commands then they will be
protected from everything. It is also to re-enforce the protection of Allah to his
servants.

2) The methodology of opposites is fundamental to understand the book of Allah. The use of
opposites and the reason why they are used is to show people that there is always a choice and
that Allah is the most just. We have the choice of doing good or doing bad.

T Th he e u us se e o of f o op pp po os si it te es s

Crooked / Straight [verses 1 and 2]
Warning / Glad tiding [verse 2]
Beauty / bare and dry[verses 7 and 8]

3) Revelation always comes before creation, as discussed previously.
4) Being better than the best. The word
is mentioned more than 20 times in the Quran.

It is used to teach us to do better than our best and always be better than the best.

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VERSE TARBIYAH DAWAH FRUITS
1
To be accustomed to
praising Allah in hardship
and ease.
To constantly remind others to
praise Allah, especially upon
receiving good news.
Praising and thanking
Allah brings His pleasure
and an increase in
blessing.
2
To take the Quraan as the
criterion in every affair; to
have hope and fear in Allah.
To be balanced in our dawah
between giving glad tidings and
warning.
Iman and righteous
actions necessitate an
abundant reward.
3
Certainty that the life of
Paradise is everlasting.
A reminder as to the short
worldly life and everlasting life
of the Hereafter.
The everlasting bliss of the
Hereafter is a mercy from
Allah.
4
To fear open and hidden
shirk.
Our duty to warn people about
the dangers of shirk.
Allahs warnings to us via
His books and messengers
are for our salvation.
5
To not base beliefs except on
knowledge and to beware of
the gravity of the statement
of shirk.
The daee pays close attention to
proofs and evidences.
Allah preserves sound
intellect by the Quraan.
6
To be balanced in ones
despair over those who
reject him.
To be passionate in your dawah
without going to extreme.
Allah cares more for the
daee than the daee cares
for others.
7
To know the world is
adornment so we can
concentrate on what really
matters.
The shortness of this world and
the focus on not just the good,
but the best.
Allah has made the world
our oyster so we can
perfect our worship.
8
The power of Allah to turn
the earth and what is on it to
dust.
To know the earth and
everything on it will perish.
The immense Power and
Might of Allah.
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YOUNG MEN OF PIETY: THE PEOPLE OF THE CAVE
[VERSES 9-18]

Verse 9

) (

Or have you thought that the companions of the cave and the inscription were, among Our
signs, a wonder?

There are several opinions with regards to what ar-Raqim is:
1) Name of the valley where they took refuge
2) Name of the place where the story had its setting
3) Name of the mountain
4) Name of the inscription where the story of the people of the cave was written and this is the
opinion supported by the majority.

Verse 10

) (

[Mention] when the youths retreated to the cave and said, "Our Lord, grant us from Yourself
mercy and prepare for us from our affair right guidance.

Upon entering it [the cave] the people of the cave beseeched Allah for His mercy and success
in their affairs.

Lesson: The first and foremost thing that we should have in our mind is the remembrance of Allah

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Verse 11

) (

So We cast [a cover of sleep] over their ears within the cave for a number of years.

Allah mentioned ears here, as sleeping is directly connected to ears. The most frequent mean
through which we wake up is sound (think about use of an alarm or someone calling us to wake up).

Allah struck (casted) their ears with sleep, they fell asleep instantly.

Verse 12

) (

Then We raised them up that We might show which of the two factions was most precise in
calculating what [extent] they had remained in time.

Here raised them up is used for two reasons:
1) They were sleeping for a long time
2) Sleep is also known as the minor death

After they were raised up from sleep, they differed in their opinion in terms of how long they remained
asleep.
Verse 13

) (

It is We who relate to you, [O Muhammad], their story in truth. Indeed, they were youths who
believed in their Lord, and We increased them in guidance.

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The stories of the Quran are the best for 4 reasons:
1) These are true stories
2) These stories are knowledge based
3) These stories are eloquent
4) These stories are filled with great lessons

The people of the cave were youth, who believed in the oneness of Allah . Because of their
strong belief in Allah , He increased them in guidance. (i.e. increased in emaan)

This ayah is used as proof that our emaan increases and decreases, and Imam Bukhari used it as a proof
for this purpose.

Verse 14

) (

And We made firm their hearts when they stood up and said, "Our Lord is the Lord of the
heavens and the earth. Never will we invoke besides Him any deity. We would have certainly
spoken, then, an excessive transgression.

A Glimpse of the setting of the story:
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.
11

11
Tafsir ibn Kathir
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Allah s assistance for the people of the cave:
1) Allah gathered them together.
2) He made their hearts firm upon their belief.

Verse 15

) (

These, our people, have taken besides Him deities. Why do they not bring for [worship of]
them a clear authority? And who is more unjust than one who invents about Allah a lie?

The people of the cave were brought to the king who used to rule over them, and ayaat 14-15 are
essentially their statement to the king.

Verse 16

) (

[The youths said to one another], "And when you have withdrawn from them and that which
they worship other than Allah, retreat to the cave. Your Lord will spread out for you of His
mercy and will prepare for you from your affair facility.

And when you withdraw from them (the people of their community) 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. [Tafsir al-Jalalayn]

Boycotting the Community:
It is allowed only when one fears for:
1) [own] Life and
2) Religion
Abdullah bin Umar would hide in his house during the fitan.

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Verse 17

) (

And [had you been present], you would see the sun when it rose, inclining away from their
cave on the right, and when it set, passing away from them on the left, while they were [laying]
within an open space thereof. That was from the signs of Allah. He whom Allah guides is the
[rightly] guided, but he whom He leaves astray - never will you find for him a protecting
guide.

What is the significance of such physical details being mentioned regarding their preservation? Allah
could have preserved them without the need of such methods. However, generally the details are not
important.

Difference in the point being made in the story of Uzair , when he was put to sleep there was
no issue of protection. However, the young men needed protection and hence Allah stresses the kind of
protection provided through His Mercy. Allah mentioned the Sunlight specifically, as it is
needed for our preservence.

Theres been a lot of speculation in terms to what could have possibly happened during the long period
that these young men were sleeping and whether anyone tried to find them or not. Possible narrations
are:
People could not find the cave
They found the cave but the mouth of the cave was inaccessible and left them to die

Lesson: If we remember Allah , He will protect us in any way He wants, when we need His
protection.

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Verse 18

) (

And you would think them awake, while they were asleep. And We turned them to the right
and to the left, while their dog stretched his forelegs at the entrance. If you had looked at them,
you would have turned from them in flight and been filled by them with terror.

The presence of the dog here shows the importance of good companionship. One of the opinions is that
the dog was not their dog; it just accompanied them as they were heading to the cave.

Again mentioning these details in this story shows that the protection of Allah was with them
in every way, while they were in deep sleep. They were turning right and left during this long period,
which was crucial for normal blood circulation. It is important to note that the presence of the dog
functioned as a sign of protection [being in the mouth of the cave so that no one could sneak in and
harm them].

The Quran can be divided into three parts.
1. Ahkam (rulings)
2. Tawheed
3. Stories

W Wi is sd do om ms s o of f Q Qu ur r a aa an ni ic c S St to or ri ie es s

1) Quraanic stories are there for our tarbiyah and nurturing
2) The focus of the stories are lessons and benefits and not the minutiae
3) All of the stories in the Quraan are true, even if we are unable to imagine some of the details.
4) The benefit of hindsight in what happened to previous nations.

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R Re ea as so on n o of f R Re ev ve el la at ti io on n

The three questions the Quraysh took from the rabbis of Madinah.

C CO ON NT TE EM MP PL LA AT TI IO ON NS S

1. The strength of iman possessed by the young men.
2. True and sincere iman and tawakkul in Allah necessitates the protection and mercy of Allah:
a. Serenity and tranquillity in the heart
b. Protection from all of creation
3. The ultimate wisdom of Allah in everything that takes place.


Sleep / Wakefulness [verses 11 and 12]
Tawheed / Shirk [verses 14 and 15]
Cave / Mercy [verse 16]
Right / Left [verse 17]
Guidance / Misguidance [verse 17]

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9
To study the stories of the
Quraan in detail
The usage of eloquence in
dawah
Role models for those firm on
their religion
10
Seclusion at times of hardship
along with dua to Allah
The daee does his best in
the circumstances
The bounty of Allah in
allowing them to go to the
cave and make dua
11 The blessings of Allah in sleep
The role the ear plays in
sleeping and awakening
The miracle of Allah in
placing them to sleep in the
cave
12
Allah controls both life and
death
The certainty of resurrection
The miracle of Allah in
awakening them
13
The example of these young
men in standing firm upon
the truth
The importance of youth in
dawah
Iman in Allah brings about
guidance
14
Firmness in the face of
adversity and overwhelming
odds
Dawah requires energy and
effort
The blessing of Allah in
making a persons heart firm
and strong
15
Not following the false
customs and beliefs of a
people
Dawah must be based on
knowledge and evidence
The bounty of Allah in
knowing the difference
between iman and kufr.
16
To protect ones religion first
and foremost
The mercy of Allah
accompanies the hardships
of this world
With hardship comes ease
and mercy
17
To contemplate over the
creation and universe
To show the power and
ability of Allah using His
creation
The world is our oyster
18
The beneficial rewards of
good company
The importance of good
friends
The complete care and
custody of Allah
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SLEEPTODAY,AWAKETOMORROW?!THE
PEOPLEOFTHECAVECONT...[VERSES1926]

Verse19

) (

And similarly, We awakened them that they might question one another. Said a speaker from
among them, "How long have you remained [here]?" They said, "We have remained a day or
part of a day." They said, "Your Lord is most knowing of how long you remained. So send one of
you with this silver coin of yours to the city and let him look to which is the best of food and
bring you provision from it and let him be cautious. And let no one be aware of you.

Allah was performing a miracle for these young men, as they slept for over 300 years, yet
some of them thought that they were only asleep for a day or a part of a day.

Important Points to Note:
In this ayah Allah repeats the word labith (sleep) 3 times to show the state of their
confusion and how they were completely unaware of the miracle that had taken place.

A very important teaching from this ayah is that when the young men were confused regarding
how long they slept, one from among them felt that something is not right. So, he attributed the
knowledge of the situation to Allah saying, "Your Lord is most knowing of how long
you remained.

Their state of confusion or fear did not lead them to disobey Allah . They still wanted
to get the best food, in spite of their confusion and fear of persecution. But what does it mean
why they asked for the best of food?
Halal food / purest
Blessed food (nutrition, etc)
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This is the test of emaan. In spite of all the difficulty, they still wanted to please Allah
by eating the halal/blessed food.

Verse 20

) (

Indeed, if they come to know of you, they will stone you or return you to their religion. And
never would you succeed, then - ever.

The people of the cave woke up in the same frame of mind they slept in. They still had the fear of
persecution which is apparent when one of them advised the other [companion] to be cautious, while
getting food.

Verse 21

) (

And similarly, We caused them to be found that they [who found them] would know that the
promise of Allah is truth and that of the Hour there is no doubt. [That was] when they disputed
among themselves about their affair and [then] said, "Construct over them a structure. Their
Lord is most knowing about them." Said those who prevailed in the matter, "We will surely take
[for ourselves] over them a masjid.

A Glimpse on the details:
Several scholars of the salaf mentioned that when they wanted to send one of their members out to the
city to buy them something to eat, he disguised himself and set out walking by a different route, until he
reached the city, which they said was called Daqsus. He thought that it was not long since he left it, but
in fact century after century, generation after generation, nation after nation had passed, and the
country and its people had changed. He saw no local landmarks that he recognized, and he did not
recognize any of the people, elite or commoners. He began to feel confused and said to himself, "Maybe I
Echoes of a Cave
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am crazy or deluded, maybe I am dreaming.'' Then he said, "By Allah, I am nothing of the sort, what I
know I saw last night was different from this.'' Then he said, "I had better get out of here.'' Then he went
to one of the men selling food, gave him the money he had and asked him to sell him some food. When
the man saw the money he did not recognize it or its imprint, so he passed it to his neighbor and they all
began to pass it around, saying, "Maybe this man found some treasure.'' They asked him who he was and
where he got this money. Had he found a treasure Who was he He said, "I am from this land, I was
living here yesterday and Decianus was the ruler.'' They accused him of being crazy and took him to the
governor who questioned him about his circumstances, and he told him. He was confused about his
situation. When he told them about it, they -- the king and the people of the city -- went with him to
the cave, where he told them, "Let me go in first and let my companions know.'' It was said that the
people did not know how he entered it, and that the people did not know about their story. It was also
said that they did enter the cave and see them, and the king greeted them and embraced them.
Apparently he was a Muslim, and his name was Tedosis. They rejoiced at meeting him and spoke with
him, then they bid farewell to him and went back to sleep, then Allah caused them to die. And Allah
knows best.
12

Points to Note
Allah allowed them to be found to show that the promise of Allah is true;
that He will protect the believers (even if they are asleep). Similarly there is no doubt about the
Hour.
After the miracle was completed, they died as a decree of Allah . But their people
started to dispute over their bodies. Those who prevailed in the dispute wanted to take their
tomb as a place of worship.
Here, Allah is showing us that even after this amazing miracle from Him ,
they went back to shirk. This is very similar to the story of the Banu Israeel [Children of Israel],
when they took a calf as a deity to worship after Allah saved them from Firaun by
parting the sea.

12
Tafsir ibn Kathir
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Verse 22

) (

They will say there were three, the fourth of them being their dog; and they will say there
were five, the sixth of them being their dog - guessing at the unseen; and they will say there
were seven, and the eighth of them was their dog. Say, [O Muhammad], "My Lord is most
knowing of their number. None knows them except a few. So do not argue about them except
with an obvious argument and do not inquire about them among [the speculators] from
anyone.

There is dispute with regards to how many of them were present in the cave. Allah
mentioned the dog separately as it was a different species.

Etiquettes of Debate
1) Debate in polite manner.
2) Remaining silent when the truth comes out.
3) Attributing knowledge to Allah .
I have never debated someone except I wished the truth to be spoken from his tongue.
13

Verse 23 & 24

) (

) (

And never say of anything, "Indeed, I will do that tomorrow. (23) Except [when adding], "If
Allah wills." And remember your Lord when you forget [it] and say, "Perhaps my Lord will
guide me to what is nearer than this to right conduct."
13
Imam as-Shafie
Echoes of a Cave
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Here we learn the true etiquette of a Muslim; that is not to say that we shall do something but rather to
say InshaAllah.[If Allah wills we shall do something]

Example of Sulaiman : He mentioned that he would marry 70 different women who will bear
70 children, each of whom will fight in the way of Allah . But he did not say InshaAllah. In
some narrations it is said that no child was born and in others it is said he had half a child.

Verse 25

) (

And they remained in their cave for three hundred years and exceeded by nine.

In this ayah it is said that they were asleep for 300 years, plus 9 more years. According to some
[scholars/narrations], the duration of their sleep was 300 years according to solar years, and 309 years
according to lunar years, which is not agreed upon.

Verse 26

) (

Say, "Allah is most knowing of how long they remained. He has [knowledge of] the unseen
[aspects] of the heavens and the earth. How seeing is He and how Hearing! They have not
besides Him any protector, and He shares not His legislation with anyone."

The story of the people of the cave ends here by attributing the knowledge of the unseen (and
everything) to Allah , and a reminder of the Oneness of Allah ; that They have not
besides Him any protector, and He shares not His legislation with anyone."

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T Th he e F Fi ir rs st t M Ma aj jo or r T Tr ri ia al l: : O Op pp pr re es ss si io on n & & I In nj ju us st ti ic ce e
Persecution due to religious beliefs.
Glimpses from history.
The usage of power and force in persecution.
Very little help and assistance except from Allah.
The power of dua; the weapon of the believer.
Nothing happens except by the will of Allah.
Link to trials of ad-Dajjal (the False Messiah)

He is a human who is alive now in a cave according to others he is not.

Physical Attributes of ad-Dajjal
His hair will be curly - like heads of devils.
Right eye will be like a protruding grape.
Left eye will have a thin film on it (translucent).
On his forehead these letters will be written - - , which indicates he is a
disbeliever. Every believer, literate or illiterate will be able to read it.
He will have a prominent forehead (sticks out).
He will have a wide stance and an arched back and he will be sterile

Other Details
Allah will give him immense power and speed
Dajjal will come from area of Khurasan (Russian republics, Iran)
Abdullah bin Mubarak was from that area
He will transform overnight. Over 70,000 people will join him immediately
3 years before he comes, one-third of normal rain and vegetation will stop.
2 years before he comes two-thirds of normal rain and vegetation will stop.
The year before he comes all rain and vegetation will stop.
He will ask the people of a village to believe in him. If they refuse, he will leave them and their
resources will be destroyed.
Another city will believe in him. He will cause rain and vegetation to descend upon them. He
will provide them with a mountain of bread and meat.
Echoes of a Cave
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Will say bring forth what is in your belly to a barren land.
He will move with wind driven rain
He will cause a person`s dead parents to come to him (actually two Jinns) and they will order
their son to believe in them
He will visit every place in world except Makkah and Madinah
He will not be able to enter Madinah and refer to the white palace of Muhammad
Dajjal will strike the earth thrice to cause munafiqeen to come out from Madinah
A young man from Madinah will go out to confront the Dajjal
Will confront him and will not believe in him. Dajjal will cut his body in half and walk
in between them and raise him up again. The young man will say he is now more
certain that this is really ad-Dajjal. Then Dajjal will try to cut off his neck but Allah
will make it like brass and Dajjal`s sword will bounce off. This man is the greatest
martyr in the sight of Allah.
Dajjal will lay siege to Jerusalem
Mahdi will be there
Isa will descend in Damascus and join Mahdi for salaat ul Fajr
Dajjal will break into Jerusalem
Dajjal will begin to dissolve like salt in water upon looking at Isa alayhis salam
Dajjal`s head will be cut by Isa
His rule upon earth is for forty days
Length of first day is equal to a year
Even the issue of Dajjal is life and death, as there will be so much lack of food
and vegetation the first question by Sahaba (RAA) were how they would pray on
that day. The Messenger of Allah told them to give it the right
proportion (to estimate).
Second day is equal to a month
Third day is equal to a week, and other days will be normal days.
It is one of the major signs of the Hour
Major signs Will occur one after another in quick succession (about 10 major signs).
Other examples:
Final is sun rises from the west
The appearance of the beast etc.
Minor signs examples:
The killed will not know why he is killing and the killed won`t know why they
are being killed.
Women will increase in number over men etc.

Echoes of a Cave
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The Following Hadith confirms some of the details and contains more regarding ad-Dajjal.

Al-Nuwas Ibn Saman said, "One morning the Prophet spoke about the Dajjal. Sometimes he described
him as insignificant, and sometimes he described him as so dangerous that we thought he was in the
clump of date-palms nearby. When we went to him later on, he noticed that fear in our faces, and
asked, 'What is the matter with you?' We said, 'O Messenger of Allah, this morning you spoke of the
Dajjal; sometimes you described him as insignificant, and sometimes you described him as being so
dangerous that we thought he was in the clump of date-palms nearby. "The Prophet said, 'I fear for you
in other matters besides the Dajjal. If he appears whilst I am among you, I will contend with him on
your behalf. But if he appears while I am not among you, then each man must contend with him on his
own behalf, and Allah will take care of every Muslim on my behalf. The Dajjal will be a young man,
with short, curly hair, and one eye floating. I would liken him to 'Abd al-Uzza Ibn Qatan. Whoever
amongst you lives to see him should recite the opening Ayat of Surat al-Kahf. He will appear on the way
between Syria and Iraq, and will create disaster left and right. O servants of Allah, adhere to the Path of
Truth." "We said, 'O Messenger of Allah, for the day which is like a year, will one days prayers be
sufficient? He said, 'No, you must make an estimate of the time, and then observe the prayers." "We
asked, 'O Messenger of Allah, how quickly will he walk upon the earth? He said, 'Like a cloud driven by
the wind. He will come to the people and call them (to a false religion), and they will believe in him and
respond to him. He will issue a command to the sky, and it will rain; and to the earth, and it will
produce crops. After grazing on these crops, their animals will return with their udders full of milk and
their flanks stretched. Then he will come to another people and will call them (to a false religion), but
they will reject his call. He will depart from them; they will suffer famine and will possess nothing in
the form of wealth. Then he will pass through the wasteland and will say, 'Bring forth your treasures,
and the treasures will come forth, like swarms of bees. Then he will call a man brimming with youth; he
will strike him with a sword and cut him in two, then place the two pieces at the distance between an
archer and his target. Then he will call him, and the young man will come running and laughing." "At
that point, Allah will send the Messiah, son of Mary, and he will descend to the white minaret in the east
of Damascus, wearing two garments dyed with saffron, placing his hands on the wings of two angels.
When he lowers his head, beads of perspiration will fall from it, and when he raises his head, beads like
pearls will scatter from it. Every Kafir who smells his fragrance will die, and his breath will reach as far
as he can see. He will search for the Dajjal until he finds him at the gate of Ludd, where he will kill him."
"Then a people whom Allah has protected will come to Isa (Jesus) son of Mary, and he will wipe their
faces (ie wipe the traces of hardship from their faces) and tell them of their status in Paradise. At that
time Allah will reveal to Isa (Jesus): "I have brought forth some of My servants whom no-one will be
able to fight. Take My servants safely to al-Tur." "Then Allah will send Gog and Magog, and they will
swarm down from every slope. The first of them will pass by the Lake of Tiberias, and will drink some of
its water; the last of them will pass by it and say, "There used to be water here." Isa (Jesus), the Prophet of
Echoes of a Cave
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Allah, and his Companions will be besieged until a bull's head will be dearer to them than one hundred
dinars are to you nowadays." "Then Isa (Jesus) and his Companions will pray to Allah, and He will send
insects who will bite the people of Gog and Magog on their necks, so that in the morning they will all
perish as one. Then Isa (Jesus) and his Companions will come down and will not find any nook or
cranny on earth which is free from their putrid stench. Isa (Jesus) and his Companions will again pray
to Allah, Who will send birds like the necks of camels; they will seize the bodies of Gog and Magog and
throw them wherever Allah wills. Then Allah will send rain which no house or tent will be able to keep
out, and the earth will be cleansed, until it will look like a mirror. Then the earth will be told to bring
forth its fruit and restore its blessing. On that day, a group of people will be able to eat from a single
pomegranate and seek shelter under its skin (ie the fruit would be so big). A milch camel will give so
much milk that a whole party will be able to drink from it; a cow will give so much milk that a whole
tribe will be able to drink from it; and a milch-sheep will give so much milk that a whole family will be
able to drink from it. At that time, Allah will send a pleasant wind which will soothe them even under
their armpits, and will take the soul of every Muslim. Only the most wicked people will be left, and they
will fornicate like asses; then the Last Hour will come upon them."
14

Link to Seerah:
The Muslims faced severe persecution during the Makkan period.
The elites of Quraysh used their position and power to persecute the poor Muslims.

T Th he e p pe eo op pl le e o of f t th he e C Ca av ve e
Number
Dog
Minute details
Omitted details
From weakness to strength
Remembrance / Neglect [verse 24]
Solar / Lunar [verse 25]

14
Sahih al-Muslim
Echoes of a Cave
dat
42
19
The importance of asking and
ascribing knowledge to Allah
The role of softness and
gentleness in dawah
The ultimate wisdom in the
plans of Allah
20
The importance of preserving
religion and life
The caller to Allah will
undergo difficulty
The firm statement of
tawheed
21 The certainty of the Hour
The importance of
resurrection and the
accounting
The miracle of the people of
the cave shows the
possibility of resurrection
22
Not arguing over unbeneficial
matters and to ascribe all
knowledge to Allah
The daee should not get
involved in side issues which
distract him
The blessing of knowledge
23
To know that Allah is the one
who controls this day and the
next
To remind others that Allah is
the one who allows us to
work the next day
To place our trust in Allah
24
Not being negligent and to
constantly remember Allah in
all affairs
To bring back those who are
negligent to the
remembrance of Allah
The benefits of dua and
dhikr
25
The immense power and
ability of Allah in everything
The amazing creation of the
sun and moon, and our usage
of them
Allah uses His creation to
protect His Awliya
26
Perfection in knowledge,
hearing and seeing belongs to
Allah
The effect of the attributes of
Allah in our lives
Allah hears, sees and knows
all things.

Echoes of a Cave
dat
43
ICANTHEARYOU!THEHEEDFULANDTHE
NEGLECTFUL[VERSES2731]

Verse 27

) (

And recite, [O Muhammad], what has been revealed to you of the Book of your Lord. There is
no changer of His words, and never will you find in other than Him a refuge.

This ayah is an order from Allah to Muhammad to recite the Quran, as in the
Book of Allah we will find guidance, and it is consistent [without any change]. However, this
order applies to us too.

There are 3 types of addressing in the Quran
1. Specific to the Prophet .
2. The Prophet is mentioned, but the ruling is not only for him, but for
everyone.
3. The Prophet is addressed first, and then everybody else (a combination of
the first and second and this verse is an example of it.)

Verse 28

) (

And keep yourself patient [by being] with those who call upon their Lord in the morning and
the evening, seeking His countenance. And let not your eyes pass beyond them, desiring
adornments of the worldly life, and do not obey one whose heart We have made heedless of
Our remembrance and who follows his desire and whose affair is ever [in] neglect.
Echoes of a Cave
dat
44

R Re ea as so on n f fo or r R Re ev ve el la at ti io on n

) (
) (

And do not send away those who call upon their Lord morning and afternoon, seeking His
countenance. Not upon you is anything of their account and not upon them is anything of your
account. So were you to send them away, you would [then] be of the wrongdoers. And thus We
have tried some of them through others that the disbelievers might say, "Is it these whom Allah
has favored among us?" Is not Allah most knowing of those who are grateful?
15

Al-Aqra ibn Habis and Uyaynah ibn Hisn al-Fazari found the Prophet sitting in the
company of some of the weak and poor believers, amongst them Suhayb, Bilal, Ammar and Khabab.
Upon seeing these weak companions they looked down upon them and privately said to the Prophet
, We request that you have a special sitting for the Arabs in which you recognise our status,
for indeed the Arabs come to sit with you but dislike to be seen with the slaves. When we arrive ask
them to leave. And once we leave sit with them. The Prophet agreed so they asked that
this be written. The Prophet asked Ali to write this down whilst we were seated when
Jibreel descended with the verses, And turn not away those who invoke their Lord, morning and
afternoon seeking His Face. You are not accountable for them in anything, and they are not accountable
for you in anything, that you may turn them away, and thus become of the unjust. Then Allah
mentioned Al-Aqra ibn Habis and Uyaynah ibn Hisn, Thus We have tried some of them with others,
that they might say: Is it these (poor believers) whom Allah has favoured from amongst us? Does not
Allah know best those who are grateful?...The Prophet would sit with us and when he
wanted to leave he would stand and go, so Allah revealed, And keep yourself patiently with those who
call on their Lord... ... So we would sit with the Prophet and when it was the time in
which he would leave, we would stand so he could leave.
16

15
SuratAl'An`m:5253
16
Ibn Majah; weak
Echoes of a Cave
dat
45
Those who believe have more right on Allah than others. So Allah is telling us to
stay patient with those who believe and are willing to accept.

A Story from the Seerah:
Once Abu Bakr were sitting together with Suhayb ar-Rumi, Salman al-Farisi and Bilal bin-
Rbah in Makkah. At that time Abu Sufyan walked by them. One of them called out that the sword of
Allah has not yet beheaded the enemy of the Messenger of Allah . At this Abu Bakr
told them that how they could talk like that with the leader of Quraysh. So, the other companions
were not happy with Abu Bakr at this. When the Prophet was informed
about this he said to Abu Bakr to go back and seek forgiveness from them, for Allah may be
displeased with Abu Bakr .

The important message from this verse is the trial of association to rich and powerful. This ayah
contains a lesson for those who face this trial.

Verse 29

) (

And say, "The truth is from your Lord, so whoever wills - let him believe; and whoever wills -
let him disbelieve." Indeed, We have prepared for the wrongdoers a fire whose walls will
surround them. And if they call for relief, they will be relieved with water like murky oil, which
scalds [their] faces. Wretched is the drink, and evil is the resting place.

Muhl murky oil boiling froth on top of oil that is used for cooking. In the Hellfire this drink will be
so hot, even when it is brought close to them the skin on their faces will melt. However, because of their
thirst, they will be forced to drink it. This verse gives us just a little glimpse of the severe punishment in
Hellfire.

Lessons
1. In here we see that there is a clear choice presented by Allah to the people.
2. The word kufr here is understood as rejecting the message
Echoes of a Cave
dat
46

Verse 30

) (

Indeed, those who have believed and done righteous deeds - indeed, We will not allow to be
lost the reward of any who did well in deeds.

In this ayah Allah mentions the reward of doing righteous deeds. Here we see the
methodology of Better than Best being used. Allah is saying that We will not allow to be
lost the reward of any who did well in deeds. As such the Muslims should be excelling at all times. We
can take the examples of the Companions of the Prophet . If we look at the life of Abu
Bakr and Umar we can see that after the death of Prophet they did not slow
down their deeds, rather they increased in good deeds.

During his Khilafah Abu Bakr used to go to a widow who was blind and used to complete all
her chores, play with her children and no one knew about it until Umar followed him once
and found out.

When Umar was the Khalifah of the Muslims, he used to walk around in the streets of
Madinah to make sure everything was going well, while others were asleep. These are just some
examples of the greatness of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah .

Imam Zainul Abideen the son of Imam Husayn On his death it was discovered that his back was
covered with marks. The next morning the poor people of the city complained that they did not receive
any food from the man who used to help, because it was Zainul Abideen who used to carry the sacks
and deliver those to the poor of the city.

Echoes of a Cave
dat
47
Verse 31

) (

Those will have gardens of perpetual residence; beneath them rivers will flow. They will be
adorned therein with bracelets of gold and will wear green garments of fine silk and brocade,
reclining therein on adorned couches. Excellent is the reward, and good is the resting place.

The word adn" means everlasting. The people of Jannah will live therein an everlasting life. This also
shows us that this world is not everlasting and it will end one day, while the next life is eternal. In this
verse we now see the repercussions of the choice that Allah has presented to the people. It
also shows us that there is a guarantee for the reward for those who believe or punishment for those
who disbelieve.

In Islam, we establish balance. Our goal is the Hereafter, but we do not leave the life of this world
without any care. There is no problem with enjoying the blessing of this world in halal ways.


T Th he e S Se ec co on nd d M Ma aj jo or r T Tr ri ia al l: : L Lo ov ve e o of f t th he e R Ri ic ch h & & P Po ow we er rf fu ul l

The position of the poor and weak in Islam
Obedience of Allah with weakness is better than disobedience with strength
The final outcome of tyrants
The final outcome of the believers
The impoverished state of many of the Companions
The universality of the Islamic message
You reap the seeds you sow
The importance of good company

Echoes of a Cave
dat
48
Link to Trials of ad-Dajjal
The link between the trials of ad-Dajjal and the this trial is that Dajjal will be given certain power by
Allah , through which he will try to convince people to worship him and follow him. As a
result as soon as he comes out 70000 people will follow him immediately.

Hadith that the Prophet (SWAS) said not to go out to confront ad-Dajjal
When people seek him out they become attached to his power and to his wealth. Also the Prophet
told us not to go out and face or seek the Dajjal because of the power and wealth that he will possess

Link to Seerah
Before Hijrah to Madinah the Prophet used to go to the camp to meet with the pilgrims,
in search of a place where the Muslims could make Hijrah. There was a group of people who were
asked to become Muslims and their condition was that they would be given faction of authority. But the
Messenger of Allah refused, as this deen is solely for Allah . No one has any
chance to provide help to seek power.

Besides, the Prophet has set example for us by refusing the Quraysh, while he was
offered power and wealth.


Remembrance / Neglect [verse 28]
Belief/ Disbelief [verse 29]
Terrible / Good [verses 29 and 31]
Paradise / Hellfire [verses 29 and 31]
Excellent / Evil [verses 29 and 31]

Echoes of a Cave
dat
49
27
The importance of frequently
reciting the Quraan.
To use the Quraan in
dawah by reciting and
studying it.
The Quraan is the source of
guidance.
28
The company of the righteous
and patience with them.
Group work in dawah
with the righteous.
The fruits of unity and good
companionship.
29
The status of truth even if it is
bitter and the abode of the
evildoers .
Ordering the good and
forbidding the evil.
Truth is identified as being
that which comes from
Allah.
30
Iman and righteous actions
will not go to waste.
The importance of
righteous actions along
with iman.
Allah is just in His rewards
of good deeds.
31
Longing for Paradise and the
reward of Allah.
To encourage competition
in gaining the reward of
Allah.
Allah rewards abundantly
for the smallest of deeds.
32
The importance of frequently
reciting the Quraan.
To use the Quraan in
dawah by reciting and
studying it.
The Quraan is the source of
guidance.

Echoes of a Cave
dat
50
MONEY,MONEYANDMOREMONEY!THEMAN
WITHTWOGARDENS[VERSES3244]

Verse 32

) (

And present to them an example of two men: We granted to one of them two gardens of
grapevines, and We bordered them with palm trees and placed between them [fields of] crops.

Allah mentions the blessings he gave the man:
1. Two gardens of grapes
i. Grapes are known to be a food of nobility and one of the men received this from Allah
. The two men were from the tribe of Khuzamah as were also Abu Jahal and
Khalid Ibn Waleed .
2. Gardens surrounded by date palm trees/
i. This gives natural shade and can also be used as a fence for the gardens
3. Placed between gardens other vegetation and crops

Verse 33

) (

Each of the two gardens produced its fruit and did not fall short thereof in anything. And We
caused to gush forth within them a river.

1. Both gardens were fruitful
2. Had a river run through them, which means he never had to water them

He had everything ready and good to go for him; he did not have to work for it.

Echoes of a Cave
dat
51
Verse 34

) (

And he had fruit, so he said to his companion while he was conversing with him, "I am greater
than you in wealth and mightier in [numbers of] men."

Here we see arrogance starting to creep in with his attitude towards his companion. (And he had
Thamar,) It was said that what was meant here was wealth, and it was said that what was meant were
fruits, which is the more apparent meaning here.
Qatadah said,

"This, by Allah, is the wish of the immoral to have a lot of wealth and a large entourage.

Verse 35

) (

And he entered his garden while he was unjust to himself. He said, "I do not think that this will
perish - ever.

Here we see an example of someone oppressing themselves, their own self. It is important to note that he
does not harm the other companion by being arrogant. Rather this arrogance makes him think that this
blessing will never end.

We need to thank Allah all the time for everything so that:
1. It is preserved
2. It increases

Heres the catch though! Allah says:
But few of My slaves are grateful
17

So make sure you ask Allah to make you one of them.
17
SuratSaba'
Echoes of a Cave
dat
52
Verse 36

) (

And I do not think the Hour will occur. And even if I should be brought back to my Lord, I will
surely find better than this as a return."

This man is so arrogant and proud that he thinks Allah will grant him more rewards. (He said: "I do not
think this will ever perish.'') Thus he was allowing himself to be deceived because of the plants, fruits
and trees that he saw, and the rivers flowing through the different parts of his gardens. He thought that
it could never come to an end or cease or be destroyed. This was because of his lack of understanding
and the weakness of his faith in Allah, and because he was enamoured with this world and its
adornments, and because he disbelieved in the Hereafter. So he said: ("And I do not think the Hour will
ever come...'') meaning, will ever happen (and if indeed I am brought back to my Lord, I surely shall find
better than this when I return to Him.) meaning, ìf there is a Hereafter and a return to Allah, then I will
have a better share than this with my Lord, for if it were not that I am dear to Him, He would not have
given me all this.' As Allah says elsewhere

But if I am brought back to my Lord, surely there will be for me the best with Him.
18

T Th he e T Th hi ir rd d M Ma aj jo or r T Tr ri ia al l: : T Tr ri ia al l o of f W We ea al lt th h a an nd d C Ch hi il ld dr re en n

Possession of wealth and children does not mean for granted that Allah is pleased with the
person (Allah knows the best), rather it is a test from Allah to see if the person
will be thankful. Umar Ibn Abd al-Aziz returned all the wealth that Banu Umayyah had wrongly taken
back when he became the khalifah of the Muslims.

18
Surat Fuilat: 50
Echoes of a Cave
dat
53
Verse 37

) (

His companion said to him while he was conversing with him, "Have you disbelieved in He
who created you from dust and then from a sperm-drop and then proportioned you [as] a
man?

This here shows the etiquette of a true friend, which is that he is constantly giving advice.

Narrated Anas :

Allah's Apostle said, "Help your brother, whether he is an oppressor or he is an oppressed one. People
asked, "O Allah's Apostle! It is all right to help him if he is oppressed, but how should we help him if he
is an oppressor?" The Prophet said, "By preventing him from oppressing others."
19

Verse 38

) (

But as for me, He is Allah , my Lord, and I do not associate with my Lord anyone.

A characteristic of the Da'ee is to give the person an alternative, and a reason why he should do that act.

19
Sahih Bukhari
Echoes of a Cave
dat
54
Verse 39

) (

And why did you, when you entered your garden, not say, 'What Allah willed [has occurred];
there is no power except in Allah '? Although you see me less than you in wealth and children,

Here he gives him the solution and explains it in detail.

Narrated Abu Huraira :

The Prophet said: " Two words, light on the tongue, heavy in the Scale (Hereafter
Mizan), very dear to the Most Merciful: " Subhana Allah Al-Azeem" and "Subhana Allah Wa-Bihamdih".
(Praise be to Allah the Greatest, and praise be to Allah with blessings and thankfulness)
20

Here we also learn that it is the etiquette of a Muslim to say MashaAllah when they see something they
are amazed with.

Verse 40

) (

It may be that my Lord will give me [something] better than your garden and will send upon it
a calamity from the sky, and it will become a smooth, dusty ground,

The scholars said that it is as if he is asking Allah to teach his friend a lesson in order to learn from his
mistake. He refers to the hereafter when he talks about something being better than the garden. Notice
that he mentioned a punishment from the sky. Scholars say this is because you cannot protect yourself
from this kind of punishment. The word zalaqa means barren mud, which means you cannot grow
anything on it.
20
SahihBukhari
Echoes of a Cave
dat
55
Verse 41

) (

Or its water will become sunken [into the earth], so you would never be able to seek it."

Here this could refer to something that cannot be protected from the sky where as if it was flooding it
could have been prevented by a dam. There will be two types of punishment one from above and one
from below where the water would be gone and you cannot grow anything anymore or you will have
so much water that there will be a flood that wash away all your vegetation.

Verse 42

) (

And his fruits were encompassed [by ruin], so he began to turn his hands about [in dismay]
over what he had spent on it, while it had collapsed upon its trellises, and said, "Oh, I wish I
had not associated with my Lord anyone.

This seems as if Allah answered the dua of the man and Allah does not harm the other man but takes
everything else from him. The only thing that was left remaining was the twigs to remind him. What is
meant is that what this disbeliever was afraid of and what the believer had terrified him actually had
happened. A storm struck his garden, a garden which he had erroneously thought would last forever,
distracting him from thoughts of Allah, may He be glorified.

Echoes of a Cave
dat
56
Verse43

) (

And there was for him no company to aid him other than Allah , nor could he defend himself.

The third trial is Wealth and Children (people). The Dajjal is linked to this because of his wealth and
man power. The Prophet is linked to this when the Quraish offered the Prophet their
wealth and the man power if he was to neglect the message he was delivering. Mus'ab Ibn Umair
was also another example who was very rich before Islam and after Islam he was stripped from
everything and became very poor to the point that there was nothing to cover his body when he died as
a martyr in the Battle of Badr.

Verse 44

) (

There the authority is [completely] for Allah , the Truth. He is best in reward and best in
outcome.

Allah is the best to reward and the best for the final end.) for deeds that were done for the
sake of Allah, their reward is good and their consequences are all good.


T Th he e T Th hi ir rd d M Ma aj jo or r T Tr ri ia al l: : W We ea al lt th h a an nd d C Ch hi il ld dr re en n

The deception of worldly adornments
The immense blessings of Allah
The downfall of the arrogant and haughty
Ascribing all good to Allah
There is no guarantee for tomorrow.
Regret afterwards does not benefit.
There is no power or might except with Allah
Echoes of a Cave
dat
57
P Pe ea ar rl ls s a an nd d G Ge em ms s

T Th he e u us se e o of f o op pp po os si it te es s: :

More / Less [verses 34 and 39]
Greenery / Barrenness[verse 33 and verse 40]
Iman / Kufr[verses 37 and 38]
Good water / Bad water[verses 33 and 41]

32
Parables help one to understand
things better and to refute any
misconceptions
The use of parables and
other such means are
effective in dawah
Allah alone makes the
earth beautiful and adorns
it
33
Trees, fruits, rivers etc. are from
the bounties of Allah
To remind others of the
favours of Allah upon His
slaves
Beauty and perfection is
for Allah alone
34
To not become deceived by
worldly pleasures and let them
distract you from worship
To not look down upon
others using the blessings of
Allah
Worldly blessings are a
favour from Allah alone
35
Nothing in this world lasts
forever
Smaller evil leads to greater
evil
Allah blesses His slaves
even when they disbelieve
Echoes of a Cave
dat
58
36
To not be deluded by this world,
thus thinking that one is
indestructible
The true recompense and
status will be meted out on
the Day of Judgement
Allah blesses His slaves
even when they disbelieve
37
Importance of advising friends,
especially in matters of tawheed
The obligation of informing
people about tawheed
The high reward of
dawah and advice
38
Honour and might in Allah and
His tawheed
The daees love of Allah is
apparent in his words
Tawheed springs honour
and might
39
Little wealth or few children is
not a deficiency.
To connect everything to the
will and power of Allaah.
All power and might is for
Allaah.
40
Allaah is the provider and He has
the power to turn beauty into
dust.
Using both targhib and
tarhib in giving dawah.
Allaahs provision is of
many types; the best of
these types is guidance.
41 Everything is created from water.
The great blessing of water
and its miraculous nature.
The immense mercy of
Allaah in water.
42
Regret later on is of no profit and
the power of Allaah to destroy
tyrants.
The power and might of
Allaah and how He is All-
Aware of the unjust.
A test may be a means of
mercy from Allaah to
bring one to guidance.
43
No-one can help you against
Allaah.
Certainty that all assistance
is from Allaah.
The help of Allaah is
guaranteed for the
believers.
44
The true protection and authority
is from Allaah.
Allaah assists those who
assist His cause.
Allaah rewards without
limit.
Echoes of a Cave
dat
59
DECEPTIVEAPPEARANCES:SIMILITUDEOF
THISWORLDANDTHEREALITYOFTHE
HEREAFTER[VERSES4549]

Verse 45

) (

And present to them the example of the life of this world, [its being] like rain which We send
down from the sky, and the vegetation of the earth mingles with it and [then] it becomes dry
remnants, scattered by the winds. And Allah is ever, over all things, Perfect in Ability.

Allah gives us the parable of this life and the next. That this life will end and perish just like
the leaves become dry and are scattered by the wind.

Allah has power over everything, and all he has to do is say Be, and it will be.

Verse 46

) (

Wealth and children are [but] adornment of the worldly life. But the enduring good deeds are
better to your Lord for reward and better for [one's] hope.

Why did Allah use the word banun, which means sons?
This is because the people of Quraysh valued sons more than daughters. Allah mention in the
Quran:

Echoes of a Cave
dat
60
And if one of them is informed of the news of (the birth of) that which he set forth as a parable to the
Most Beneficent (Allah) (i.e. of a girl), his face becomes dark, gloomy, and he is filled with grief!
21

This is to teach people that they will not profit from anyone if they do not believe in Allah .
Islam and Iman are stronger bonds than the wealth and the people of this world. Allah
mentions the story of Nuh and his son and He tell Nuh that he is not from his family.

Allah told the story thus: He (Nuh) said:

"Embark therein in the Name of Allah will be its moving course and its resting anchorage.
Surely, my Lord is Oft Forgiving, most Merciful." So it (the ship) sailed with them amidst the waves like
mountains, and Noah called out to his son, who had separated himself (apart), "O my son! Embark with
us and be not with the disbelievers." The son replied, "I will betake myself to a mountain, it will save me
from the water." Noah said: "This day there is no saviour from the Decree of Allah except him on whom
He has mercy." And a wave came in between them so he (the son) was among the drowned."
22

The good righteous deeds that last are (2 opinions):
1. Salah
2. Dhikr

Verse 47

) (

And [warn of] the Day when We will remove the mountains and you will see the earth
prominent, and We will gather them and not leave behind from them anyone.

There will be nothing left on the earth. It will be completely flat and barren in order to make everyone
equal. No one will be missed and everyone will be in front of Allah

21
SuratAzZukhruf:17
22
SuratHd:4143
Echoes of a Cave
dat
61
Verse 48

) (

And they will be presented before your Lord in rows, [and He will say], "You have certainly
come to Us just as We created you the first time. But you claimed that We would never make
for you an appointment."

This may mean that all of creation will stand before Allah in one row. It may also mean that they will
stand in rows. This is a rebuke to those who denied the Hereafter, a reprimand before all creation. This
is why Allah says to them: (Nay, but you thought that We had appointed no meeting for you (with Us).),
meaning, you did not think that this would happen to you or that it would come to pass.

Verse 49

) (

And the record [of deeds] will be placed [open], and you will see the criminals fearful of that
within it, and they will say, "Oh, woe to us! What is this book that leaves nothing small or great
except that it has enumerated it?" And they will find what they did present [before them]. And
your Lord does injustice to no one.

Here Allah tells us that we will have the Book of records of all our deeds which include the
good and the bad.

Why will Allah place the Quran in front of them?
The reason why this will happen is because people will argue immediately when they have no evidence
provided and so Allah knew that and made this book of records available so that we have
evidence in front of us in order to avoid useless argument. The criminals will be afraid on that day
when they see their record, just like when a criminal enters the court and hears the evidence.

Echoes of a Cave
dat
62

Powerful imagery of the Quran
The limited nature of this world and the eternity of the next
Iman and good deeds are the currency of the Hereafter
The resurrection will be an easy matter for Allah
Resurrection will be without any of the comforts of this world
The complete and perfect justice of Allah


Small / Big [verse 50]

Echoes of a Cave
dat
63
45
This world holds no status
in the sight of Allah.
The usage of imagery and
parables to convey the
message.
The world and everything within
it belongs to Allah.
46
The value of good as
opposed to worldly
adornments.
The comparison between
worldly adornments and
good deeds.
The abundant reward of good
deeds.
47
The destruction of this
earth and establishment
of the Hour .
The terrors of the Day of
Judgement and how we
should prepare for it.
The Day of Judgement will be the
honour of the believer and the
disgrace of the disbeliever.
48
The accounting before
Allah is true.
The accounting before
Allah should be in the
forefront of our minds.
The easy accounting of the
believers and the difficult
accounting of the disbelievers.
49
All deeds will be recorded,
even that which we
overlook.
Hastening to clear our
records of all evil.
No good or bad will be missed;
the perfect justice of Allah.

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ARCHENEMIES:ADAMANDIBLIS[VERSE50]

Verse 50

) (

And [mention] when We said to the angels, "Prostrate to Adam," and they prostrated,
except for Iblees. He was of the jinn and departed from the command of his Lord. Then
will you take him and his descendants as allies other than Me while they are enemies to
you? Wretched it is for the wrongdoers as an exchange.

This one verse contains one of the trials. Everything we study about Tawheed and shirk goes back to this
verse. The angels were ordered to prostrate to Adam to honour him. Iblees was from the Jinn
and he was one of the best of the jinns and because of that he was made one of the leaders of the Angels
and even the guardian of paradise and others say he was the guardian of Earth.

T Th he e F Fo ou ur rt th h M Ma aj jo or r T Tr ri ia al l: : A Ar rr ro og ga an nc ce e o of f L Li in ne ea ag ge e

The trial here is that of Arrogance; arrogance of lineage and ancestry. The means that this came by was
knowledge, and we see that if we do not use the knowledge correctly then we will become arrogant and
disobey Allah .

Here we see Iblees being arrogant regarding the lineage he came from. He was saying how can I
prostray to someone who was created from dirt while I was created from fire.

In the Seerah of the Prophet we see this example being practiced by Abu Jahal and the
like and the reason they rejected the message was because of arrogance of lineage. Throughout his life,
the Prophet married women from different lineages and he told a Qurayshi women of high status to
marry Osama Ibn Zaid , who was a son of a slave.

Echoes of a Cave
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L Li in nk k t to o t th he e D Da aj jj ja al l
This is related to the Dajjal by resurrecting the parents as a test of peoples belief in him as God. He will
often use the lineage of people to bring people in his path and as his followers.

In the beginning of the surah Allah dismisses the lineage and the people who have no
knowledge of Him. The bond that is more important and that ties us is the bond of Islam and not that of
lineage. Arrogance is also what leads to shirk, and people who speak about Islam and Allah
without knowledge have arrogance in them. Part of arrogance is to claim you know things you do not
actually know and to put down people and things and belittle them.

Allah has created only three things with his hands
1. He created Adam with his hands (this is the honour that Allah has for the father of
mankind)
2. Jannah was created with his hands
3. Tablet of which the Torah was given to Musa .


The Fourth Major Trial: Arrogance of Lineage

The leaders of guidance and misguidance
The evil and corruption of arrogance and pride
Arrogance vis-a-vis shirk
The true measure: Taqwa
False leadership and evil role models

VERSE TARBIYAH DAWAH
FRUITS
50
To completely submit to the orders of
Allah, obey them and to be aware of
the traps of Satan
The honourable status of
man and the enmity of Satan
for man
Allah is the protector
of the believers
Echoes of a Cave
dat
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SORRYSTATEOFAFFAIRS:THEDISBELIEVERS
[VERSES5159]

Verse 51

) (

I did not make them witness to the creation of the heavens and the earth or to the
creation of themselves, and I would not have taken the misguiders as assistants.

Allah says: `These whom you take as helpers instead of Me are creatures just like you. They
do not possess anything and did not witness the creation of heaven and earth, because they did not exist
at that time.' Allah says, Ì am the One Who independently and exclusively creates and
controls all things, and I have no partner, associate or advisor in that.'

Why does Allah use the singular form of

?

Even if all of them together come they will not be equal to one, and here He is referring to the
misguiders as assistant as Allah mentions in another verse:

The example of those who take allies other than Allah is like that of the spider who takes a
home. And indeed, the weakest of homes is the home of the spider, if they only knew.
23

23
SuratAlÀnkabt:41
Echoes of a Cave
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Verse 52

) (

And [warn of] the Day when He will say, "Call 'My partners' whom you claimed," and
they will invoke them, but they will not respond to them. And We will put between them
[a valley of] destruction.

Allah will ask the polytheists to call their gods, and they will call but no one will
respond. On that day even Iblis will flee from these people who used to listen and obey him.

Verse 53

) (

And the criminals will see the Fire and will be certain that they are to fall therein. And
they will not find from it a way elsewhere.

When the people will see no one to help them Allah will show them the Fire. It is related in the hadith
that the number of angels carrying Hell-fire on the Day of Resurrection will number 4,900,000,000...
and this is only one of the countless number of tasks the angels have been given.

The fire will then complain to Allah and say:

On the Day when We will say to Hell: "Are you filled?" It will say: "Are there any more (to
come)?"
24

24
SuratQf:30
Echoes of a Cave
dat
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Why does Allah use the word

(doubt)?

This is because even though they know that they are going into the fire, Allah does not want
to attribute power to them.

Verse 54

) (

And We have certainly diversified in this Qur'an for the people from every [kind of]
example; but man has ever been, most of anything, [prone to] dispute.

Allah has given us multiple examples for us to succeed. The Quran contains the guidance,
and it is a persons fault if he chooses not to follow that guidance. There is an Arabic proverb that says
"Just because you do not know something it does not mean it does not exist."

The problem is that people like to argue about everything they are told. We learn from the story of the
cow, when the people of Musa kept arguing about the type of cow that Allah
commanded them to slaughter. The arguing only made things harder for them and in the end they were
the losers.

Verse 55

) (

And nothing has prevented the people from believing when guidance came to them and
from asking forgiveness of their Lord except that there [must] befall them the
[accustomed] precedent of the former peoples or that the punishment should come
[directly] before them.

People have been known to reject the message for Two reasons:
1. Their ancestors didn't follow this path so they do not have to do this
Echoes of a Cave
dat
69
2. They dont believe in the punishment of Allah

This is why every time a messenger was sent to the people, they would say:

Bring Allah's torment upon us if you are one of the truthful
25

Verse 56

) (

And We send not the messengers except as bringers of good tidings and warners. And
those who disbelieve dispute by [using] falsehood to [attempt to] invalidate thereby the
truth and have taken My verses, and that of which they are warned, in ridicule.

All the Messengers were sent with a mission. The purpose of the messengers was not to serve or listen to
the demands of the people, rather it was to invite them and bring to them the message. Before the
punishment they give good news to those who believe in them and follow them, and warnings to those
who reject them and oppose them. But because of their arrogance they try to weaken the truth that the
Messengers brought, but they cannot achieve that. And on top of that they make fun of them, which is
the worst type of disbelief. This is what causes their destruction.

Verse 57

) (

And who is more unjust than one who is reminded of the verses of his Lord but turns
away from them and forgets what his hands have put forth? Indeed, We have placed over
25
SuratAlÀnkabt:29
Echoes of a Cave
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their hearts coverings, lest they understand it, and in their ears deafness. And if you invite
them to guidance - they will never be guided, then - ever.

Allah says, `Who among My creatures does more wrong than one who is reminded of the
signs of Allah then turns away from them,' i.e., ignores them and does not listen or pay attention to
them. The disbelievers pretend to forget the message and because of this they will be deaf in an abstract
way, to guidance. Whatever you try to do or say to them, they will never be guided.

Verse 58

) (

And your Lord is the Forgiving, full of mercy. If He were to impose blame upon them for
what they earned, He would have hastened for them the punishment. Rather, for them is
an appointment from which they will never find an escape.

Here we see that it is never too late to ask Allah for forgiveness and repent to Allah because
he is the most forgiving and we need to take this chance before we loose it. Allah tells us that
He is patient, He conceals faults and forgives sins. He may guide some of them from wrongdoing to true
guidance, and whoever continues in his evil ways, then there will come to him a Day when his
negligence will not avail him.

We also learn that the first thing a believer should do is to return to Allah by humbling
himself by making du'a to him for forgivness

Verse 59

) (

And those cities - We destroyed them when they wronged, and We made for their
destruction an appointed time.

Echoes of a Cave
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Allah says that the people of the past were destroyed because of their stubborn disbelief, and
the same will happen to you if you decide to keep rejecting the message. Allah does not
destroy a nation at the first sin, rather he gives them time to repent and if they do not and they increase
in sins then Allah holds them.


The amazing nature of human creation and the universe.
The only connection that will remain on the Day of Judgement is the one based on iman.
The ill effects of frivolous argumentation.
Not all customs and traditions are to be followed.
Even our parents may be wrong!
The most unjust are those who know the truth but still reject it.
The mercy of Allah in not exacting immediate punishment.
The final outcome of the previous nations is for us the greatest of lessons.


Heavens / Earth [verse 51]
Truth / Falsehood [verse 56]
Mercy / Punishment [verse 58]

Echoes of a Cave
dat
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51
Allah does not need the help of
the pious or impious, rather
He is Self-Sufficient.
To ponder and contemplate
over the creation of Allah.
The creation of Allah is in
the best of forms.
52
Safety is only with Allah and
none else.
The Day that no one will
help another.
Allah is the Protector in
both worlds.
53
The terror of the punishment
of Allah.
Nothing reminds like the
Fire of Hell.
For the believers, the mercy
of Allah overcomes His
anger .
54
All the solutions to our
problems lie within the
Quraan.
To return to the Quraan and
seek guidance from it.
The Quraan has a cure to
every disease, and solution
to every problem.
55
The importance of istighfar
and the dangers of blind
following.
The sources of guidance are
only the Quraan and
Sunnah.
Iman abd Tawbah are the
saviours of the Muslim.
56
The importance of having
hope and fear in Allah
To be balanced in giving
people glad tidings and
warning them
The mercy of Allah in
sending messengers and
books to humankind
57
The danger of negligence after
being reminded and turning
away from guidance
The importance of tawbah
and warning against a dead
heart
Responding to the message
of Allah enlivens the heart
58 The immense mercy of Allah
Not to restrict the mercy of
Allah
Allahs mercy overcomes
His anger
59
Oppression and injustice lead
to destruction
The final outcome of the past
nations
Justice will always reign
supreme

Echoes of a Cave
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LESSONSGALORE!MUSAANDKHIDRMEET
[VERSES6082]

Verse 60

) (

And [mention] when Moses said to his servant, "I will not cease [traveling] until I reach the
junction of the two seas or continue for a long period."

The reason for Musa's conversation with the boy-servant, Yusha` bin Nun, was that he had been told
about one of the servants of Allah at the junction of the two seas, who had knowledge which Musa had
not been granted, so he wanted to travel to meet him.

Story of Musa and Khidr :

Narrated Imam Al-Bukhari ,

I was told by Al-Hamidi after Sufyan after Àmr Ibn Dinar after Saìd Ibn Jubair as saying: I said to Ibn
Àbbas: "Nauf AI-Bakali claims that Moses was not the Moses of Banu Israel but he was another Moses."
Ibn Àbbas remarked that the enemy of Allah (Nauj) was a liar. Narrated Ubai bin Ka `b: The
Prophet (Peace be upon him) said: "Once Prophet Moses stood up and addressed Banu Israel. He was
asked: "Who is the most learned man amongst the people?" He said: "I am the most learned." Allah
admonished Moses as he did not attribute absolute knowledge to Him (Allah). So Allah inspired to him,
"At the junction of the two seas there is a slave of mine who is more learned than you." Moses said: "O
my Lord! How can I meet him?" Allah Almighty said: "Take a fish in a large basket (and proceed) and
you will find him at the place where you will lose the fish." So Moses set out along with his (servant)
boy, Yusha` bin Nun and carried a fish in a large basket till they reached a rock, where they laid their
heads (i. e. lay down) and slept. The fish came out of the basket and it took its way into the sea as in a
tunnel. So it was an amazing thing for both Moses and his (servant) boy.

They proceeded for the rest of that night and the following day. When the day broke, Moses said to his
(servant) boy: {Bring us our early meal. No doubt, we have suffered much fatigue in this journey}.
Echoes of a Cave
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74
Moses did not get tired till he passed the place about which he was told. There the (servant) boy told
Moses: {Do you remember when we betook ourselves to the rock, I indeed forgot the fish}. Moses
remarked: {That is what we have been seeking. So they went back retracing their footsteps}, till they
reached the rock. There they saw a man covered with a garment (or covering himself with his own
garment). Moses greeted him. Al- Khadir replied saying: "How do people greet each other in your land?"
Moses said: "I am Moses." He asked: "The Moses of Banu Israel?" Moses replied in the affirmative and
added: "May I follow you so that you teach me of that knowledge which you have been taught." Al-
Khadir replied: "Verily! You will not be able to remain patient with me, 0 Moses! I have some of the
knowledge of Allah which He has taught me and which you do not know, while you have some
knowledge which Allah has taught you which I do not know." Moses said: "Allah willing, you will find
me patient and I will not disobey you in aught.

So both of them set out walking along the seashore, as they did not have a boat. In the meantime a boat
passed by them and they requested the crew of the boat (. to take them on board. The crew recognized
Al-Khadir and took them on board without fare.Then a sparrow came and stood on the edge of the boat
and dipped its beak once or twice in the sea. Al-Khadir said: "O Moses! My knowledge and your
knowledge have not decreased Allah's knowledge except as much as this sparrow has decreased the
water of the sea with its beak." Al-Khadir went to one of the planks of the boat and plucked it out. Moses
said: "These people gave us a free lift but you have broken their boat and scuttled it so as to drown its
people." Al-Khadir replied: "Didn't I tell you that you will not be able to remain patient with me." Moses
said: "Call me not to account for what I forgot." The first (excuse) of Moses was that he had forgotten.
Then they proceeded further and found a boy playing with other boys. Al-Khadir took hold of the boy's
head from the top and plucked it out with his hands (i.e. killed him). Moses said: "Have you killed an
innocent soul who has killed none." AI-Khadir replied: "Did I not tell you that you cannot remain patient
with me?" Then they both proceeded till when they came to the people of a town, they asked them for
food, but they refused to entertain them. Then they found there a wall on the point of collapsing. Al-
Khadir repaired it with his own hands. Moses said: "If you had wished, surely you could have taken
wages for it." Al-Khadir replied: "This is the parting between you and me."

The Prophet (Muhammad ) added:

"May Allah be Merciful to Moses! Would that he could have been more patient to learn more
about his story with Al-Khadir."
26

26
Sahih Al-Bukhari
Echoes of a Cave
dat
75
The etiquettes of the student of knowledge:
1. Take the knowledge from others regardless of their status.
o This means, they dont have to be the greatest scholars of the time for you to take
knowledge from them. Some people want to travel to seek knowledge under other
Shuyuk but neglect their local Shuyukh.
2. The student of knowledge should have a strong Determination.
o Musa said he wont stop until he gets to the place he would meet Khidr.
3. The student of knowledge should travel for the sake of Allah .
o Musa was the first totravel to seek knowledge.
4. The student of knowledge should be responsible for getting his own provision

Verse 61

) (

But when they reached the junction between them, they forgot their fish, and it took its
course into the sea, slipping away.

He had been commanded to carry a salted fish with him and it had been said to him, when you
lose the fish, that will be a sign that you have reached the right place. So they set out and traveled until
they reached the junction of the two seas, where there was a spring called Àyn Al-Hayat (the Spring of
Life). They went to sleep there, and the fish felt the drops of that water, so it came back to life. It was in a
vessel with Yusha`, , and it jumped out of the vessel towards the sea. Yusha` woke up and the
fish fell into the water and started to swim through the water, leaving a track or channel behind it.
When Musa , Yusha forgot to tell him about the incident.

Verse 62

) (

So when they had passed beyond it, [Moses] said to his boy, "Bring us our morning meal.
We have certainly suffered in this, our journey, [much] fatigue."

Musa starts to feel hunger from all the traveling and asks Yusha to get him some
food.
Echoes of a Cave
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76

Another thing we learn here is the importance of companionship when seeking knowledge. This is
exactly what the Prophet did when he did hijrah with Abu Bakr from
Makkah to Madina.

Verse 63

) (

He said, "Did you see when we retired to the rock? Indeed, I forgot [there] the fish. And
none made me forget it except Satan - that I should mention it. And it took its course into
the sea amazingly".

This is a reminder that seeking knowledge is not an easy task, and it is guaranteed that you will face
difficulties.

Verse 64

) (

[Moses] said, "That is what we were seeking." So they returned, following their footprints.

Musa realized this was what they were looking for. Here we learn that students of knowledge
should treat each other with mercy and patience. Musa was patient with his servant even
though he was tired and hungry.

Verse 65

) (

Echoes of a Cave
dat
77
And they found a servant from among Our servants to whom we had given mercy from us and
had taught him from Us a [certain] knowledge.

The person Musa met was Al-Khidr, , as is indicated by the authentic Hadiths narrated
from the Messenger of Allah mentioned earlier.
K Kh hi id dr r

Who was Khidr ?
There is a difference on his true identity and whether he is alive or dead, but the strongest opinion is
that he was a prophet and he is dead .

Why there is so much controversy about Khidrs story?
So some sects can develop a methodology that wilaya can be better than nubuwa.
Others used this to prove that people can claim sainthood.

What does the word mercy mean here?
It means knowledge. It is with this knowledge that he can differentiate between halal and haram. The
main fruit of knowledge is piety as Allah says:

It is only those who have knowledge among His slaves that fear Allah. Verily, Allah is
AllMighty, OftForgiving.
27

Verse 66

) (

Moses said to him, "May I follow you on [the condition] that you teach me from what you have
been taught of sound judgement?"

Here we see that Musa becomes aware of his previous mistake and decides to become the
student of Khidr . Allah tells us what Musa said to that learned man, who
was Al-Khidr. He was one to whom Allah had given knowledge that He had not given to Musa, just as
He had given Musa knowledge that He had not given to Al-Khidr .
27
SuratFir:28
Echoes of a Cave
dat
78
Ettiquettes of student of knowledge:
1) The student of knowledge always asks politely
Musas question was phrased in gentle terms, with no sense of force or coercion.
This is the manner in which the seeker of knowledge should address the scholar.
1) The student of knowledge always ascribes the knowledge to Allah

Verse 67

) (

He said, "Indeed, with me you will never be able to have patience.

Etiquettes of the teacher:
1) The teacher knows his student. (Firasa)
(a) Khidr knew his student well and knew his character as well.
(b) Imam Malik could see that in his student Imam Al-Shafii.
2) The teacher should advise his student.

Verse 68

) (

And how can you have patience for what you do not encompass in knowledge?"

Another etiquette of the teacher with the students is being able to speak to the student according to their
(students) level. Khidr is saying, I know that you will denounce me justifiably, but I have
knowledge of Allah's wisdom and the hidden interests which I can see but you cannot.

Verse 69

) (

[Moses] said, "You will find me, if Allah wills, patient, and I will not disobey you in [any]
order."
Echoes of a Cave
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Here the teacher puts conditions because it is his right to impose conditions on a student who wants to
learn from him, and if the student agrees to learn than he has to agree to the conditions.

Verse 70

) (

He said, "Then if you follow me, do not ask me about anything until I make to you about
it mention."

There are two conditions here:
(1) Patience
(2) Obedience

Verse 71

) (

So they set out, until when they had embarked on the ship, al-Khidhr tore it open. [Moses]
said, "Have you torn it open to drown its people? You have certainly done a grave thing.""

Allah tells us that Musa and his companion Al-Khidr set out having come to
an agreement and reached an understanding. Al-Khidr had made the condition that Musa should not
ask him about anything he found distasteful until he himself initiated the discussion and offered an
explanation. So they went on board the ship, as described in the Hadith quoted above -- the crew
recognized Al-Khidr and let them ride on board free of charge, as an honor to Al-Khidr. When the boat
took them out to sea and they were far from the shore, Al-Khidr got up and damaged the boat, pulling
out one of its planks and then patching it up again. Musa, could not restrain himself from
denouncing him.

The student should ask questions, however here we learn that there is a time, place and moment for
questions, as this is one of the etiquettes from the student.

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Verse 72

) (

[Al-Khidhr] said, "Did I not say that with me you would never be able to have patience?

Khidr says, `this thing that I did deliberately is one of the things I told you not to denounce me
for, because you do not know the full story, and there is a reason and purpose for it that you do not
know about.'

Here we see a great etiquette from the teacher and that is to have mercy and good manners with the
student. There is Hikmah in the way he answered Musa . We also see love and patience from the
teacher. The teacher is like a parent to the student.

Verse 73

) (

[Moses] said, "Do not blame me for what I forgot and do not cover me in my matter with
difficulty."

Musa is asking Khidr not to be harsh with him because of his forgetfulness.

Verse 74

) (

So they set out, until when they met a boy, al-Khidh r killed him. [Moses] said, "Have you killed
a pure soul for other than [having killed] a soul? You have certainly done a deplorable thing.

It has been stated previously that this boy was playing with other boys in one of the towns, and that Al-
Khidr deliberately singled him out. He was the finest and most handsome of them all, and Al-Khidr
killed him. When Musa , saw that he denounced him even more fervently than in the first case.
Echoes of a Cave
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Verse 75

) (

[Al-Khidh r] said, "Did I not tell you that with me you would never be able to have patience?"

Musa here has patience with the actions of the teacher. Khidr knew how to interact
with Musa . We also learn that the student has to have patience with their teacher and their
actions.

Verse 76

) (

[Moses] said, "If I should ask you about anything after this, then do not keep me as a
companion. You have obtained from me an excuse."

Here is another sign of Musas determination to seek knowledge.

Ibn Jarir narrated from Ibn Àbbas that Ubayy bin Ka`b said: "Whenever the Prophet mentioned anyone,
he would pray for himself first. One day he said:

May the mercy of Allah be upon us and upon Musa . If he had stayed with his companion he
would have seen wonders, but he said, (Ìf I ask you anything after this, keep me not in your company,
you have received an excuse from me.

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Verse 77

) (

So they set out, until when they came to the people of a town, they asked its people for food,
but they refused to offer them hospitality. And they found therein a wall about to collapse, so
al-Khidhr restored it. [Moses] said, "If you wished, you could have taken for it a payment."

Here we see that we should offer hospitality to our fellow brothers and sisters and neighbours, look for
the hadith that talks about receiving the neighbour and traveller, in the sacred scrolls.

Verse 78

) (

[Al-Khidh r] said, "This is parting between me and you. I will inform you of the
interpretation of that about which you could not have patience.

Hastiness is one of the main problems of the students. The teacher should always explain to the students
what they do not understand and never leave them confused or lost.

Verse 79

) (

As for the ship, it belonged to poor people working at sea. So I intended to cause defect in
it as there was after them a king who seized every [good] ship by force.

Here we learnt he difference between faqir and miskin.
a) Faqir has nothing not enough even for a day
b) Miskin has something but it is not even sufficient
Echoes of a Cave
dat
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Have Husn Ath-dhan with people. There is always a different perspective and we need to have an open
mind. This is exactly what Khidr teaches us and we see this from the story where Musa
only saw one side of the spectrum, where as Khidr saw both or knew both. If you can stop
oppression without a greater oppression then you must.

Verse 80

) (

And as for the boy, his parents were believers, and we feared that he would overburden
them by transgression and disbelief.

Here we see the recurring theme of lineage and how we should not make it the reason for disbelief.

Verse 81

) (

So we intended that their Lord should substitute for them one better than him in purity
and nearer to mercy.

Ibn Àbbas narrated from Ubayy bin Ka`b that the Prophet said:

The boy, Al-Khidr killed was destined to be a disbeliever from the day he was created.Their love for
him might make them follow him in disbelief. Qatadah said, "His parents rejoiced when he was born
and grieved for him when he was killed. If he had stayed alive, he would have been the cause of their
doom. So let a man be content with the decree of Allah, for the decree of Allah for the believer, if he
dislikes it, is better for him than if He were to decree something that he likes for him.''

Here the children are a reason for misguidance, so from his mercy Allah decrees to take this
one and bless them with a better child.

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Verse 82

) (

And as for the wall, it belonged to two orphan boys in the city, and there was beneath it a
treasure for them, and their father had been righteous. So your Lord intended that they reach
maturity and extract their treasure, as a mercy from your Lord. And I did it not of my own
accord. That is the interpretation of that about which you could not have patience.

Righteous parents have an effect on righteous children. In Jannah they will be raised to the same level as
a mercy of Allah . Here will is attributed to Allah, the Exalted, because no one else is able to
bring them to the age of full strength and puberty except Allah .

Kidr attributes all this to Allah and says, These three things that I did, come from the
mercy of Allah for those we have mentioned, the crew of the ship, the parents of the boy and the two
sons of the righteous man; I was only commanded to do these things that were enjoined upon me.'


The Fifth Major Trial: Knowledge
There is always someone who knows more than you.
Travelling for the sake of seeking knowledge.
The beautiful etiquette of Musa and his humility.
Travelling with a companion and having an ameer..
The teacher isnt always better than the student.
The discourse of the people of knowledge.
The etiquettes of the teacher and the student.

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Three types of judges:
2 of them will be in hell, the other in Jannah
o The first has no knowledge and rules so he will be in Jahannam
o The other has knowledge and he rules against and so he is in Jahannam
o The last has knowledge and uses it correctly and will go to Jannah.

The trial of knowledge is used by Dajjal when he uses knowledge of the unseen that Allah
has given him. He will use knowledge as a punishment and a trial. He will tell them that there is
treasure underneath the earth and that their parents will be resurrected if they follow him and so the
people will follow blindly rather than using the knowledge they gained about the Dajjal.

Prophet was also trialed with knowledge with the Jews and Christians.

Seeking knowledge is a trial and if you do not seek it then you will have difficulties.
Knowledge is one of the biggest Mercy Allah gives to his servant.
The main fruit of knowledge is piety, Fear of Allah .


Remember / Forget [verse 63]
Hospitality / Inhospitable [verse 77]
Broken / Built [verse 77]
Iman / Kufr [verses 80-81]

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60
The etiquettes of speaking
to the weak and poor.
Travel for knowledge
with companionship.
Action with sincerity brings tawfeeq
from Allah.
61
Forgetfulness is not a
crime.
Those who forget are
reminded gently.
Forgetfulness can be a mercy from
Allah.
62
Preparations are an
essential part of our lives.
Results are achieved by
taking the necessary
steps.
The mercy of Allah in hunger and
tiredness.
63
To be aware of the traps of
Satan and to overcome
them.
The benefits of travelling
with good
companionship.
Remembering Allah repels Satan.
64 To not give up.
Constantly working to
achieve your goals.
Knowledge of the way to do things
right.
65
Good character comes
before knowledge.
Fruits are only realised
after time and effort.
Servitude to Allah brings knowledge
and good character.
66
Etiquettes of the student
with the teacher.
Even the most
knowledgeable can learn
more.
Allah gives knowledge to
whomsoever He wills.
67
To be patient with a harsh
teacher.
Patience is a must in
seeking knowledge.
With patience comes ease.
68 The wisdom of the teacher.
The ability to see things
from the other point of
view, especially in
dawah.
Allah gives knowledge to
whomsoever He wills.
69
The firm resolve to be
patient in all matters.
The daee must have
patience in his work.
Allah loves those who are patient
70
Asking appropriate
questions at the right time.
Being patient with the
conditions placed by the
teacher.
The ultimate wisdom of Allah in
everything.
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71
The use of visual aids and
practical means.
Ordering the good and
forbidding the evil.
Things are not always as they seem.
72
To remember ones oaths
and promises.
The strong personality of
the daee.
Patience is a virtue.
73
To acknowledge ones
mistakes.
The daee is always
willing to be corrected.
To change is better than to remain
wrong.
74
It is only Allah who knows
the unseen affairs of
people.
To change a persons
words and voice
accordingly.
everything.
75
Soft rebuking is sometimes
needed.
Gentleness or harshness . Patience is a virtue.
76
Hastiness can lead to ones
downfall.
Reminder profits the
believer.
To change is better than to remain
wrong.
77
Evil should not be repaid
with evil, but good .
The gentleness and
kindness of the daee
against even his enemies.
everything.
78
Not to leave others in
confusion.
To know when to call it a
day.
Mercy in varying interpretations .
79
Knowing the lesser of two
evils.
Defending the weak and
oppressed.
Help arrives in any shape or form.
80
The importance of good
tarbiyah for children.
Addressing the elders
and the youth.
Righteous roots breed righteous
offspring.
81
Dutifulness and being
good to the parents.
Assisting parents in
bringing up their
children.
There may be good in something
you dislike.
82
The status of orphans and
the beneficial fruits of
righteous parents even
after their death.
All knowledge is from
Allah.
The protection of Allah for His
righteous slaves and their families.

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KINGOFTHEWORLD:DHULQARNYN[VERSES
8399]

Verse 83

) (

And they ask you, [O Muhammad], about Dhul-Qarnayn. Say, "I will recite to you about him a
report."

W Wh ho o w wa as s D Dh hu ul l Q Qa ar rn na ay yn n? ?

Dhul Qarnayn was a king; it is most widely believed that he came after Musa and before Isa
. Some say he was Roman. Dhul Qarnayn means The possessor of two horns.

There are different opinions for naming him Dhul Qarnayn:
1. He had very long hair, which he tied into braids.
2. It is said that he was born with 2 bulging bumps coming out of his head, so they called him
Dhul Qarnayn.
3. Another narration says that when Dhul Qarnayn first called people to Allah , the
people beat him so bad, that he got a bulge on one side[of his head]. The same thing happened
the next day and he now had 2 bulges [on his head] and so they called him Dhul Qarnayn.
4. A third narration says that he possessed the East and the West, and they were referred to as the
two horns of the earth, which is the strongest opinion.

Verse 84

) (

Indeed We established him upon the earth, and We gave him to everything a way [provided
him with a way].

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Dhul Qarnayn was an amazing military tactician. Every time he went to a new land he would learn the
geography and the characteristics of the land. Furthermore, he would always learn the culture of the
land. As mentioned before Dhul Qarnayn was a king.

There are 3 types of kings:
1) Disbeliever and oppressor
2) Believer but is evil
3) A righteous king (Dhul Qarnayn)

Verse 85

) (

So he followed a way.

Dhul Qarnayn was acted upon all means possible in order to perform his duties; he did not just make
dua and sit down waiting for provisions to come. It is against the teaching of Islam to not strive for
provision and to remain immobilized thinking that the provisions will come from Allah
without even putting the effort.

Verse 86

) (

Until, when he reached the setting of the sun, he found it [as if] setting in a spring of dark
mud, and he found near it a people. Allah said, "O Dhul-Qarnayn, either you punish [them] or
else adopt among them [a way of] goodness."

Until, when he reached the setting place of the sun, means, he followed a route until he reached the
furthest point that could be reached in the direction of the sun's setting, which is the west of the earth.

As for the idea of his reaching the place in the sky where the sun sets, this is something impossible, and
the tales told by storytellers that he traveled so far to the west that the sun set behind him are not true at
Echoes of a Cave
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all. Most of these stories come from the myths of the People of the Book and the fabrications and lies of
their heretics.
he found it setting in a spring of Hami'ah meaning, he saw the sun as if it were setting in the ocean.
This is something which everyone who goes to the coast can see: it looks as if the sun is setting into the
sea but in fact it never leaves its path in which it is fixed. Hami'ah is, according to one of the two views,
derived from the word Hama'ah, which means mud.

And he found near it a people. meaning a nation. Scholars mentioned that they were a great nation
from among the sons of Adam.

Verse 87

) (

He said, "As for one who wrongs, we will punish him. Then he will be returned to his
Lord, and He will punish him with a terrible punishment.

Dhul Qarnayn established the rule of Allah on these people. His justice and faith became
apparent in the ruling he pronounced: (As for him who wrongs,) meaning who persists in his Kufr and
in associating others in worship with his Lord, (we will punish him,) Qatadah said, i.e., by killing him.

Allah said (by inspiration): "O Dhul-Qarnayn! Either you punish them or treat them with kindness''
means, Allah gave him power over them and gave him the choice: if he wanted to, he could
kill the men and take the women and children captive, or if he wanted to, he could set them free, with
or without a ransom.

Some people deserve the punishment of Allah . They are those who commit sin openly and
becomes arrogant about it. The Messenger of Allah said:

All of my ummah [nation] will be forgiven except those who sin openly. It is a part of sinning openly
when a man does something at night, then the following morning when Allah has concealed his sin, he
says, O So and so, I did such and such last night, when all night his Lord has concealed him and the
next morning he uncovers what Allah had concealed.
28

28
Shaih al-Bukhari
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Then he will be returned to his Lord, and He will punish him with a terrible punishment. meaning a
severe, far-reaching and painful punishment. This implies a confirmation of the Hereafter and the
reward and punishment.

Verse 88

) (

But as for one who believes and does righteousness, he will have a reward of Paradise,
and we will speak to him from our command with ease."

But as for him who believes, meaning `who follows us in our call to worship Allah Alone with no
partner or associate, (he shall have the best reward,) meaning in the Hereafter, with Allah. (and we
(Dhul-Qarnayn) shall speak unto him mild words.) Mujahid said, `(words of) kindness.'

Verse 89

) (

Then he followed a way.

Here we again see the methodology of being better than best, where someone is always excelling and
doing better than the best. He is a man that excels and keeps going till he reaches the end goal of this
life. He conquers lands as he goes, and he does not stop by satisfying himself with little (or what he has
got.)

Verse 90

) (
Until, when he came to the rising of the sun, he found it rising on a people for whom We had
not made against it any shield.
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Allah tells us that Dhul-Qarnayn then traveled from the west of the earth towards the east.
Every time he passed a nation, he subjugated the people and called them to Allah . If they
obeyed him, all well and good, otherwise he would humiliate them and take their wealth and
possessions. From every nation he took what his armies needed to fight the next nation. When he
reached the place where the sun rises, as Allah says, he found it rising on a people for whom
We had not made against it any shield, meaning a nation who had no buildings or trees to cover them
and shade them from the heat of the sun. Qatadah said, "It was mentioned to us that they were
in a land where nothing grew, so when the sun rose they would go into tunnels until it had passed its
zenith, then they would come out to go about their daily lives and earn themselves a living.''

Verse 91

) (

Thus. And We had encompassed [all] that he had in knowledge.

Mujahid and As-Suddi said, "This means that Allah knew everything about him and his army, and
nothing was hidden from Him, even though they came from so many different nations and lands.

Verse 92

) (

Then he followed a way.

Then Dhul Qarnayn followed a (another) way, and he kept conquering.

Verse 93

) (

Until, when he reached [a pass] between two mountains, he found beside them a people who
could hardly understand [his] speech.
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As Dhul Qarnayn continued travelling from the east of the earth he reached a place between the two
mountains, which were next to one another with a valley in between. He met there some people, but he
could not understand their speech, because they were so isolated from other people.

Verse 94

) (

They said, "O Dhul-Qarnayn, indeed Ya'juj and Ma'juj are [great] corrupters in the land. So
may we assign for you expenditure that you might make between us and them a barrier?"

The people of the valley informed Dhul-Qarnayn, "indeed, Ya'juj and Ma'juj are [great] corrupters in
the land.
So may we assign for you expenditure, means the people of the valley wanted to collect money from
among themselves to give to him so that he would create a barrier between them and Ya'juj and Ma'juj.

Y Ya a j ju uj j & &M Ma a j ju uj j
Ya'juj and Ma'juj (Gog and Magog) is a nation who will emerge as one of the Major signs of the Day of
Judgement. They will emerge into the land of the Turks and spread mischief there, destroying crops and
people. Ya'juj and Ma'juj are among the progeny of Adam . It has been recorded from the
Messenger of Allah
"Allah said: "O Adam.'' Adam said, "Here I am at Your service.'' Allah said, "Send forth the group of
Hellfire.'' Adam said, "What is the group of Hellfire" Allah said: "Out of every thousand, nine hundred
and ninety-nine will go to Hell and one will go to Paradise.

Some say that Nuh had three children. Below is the family tree of Nuh .

Echoes of a Cave
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Coming Out of Yajuj &Majuj
After 'Eesa ibn Maryam kills the Dajjaal, Yajuj and Majuj (Gog and Magog) will come out. And
through the blessings of 'Eesa's supplications, Allah will then destroy them in a single night.

Abu Hurairah reported that the Messenger of Allah said, Indeed Yajuj and
Majuj are every day digging out of the barrier, and when they see the rays of the sun, the one that is
over them says, 'Return, and you shall dig tomorrow.' When they return to it, it is as solid as it ever was.
This will go on until their time arrives and Allah wills to send them to the people. Then they
will dig until they see the rays of the sun. The one over them will say, 'Go, and you will dig tomorrow
Insha Allah (if Allah wills).' This time he Yastathnee (i.e. he says 'InshaAllah'). Then they will
return to it, but this time it will be upon the same state as it was when they left it. They will dig through
it, going out to the people. They will make dry (places of) water. The people will fortify themselves in
fortresses, and the people of Yajuj and Majuj will shoot their arrows to the sky. Then Allah
will send Naghafan (a kind of worm) at the back of their necks and will kill them with the Naghafan
(i.e., with those worms)."

The Messenger of Allah said, By the One Who has the soul of Muhammad in His Hand,
the beasts of the earth will go fat and will find sufficient nourishment from their flesh and blood."
(Ahmad), At-Tirmidhee, and ibn Maajah related the same Hadith through different chains. ibn Jareer
and Ibn Abee Haatim related a similar narration from Ka'ab Al-Ahbaar. And Allah it knows
best.

Abu Sa'eed Al-Khudree related that he heard the Messenger of Allah say, "An
opening will be made for Yajuj and Majuj, (Gog and Magog) and they will come out just as Allah
says: "Traveling quickly through every mound". The people will move, frightened and startled,
betaking themselves away from them to their cities and fortresses. And they will bring their livestock
Nuh
Sam
Arabs &
Romans
Ham
Moroccans &
Berbers
Yafik
Turks, Gog and
Magog
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along with them. The people of Yajuj and Majuj (Gog and Magog) will wander and drink the water of
the earth. One of them will pass by a river and say, 'There used to be a time when there was water here.'
When every single person will have sought refuge in a city or fortress, one from Yajuj and Majuj will
say, 'These are the inhabitants of the earth, and we have finished with them. There remain the
inhabitants of the sky.' One of them will rock his spear and launch it toward the sky. It will return to
them, dyed in blood, as a trial and test. While they are upon that state, Allah will send a
disease in their necks, like Naghaf (a kind of worm) of Al-Jaraad, which go into their necks. They will
all die, and not a sound will be heard from them. The Muslims will say, 'Would that a man sells his soul
(for Paradise) and goes to see what the enemy has done' A man from them takes the task upon himself,
seeking reward for his soul (i.e. for dying); he thinks that he will indeed die. He will descend, finding
them all to be dead, heaped on top of one another. He will call out, "0 group of Muslims, Lo! Rejoice!
Indeed Allah has saved you from your enemies. They will come out from their cities and
fortresses, and they will send their livestock to graze, but they will find no pasture except for their meat
(i.e. the meat of Yajuj and Majuj meaning that their corpses will be covering every space of land).
Their livestock will find nourishment from them, just as they found nourishment from the best plants
they reaped." (Ahmad). Ibn Maajah related it from Younus Ibn Bukair from Muhammad Ibn Ishaaq in a
chain that is good.

In the Hadith of An-Nawaas Ibn Sam'aan, after he mentioned that 'Eesa 8411 will kill the Dajjaal at the
eastern door of Lud, the Prophet said, "While he is upon that state, Allah 25g
will inspire to 'Eesa that, 'I indeed released slaves of mine, slaves that you do not have the ability to fight.
So gather my slaves and take them to the Mountain.' Allah (then) sends Yajuj and Majuj
(Gog and Magog) and they are as Allah says: "Traveling quickly through every mound".Allah
's Prophet, 'Eesa, and his companions supplicate to Allah , and He will send to them
(i.e. to Yajuj and Majuj) An-Naghaf (worms that are in the noses of camels and sheep) in their necks,
and then they will fall down dead like the death of a single soul. Allah 's Prophet, 'Eesa, and
his companions will supplicate to Allah , and He will send birds, who have necks like Bukht
(camels with long necks). They will carry them and throw them (the decaying corpses) wherever Allah
wills Ka'ab Al-Ahbaar said: in a place called Al- Maihyal at the rising of the sun. Then
Allah will send rain that neither a house of dry clay nor of Wabar (literally, hair) will
prevent. It will continue for forty days on the earth, leaving it like a Zalafah (mirror, indicating that the
entire earth will be washed clean). Then it will be said to the earth, 'grow your fruits and bring back
your blessings.' At that time, a group will eat from a single pomegranate and find shade in its shell,"
until the Prophet'A said, "While they are upon that state, Allah will send a good wind, which
will take them from underneath their armpits; it will take the soul of every Muslim," or he said, "every
believer. The most evil of people will remain, and they will engage in sexual intercourse out in the open
as donkeys do: upon them the Hour will arrive." And in the Hadith of Ibn Mas'ood ,te that we have
Echoes of a Cave
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related regarding the gathering of Muhammad Ibraheem Moosa a, and 'Eesa A, wherein they were
discussing the Hour 'Eesa said, "As for its time, no one has knowledge thereof except Allah .
But from what my Lord 'Azza Wa-Jall (To Him belongs Might and Majesty) inspired to me is that the
Dajjaal will come out, and with him he will have two rods. When he sees me, he will melt like lead
melts. Allah will destroy him when he sees me. Even a rock and a free will say, '0 Muslim,
underneath me is a Kaafir (disbeliever), so come and kill him.' He said, 'Then Allah 'Azza wa-
Jail (To Him belongs Might and Majesty) will destroy them. Then the people will return to their
countries and homelands. At that juncture, Yajuj and Majuj will come out, racing quickly from every
land that is elevated; they will lay foot on their countries, destroying everything they come across and
drinking all water that they come across. Then people will come, complaining. I will invoke Allah
against them (Yajuj and Majuj), and He will destroy them and cause them to die until the earth is
filled with their putrid odor. Allah will send rain down; it will sweep away their corpses until
it throws them into the sea. And from what my Lord inspired to me is that when that will happen, the
Hour will be like a pregnant woman whose term is due - the people remaining will not know when it
will take them by surprise with its birth, during the night or the day."' Ibn Harmalah related that his
Khaala (aunt from the mother's side) said, "The Messenger of Allah gave a sermon and
he had his finger bandaged from the bite of a scorpion. He ra." said, "Indeed you see that you have no
enemy. But you will continue to fight an enemy until Yajuj and Majuj (Gog and Magog) come out; they
have wide faces, small eyes, and Suhb (blondness or redness in their hair). They will come quickly from
every mound, and their faces are like shields." (Ahmad) Yajuj and Majuj (Gog and Magog) are two
groups from the Turks (i.e., from the race of the Tatars), from the progeny of Adam 6C411, and this is
established in As-Saheeh, in the following narration: Allah will say on the Day of
Resurrection: "0 Adam." He will say, "Labbaik Wa Sa'daik (here I am, hoping to please you time after
time)." He will call out with a voice, "Bring out the people of the Hellfire."...He will say, "How many?"
Allah tic will say, "From every 1000, 999 (people) to the Fire and one to Paradise." "On that
day the young one will become gray-headed and every pregnant one will drop her load. And it will be
said, "In Yajuj and Majuj you have a sacrifice (i.e., though 999 out of 100 is a high percentage, it must
be remembered that the people of Yajuj and Majuj represent a high percentage of the children of
Adam)." They are from the progeny of Noah :la from the descendents of Yaafith, who is the father of the
Turks (i.e., the race of the Tatars). They used to live on earth and they would cause great harm. Dhul-
Qarnain besieged them in their place, with the barrier. There they will remain until Allah k
brings them out upon the people. Then their affair will be as we mentioned in the above-mentioned
narrations.
29

29
Coming Out of Yajuj and Majuj from the The Book of End by Ibn Kathir
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Verse 95

) (

"He said, "That in which my Lord has established me is better [than your tribute], but
assist me with strength; I will make between you and them a dam.

Dhul-Qarnayn, with kindness, righteousness and good intention said to them, That in which my Lord
had established me is better (than your tribute. This is like when Sulayman said:

Will you help me in wealth What Allah has given me is better than that which He has given you!
30

Similarly, Dhul-Qarnayns statement means What I have is better than what you want to give me, but
help me with strength (i.e., with your labor and construction equipment). He just required manpower
and equipment to create a barrier between them Ya'juj and Ma'juj.

Verse 96

) (

Bring me sheets of iron- until when he had levelled [them] between the two mountain
walls, he said, Blow [with bellows]," until when he had made it [like] fire, he said, "Bring
me, that I may pour over it molten copper."

He then said, Bring me Zubar of iron. Zubar is the plural of Zubrah, which means pieces or chunks of
something. (then, when he had levelled the gap between the two mountain walls,) means, he put the
blocks on top of one another, starting at the bottom, until he reached the tops of the mountains, filling
the width and height of the gap. (he said: "Blow;'') means, he lit a fire until the whole thing was burning
hot. he said: "Bring me Qitran (molten copper ) to pour over them.''

30
SuratanNaml:36
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T Th he e B Ba ar rr ri ie er r

Where is it?
Some say it is somewhere in or near Turkey. However, these details are not important for, us; it is more
important for us to prepare for the trials and tribulations.

Verse 97

) (

So Gog and Magog were unable to pass over it, nor were they able [to effect] in it any
penetration.
Allah tells us that Ya'juj and Ma'juj could not climb over the barrier or penetrate its lower portion.
Varying forms of the verb are used here in the Arabic text to reflect the difficulty of the action referred
to. (So they (Ya'juj and Ma'juj) could not scale it or dig through it.) This indicates that they could not
penetrate it or dig through it.

Verse 98

) (

"[Dhul-Qarnayn] said, "This is a mercy from my Lord; but when the promise of my Lord
comes, He will make it level, and ever is the promise of my Lord true."

(He said: This is a mercy from my Lord) for the people, when he placed a barrier between them and
Ya'juj and Ma'juj, to stop them from spreading evil and corruption on earth. When the promise of my
Lord comes) means, when the true promise comes He shall will make it flat, and it [Allahs promise] will
come to pass without a doubt.

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Verse 99

) (
And We will leave them that day surging over each other, and [then] the Horn will be blown,
and We will assemble them in [one] assembly.
Here Allah saying We will leave them that day surging over each other, meaning on the day
when the barrier will be breached and these Ya'juj and Ma'juj will come out surging over mankind to
destroy their wealth and property. (and As-Sur will be blown.)
As-Sur- it is explained the Hadith as a horn that is blown into. The one who will blow into it is (the
angel) Israfil.

According to a Hadith narrated from Ibn Àbbas and Abu Saìd , and attributed to the
Prophet ,
How can I relax when the one with the Horn has put the Horn in his mouth and has knelt down,
listening out for the command to be given to him.
31


Reward / Punishment [ [v ve er rs se e 8 86 6] ]
Rising / Setting of Sun [ [v ve er rs se es s 8 86 6 a an nd d 9 90 0] ]

The Sixth Major Trial: Leadership
Taking the necessary steps and actions are a prerequisite in reaching goal.
The blessing of a pious and just ruler.
The importance of the ruler in spreading Islam.
Actions which are of a social and communal benefit.
The barrier of yajuj and majuj will remain until the end of time.

31
Tafsir ibn Kathir
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Link to the Trails of Dajjal:
Ad-Dajjal will conquer all the lands on the, earth except Makkah and Madinah. So, people will have
almost nowhere to go and seek protection. Thus he will have authority over people, the authority of
misguidance, oppression and injustice.

Link to Seerah:
After the returning of the Prophet from from the Tabuk expedition, he was sitting in the
mosque. The ones who did not attend in the expedition were coming to him explain their reasons, while
some fabricated and lied with reagards to their excuse.

However, when Ka'ab ibn Malik explained his reason the Messenger of Allh
replied: "In relation to this man - he has spoken the truth. Therefore, stand until Allh pronounces
judgment in this matter." I therefore stood, a group of men from the tribe of Bani Salimah became
disorderly and started following me. They addressed me: "By Allh - we have not known you to commit
a misdeed. Verily you erred in not excusing yourself before the Messenger of Allh in a
similar manner to the other absentees who excused themselves. The Messenger of Allh's
action of seeking forgiveness for your misdeed would have been sufficient for you." They continued
to reprimand me until I desired to return to the Prophet and fabricate a lie against
myself (contradict my story). However I questioned them: "Is there any other individual in a similar
position?" They responded: "Yes, there are two men who uttered the same statement as you and both
received the same directive as you did." I asked: "Who are these two men?" They answered: "Murarah
bin al-Rabee' and Hilaal bin Umayyah al-Waaqifee." By their statement, they had made reference to two
virtuous men who had participated in the Battle of Badr, and were examples to be followed. After they
had mentioned these two men I remained steadfast upon my original statement. Thereafter, the
Messenger of Allh prohibited the Muslims from speaking to us -namely the three
individuals from amongst us who had neglected to accompany him.

As a consequence the people avoided us and altered their conduct towards us, until the land wherein I
lived appeared foreign, not one which I was familiar with. We remained in that state for a period of fifty
nights. In relation to my companions - they surrendered themselves to their houses and remained
seated therein, weeping. However, I was the youngest and most forbearing of the three, I would
therefore exit the house in order to perform the prayer with the other Muslims.

I would wander around the markets, yet no one would speak to me. I would approach the Messenger of
Allh and convey the greeting upon him whilst he was sitting amidst his gatherings,
which took place upon completion of the prayer. I would question myself: Did his lips move in the act of
Echoes of a Cave
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reciprocating the greeting upon me or not? Thereafter, I would perform the prayer close by him, and
look towards him in a surreptitious manner. When I occupied myself with the prayer, he would turn
towards me. However, when I looked in his direction, he would avoid me. When this period of
estrangement lengthened, I set out to walk until I climbed upon the wall of Abu Qatadah's garden. He
was my cousin and amongst the most beloved of people to me. I conveyed the greeting upon him, and
by Allh -he did not reciprocate the greeting upon me. Hence, I said: "O Abu Qatadah: I implore you by
Allh, are you aware that I love Allh and His Messenger?" He remained silent. I appealed to him by
Allh a second time, however he remained silent. Then he responded: "Allh and His Messenger
are greater in knowledge." Thereupon tears flowed from my eyes, I turned away and climbed
over the wall. He continued: Whilst I was walking in the market in Madeenah I saw a Christian farmer
from amongst the farmers of Shaam, who had traveled to Madeenah in order to sell their produce. He
said: "Who shall direct me to towards Ka'b bin Maalik?" The people started to gesture towards me, until
he approached me and presented me with a letter from the King of Ghassan, in which it was written:
'To proceed, it has come to our attention that your companion has dealt with you in a harsh manner.
Allh has not rendered this world for you as a dwelling of disgrace and degradation, nor one of loss and
ruin. So join us and we shall bestow upon you comfort and consolation.' Upon reading the letter I said to
myself: This too is a trial placed before me. I therefore placed the letter in the oven and created a fire by
burning it therein.

Commentary:
Thus Ka'ab ibn Malik was tested with the trial of leadership. However, because of
his loyalty to Allah and His Messenger he passed the test. Later was
forgiven by Allah , his absence in the Tabuk expedition.

Echoes of a Cave
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WINNERSANDLOSERS:THEGREATLOSSOF
THEDISBELIEVERSANDTHEEVERLASTING
BLISSOFTHEBELIEVERS[100110]

Verse 100

) (

And We will present Hell that Day to the Disbelievers, on display-

Allah tells us what He will do to the disbelievers on the Day of Resurrection. He will show
Hell to them, meaning He will bring it forth for them to see its punishment and torment before they
enter it. On the authority of 'Abdullaah ibn Masud , it is reported that the Prophet
said,

"Hell will be brought forth that Day by means of seventy thousand ropes, each of which will be held by
seventy thousand angels."
32

This will intensify their distress and grief. Here the angels will show the people who disbelieved where
they will go because of their disbelief, and they will take them to see Jannah and to show them that this
would have been for you, had you believed in Allah .

Verse 101

) (

"Those whose eyes had been within a cover [removed] from My remembrance, and they were
not able to hear.

32
SahihalMuslim
Echoes of a Cave
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Allah is mentioning about those who neglected the remembrance of Allah , turning
a blind eye and a deaf ear to it, refusing to accept guidance and follow the truth and they did not
understand the commands and prohibitions of Allah . Here, we also understand that the
solution to the trails and our way to become successful are in this surah and in the Quran in general,
and if we cover our eyes and neglect the answers then there will be punishment.

Verse 102

) (

Then do those who disbelieve think that they can take My servants instead of Me as
allies? Indeed, We have prepared Hell for the disbelievers as a lodging.

Then do those who disbelieve think that they can take My servants instead of Me as allies?, meaning,
do they think that this is right for them and that it is going to benefit them.

As an example, those who took I'sa his mother Maryam as an object of worship will be asked
about it on the Day of Judgement; however, I'sa his mother are servents of Allah , and
they will disassocaiate thmenselves from the mushrikeen, who committed Shirk regarding I'sa
his mother. Isa will say that he did not invite them to worship him, rather he invited them to
worship none other than Allah , yet they decided to do otherwise.

Verse 103

) (

Say, [O Muhammad], "Shall we [believers] inform you of the greatest losers as to [their]
deeds?

In this ayah Allah is about to tell us the ones who will suffer the greatest loss on the Day of
Judgement.

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Verse 104

) (

" [They are] those whose effort is lost in worldly life, while they think that they are doing
well in work."
"[They are] those whose effort is lost in worldly life, meaning, they did deeds that do not count, deeds
that are not in accordance with the prescribed way that is acceptable to Allah , while they
thought that they were acquiring good by their deeds.

a. Here we learn about those who oppress others in this life and that on the Day of Judgment they
will give all their good deeds done to the ones that were oppressed by them in the dunya.
b. We also learn that we need knowledge in order to worship Allah in the right way,
otherwise, we also might be among the losers, and may Allah have mercy on us.
c. Theses are the people that have the wrong knowledge or no knowledge at all of how to worship
Allah . The Messenger of Allah said,

Verily, the cure for all ignorance is to question.
33

Verse 105

) (

Those are the ones who disbelieve in the verses of their Lord and in [their] meeting Him,
so their deeds have become worthless; and We will not assign to them on the Day of
Resurrection any importance.

Those are the ones who disbelieve in the verses of their Lord and in [their] meeting Him,- they denied
the signs of Allah in this world, the proofs that He has established of His Oneness and of the truth of His
Messengers, and they denied the Hereafter, and on the Day of Resurrection
33
Sunan Abu Dawud
Echoes of a Cave
dat
105

We will not assign to them on the Day of Resurrection any importance. means, Allah will
have their weightless, because it is empty of any goodness.

Verse 106

) (

"That is their recompense - Hell - for what they denied and [because] they took My signs
and My messengers in ridicule.

Here Allah says that He will punish them with Hell, because of their disbelief and because
they took the signs from Him and His Messengers as a joke, mocking them and disbelieving them in the
worst way.

Verse 107

) (

"Indeed, those who have believed and done righteous deeds - they will have the Gardens of
Paradise as a lodging,

Allah tells us about His blessed servants, those who believed in Allah and His Messengers and
accepted as truth what the Messengers brought. He tells us that they will have the Gardens of
Al-Firdaws (Paradise). The Prophet said,

If you ask Allah for Paradise, then ask Him for Al-Firdaws, for it is the highest part of Paradise, in the
middle of Paradise, and from it spring the rivers of Paradise.
34

Qatadah said, "Al-Firdaws is a hill in Paradise, at its center, the best of it.''

34
Repoted in the two Sahihs
Echoes of a Cave
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106
Verse 108

) (

Wherein they abide eternally. They will not desire from it any transfer.

They will not desire from it any transfer., means, they will never choose or want anything else. This
ayah tells us how much they will love and desire it, even though one might imagine that a person who
is to stay in one place forever would get tired and bored of it. But Allah tells us that despite this eternal
stay, they will never choose to change or move from where they are.

From this verse we can understand that in Jannah we will not be like in dunya, where in dunya if we
stay in one place for a long time we get bored. On the other hand, in Jannah there will be no even get
boredom and we will always want to remain there forever.

Verse 109

) (

"Say, "If the sea were ink for [writing] the words of my Lord, the sea would be exhausted
before the words of my Lord were exhausted, even if We brought the like of it as a
supplement."

"Say, "If the sea were ink for [writing] the words of my Lord, the sea would be exhausted before the
words of my Lord were exhausted,- Allah says that even if those oceans were ink for the
Words of Allah, and all the trees were pens, the water of the sea would run dry, and the Words of Allah
would remain, for nothing can outlast them. For no one can comprehend the greatness of Allah
or praise Him as He deserves to be praised, except the One Who praises Himself. Our Lord is as He
says He is and He is beyond what we can say. The blessings of this world, the beginning and end of it, in
comparison to the blessings of the Hereafter, are like a mustard seed compared to the entire world.

Ibn Jareer said: " Yoonus told me that Ibn Wahb informed him that Ibn Zaid said: "My father told me:
"Allah's Messenger said: "The seven heavens are no more in comparison to the Kursi than
Echoes of a Cave
dat
107
seven dirhams set in a shield." Abu Zarr said: "I heard Allah's Messenger say:
"The Kursi is no more in comparison to the Àrsh (Throne) than an iron ring thrown in a vast desert."
The Prophet informs us in both of the above narration that Allah possesses a Kursi
(Footstool) and an Àrsh (Throne) and that they are both immense, though the Àrsh is greater than the
Kursi, for the comparison of the seven heavens to the Kursi is that of seven dirham coins set in a shield,
while the comparison of the Kursi to the Àrsh is that of a ring thrown in a vast desert. And it has been
reported in another Hadith on the authority of Ibn Àbbas that the Kursi is the resting place
of the Feet of the Most Beneficent, and that none can estimate its vastness but He , Most Glorified, Most
High.
Benefits Derived From These Two Hadith
1. Confirmation of the existence of Allah's Àrsh and His Kursi and that they are both His
creations.
2. That making comparisons is a valid way of teaching in Islam.
3. Evidence of Allah's Greatness and Glory.

Verse 110

) (

Say, "I am only a man like you, to whom has been revealed that your god is one God. So
whoever would hope for the meeting with his Lord - let him do righteous work and not
associate in the worship of his Lord anyone."

Allah says to His Messenger Muhammad , (Say) to these idolators, who reject
your message to them I am only a man like you. Whoever claims that I am lying, let him bring
something like this that I have brought. For I did not know the Unseen, the matters of the past which
you asked me about and I told you about, the story of the people of the Cave and of Dhul-Qarnayn,
stories which are true -- I did not know any of this except for what Allah made known to
me. And I tell you, (that your God), who calls you to worship Him (is One God), with no partner or
associate.'

Echoes of a Cave
dat
108
So whoever would hope for the meeting with his Lord, i.e., hopes for a good reward and recompense,
let him do righteous work, meaning, in accordance with the prescribed laws of Allah , and
not associate in the worship of his Lord anyone. This is what is meant by seeking the pleasure of Allah
alone with no associate or partner. These are the two basic features of acceptable deeds: their
intent is for the sake of Allah alone, and are done in accordance with the way of the Messenger of Allah
.

Points to Note:
a. Here Allah starts with the Messenger , while in the beginning he
starts with revelation.
b. Here He starts by describing the Prophet as a human and a normal person and not
anything different.
c. The only way of protecting yourself from Dajjal is by believing in Allah
d. Allah mentions the conditions needed for an act to be accepted
i. Sincerity
ii. Righteous works (doing it in the way that the Messenger of Allah
said.


The terrible torment of the Fire for the wrongdoers.
The ill effects of actions without proper knowledge.
The great loss of seeing all your good deeds destroyed.
The amazing reward of Paradise for the believers.
The never ending words of Allah.
The humanity of our Prophet SAWS.
Everything begins and ends with Tawheed.

P Pe ea ar rs sl l & & G Ge em ms s

Paradise / Hellfire [verses 102 and 107]

Echoes of a Cave
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100
The immense fear of the
punishment of Allah.
To scare others using Hell
Fire.
The Fire is a deterrent
from disobedience.
101
Using ones senses in a halal
way.
Using our senses to see the
creation of Allah.
The blessings of hearing
and sight.
102 The dangers and perils of shirk.
Worshipping the Creator
alone.
Allah is the Best of
Protectors.
103
The true loss is on the Day of
Judgement.
Use of power questions in
dawah.
To seek refuge in Allah
from being a loser.
104
Action without knowledge is a
peril.
Those who think they are
calling to good, but in reality
are calling to evil.
To not rely solely on ones
own actions.
105
The disbelievers will hold no
weight on the Day of
Judgement.
Kufr leads to destruction of
all deeds, even good ones.
The Day of Judgement is
the ultimate test to pass.
106
The result of rejecting the
messengers and signs.
To not mock the signs of
Allah and religious
landmarks.
The Fire which is 70 times
more severe than earthly
fire.
107
Iman and righteous actions are
the means of salvation.
To always aim for the best
Firdaws.
The blessing and reward
of Allah Paradise for the
believers.
108
The everlasting abode is a
blessing.
Entry into Paradise is
permanent.
There is no removal from
Paradise.
109
The immense knowledge of
Allah .
The words of Allah are never
ending.
Above every knowing one
is the All-Knowing.
110
The importance of sincerity and
following the Prophet for
actions to be accepted.
The human nature of the
Prophet and importance of
knowledge.
Tawheed is the beginning
and the ending .

Echoes of a Cave
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ICINGONTHECAKE
What is the significance behind the order of the stories in Surah Al-Kahf? And what is the link between
the stories and the life of the Prophet ?
The significance: many of it reflects the story of the Prophet (SAW) A reference to Abu Bakr ,
the dog was their guardian, and with RasulAllah, there was always Abu Bakr guarding him from all
sides and from all harm. The story of the people of the cave, after it we have the story of the rich and
the powerful; the majority of the followers will be the poor and the weak (of the companions of
RasulAllah). Allah is also showing that in order for the Muslims to succeed, they cant be distracted by
the worldly affairs.Allah is showing the Prophet the different things that will happen
when the people will not be hospitable. Then by the story of Dhul Qarnayn showed the Prophet
that Islam will spread from the east to the west.

What are the trials brought by the Dajjal?
The trials in this worldly life, that they will test us[link between Dajjal and surat al-kahf]

What is the link between Surah Al-Kahf and safety from the Dajjal?

Why Friday?
It is because the Day of Judgment will take place on a Friday, the day allah created Adam etc.

What is the link between Surah Al-Kahf and the shining light?
This surah is your guidance [light] in this life and the one after

R Re ef fl le ec ct ti io on ns s f fr ro om m t th he e S Su ur ra ah h

The importance of Tawheed, the Quraan, the Messenger and the signs of Allah.
The perils of kufr and shirk.
The reminder of the Day of Judgement, the Accounting, Paradise and Hellfire.
To ponder over the creation of Allah as well as the stories of past nations.
The major trials of this world: Oppression, Love of the Rich and Powerful, Wealth and Children,
Lineage, Knowledge and Leadership.
Justice over oppression.
The help of Allah for the sincere believers, and Allahs disgrace upon the disbelievers.
The blessings and etiquettes of knowledge.
Echoes of a Cave
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THESECRETINGEREDIENTS
Echoes of a Cave
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..AndAllah knowsbest.
Echoes of a Cave
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This is the Book (the Qur'n), whereof there is no doubt, a guidance to
those who are Al-Muttaqn [the pious and righteous persons who fear
Allh much (abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds which He has
forbidden) and love Allh much (perform all kinds of good deeds
which He has ordained)].
MayAllah guideustowardsHispleasurebymeansofHisglorifiedWords(The
Quran)..SayAmeen.

Tafsir Surah Kahf (Echoes of A Cave) (Nasr)

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Tafsir Surah Kahf (Echoes of A Cave) (Nasr)

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Echoes of a Cave

is mentioned more than 20 times in the Quran.

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