In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
A summary of the Tafsir of al-Tabari.
Abridged by Dr. 'Aqil ibn Salim al-Shammari.
Surah al-Kahf.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
“Praise be to Allah Who hath revealed the Scripture unto His slave, and hath not placed therein any crookedness,” (18:1)
“Praise be to Allah Who hath revealed the Scripture unto His slave, and hath not placed therein any crookedness,” (18:1)
Praise be to Allah, who singled out Muhammad, peace be upon him, for His message.
He sent him forth to His creation as a prophet and messenger.
And He revealed to him His Book, in which there is no crookedness or deviation.
“(But hath made it) straight, to give warning of stern punishment from Him, and to bring unto the believers who do good works the news that theirs will be a fair reward,” (18:2)
And to give glad tidings to the believers.
And to give glad tidings to the believers who perform righteous deeds.
“(But hath made it) straight, to give warning of stern punishment from Him, and to bring unto the believers who do good works the news that theirs will be a fair reward,” (18:2)
That they shall remain therein forever.
Balanced and upright.
To warn you, O people, of a severe punishment coming directly from Allah.
And to give glad tidings to those who believe in Allah and His Messenger.
That those who perform righteous deeds shall have a great reward.
Which is Paradise.
Remaining therein forever, neither moving from it nor being removed.
“And to warn those who say: Allah hath chosen a son,” (18:4)
And He also warns those who said, "Allah has taken a son."
From among the polytheists of his people and others.
Of the might of Allah and His swift retribution.
And the punishment that awaits them for that claim of theirs.
“(A thing) whereof they have no knowledge, nor (had) their fathers, Dreadful is the word that cometh out of their mouths. They speak naught but a lie.” (18:5)
“(A thing) whereof they have no knowledge, nor (had) their fathers, Dreadful is the word that cometh out of their mouths. They speak naught but a lie.” (18:5)
“(A thing) whereof they have no knowledge, nor (had) their fathers, Dreadful is the word that cometh out of their mouths. They speak naught but a lie.” (18:5)
These people who make this claim about Allah have no knowledge.
Nor did their forefathers who passed before them have any knowledge of Allah and His greatness.
The gravity of the word—a word that issues from the mouths of these people.
What these claimants say.
"Allah has taken a son."
Is nothing but a lie and a fabrication they have invented against Allah.
So perhaps you would kill yourself with grief over their footsteps.
“Yet it may be, if they believe not in this statement, that thou (Muhammad) wilt torment thy soul with grief over their footsteps.” (18:6)
So perhaps you, O Muhammad, would destroy and exhaust yourself over the footsteps of your people.
Because they did not believe in this Book which I have revealed to you.
Out of sorrow, regret, and anguish.
“Lo! We have placed all that is on the earth as an ornament thereof that We may try them: which of them is best in conduct.” (18:7)
That We may test them as to which of them is best in deed.
Indeed, We have made that which is on the earth an adornment for it.
To test Our servants as to which of them is most detached from it.
And most obedient to Our command and prohibition.
And most active in it through obedience to Us.
And indeed, We will make what is upon it a barren wasteland.
And We will destroy it after We have built it up with the adornments We placed upon it.
Making it devoid of vegetation, crops, or trees.
“Or deemest thou that the People of the Cave and the Inscription are a wonder among Our portents?” (18:9)
For the creation of the heavens and the earth and all the wonders within them.
Is more wondrous than the affair of the People of the Cave.
And My proof in all of that is established against these polytheists from your people.
And the "Raqim" is a tablet, a stone, or something upon which a writing was inscribed.
When the youths took refuge in the cave.
When the youths sought shelter in the mountain cave.
Fleeing with their religion to Allah.
So they said when they took shelter, "Our Lord, grant us from Yourself mercy."
“When the young men fled for refuge to the Cave and said: Our Lord! Give us mercy from Thy presence, and shape for us right conduct in our plight.” (18:10)
“When the young men fled for refuge to the Cave and said: Our Lord! Give us mercy from Thy presence, and shape for us right conduct in our plight.” (18:10)
When the youths sought shelter in the mountain cave.
Fleeing with their religion to Allah.
So they said when they took shelter, "Our Lord, grant us from Yourself mercy."
And facilitate for us, in what we seek and desire of Your pleasure.
A path toward acting upon what You love.
“Then We sealed up their hearing in the Cave for a number of years.” (18:11)
Then We awakened them so that We might know which of the two factions was more accurate in calculating the duration they had remained.
So We cast a veil of sleep over their ears in the cave for a number of years.
Then We awakened these youths who had taken refuge in the cave.
So that My servants might look and learn through investigation.
Which of the two groups that differed regarding the duration of the youths' stay in their cave while asleep.
Was more correct regarding the length of their stay therein.
“We narrate unto thee their story with truth. Lo! they were young men who believed in their Lord, and We increased them in guidance.” (18:13)
Indeed, they were youths who believed in their Lord, and We increased them in guidance.
We, O Muhammad, relate to you the story of these youths who took refuge in the cave.
With truth and certainty, in which there is no doubt.
Indeed, the youths who took refuge in the cave.
Were youths who believed in their Lord.
And We increased them in faith and insight into their religion, in addition to their belief in their Lord.
“And We made firm their hearts when they stood forth and said: Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. We cry unto no Allah beside Him, for then should we utter an enormity.” (18:14)
“And We made firm their hearts when they stood forth and said: Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. We cry unto no Allah beside Him, for then should we utter an enormity.” (18:14)
“And We made firm their hearts when they stood forth and said: Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. We cry unto no Allah beside Him, for then should we utter an enormity.” (18:14)
And We inspired them with patience.
And We strengthened their hearts with the light of faith.
When they stood before the tyrant.
And they said to him.
"Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth and whatever is in them of anything."
"We will never invoke any deity other than the Lord of the heavens and the earth."
"For if we were to invoke a deity other than the Lord of the heavens and the earth."
"We would have spoken, then, an outrageous statement of falsehood."
Exceeding its bounds in vanity and excess.
“These, our people, have chosen (other) gods beside Him though they bring no clear warrant (vouchsafed) to them. And who doth greater wrong than he who inventeth a lie concerning Allah?” (18:15)
“These, our people, have chosen (other) gods beside Him though they bring no clear warrant (vouchsafed) to them. And who doth greater wrong than he who inventeth a lie concerning Allah?” (18:15)
So who is more unjust than one who invents a lie against Allah?
"These people of ours have taken deities other than Allah."
"Worshipping them instead of Him."
"Why do they not bring a clear authority for their worship of them?"
And who is more aggressive and polytheistic toward Allah than one who fabricates a lie.
And associates with Allah in His dominion a partner whom he worships instead of Him.
"And when you have withdrawn from them and that which they worship other than Allah."
"Then take refuge in the cave."
"And your Lord will spread for you of His mercy."
“And when ye withdraw from them and that which they worship except Allah, then seek refuge in the Cave; your Lord will spread for you of His mercy and will prepare for you a pillow in your plight.” (18:16)
And when you, O youths, withdraw from your people who worship deities other than Allah.
Then betake yourselves to the mountain cave which is called "Jalus."
Your Lord will spread for you of His mercy.
And He will facilitate for you the way out of the situation in which you have been placed.
And He will make easy for you, regarding your affair in which you find yourselves of grief and distress.
That which you may benefit from.
A summary of the Tafsir of al-Tabari.