SURAH (18) AL-KAHF (AYA 11 to 30)

فَضَرَبْنَا عَلَىٰ آذَانِهِمْ فِي الْكَهْفِ سِنِينَ عَدَدًا {18:11}

[Q18:11] Fadarabnaa 'alaaa aazaanihim fil Kahfi seneena 'adadaa; 
[Q18:11] So We prevented them from hearing in the cave for a number of years.

[Q18:11] Lalu Kami tidurkan mereka dengan nyenyaknya dalam gua itu, bertahun-tahun, yang banyak bilangannya. 

ALLAH (SWT) heard their prayers and a sound sleep was cast on them so that they might not be disturbed in the least by what happened outside the cave, and this state of sleep was made to continue for a long period of years together. (A version says the period was 187 years) and the dog sat there in front of the cave with his four legs spread at ease.

µ  The king sent his Vizier with some of his men to enter the cave and find them out. The Vizier being himself a Muslim, a faithful believer in Jesus and a Unitarian, in the clutches of the service of heathen king, entered the cave and sounding a few calls for them, came out and reported saying that the men out of fright of the king lay dead.

The king with his party pleased and ordered to close the cave with a tablet with the name of the men and the date of the happening inscribed on it. This is why the story is named ‘The Story of kahf war ‘Raqeem’, meaning the Cave’ and the Inscribed Tablet.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

(18:11) Accordingly We lulled them to a deep sleep in the Cave for a number of years.

ثُمَّ بَعَثْنَاهُمْ لِنَعْلَمَ أَيُّ الْحِزْبَيْنِ أَحْصَىٰ لِمَا لَبِثُوا أَمَدًا {18:12}

[Q18:12] Summa ba'asnaahum lina'lama ayyul hizbaini ahsaa limaa labisooo amadaa. 
[Q18:12] Then We raised them up that We might know which of the two parties was best able to compute the time for which they remained. 

[Q18:12] Kemudian Kami bangkitkan mereka (dari tidurnya), untuk Kami menguji siapakah dari dua golongan di antara mereka yang lebih tepat kiraannya, tentang lamanya mereka hidup (dalam gua itu).

WHEN THEY WERE ROUSED, I.E., MADE TO AWAKE FROM THEIR SLEEP, they began only to imagine things to be as they were when they were caused to sleep. They had no consciousness at all of the length of the long time that had passed away. Men ignorant of the phenomena of the consciousness or count of time varying in this very earthly life of ours might dispute BUT THE FACT is that the count of time is restricted to our outer self in our external life AND it has no effect on our inner self as we do not at all feel the passage of time during sleep.

·         Students of Psychology know the fact that dreams of long events spread over a period of days, weeks, months and even years are experienced in only a few minute and sometimes in a few seconds. This is one of great signs or the most eloquent indication from ALLAH (SWT) to man, to make him know that the working of the time-factor in the affairs of men is a matter fully controlled at ALLAH (SWT)’s Independent Will.

This fact answers the question or the doubt as to how quickly ALLAH (SWT) can effect the accounting of the innumerable numbers of the human family on the Day of Judgment.

When these men awoke the tyrant hearthen king was long dead (249-251 A.D.) and it was the reign of the good-hearted Christian King Theodosius 1 who reigned (408-450 A.D.)

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

(18:12) Then We raised them up in order to test which of them were able to calculate correctly the period of their stay there.

SECTION 2

The Companions of the Cave

The youths seeking protection of the Lord were made to sleep for centuries in the cave to prove, how man can be made to live long beyond the ordinary expectation and how time could be passed without being felt, until the Day of Judgement.

نَحْنُ نَقُصُّ عَلَيْكَ نَبَأَهُمْ بِالْحَقِّ ۚ إِنَّهُمْ فِتْيَةٌ آمَنُوا بِرَبِّهِمْ وَزِدْنَاهُمْ هُدًى {18:13}

[Q18:13] Nahnu naqussu 'alaika naba ahum bilhaqq; innahum fityatun aamanoo bi Rabbihim wa zidnaahum hudaa; 
[Q18:13] We relate to you their story with the truth; surely they were youths who believed in their Lord and We increased them in guidance.

[Q18:13] Kami ceritakan kepadamu (wahai Muhammad) perihal mereka dengan benar; sesungguhnya mereka itu orang-orang muda yang beriman kepada Tuhan mereka dan kami tambahi mereka dengan hidayat petunjuk.

The story was revealed to the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) to answer the questions borrowed by the heathens of the Qoreish of Makka, from the Jewish scholars of Najran.

The young men who took refuge in the Cave are addressed as those who believed in ALLAH (SWT), which indicates that though after Jesus, most of the people had returned to idol worship, shifting their idolatry from the idols of the imaginary deities to the idols of the fanciful images of Jesus and Mary.

There were still some true believers in ALLAH (SWT) who followed Jesus faithfully in his original teachings without anything of an innovation of their own viz. the Trinity, which does not find any mention of it even in the present version of the Bible edited by the Christian Church started in the name of Jesus, by the pagan Emperor Constantine of Rome.

Ø  Some state that the duration was 375 years, some 300 years.

THIS VERSE ESTABLISHES THE FACT THAT THE STORY RELATED IN THIS SURAH WAS REVEALED TO THE HOLY PROPHET (ALLAHUMA SALI ALA MUHAMMAD WA ALA ALI MUHAMMAD) AND NOT KNOWLEDGE ACQUIRED FROM ANY OTHER SOURCE. 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

(18:13) Now We tell you their real story. *9 They were a few young men who believed in their Lords, and We increased them in their guidance. *10

*9 The oldest evidence of this story is found in a homily written in Syriac by Jacob of Sarug, a Christian priest of Syria, who was born in A.D. 452, a few years after the death of "the Companions of the Cave." The homily which describes the legend in great detail was composed by him in or about A.D. 474. On the one hand, this same Syriac version came into the hands of our early commentators, and Ibn Jarir Tabari cited it in his commentary with various authorities, and on the other, it reached Europe where its translations and abridged versions were published in Greek and Latin. The abridged story as told by Gibbon in Chapter 33 of his The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire under the heading, "The Seven Sleepers", so closely resembles the story told by our commentators that both the versions seem to have been drawn from the same source. For instance, the name of the king, whose persecutions made the Seven Christian youths of Ephesus take refuge in the cave, was Emperor Decius according to Gibbon. He ruled the Roman Empire from A.D. 249 to 251 and whose reign is very notorious because of his persecution of the followers of Prophet Jesus Christ, while our commentators call him `Decanus', `Decaus', etc. The city, where this event happened, was `Aphesus', or `Aphesos' according to our commentators, while according to Gibbon it was Ephesus, which was the biggest Roman city and sea-port on the west coast of Asia Minor. The ruins of this city can still be seen 20 to 25 miles south of the modern Turkish city of Izmir. (Please see Map No. 1 for reference). Again the name of the king, during whose reign "the Companions of the Cave" awoke was `Tezusius' according to the Muslim commentators and Theodosius II according to Gibbon. He ruled over Rome from A.D. 408 to 450, after the Roman Empire had accepted Christianity.
The resemblance between the two versions is so close that even the name of the companion whom the Sleepers sent to the city to buy food after waking up has been mentioned as `Jamblicha' by the Muslim scholars and Jamblichus by Gibbon. The details of the story in both the versions are also similar which are briefly as follows:
When during the reign of the Emperor Decius the followers of Prophet Jesus Christ were being mercilessly persecuted, the Seven Christian youths hid themselves in a cave and fell into a sleep. Then in the 38th year of the reign of the Emperor Theodosius I1 (approximately in A.D. 445 or 446) they awoke when the whole of the Roman Empire had become Christian. Thus, they slept in the cave for nearly 196 years.
On this ground some orientalists have rejected that the above-mentioned story is the same as that given in the Qur'an because the period of their stay in the cave according to the Qur'an (v. 25) was 309 years. We have, however, answered this objection in E.N. 25.
There are a few minor differences between the Quranic and Syriac versions, on the basis of which Gibbon has charged the Holy Prophet with "ignorance". However, the Syriac version, on the basis of whose authenticity he has committed this gross insolence, was even according to him written thirty to forty years after the event by a Syrian. He has not taken the trouble to consider the fact that verbal versions of events do change a bit during such a long time while they are communicated from one country to the other. Therefore it is wrong to take such a version of the story for granted and literally true and to charge the Qur'an with discrepancy for any main difference with it. Such an attitude is worthy only .of those people who are so blinded by religious prejudices that they discard even the most ordinary demands of reason.
The city of Ephesus where the event of the Sleepers of the Cave took place, was built about 11th century B.C. and became a great centre of idolworship, its chief deity being the moon goddess, Diana, whose temple was regarded as a wonder of the ancient world. Most of her devotees belonged to Asia Minor and the Roman Empire also had accepted her as one of its deities.
After Prophet Jesus when his message started reaching different parts of the Roman Empire, a few youths of Ephesus also gave up idolworship and accepted God as their only Lord. Gregory of Tours has collected details about these Christian youths in his Meraculorum Liber, which are briefly as follows:
"They were seven youths. When the Emperor Decius heard of their change of faith, he summoned them and questioned them about their new religion. ht spite of knowing that the Emperor was deadly against the followers of Christ, they frankly admitted before him that their Lord is the Lord of the earth and heavens, and that they recognised none else as Deity for if they did so, they would be committing a grave sin. The Emperor became furious to hear this, and warned that he would have them killed, but then considering their tender age, he granted them three days in which they were counselled to revert to their old faith, otherwise they would be put to death.
"The seven youths took advantage of the situation and fled the city to conceal themselves in a cave in the mountains. On the way a dog also followed them: they did their best to scare it away, but it would not leave them. At last they found a spacious cave as a suitable refuge and hid in it, and the dog sat at the entrance. Being tired they soon fell into a deep slumber. This happened in about 250 A.D. After about 197 years, in 447 A.D., during the reign of Emperor Theodosius II, they awoke suddenly when the whole Roman Empire had embraced Christianity and the Ephesians had given up idolatry.
"At this time a fierce controversy was going on among the Romans regardmg the reality of the life-after-death and Resurrection, and the Emperor himself was anxious to eradicate somehow the disbelief in the life-after-death from the minds of his people. So much so that one day he prayed that God in His mercy may show a sign which tray help restore and correct the people's belief. In precisely the same days the Seven Sleepers awoke in the cave.
"After waking up the youths started asking one another about how long they might have slept. Some said it might have been a day: others said it was a part of a day. When they reached no conclusion, they stopped arguing, leaving the knowledge of the exact period to God.
Then they sent Jean, a companion, to the city with a few silver coins to buy food, and warned him to be on his guard lest the people should recognise him, for they feared that if they were discovered the Ephesians would force them to bow before Diana. But when Jean came to the city he was astonished to see that the world had changed: the whole population had embraced Christianity, and there was nobody in the city to worship Diana. He came to a shop and wanted to buy a few loaves of bread. When he paid in a coin bearing the image of Emperor Decius, the shopkeeper could not believe his eyes and asked the stranger wherefrom he had obtained that coin. When the young man said that it was his own, a dispute began between them and soon a crowd gathered around them, and the matter reached the chief officer of the city. The officer himself was puzzled and wanted to know the whereabouts of the treasure-house from where the young man had taken the coin, but the latter insisted that it belonged to him. The officer did not believe him because he thought that a young man like him could not possibly possess a centuries-old coin which had not even been seen by the elders in the city. When Jean came to know that the Emperor Decius had died, he was pleasantly surprised. He told the crowd that he and his six companions had fled the city only the other day and taken refuge in a cave to escape Decius' persecution. The officer was greatly surprised and followed the young man to see the cave where his companions lay in hiding. And a great crowd followed behind them. When they came to the cave, it was fully established that the youths really belonged to the Emperor Decius' period. Consequently, Emperor Theodosius was informed and he also visited the cave to receive grace. Then the seven youths went back into the cave and lay down and breathed their last. Seeing this clear sign the people's belief in the life-after-death was restored, and a monument was ordered to be built over the cave by the Emperor."
The story of the Sleepers of the Cave as narrated above, corresponds so closely with that mentioned in the Qur'an that the seven youths can easily be regarded as "Ashab-i-Kahf" (the Companions of the Cave). Some people, however, have raised the objection that this story concerns a city of Asia Minor, and the Qur'an does not discuss or refer to any event that might have taken place outside Arabia; therefore it would be against the Quranic style and spirit to label this Christian story as the story of Ashab-i-Kahf'. In our opinion this objection is not correct. The Qur'an means to impress and warn the Arabs by relating stories concerning the various ancient tribes who had transgressed from the right path and with whom they were familiar, whether they lived and flourished inside Arabia or outside it. It is for this very reason that a mention has been made of the ancient history of Egypt in the Qur'an, whereas Egypt has never been a part of Arabia. The question is that when the history of Egypt can be mentioned in the Qur'an, why cannot Rome and the Roman history with which the Arabs were as familiar as with the Egyptian history? The Roman frontiers adjoined the northern Hijaz and the Arab caravans traded with the Romans almost throughout the year. Then there were a number of Arab tribes who were directly under Roman domination and the Roman Empire was in no way unknown to the Arabs, a fact which is fully borne nut by Surah Ar-Rum. Another thing which should be borne in mind is that the story of the Sleepers of the Cave has been related in the Qur'an in response to a query raised by the disbelievers of Makkah, who had been prompted by the Jews and Christians to question the Holy Prophet on such matters as were wholly unknown to the Arabs in order to test his Prophethood.
*10 That is, when they had believed sincerely, Allah increased their faith in the guidance and enabled them to become firm and steadfast on the way of the' Truth even at the risk of their lives rather than surrender before falsehood. 

وَرَبَطْنَا عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ إِذْ قَامُوا فَقَالُوا رَبُّنَا رَبُّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ لَنْ نَدْعُوَ مِنْ دُونِهِ إِلَٰهًا ۖ لَقَدْ قُلْنَا إِذًا شَطَطًا {18:14}

[Q18:14] Wa rabatnaa 'alaa quloo bihim iz qaamoo faqaaloo Rabbunaa Rabbus samaawaati wal ardi lan nad'uwa min dooniheee ilaahal laqad qulnaaa izan shatataa. 
[Q18:14] And We strengthened their hearts with patience, when they stood up and said: Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth; we will by no means call upon any god besides Him, for then indeed we should have said an extravagant thing.

[Q18:14] Dan Kami kuatkan hati mereka (dengan kesabaran dan keberanian), semasa mereka bangun (menegaskan tauhid) lalu berkata: Tuhan kami ialah Tuhan yang mencipta dan mentadbirkan langit dan bumi; kami tidak sekali-kali akan menyembah Tuhan yang lain dari padanya; jika kami menyembah yang lainnya bermakna kami memperkatakan dan mengakui sesuatu yang jauh dari kebenaran. 

The story begins from verse 13 and from verse 9 to 12 the matter is only introductory. **The whole story has a special emphasis on the spiritual aspects of the human life and strength of conviction or faith in ALLAH (SWT) and ALLAH (SWT)’s reward for it. **It also indicates how the Almighty Author of the Universe, is Supreme in His powers and in His Independent Will, to enforce the wondrous working of the latent factors of the truth about the phenomenon of time and its calculation in the internal and the external life of men.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

(18:14) We strengthened their hearts, when they rose up, and they declared, "Our Lord is the One Who is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. We will not invoke any other deity than Him. It will be the most improper thing if we do so".

هَٰؤُلَاءِ قَوْمُنَا اتَّخَذُوا مِنْ دُونِهِ آلِهَةً ۖ لَوْلَا يَأْتُونَ عَلَيْهِمْ بِسُلْطَانٍ بَيِّنٍ ۖ فَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ افْتَرَىٰ عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِبًا {18:15}

[Q18:15] Haaa'ulaaa'i qawmunat takhazoo min dooniheee aalihatal law laa yaatoona 'alaihim bisultaanim baiyin; faman azlamu mimmaniftaraa 'alal laahi kazibaa.
[Q18:15] These our people have taken gods besides Him; why do they not produce any clear authority in their support? Who is then more unjust than he who forges a lie against ALLAH (SWT)?

[Q18:15] (Mereka berkata pula sesama sendiri): Kaum kita itu, menyembah beberapa tuhan yang lain dari ALLAH (SwT); sepatutnya mereka mengemukakan keterangan yang nyata yang membuktikan ketuhanan makhluk-makhluk yang mereka sembah itu? (Tetapi mereka tidak dapat berbuat demikian); Maka tidak ada yang lebih zalim dari orang-orang yang berdusta terhadap ALLAH (SwT). 

IT IS A HISTORIC FACT that for the first three centuries after the departure of Jesus from this world, the people were involved in an admixture of the heathen cult of Rome with the other imaginary deities formulated from the adulterated beliefs of the Jews, the Christians and the Sabaens.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

(18:15) (Then they held mutual consultations, saying,) "These people of ours have given up the Lord of the universe and adopted other deities. Why do they not bring forward any clear argument in support of their creed? Well, who can be more wicked than the one who forges a lie against Allah?

وَإِذِ اعْتَزَلْتُمُوهُمْ وَمَا يَعْبُدُونَ إِلَّا اللَّهَ فَأْوُوا إِلَى الْكَهْفِ يَنْشُرْ لَكُمْ رَبُّكُمْ مِنْ رَحْمَتِهِ وَيُهَيِّئْ لَكُمْ مِنْ أَمْرِكُمْ مِرْفَقًا {18:16}

[Q18:16] Wa izi'tazal tumoohum wa maa ya'budoona illal laaha faawooo ilal kahfi yanshur lakum Rabbukum mir rahmatihee wa yuhaiyi' lakum min amrikum mirfaqa. 
[Q18:16] And when you forsake them and what they worship save ALLAH (SWT), betake yourselves for refuge to the cave; your Lord will extend to you largely of His mercy and provide for you a profitable course in your affair.

[Q18:16] Dan oleh kerana kamu telah mengasingkan diri dari mereka dan dari apa yang mereka sembah yang lain dari ALLAH (SwT), maka pergilah kamu berlindung di gua itu, supaya Tuhan kamu melimpahkan dari rahmatnya kepada kamu dan menyediakan kemudahan-kemudahan untuk (menjayakan) urusan kamu dengan memberikan bantuan yang berguna. 

Here is related what the people discussed among themselves, saying, that when they did not agree with the heathens in their faith and wanted to take refuge in the Cave with the conviction that ALLAH (SWT) will surely shower His grace and take care of them as regards their needs and the comforts therein and thus to hand over their case to ALLAH (SWT)

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

(18:16) Now that you have forsaken them and discarded the deities they worship besides Allah, let us go to such and such a cave for refuge. *11 Your Lord will extend to you His mercy, and order your affairs for you for the best. "

*11 When these God-worshipping youths fled the habitations to take refuge in the hills, the city of Ephesus was the principal centre of idol-worship and sorcery in Asia Minor. There was a great temple dedicated to the goddess Diana, which was well-known in the whole world and attracted devotees from far end wide. The sorcerers, workers of magic and occult arts, sooth-sayers and amuletwriters of Ephesus were well-known and their black business had spread throughout Syria and Palestine, even as far as Egypt. The Jews also had a big share in it, who attributed this art to Prophet Solomon. (Please see Cyclopaedia of Biblical Literature under `Ephesus', for details). The predicament in which the righteous people living in an environment of idolatry and superstition were involved can well be imagined from the remark of "the Companions of the Cave° that occurs in v. 20: "....... if they succeed in over-powering us, they will surely stone us to death or force us back into their Faith." 

وَتَرَى الشَّمْسَ إِذَا طَلَعَتْ تَزَاوَرُ عَنْ كَهْفِهِمْ ذَاتَ الْيَمِينِ وَإِذَا غَرَبَتْ تَقْرِضُهُمْ ذَاتَ الشِّمَالِ وَهُمْ فِي فَجْوَةٍ مِنْهُ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ مِنْ آيَاتِ اللَّهِ ۗ مَنْ يَهْدِ اللَّهُ فَهُوَ الْمُهْتَدِ ۖ وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلَنْ تَجِدَ لَهُ وَلِيًّا مُرْشِدًا {17}

[Q18:17] Wa tarash shamsa izaa tala'at tazaawaru 'an kahfihim zaatal yameeni wa izaa gharabat taqriduhum zaatash shimaali wa hum fee fajwatim minh; zaalika min Aayaatillaah; mai yahdil laahu fahuwal muhtad, wa mai yudlil falan tajida lahoo waliyyam murshidaa. 
[Q18:17] And you might see the sun when it rose, decline from their cave towards the right hand, and when it set, leave them behind on the left while they were in a wide space thereof. This is of the signs of ALLAH (SWT); whomsoever ALLAH (SWT) guides, he is the rightly guided one, and whomsoever He causes to err, you shall not find for him any friend to lead (him) aright.

[Q18:17] Dan engkau akan melihat matahari ketika terbit, cenderung ke kanan dari gua mereka dan apabila ia terbenam, meninggalkan mereka ke arah kiri, sedang mereka berada dalam satu lapangan gua itu. Yang demikian ialah dari tanda-tanda (yang membuktikan kekuasaan) ALLAH (SwT). Sesiapa yang diberi hidayat petunjuk oleh ALLAH (SwT), maka dialah yang berjaya mencapai kebahagiaan dan sesiapa yang disesatkanNya maka engkau tidak sekali-kali akan beroleh sebarang penolong yang dapat menunjukkan (jalan yang benar) kepadanya. 

This verse gives out the actual position of the cave with its physical situation and the comfortable accommodation provided for the sincerely devoted ones to ALLAH (SWT), and in what tranquility of heart and confidence in Him, the faithful ones lay there, resting in perfect peace of mind and body.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

(18:17) If you had looked at them in the Cave, *12 it would have appeared to you that when the sun rose, it left the Cave to one side and inclined towards the right, and when it set, it turned away from them and went to the left while they lay in the spacious place inside the Cave. *13 This was one of the Signs of Allah. Whomsoever Allah guides aright, he is guided aright, and whomsoever Allah lets go astray, you will find no guardian to direct him.

*12 It has not been mentioned that in accordance with this mutual resolve, they left the city and went to a secret Cave in the mountains in order to escape from death or forced apostasy. 
*13 This is to show that the mouth of the Cave faced the north. That is why the light of the sun could not enter inside the Cave and the one who passed by it could not see who was inside it. 

SECTION 3

The sure coming of the Resurrection proved

From the sleep for centuries caused to fall upon the Companions of the Cave which period they felt to be a day or a part of a day was proved how the dead would pass the time unfrlt for its length and how they will be raised on the Day of Ressurection.

وَتَحْسَبُهُمْ أَيْقَاظًا وَهُمْ رُقُودٌ ۚ وَنُقَلِّبُهُمْ ذَاتَ الْيَمِينِ وَذَاتَ الشِّمَالِ ۖ وَكَلْبُهُمْ بَاسِطٌ ذِرَاعَيْهِ بِالْوَصِيدِ ۚ لَوِ اطَّلَعْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ لَوَلَّيْتَ مِنْهُمْ فِرَارًا وَلَمُلِئْتَ مِنْهُمْ رُعْبًا {18:18}

[Q18:18] Wa tahsabuhum ayqaazanw wa hum ruqood; wa nuqallibuhum zaatal yameeni wa zaatash shimaali wa kalbuhum baasitun ziraa'ayhi bilwaseed; lawit tala'ta 'alaihim la wallaita minhum firaaranw wa lamuli'ta minhum rubaa. 

[Q18:18] And you might think them awake while they were asleep and We turned them about to the right and to the left, while their dog (lay) outstretching its paws at the entrance; if you looked at them you would certainly turn back from them in flight, and you would certainly be filled with awe because of them.
[Q18:18] Dan engkau sangka mereka sedar, padahal mereka tidur dan Kami balik-balikkan mereka dalam tidurnya ke sebelah kanan dan ke sebelah kiri; sedang anjing mereka menghulurkan dua kaki depannya dekat pintu gua; jika engkau melihat mereka, tentulah engkau akan berpaling melarikan diri dari mereka dan tentulah engkau akan merasa sepenuh-penuh gerun takut kepada mereka. 

Some commentators think that their eyes must have also been open to give the impression of their being awake. The name of the dog is traditionally held as ‘Qitmir’ and the dog also must be looking awake to create fright in those who approached him.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

(18:18) If you had seen them, it would have appeared to you as if they were awake, whereas in fact they were asleep. We turned them about to the right and the left sides. *14 And their dog was sitting at the entrance of the Cave with outstretched forelegs. If you had looked at them, you would have turned on your heels and their sight would have struck you with terror. *15

*14 That is, "If some one could have peeped at the Seven Persons from outside and seen them turning from one side to the other at intervals, he would have thought that they were not asleep but were relaxing themselves." 
*15 Allah had so arranged their refuge that none dared go inside the Cave and know about them for it was pitch dark in the Cave and the dog was keeping watch at the entrance. If someone ever peeped into the Cave and saw the Sleepers, he took them for some robbers and at once turned on his heels. This was the reason why their refuge remained a secret to the outer world for such a long period. 

وَكَذَٰلِكَ بَعَثْنَاهُمْ لِيَتَسَاءَلُوا بَيْنَهُمْ ۚ قَالَ قَائِلٌ مِنْهُمْ كَمْ لَبِثْتُمْ ۖ قَالُوا لَبِثْنَا يَوْمًا أَوْ بَعْضَ يَوْمٍ ۚ قَالُوا رَبُّكُمْ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا لَبِثْتُمْ فَابْعَثُوا أَحَدَكُمْ بِوَرِقِكُمْ هَٰذِهِ إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ فَلْيَنْظُرْ أَيُّهَا أَزْكَىٰ طَعَامًا فَلْيَأْتِكُمْ بِرِزْقٍ مِنْهُ وَلْيَتَلَطَّفْ وَلَا يُشْعِرَنَّ بِكُمْ أَحَدًا{18:19}

[Q18:19] Wa kazaalika ba'asnaahum liyatasaaa'aloo bainahum; qaala qaaa'ilum minhum kam labistum qaaloo labisnaa yawman aw ba'da yawm; qaaloo Rabbukum a'almu bimaa labistum fab'asooo ahadakum biwariqikum haazihee ilal madeenati falyanzur ayyuhaaa azkaa ta'aaman falyaatikum birizqim minhu walyatalattaf wa laa yush'iranna bikum ahadaa. 
[Q18:19] And thus did We rouse them that they might question each other. A speaker among them said: How long have you tarried? They said: We have tarried for a day or a part of a day. (Others) said: Your Lord knows best how long you have tarried. Now send one of you with this silver (coin) of yours to the city, then let him see which of them has purest food, so let him bring you provision from it, and let him behave with gentleness, and by no means make your case known to any one:

[Q18:19] Dan demikianlah pula Kami bangkitkan mereka (dari tidurnya), supaya mereka bertanya-tanyaan sesama sendiri. Salah seorang di antaranya bertanya: Berapa lama kamu tidur? (sebahagian dari) mereka menjawab: Kita telah tidur selama sehari atau sebahagian dari sehari. (Sebahagian lagi dari) mereka berkata: Tuhan kamu lebih menengetahui tentang lamanya kamu tidur; sekarang utuslah salah seorang dari kamu, membawa wang perak kamu ini ke bandar; kemudian biarlah dia mencari dan memilih mana-mana jenis makanan yang lebih baik lagi halal (yang dijual di situ); kemudian hendaklah dia membawa untuk kamu sedikit habuan daripadanya; dan hendaklah dia berlemah-lembut dengan bersungguh-sungguh (semasa di bandar); dan janganlah dia melakukan sesuatu yang menyebabkan sesiapapun menyedari akan hal kamu. 

FOR VERSES 19 & 20. The sleepers were aroused or raised. The discussion among them about the duration of the sleep and their saying that ALLAH (SWT) alone knows the truth, speaks of the firmness of the faith of the men about the limitedness of their mortal self and the Supreme Authority of the All-Knowing Almighty and their unwillingness to waste time in a problem which they felt difficult for them to solve.

©  THIS INDICATES THE FALLACIOUS IMPRESSION OF OURS regarding the calculation of time in this life and how all the impressions of our life on earth will be wiped out against the reality of existence at our resurrection for the final judgment.

The mention of the quality of purity of the food they sent for, indicates that they being the true believers, were not accustomed to take anything and everything the other people, i.e., the heathens’ took, but food pure and clean. The last words of this verse along with the succeeding verse indicate that the men thought that they slept only for a few hours and the affairs in the city were the same as they were when they went to sleep.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

(18:19) And in the same miraculous way We raised them up again *16 so that they may ask one another (about their wonderful experience). One of them asked, "Well, how long have you remained in this condition?" The others answered, "May-be, we have remained so for a day or a part of a day." Then they declared, "Your Lord knows best how long we have remained in this condition. So let us send one of us with this silver coin to the city, and he should look for a place wherein he can get the best food so that he may bring something to eat. He should, however, conduct himself with caution lest anyone should discover our whereabouts;

*16 They were roused from their sleep in the same miraculous way that was employed in sending them to sleep and keeping them hidden from the outer world.

إِنَّهُمْ إِنْ يَظْهَرُوا عَلَيْكُمْ يَرْجُمُوكُمْ أَوْ يُعِيدُوكُمْ فِي مِلَّتِهِمْ وَلَنْ تُفْلِحُوا إِذًا أَبَدًا {18:20}

[Q18:20] Innahum iny yazharoo 'alaikum yarjumookum aw yu'eedookum fee millatihim wa lan tuflihooo izan abadaa. 
[Q18:20] For surely if they prevail against you they would stone you to death or force you back to their religion, and then you will never succeed.

[Q18:20] Sesungguhnya, kalaulah mereka mengetahui hal kamu, tentulah mereka akan merejam dengan membunuh kamu atau mereka akan mengembalikan kamu kepada agama mereka (secara paksa) dan jika berlaku demikian, kamu tidak sekali-kali akan berjaya selama-lamanya. 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

(18:20) for if they succeed in over-powering us, they will surely stone us to death or force us back into their Faith, and in that case we will never be able to obtain true success. " 

وَكَذَٰلِكَ أَعْثَرْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ لِيَعْلَمُوا أَنَّ وَعْدَ اللَّهِ حَقٌّ وَأَنَّ السَّاعَةَ لَا رَيْبَ فِيهَا إِذْ يَتَنَازَعُونَ بَيْنَهُمْ أَمْرَهُمْ ۖ فَقَالُوا ابْنُوا عَلَيْهِمْ بُنْيَانًا ۖ رَبُّهُمْ أَعْلَمُ بِهِمْ ۚ قَالَ الَّذِينَ غَلَبُوا عَلَىٰ أَمْرِهِمْ لَنَتَّخِذَنَّ عَلَيْهِمْ مَسْجِدًا {18:21}

[Q18:21] Wa kazaalika a'sarnaa 'alaihim liya'lamooo anna wa'dal laahi haqqunw wa annas Saa'ata laa raiba feehaa iz yatanaaza'oona bainahum amrahum faqaalub noo 'alaihim bunyaanaa; Rabbuhum a'lamu bihim; qaalal lazeena ghalaboo 'alaaa amrihim lanat takhizanna 'alaihim masjidaa. 
[Q18:21] And thus did We make (men) to get knowledge of them that they might know that ALLAH (SWT)'s promise is true and that as for the hour there is no doubt about it. When they disputed among themselves about their affair and said: Erect an edifice over them-- their Lord best knows them. Those who prevailed in their affair said: We will certainly raise a masjid over them.

[Q18:21] Dan demikianlah Kami dedahkan hal mereka kepada orang ramai supaya orang-orang itu mengetahui bahawa janji ALLAH (SwT) menghidupkan semula orang mati adalah benar, dan bahawa hari kiamat itu tidak ada sebarang syak padanya; pendedahan itu berlaku semasa orang-orang itu berbantahan sesama sendiri mengenai perkara hidupnya semula orang mati. Setelah itu maka (sebahagian dari) mereka berkata: Dirikanlah sebuah bangunan di sisi gua mereka, ALLAH (SwT) jualah yang mengetahui akan hal ehwal mereka. orang-orang yang berkuasa atas urusan mereka (pihak raja) pula berkata: Sebenarnya kami hendak membina sebuah masjid di sisi gua mereka. 

‘Thus’ or ‘in this way’, i.e., [1] by causing the men to sleep for such a time, [2] by raising them up after hundreds of years of sleep and more [3] by making the men send one of them into the town in their own old-fashioned dress with the non-currency, speaking their old out-of-date language, [4] the men of the Cave as well as the people of the age, are tidings for man to realise that ALLAH (SWT) at his Own independent Will, can make people sleep like the dead AND YET protect their bodies from rotting and maintain them along with their dog to look as if they were alive, AND THAT ALLAH (SWT) PROTECTS HIS SINCERE BELIEVERS AS AND WHEN HE DEEMS IT NECESSARY AND THAT HE CAN CHANGE ANY SITUATION TO ANY EXTENT WHICH HE WILLS TO GO BEYOND THE HUMAN CONSCIOUSNESS OR ANY FALLACIOUS REASONING. AND THAT DEPENDENCE UPON ALLAH (SWT) IS NEVER FUTILE. The mention of the coming of the Hour of Judgment being a certainty indicates that the object of this wonderful demonstration of ALLAH (SWT)’s Authority over the time and the affairs of the people is to make people realise about the certainty of their accountability.

°          When the man from the Cave went with the non-current coins of Decius’ time to the bakers shop, people gathered around him to know who he was.

°          Ultimately the man was taken to the King who along with some scholars went to the Cave to verify the statement of the man. The man went in advance into the cave and informed the other fugitives of the coming of the King with the scholars.

°          The fugitives again fell prostrating in prayer to the Lord, praying for the sleep once again to come over them. When the King went into the cave he found the men asleep AND

°          then believing in the statement decided to build a mosque at the spot, in token of ALLAH (SWT)’s Plan being executed at the place.

Though the people of the cave were not considered to be totally dead BUT FOR ALL PRACTICAL PURPOSES they were considered by those who found them in the Cave as dead and knowing them as pious ones, ultimately they decided to build a mosque over them, the act which the Qur’an mentions appreciating. THUS IT INDICATES THAT TO BUILT A MOSQUE OVER THE GRAVES OR TO ADOPT THE PLACE WHERE THERE ARE GRAVES OF THE PIOUS ONES, AS A MOSQUE, IS COMMENDABLE AND THE BEST EXAMPLE OF IT IN ISLAM IS THE ‘HIJR OF ISMA-IL’ CLOSE TO THE VERY HOLY KA’BA and its being included in the performance of the ‘Tawaf’, i.e., the Seven Circuits around the Holy Ka’ba. In other words, it is a part of the Holy Ka’ba---wherein Isma-il and many other apostles of ALLAH (SWT) or the pious ones are buried.

v  The traditions narrating that the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) gave any orders contrary to this either are not authentic and reliable or they mean something else. For example:,

°          There is a well-known tradition that the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) said that: “ALLAH (SWT) has cursed the Jews and the Christians for adopting the graves of their prophets as mosques---do not take my graves as a mosque.”

°          There is another tradition from Ayesha: “When Omme Salame returned from Abyssinia, she described the churches and the places of worship of the Christians there, wherein they used to worship the saints buried there and worshipped the images of Jesus, Mary and the other saints.” The Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) said: “Yes! They have adopted them as their object of worship and you should not do like that.”

°          In another tradition the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) said: “Do not praise me in the same manner as the Christians praised Jesus.”

ä  From these two traditions, it is obvious that the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) apprehension that his followers may exceed the limits about him and adopt him or any other person next to him as the object of worship besides ALLAH (SWT). It was not the question of worshipping ALLAH (SWT) near at, or on a grave of any holy person. On the contrary, a place where a real devotee of ALLAH (SWT) is buried is a sacred place and makes one remember ALLAH (SWT) better than anywhere else--- AND AFTER ALL, IT IS A BLESSED PLACE. THERE WILL BE NO HARM IF A MAN WORSHIPS ALLAH (SWT), WHEREVER IT MAY BE.

Of course there are traditions which discourage one to pray or even sit on the grave; not on account of its being an act of blasphemy BUT it is a disrespect to the grave of a believer.

¥  HOWEVER, in order to save the Muslims from falling in the same idolatrous trap wherein the Christians and the other religionists had already fallen, ISLAM MADE IT COMPULSORY that in the Second and the Last ‘Rak’at’ of all prayers, in ‘Tashahahood’, the name of the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) is to be mentioned after declaring the Absolute Unity of ALLAH (SWT), as His servant and the Apostle--- and ALLAH (SWT) should be invoked to bless the Prophet and the members of his family.

AFTER SUCH DAILY AND REPEATED CONFESSIONS, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE THAT A MUSLIM SHOULD ADOPT ANY OBJECT, SEEN OR UNSEEN, DEAD OR ALIVE, AS AN OBJECT OF WORSHIP, BESIDES ALLAH (SWT); BECAUSE TO A MUSLIM, AMONG THE CREATED ONES, THERE IS NONE GREATER THAN THE HOLY PROPHET (ALLAHUMA SALI ALA MUHAMMAD WA ALA ALI MUHAMMAD) AND THOSE WHO ARE NEXT TO HIM IN ALL EXCELLENCE IN THE ORDER OF EXISTENCE AND WHEN THESE ARE CONSIDERED AS THE CREATED ONES, THE SLAVES, the servants subservient to ALLAH (SWT) in need of His Blessings, it would certainly be impossible to think of any other object as ALLAH (SWT) or anyone having any share at all in the Divine Authority.

THERE REMAINS ONE QUESTION: SHOULD THE PIOUS ONES, WHETHER LIVING OR DEAD, BE REMEMBERED AND REVERED OR NOT? The answer is that Qur’an and tradition encourage their remembrance not as good devotees and as sincere worshippers of ALLAH (SWT). For the amount of reverence paid to them in the form of bowing or prostrating or in any other form so far as they are not held as the object of worship, but mere reverence, regard and respect, to these holy ones, there is nothing to prove it as prohibited BECAUSE ‘IBADAT’ OR WORSHIP DEPENDS ON THE INTENTION AND THE INTENTION OF A MUSLIM AS SAID CAN NEVER BE MORE THAN MERE REVERENCE AND RESPECT AND NOT WORSHIP, WHICH IS DUE TO NONE BESIDES ALLAH (SWT).

Also please refer on visit to graves of note on verse 17:57.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

(18:21) -In this way We revealed their secret to the people of the city *17 so that they should know that Allah's promise is true and that there is no doubt about (the coming of) the Hour of Resurrection. *18 (But it is a pity that instead of considering this aspect of the matter) they were at that time disputing among themselves with regard to them (the Sleepers of the Cave). Some of them said, "Let us build a wall against them, for then Lord alone knows best about them" *19 But those people who prevailed in their matter, *20 said, "We will build a place of worship as a memorial for them" *21

*17 The secret of their sleep was revealed when one of them went to Ephesus to buy food for them and offered a coin of the period of Emperor Decius. As it was a changed world, he naturally attracted attention for he was wearing a costume of 300-year old fashion and spoke a language different from that in vogue. This was because during those two centuries the language, culture, dress etc., had undergone a marked change. So the shopkeeper looked ask once at him and, according to a Syriac tradition, suspected that he had dug up some ancient treasure. Accordingly, he gathered some people of his neighbourhood and they took him before the ruler. On questioning, it was discovered that he was one of those followers of Christ, who had fled the city 300 years ago to save their Faith. As most of the population had embraced Christianity, the news immediately spread throughout the city and a big crowd of the people along with the Christian Roman Ruler, arrived at the Cave. It was then that the Sleepers of the Cave came to know that they had slept for about three hundred years. So after making salutations to their Christian brothers they lay down and their souls left their bodies. 
*18 According to the Syriac tradition, at the time of this occurrence, hot discussions were going on in Ephesus about Resurrection and the Hereafter. Though the people had embraced Christianity under the influence of the Roman Empire, yet traces of shirk and idolatry of the Romans and the effects of the Greek philosophy were still very powerful. So in spite of the Christian creed of the Hereafter, many people denied this, or at least were sceptical about this. To add to this the Sadducee sect of the Jews, who formed a great part of the population of the city, openly denied the Hereafter and professed to base this on the Torah. The Christian scholars, however, could not put forward any strong arguments to refute them: so much so that the reports of the polemical discussion given in Matthew, Mark and Luke, attributed to Prophet Christ, are admittedly very weak even according to the Christian scholars. (Please refer to Matthew 22: 23-33, Mark 12: 18-27, Luke 20: 27-40). That is why the disbelievers in the Hereafter were having the upper hand and even the believers were being involved in doubts about it. It was at that time that the Sleepers of the Cave were raised up and furnished an absolute proof of the life-after-death and turned the scales in favour of the believers in this dispute.
*19 It appears from the context that this was the saying of the riglfteous people from among the Christians. They were of the opinion that a wall should be raised at the entrance of the Cave in order to let the Sleepers remain in the same condition in which they were, for they argued that their Lord alone knew best about their rank and position and the reward they deserved. 
*20 The people "who prevailed in their matter" were the Roman rulers and the priests of the Christian Church, who did not let the righteous Christians have their way. This was because by the middle of the fifth century, the common people, especially the orthodox among the Christians, had become fully involved in shirk and the worship of saints and tombs. They used to visit the tombs of the saints to worship them and kept the statues of Jesus, Mary and the apostles in their churches: so much so that a few years before the rising up of the Sleepers of the Cave, in 431 A.D., a great council of the representatives of the Christian World had been held in Ephesus itself, in which it was resolved that the creed of the divinity of Christ and of Mary as the mother of God, should be included in the articles of the Christian Church. If we keep in view the year 431, it becomes clear that by "those who prevailed in their matter" are meant the leaders of the Church and the officers of the government, who had the reins of the religious and political powers in their hands. In fact these were the people who were the upholders of shirk and who decided that a mausoleum should be built over the Cave of the Sleepers to make it a place of worship. 
*21 IT IS AN IRONY THAT SOME PEOPLE AMONG THE MUSLIMS HAVE MISCONSTRUED THIS VERSE OF THE QUR'AN SO AS TO MAKE IT LAWFUL FOR THEMSELVES TO BUILD MAUSOLEUMS, MONUMENTS AND MOSQUES OVER THE TOMBS OF THE RIGHTEOUS PERSONS AND SAINTS. THE QUR'AN HAS, IN FACT, POINTED OUT THE DEVIATION OF THE WORKERS OF INIQUITY WHO PREVAILED UPON OTHERS AND BUILT A PLACE OF WORSHIP OVER THE CAVE OF THE SLEEPERS, WHO WERE INDEED A SIGN OF RESURRECTION AND OF THE LIFE-AFTER-DEATH. BUT THEY ABUSED THIS GOOD OPPORTUNITY AND PRODUCED ANOTHER MEANS OF PRACTISING SHIRK.
ONE FAILS TO UNDERSTAND HOW ANYONE CAN DEDUCE FROM THIS VERSE AN ARGUMENT FOR THE LEGALITY OF BUILDING MOSQUES OVER THE TOMBS OF THE RIGHTEOUS PEOPLE, WHEN THE HOLY PROPHET HAS CATEGORICALLY PROHIBITED THIS:
(1) "Allah has cursed those women who visit tombs and those people who build mosques over them and burn lights over them" (Ahmad, Tirmizi, Abu Dawud, Nasa'i, Ibn Majah).
(2) "Beware that the people, who have passed before you, made the tombs of their Prophets the places of their worship. I forbid you to do that." (Muslim)
(3) "AIIah has cursed the Jews and the Christians, for they made the tombs of their Prophets the places of their worship." (Ahmad, Bukhari, Muslim, Nasa'i).
(4) "The behaviour of those people was strange: if a righteous person from among them, died they would build a mosque over his grave and draw his pictures. They will be treated as worst criminals on the Day on Resurrection." (Ahmad, Bukhari, Muslim, Nasa'i).
THUS, IT IS CLEAR FROM THE ABOVE SAYINGS OF THE HOLY PROPHET THAT BUILDING OF THE PLACES OF WORSHIP OVER THE TOMBS IS UTTERLY UNLAWFUL; the Qur'an has merely stated as a historical fact the sinful act of the Christian priests and the Roman rulers and has not sanctioned such a thing. Therefore no God-fearing person can turn this into an argument for building mosques over the tombs.
Incidentally, it will be worth while to cite a statement of Rev. T. Arundell who published his Discoveries in Asia Minor in 1834. He says that he had seen the remains of the Mausoleums of Mary and the Seven Sleepers on a hillock near the remains of the ancient city of Ephesus. 

سَيَقُولُونَ ثَلَاثَةٌ رَابِعُهُمْ كَلْبُهُمْ وَيَقُولُونَ خَمْسَةٌ سَادِسُهُمْ كَلْبُهُمْ رَجْمًا بِالْغَيْبِ ۖ وَيَقُولُونَ سَبْعَةٌ وَثَامِنُهُمْ كَلْبُهُمْ ۚ قُلْ رَبِّي أَعْلَمُ بِعِدَّتِهِمْ مَا يَعْلَمُهُمْ إِلَّا قَلِيلٌ ۗ فَلَا تُمَارِ فِيهِمْ إِلَّا مِرَاءً ظَاهِرًا وَلَا تَسْتَفْتِ فِيهِمْ مِنْهُمْ أَحَدًا {18:22}

[Q18:22] Sa yaqooloona salaasatur raabi'uhum kalbuhum wa yaqooloona khamsatun saadisuhum kalbuhum rajmam bilghaib; wa yaqooloona sab'atunw wa saaminuhum kalbuhum; qur Rabbeee a'lamu bi'iddatihim maa ya'lamuhum illaa qaleel; falaa tumaari feehim illaa miraaa'an zaahiranw wa laa tastafti feehim minhum ahadaa. 
[Q18:22] (Some) say: (They are) three, the fourth of them being their dog; and (others) say: Five, the sixth of them being their dog, making conjectures at what is unknown; and (others yet) say: Seven, and the eighth of them is their dog. Say: My Lord best knows their number, none knows them but a few; therefore contend not in the matter of them but with an outward contention, and do not question concerning them any of them.

[Q18:22] (Sebahagian dari) mereka akan berkata: Bilangan Ashaabul Kahfi itu tiga orang, yang keempatnya ialah anjing mereka dan setengahnya pula berkata: Bilangan mereka lima orang, yang keenamnya ialah anjing mereka secara meraba-raba dalam gelap akan sesuatu yang tidak diketahui dan setengahnya yang lain berkata: Bilangan mereka tujuh orang dan yang kedelapannya ialah anjing mereka. Katakanlah (wahai Muhammad): Tuhanku lebih mengetahui akan bilangan mereka, tiada yang mengetahui bilangannya melainkan sedikit. Oleh itu, janganlah engkau berbahas dengan sesiapapun mengenai mereka melainkan dengan bahasan (secara sederhana) yang nyata (keterangannya di dalam Al-Quran) dan janganlah engkau meminta penjelasan mengenai hal mereka kepada seseorangpun dari golongan (yang membincangkannya). 

As to the number each one could see there. Some say they were Three, some Four and some say Seven.

v  There is a mountain near Damascus and the Cave in it is described to be the Cave of the Seven Sleepers. Even today the pilgrims to the Shrine of the Holy Lady Zainab, the daughter of Ali and Fatema, in Damascus, visit this Cave in the mountain.

The perversity among men has become so common along with the materialistic tendency that the semi-educated or ill-educated, that whenever any truth about matters spiritual gets manifested, they immediately start controversies creating doubts against it. The bodies of these Sleepers who are said to be still sleeping has not been discovered anywhere but the mere absence of this information cannot affect the truth in the event for He, the Almighty ALLAH (SWT), who caused the time to pass so unconsciously, could also keep the bodies of these devotees of His, away from the physical sight, otherwise the foolishness of some recognised scientist of the world or the materialistic government of the place would surely have disturbed the scene by shifting the bodies to some place, like some museum and would have made them the exhibits of mere wonder rather than the objects serving the purpose of inspiration and guidance towards the belief in ALLAH (SWT).

§  ALLAH (SWT) has kept the Twelfth Holy Imam Muhammad ibne Hasan Al-Mahdi away from the sight of the public BUT DOES NOT MEAN that the Holy Imam also does lived today.

§  And a similar long miraculous life is granted to the holy prophet Jesus (Isa) and the other apostles of ALLAH (SWT) like Khizr and Idris.

§  The Qur’an definitely declares that Noah lived for 950 years.

The object was to reveal the information about the event to answer the challenge against the knowledge of the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) questioning the bona-fide of his claim to be the Apostle of ALLAH (SWT).

Ü  HOLY PROPHET (ALLAHUMA SALI ALA MUHAMMAD WA ALA ALI MUHAMMAD) SAID that the seven sleepers will awake during the time of the last Imam Muhammad ibnul Hasan Al-Mahdi, when Jesus also will be given his second advent on earth.

The story of the people of the Cave was current among the various sects of the Christians, the question about the minute details of which was a matter of controversy among them, and it had already become a matter of interest to non-Christians also. As the story contained some directive and conciliatory factors worthy of reference, was quoted here but besides these points, the other minute details of it, were of not much value in the reference. THEREFORE QUR’AN IN ITS USUAL WAY OF DEALING WITH THE OTHER NARRATIVE STORIES OF OLD, gives only the useful contents in a clear and unambiguous manner and drops or bypass the other details regarding the age, place, the names of the people, the name of the king, etc., which mostly are matters of controversial conjectures and the true version of which is known to ALLAH (SWT) and might be known to some men of His. It is a matter of no use to anyone. OF COURSE IN CERTAIN CASES of such stories of doctrinal value Qur’an deals with them decisively though it may be controversial---such as the story of the crucifixion of Jesus.

THE HOLY PROPHET (ALLAHUMA SALI ALA MUHAMMAD WA ALA ALI MUHAMMAD) HAS BEEN COUNSELLED not to discuss regarding the aspects of the case, save what is clear and not to refer to any of the disputants. And similarly regarding the duration of their stay in the cave, Qur’an gives the account of what was generally current, i.e., 300 years solar or 309 of the lunar, and says that alone ALLAH (SWT) known’s how long they actually stayed. The important aspect of it is that they stayed for a considerable lapse of time.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

(18:22) Some people will say, "They were three and the fourth was their dog", and some others will say, "They were five and the sixth was their dog." These are mere irrelevant guesses. There are still others who say, "They were seven and the eighth was their dog." *22 Say, "My Lord alone knows best how many they were." "There are a few people only who know their correct number: so you should not enter into discussions with them about their number except in a cursory way: nor ask anyone about them *23

*22 This shows that about three hundred years after this event, at the time of the revelation of the Qur'an, different stories had become current among the Christians about the Sleepers of the Cave, but generally these stories had no authentic source behind them.' This was because that was not the age of the press in which authentic books might have been published. Therefore naturally the stories of events were carried from place to place by means of oral traditions, and with the passage of time many tales of fiction got mixed up with the real story. 
*23 This is meant to impress that the real thing in this story is not the number of the Sleepers but the lessons it teaches: (1) A true believer should not on any account turn away from the truth and bow before falsehood. (2) A believer should not merely rely on the material means but on AIIah. He should trust in God and follow the right way, even though the outward adverse circumstances might appear to be unfavourable. (3) It is wrong to suppose that Allah is bound by any so-called "Law of Nature", for He is able to do any thing He wills even though that might seem to be against some common experience. He has the power to change any so-called law of nature, whenever and wherever He wills and bring about any extraordinary "supernatural" thing. So much so that He can raise up anyone who might have been asleep for two hundred years, as if he had slept only for a few hours, without letting any change take place in his appearance, dress, health, indeed in anything, during the passage of time. (4) This teaches us that Allah has the power to bring to life all the generations-past, present and futureall together as asserted by the Prophets and Divine Scriptures. (5) It teaches us that ignorant people have always been perverting the Signs of Allah which are sent for the right guidance of the people. That is how the miracle of the Sleepers of the Cave, which had been shown as a proof of the Hereafter, had been turned into a means of shirk, as if they were some saints who had been sent only for this purpose.
It is obvious from the above-mentioned real lessons, which one can learn from the story of the Sleepers, that a wise man will pay his attention to these things and not divert it in search of their number, their names, the colour of their dog and the like. Only those people, who have no interest for the reality but for superficial things, will spend their time and energy in making investigations about such things. That is why AIIah instructed the Holy Prophet: "You should not enter into useless and irrelevant discussions about such things, if other people try to involve you in them. Instead of wasting your time in such useless things, you should concentrate your attention only on your mission." That is why Allah has not Himself told their exact number lest it should encourage such people as are always hankering after useless things. 

SECTION 4

To always depend upon God’s will

To make God’s Will a condition in promises – The choice of believeing or disbelieving in the Qur’an left to every individual’s own decision.

وَلَا تَقُولَنَّ لِشَيْءٍ إِنِّي فَاعِلٌ ذَٰلِكَ غَدًا {18:23}

[Q18:23] Wa laa taqoolanna lishai'in innee faa'ilun zaalika ghadaa. 
[Q18:23] And do not say of anything: Surely I will do it tomorrow,

[Q18:23] Dan janganlah engkau berkata mengenai sesuatu (yang hendak dikerjakan): Bahawa aku akan lakukan yang demikian itu, kemudian nanti. 

If you wish to do anything do not say: "I shall certainly do it", without adding: "In sha Allah (if ALLAH (SWT) wills)". It is a general directive to every true believer.

µ  He must not depend on his own will and ability for the successful completion of his action, BUT RELY on the will of ALLAH (SWT) however strong may be his will-power and ability, BECAUSE complete submission to the will of ALLAH (SWT) is Islam.

REMEMBER ALLAH (SWT) WHENEVER YOU NEGLECT OR POSTPONE ANY DECISION; BECAUSE He alone is able to direct you to the truth of the matter rightly.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

(18:23) and never say about any matter, "I will do this tomorrow (for you cannot do anything)  

إِلَّا أَنْ يَشَاءَ اللَّهُ ۚ وَاذْكُرْ رَبَّكَ إِذَا نَسِيتَ وَقُلْ عَسَىٰ أَنْ يَهْدِيَنِ رَبِّي لِأَقْرَبَ مِنْ هَٰذَا رَشَدًا {18:24}

[Q18:24] Illaaa any yashaaa'al laah; wazkur Rabbaka izaa naseeta wa qul 'asaaa any yahdiyani Rabbee li aqraba min haazaa rashadaa. 
[Q18:24] Unless ALLAH (SWT) pleases; and remember your Lord when you forget and say: Maybe my Lord will guide me to a nearer course to the right than this.

[Q18:24] Melainkan (hendaklah disertakan dengan berkata): Insya ALLAH (SwT) dan ingatlah serta sebutlah akan Tuhanmu jika engkau lupa dan katakanlah: Mudah-mudahan Tuhanku memimpinku ke jalan petunjuk yang lebih dekat dan lebih terang dari ini.  

NOTE THE EXTENT OF DEPENDENCE ON ALLAH (SWT)’S WILL. Islam demands of every true believer’s for when one promises to do a thing he is not to depend upon his own will or ability BUT SUBJECT HIS WILL AND ABILITY TO THE WILL OF THE LORD.

Ì  IT IS A GENERAL DIRECTIVE THAT MAN SHOULD NEVER FEEL CONFIDENT OF HIS ABILITY WHEN HE DECIDES TO DO ANYTHING IN FUTURE. HOWEVER STRONG MAY BE HIS WILL-POWER AND ABILITY, HE IS NOTHING BEFORE ALLAH (SWT)’S WILL AND ABILITY.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

(18:24) except that Allah wills it." If ever you inadvertently utter anything like this, you should at once remember your Lord and say, "I hope that my Lord will guide me *24 in this matter with that thing which is nearest to the right way for me"

*24 This is a parenthetical clause which has been inserted here because of its relevancy to the preceding verse, in which it was asserted that the correct number of the Sleepers of the Cave is known only to Allah and a research into it is a useless task. Therefore one should refrain from investigating into unimportant things, nor enter into discussions about them. This has led to the instruction contained in the parenthetical clause for the benefit of the Holy Prophet and the Believers who have been told never to make a positive assertion like this: "L will do this thing tomorrow", for you do not know whether you will be able to do that thing or not: you have neither the knowledge of the unknown nor have full powers to do what you like. If ever inadvertently you utter anything like this, you should at once remember your Lord and say, "lnsha Allah." Besides this you do not know whether there will be any good for you in the thing about which you say, "I will do this." It is possible that you may do another thing better than that. Therefore you should trust in God and say, "I hope that my Lord will guide me in this matter with that thing which is nearer to the right way for me." 

وَلَبِثُوا فِي كَهْفِهِمْ ثَلَاثَ مِائَةٍ سِنِينَ وَازْدَادُوا تِسْعًا {18:25}

[Q18:25] Wa labisoo fee kahfihim salaasa mi'atin sineena wazdaadoo tis'aa. 
[Q18:25] And they remained in their cave three hundred years and (some) add (another) nine.

[Q18:25] Dan mereka telah tinggal tidur dalam gua mereka: Tiga ratus tahun dengan kiraan Ahli Kitab) dan sembilan lagi (dengan kiraan kamu). 

In reply to a Jew's query Ali ibne Abi Talib said:

"They stayed in the cave 309 years according to lunar calendar."

It is ALLAH (SWT)'s computation that is given here. He is the knower, seer and hearer of all that which is taking place in the heavens and the earth. He protected them (ashab ul kahf) from the tyranny of the heathen ruler. HE DOES NOT SHARE HIS AUTHORITY WITH ANY ONE WHATSOEVER.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

(18:25) -and some people say that they remained in their ' Cave for three hundred years and some others add nine more years *25

*25 This sentence is connected with the theme preceding the parenthetical clause like this: "Some people wilt say, `They were three and the fourth was their do:...' and some people will say that they remained in the Cave for three hundred years and some others would add nine more years (to the reckoning of the period)". We are of the opinion that the number of the years "300 and 309" have not been stated by AIIah Himself but Allah has cited these as sayings of the people. "This opinion is based on this succeeding sentence: "Allah knows best about the period of their stay there. If the number of years, given in v. 25, had been from ;Allah, this succeeding sentence would have been meaningless  hadrat `Abdullah bin 'Abbas has also opined that this is not the saying of Allah but that of the people which has been cited as a part of the story. 

قُلِ اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا لَبِثُوا ۖ لَهُ غَيْبُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۖ أَبْصِرْ بِهِ وَأَسْمِعْ ۚ مَا لَهُمْ مِنْ دُونِهِ مِنْ وَلِيٍّ وَلَا يُشْرِكُ فِي حُكْمِهِ أَحَدًا {18:26}

[Q18:26] Qulil laahu a'lamu bimaa labisoo lahoo ghaibus samaawaati wal ardi absir bihee wa asmi'; maa lahum min doonihee minw waliyyinw wa laa yushriku fee hukmihee ahadaa. 
[Q18:26] Say: ALLAH (SWT) knows best how long they remained; to Him are (known) the unseen things of the heavens and the earth; how clear His sight and how clear His hearing! There is none to be a guardian for them besides Him, and He does not make any one His associate in His Judgment.

[Q18:26] Katakanlah (wahai Muhammad): ALLAH (SwT) jua yang mengetahui tentang masa mereka tidur; bagiNyalah tertentu ilmu pengetahuan segala rahsia langit dan bumi; terang sungguh penglihatanNya (terhadap segala-galanya)! Tidak ada bagi penduduk langit dan bumi pengurus selain daripadaNya dan Dia tidak menjadikan sesiapapun masuk campur dalam hukumNya.  

(see commentary for verse 25)

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

(18:26) (to the reckoning of the period). O Prophet, say, "Allah knows best about the period of their stay there, for He is fully aware of all that is hidden in the heavens and the earth." What an excellent Seer and Hearer He is! There is no other guardian of the creation in the heavens and the earth, and He does not associate anyone with Himself in His authority.

وَاتْلُ مَا أُوحِيَ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ كِتَابِ رَبِّكَ ۖ لَا مُبَدِّلَ لِكَلِمَاتِهِ وَلَنْ تَجِدَ مِنْ دُونِهِ مُلْتَحَدًا {18:27}

[Q18:27] Watlu maaa oohiya ilaika min Kitaabi Rabbika laa mubaddila li Kalimaatihee wa lan tajida min doonihee multahadaa. 
[Q18:27] And recite what has been revealed to you of the Book of your Lord, there is none who can alter His words; and you shall not find any refuge besides Him.

[Q18:27] Dan baca serta turutlah apa yang diwahyukan kepadamu dari kitab Tuhanmu; tiada sesiapa yang dapat mengubah kalimah-kalimahNya dan engkau tidak sekali-kali akan mendapat tempat perlindungan selain daripadaNya. 

The Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) is commanded to recite the verses, that have been revealed to him, from the book of his Lord, in reply to the query about the ashab ul kahf the Quraysh put to him as directed by the Jews.

Ë  THE PEOPLE ARE WARNED THROUGH THE HOLY PROPHET (ALLAHUMA SALI ALA MUHAMMAD WA ALA ALI MUHAMMAD) NOT TO TRY TO CHANGE THE WORDS OF ALLAH (SWT) BECAUSE HIS COMMANDS, DECREES AND ORDERS ARE FINAL AND IRREVOCABLE.

See commentary of An-am 6:116.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

(18:27) (O Prophet), *26 recite (the very same) that has been revealed to you in the Book of your Lord, for no one is authorised to make any change whatsoever in the Word of your Lord and (if you will make any change to please any one) you will find no place of refuge to protect you from Him. *27

*26 After relating the story of the Sleepers of the Cave, the Qur'an begins to review the condition of the Muslims of Makkah at the time of the revelation of the Surah. 
*27 This does not mean at alI that, God forbid, the Holy Prophet was inclined to make any changes in the Qur'an to please the disbelievers of Makkah and was thinking of some formula of compromise with the chiefs of the Quraish which necessitated a warning that he was not authorised to do so. As a matter of tact, though this was apparently addressed to the Holy Prophet, it was really meant for the disbelievers that they should not entertain any hope whatsoever for anything like this, as if to say, "You must understand it once for all that Our Messenger is nut authorised to make any changes in Our Revelation, for he has to precisely just as it is sent down to him. If you want to accept it, you will have to accept it in its entirety as it is being sent by the Lord of the Universe: and if you want to reject it, you may do so but you must understand it well that no modification even in the least, will be made in it to please you. "This was the answer to the repeated demand of the disbelievers. "If you do insist, O Muhammad (Allah's peace be upon him), that we should accept your Message in its entirety, then make certain modifications in it to accommodate some creeds and customs of our forefathers, and we will accept your Message. This is our offer for a compromise and this will save our people from dis-union." This demand of the disbelievers has been cited in the Qur'an at several places and the same answer has been given, e.g. "When Our clear Revelations are recited to them, those who do not expect to meet Us, say, `Bring an other Qur'an in its stead or make some amendments in it' ...." (X: 15) 

وَاصْبِرْ نَفْسَكَ مَعَ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ رَبَّهُمْ بِالْغَدَاةِ وَالْعَشِيِّ يُرِيدُونَ وَجْهَهُ ۖ وَلَا تَعْدُ عَيْنَاكَ عَنْهُمْ تُرِيدُ زِينَةَ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا ۖ وَلَا تُطِعْ مَنْ أَغْفَلْنَا قَلْبَهُ عَنْ ذِكْرِنَا وَاتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ وَكَانَ أَمْرُهُ فُرُطًا {18:28}

[Q18:28] Wasbir nafsaka ma'al lazeena yad'oona Rabbahum bilghadaati wal'ashiyyi yureedoona Wajhahoo wa laa ta'du 'aynaaka 'anhum tureedu zeenatal hayaatid dunyaa wa laa tuti' man aghfalnaa qalbahoo 'an zikrinaa wattaba'a hawaahu wa kaana amruhoo furutaa. 
[Q18:28] And withhold yourself with those who call on their Lord morning and evening desiring His goodwill, and let not your eyes pass from them, desiring the beauties of this world's life; and do not follow him whose heart We have made unmindful to Our remembrance, and he follows his low desires and his case is one in which due bounds are exceeded.

[Q18:28] Dan jadikanlah dirimu sentiasa berdamping rapat dengan orang-orang yang beribadat kepada Tuhan mereka pada waktu pagi dan petang, yang mengharapkan keredaan ALLAH (SwT) semata-mata dan janganlah engkau memalingkan pandanganmu daripada mereka hanya kerana engkau mahukan kesenangan hidup di dunia dan janganlah engkau mematuhi orang yang Kami ketahui hatinya lalai daripada mengingati dan mematuhi pengajaran Kami di dalam Al-Quran, serta dia menurut hawa nafsunya dan tingkah-lakunya pula adalah melampaui kebenaran.

THE TRUE SERVANTS OF ALLAH (SWT) ARE **THOSE WHOSE HEARTS ARE TURNED TO HIM MORNING, NOON AND NIGHT, AND **WHO DO NOT SEEK WORLDLY GAINS, BUT DESIRE ONLY ALLAH (SWT)'S GRACE AND HIS PRESENCE. They are poor in the world, but their company gives far more inward and spiritual satisfaction than worldly grandeur. Such a man was Salman.

µ  Qummi says in his commentary that this verse was revealed when A-inya bin Hasin asked the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) to send away Salman whenever he or wealthy people like him came to see him because the social status of a poor man like Salman who had only one garment did not justify his presence among them. The Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) recited this verse and added: "Salman is one of my Ahlul Bayt." It was a distinction which no other companion had ever enjoyed.

The Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad), who only followed the revelations (Najm 53:4), NEVER paid any attention to the loose talk of those who have been referred to in this verse, in Al Qalam 68:10 to 15 and in the early verses of al Ahzab.

THE QUALITIES DESCRIBED IN THIS VERSE REFER TO THE ULIL AMR WHOSE OBEDIENCE HAS BEEN MADE OBLIGATORY. See commentary of Nisa 4:59.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

(18:28) And keep yourself whole-heartedly content with those who pray to their Lord morning and evening in order to win His approval, and do not turn your attention away from them. Do you desire the allurements of the world *28? Do not follow the one" *29 whose heart We have made neglectful of Our remembrance and who follows his own lust and goes to extremes in the conduct of his affairs. *30

*28 Though these words have also been addressed to the Holy Prophet, they are really meant for the chiefs of the Quraish. According to a Tradition related by Ibn `Abbas, the chiefs of the Quraish would say to the Holy Prophet that they considered it below their dignity to sit with such people as Bilal, Suhaib, 'Ammar, Khabbab, Ibn-Mas`ud and the like who generally remained in his company: and that if he should send them away, they would be willing to attend his meetings in order to learn about his Message. At this Allah revealed this verse: "And keep yourself whole-heartedly content with those who pray to their Lord morning and evening in order to win His approval and do not turn your attention away from them: (Do you desire to discard these sincere but poor people so that the chiefs of the Quraish, the well-to-do people, should come and sit near you?)" This was meant to warn the chiefs of the Quraish to this effect: "Your wealth, your pomp and show of which you are so proud, has no value at all in the sight of Allah and His Messenger; nay, those poor people are really more worthy in their sight, for they are sincere and always remember Allah." The same was the attitude of the chiefs of Prophet Noah's people, who said, "And we see also that none but the meanest and the most shallow of our people have become your followers." .... (Noah replied,) "I am not going to drive away those who have believed in me, nor can I say about those whom you disdain, `Allah has not bestowed any good on them' . . . " (XXI: vv. 27, 29, 31)
*29 That is, "Do not yield to what he says, nor submit to him, nor fulfil his desire, nor follow his bidding." 
*30 The original Arabic text may also mean, "Who discards the truth, breaks all moral limits and rushes on headlong." But in both cases it comes to this: "The one, who is neglectful of Allah and becomes a slave of his lust, inevitably transgresses all limits and becomes a victim of immoderation. Therefore the one,who will submit to him, will also follow the same way and wander about in deviation after him. 

وَقُلِ الْحَقُّ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ ۖ فَمَنْ شَاءَ فَلْيُؤْمِنْ وَمَنْ شَاءَ فَلْيَكْفُرْ ۚ إِنَّا أَعْتَدْنَا لِلظَّالِمِينَ نَارًا أَحَاطَ بِهِمْ سُرَادِقُهَا ۚ وَإِنْ يَسْتَغِيثُوا يُغَاثُوا بِمَاءٍ كَالْمُهْلِ يَشْوِي الْوُجُوهَ ۚ بِئْسَ الشَّرَابُ وَسَاءَتْ مُرْتَفَقًا {18:29}

[Q18:29] Wa qulil haqqu mir Rabbikum faman shaaa'a falyu minw wa man shaaa'a falyakfur; innaaa a'tadnaa lizzaalimeena Naaran ahaata bihim suraadiquhaa; wa iny yastagheesoo yaghaasoo bimaaa'in kalmuhli yashwil wujooh' bi'sash-sharaab; wa saaa'at murtafaqaa. 
[Q18:29] And say: The truth is from your Lord, so let him who please believe, and let him who please disbelieve; surely We have prepared for the iniquitous a fire, the curtains of which shall encompass them about; and if they cry for water, they shall be given water like molten brass which will scald their faces; evil the drink and ill the resting-place.

[Q18:29] Dan katakanlah (wahai Muhammad): Kebenaran itu ialah yang datang dari Tuhan kamu, maka sesiapa yang mahu beriman, hendaklah dia beriman dan sesiapa yang mahu kufur ingkar, biarlah dia mengingkarinya. Kerana Kami telah menyediakan bagi orang-orang yang berlaku zalim itu api Neraka, yang meliputi mereka laksana khemah; dan jika mereka meminta pertolongan kerana dahaga, mereka diberi pertolongan dengan air yang seperti tembaga cair yang membakar muka; amatlah buruknya minuman itu dan amatlah buruknya Neraka sebagai tempat bersenang-senang. 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

(18:29) Proclaim, "This is the Truth from your Lord: now whosoever will, he may accept it and whosoever will, he may reject it". *31

*31 This verse makes it quite plain that the story of the Sleepers of the Cave has been related to tell the opponents of Islam: "This is the Truth from your Lord: now whosoever wills, he may accept it and whosoever wills, he may reject it. BUT PEOPLE MUST UNDERSTAND THAT NO COMPROMISE WILL BE MADE IN REGARD TO THE TRUTH JUST AS THE SLEEPERS OF THE CAVE DID NOT MAKE ANY COMPROMISE WITH REGARD TO THEIR CREED. They did not make any compromise in regard to the Doctrine of Tauhid after they had believed in it and categorically declared, "Our Lord is the One Who alone is the Lord of the heavens and the earth." After this declaration they did not in any way accede to the making of any compromise with their people, who had gone astray, but firmly declared, "We will not give Him up and pray to other deities, because it will be the most improper thing, if we do so." After making this declaration they left their people and deities and took refuge in the Cave without taking any provisions with them. After' this when they rose up, the only thing about which they showed any anxiety, was that their people might not succeed in forcing them back to their own faith. After relating these things, the Qur'an addresses the Holy Prophet to the effect (though these words are really meant for the opponents of Islam): "It is absolutely out of question whether any compromise can be made with mushriks and disbelievers present the truth intact to them whether they accept it or not. If they do not accept it, they themselves will meet with an evil end. As regards those, who have accepted the Truth (whether they be youngsters or poor, indigent people or slaves or labourers,) they are really those people who have a worth with Allah, and they alone will be honoured. Therefore you should not discard them and prefer the chiefs and the rich people who may be neglectful of Allah and be slaves of their lust, even though they might be possessors of worldly grandeur. " 

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ إِنَّا لَا نُضِيعُ أَجْرَ مَنْ أَحْسَنَ عَمَلًا {18:30}

[Q18:30] Innal lazeena aamanoo wa 'amilus saalihaati innaa laa nudee'u ajra man ahsana 'amalaa. 
[Q18:30] Surely (as for) those who believe and do good, We do not waste the reward of him who does a good work.

[Q18:30] Sebenarnya orang-orang yang beriman dan beramal soleh sudah tetap Kami tidak akan menghilangkan pahala orang-orang yang berusaha memperbaiki amalnya. 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

(18:30) (As for those who reject this,) We have prepared for such workers of iniquity a fire whose flames have encircled them. *32 If they will ask for water there, they will be treated with such a drink as will have its residue like that of oil *33 and burn their lips: what an evil drink and what an evil abode!

*32 The Arabic word ~l~ir' (Suradiq) literally means sides of a tent but, as used in the case of Hell, it may mean its external boundaries to which its flames and heat may reach. According to some commentators, it applies to the future reuse ".... its flames will encircle them" so as to refer to the flames of Hell in the Hereafter. But we are of the opinion that its flames have already encircled, in this very world, these workers of iniquity, who have turned away from the Truth and that they cannot escape them. 
*33 The Arabic word }~ (muhl) has several lexical meanings. According to some people, it means "the residue of oil"; according to others, "lava", which is formed by the melting of things in the earth; according to some, "molten matter" and according to others "pus and blood"