295 Page Notes

18  Surah Al-Kahf (continued)

Page 295 - Related Hadith/Sunnah

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

Page 295 - Related Hadiths and Sunnah

Page 295 of the Quran contains Surah Al-Kahf, verses 16 through 20. These verses details the core experience of the Ashab al-Kahf (the People of the Cave) as they enter the cave, fall into their miraculous centuries-long sleep, and eventually wake up to send one of their companions into the city for food.

The narrative focuses on divine protection, the physical state of their sleep, the turning of their bodies, and their cautious fear of being discovered by the oppressive polytheistic society they fled.

Classical Islamic scholarship connects these specific verses to several Hadith narratives and Sunnah concepts.

1. The Description of Their Miraculous Sleep (Verses 17–18)

"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..." — Surah Al-Kahf 18:18

A. Prophetic Descriptions of the Cave and the Companions

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ occasionally described the physical state of the People of the Cave to his Companions to emphasize Allah's absolute power over life, death, and time.

• The Hadith: A narrative transmitted through early authorities (recorded by classical commentators like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari) notes that during a military expedition passing near the historical region of the Cave (in modern-day Jordan or Syria), Companions expressed a desire to see it. It is reported that Ibn Abbas stated the Prophet ﷺ or divine wisdom cautioned that looking upon them in their original state would strike terror into the heart—directly mirroring verse 18: "If you had looked at them, you would have turned from them in flight and been filled with terror."

• Source: Recorded in Tafsir Ibn Kathir and Tafsir al-Tabari regarding the commentary of Verse 18.

B. The Sunnah of the "Right Side" and the Wisdom of Turning

Verse 18 explicitly mentions that Allah turned their bodies "to the right and to the left" so that the earth would not consume their flesh during their 300-year sleep. In the Sunnah of daily life, the Prophet ﷺ strongly emphasized the physical and spiritual blessings of sleeping position, favoring the right side.

• The Hadith: The Prophet ﷺ said: "Whenever you go to bed, perform ablution like that for a prayer, and then lie on your right side..."

• Source: Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 4, Hadith 247; Sahih Muslim, Book 48, Hadith 56.

• The Connection: Commentators note that while ordinary humans are instructed to sleep on their right side as a Sunnah, the miraculous preservation of the Cave dwellers required systematic turning to both sides to maintain bodily integrity over centuries—a divine application of biological preservation.

2. Waking Up and Seeking Pure Food (Verse 19)

"...So send one of you with this silver coin of yours to the city and let him look to which is the purest of food (azka ta'aman) and bring you provision from it..." — Surah Al-Kahf 18:19

A. The Legal and Spiritual Sunnah of Halal and Tayyib (Pure) Food

When the young men woke up, their very first instinct despite their hunger was not just to find any food, but the purest food (azka ta'aman), meaning food that was clean, lawfully acquired (Halal), and not dedicated to idols. This establishes a core Islamic principle deeply reinforced by the Sunnah: the absolute necessity of consuming pure sustenance.

• The Hadith: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Allah the Almighty is Pure and accepts only that which is pure. And verily Allah has commanded the believers to do that which He has commanded the Messengers..." The Prophet then mentioned a man who travels a long journey, disheveled and dusty, extending his hands to the sky saying, "O Lord, O Lord," while his food is unlawful, his drink is unlawful, his clothing is unlawful, and he has been nourished with unlawful things. "So how can his supplication be answered?"

• Source: Sahih Muslim, Book 12, Hadith 83.

B. The Sunnah of Using Currency and Delegating Transactions (Wakalah)

Verse 19 serves as a primary foundational text in Islamic jurisprudence (Fiqh) for the Sunnah of Wakalah (delegation or power of attorney). The young men pooled their silver coins (wariq) and delegated one person to buy food on behalf of the whole group.

• The Hadith: The Prophet ﷺ practiced this exact form of delegation. Urwah al-Bariqi narrated: "The Prophet ﷺ gave me a dinar to buy a sheep for him..." Urwah went and used his business acumen to buy two sheep, sold one for a dinar, and brought back both a sheep and the original dinar to the Prophet, who then blessed his business transactions.

• Source: Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 61, Hadith 57.

3. Cautiousness, Discretion, and Escaping Persecution (Verses 19–20)

"...And let him be cautious and let no one be aware of you. Indeed, if they come to know of you, they will stone you or return you to their religion..." — Surah Al-Kahf 18:19-20

A. The Sunnah of Hijrah (Migration) to Protect Faith

The panic of the young men in verse 20 highlights the reality of religious persecution. Their flight to the cave is the archetypal Hijrah (migration for the sake of faith). The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ mirrored this exact pattern when he fled Makkah under the threat of assassination.

• The Hadith / Seerah Connection: Just as the young men hid in a cave (Al-Kahf) to escape a tyrannical regime, the Prophet ﷺ and Abu Bakr hid in the Cave of Thawr for three days during their migration to Madinah to evade the Quraysh scouts who sought to execute or forcefully return them to paganism.

• Source: Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 63, Hadith 243 (Detailed narrative of the Hijrah).

B. The Sunnah of Concluding Tasks Quietly (Khitman)

The young men's instruction to "let him be cautious/prudent and let no one be aware of you" is an implementation of a stealth strategy when facing danger. The Prophet ﷺ codified this behavior as a Sunnah when dealing with delicate matters or avoiding the envy and malice of enemies.

• The Hadith: The Prophet ﷺ said: "Seek help in the fulfillment of your needs by being discreet (keeping them secret), for indeed everyone who possesses a blessing is envied."

• Source: Al-Mu'jam al-Kabir by Al-Tabarani; authenticated as Sahih by Al-Albani in Sahih al-Jami', Hadith 943.