Surah 18
(The Cave)
(Makkan Period)
Title
The title of this surah is derived from verse 10: 'When the youth sought refuge in the cave....' The title simply signifies that this is the surah in which the word kahf (cave) occurs.
This surah marks the beginning of the group of surahs revealed in the third period of the Prophet's Makkan life. We have divided the Makkan phase of the Prophet's life into four major periods of which some details can be found in the 'Introduction' to Surah al-An'am. (See Towards Understanding the Qur'an, vol. II, pp. 211-12-Ed.) According to this division of the Prophet's Makkan life, the third period commenced around the fifth year and continued until the tenth year of his prophethood. What sets this period apart from others is that during this period the Quraysh escalated their opposition to the Prophet (peace be on him). In the second period the opposition of the Quraysh had been largely confined to campaigns of lampoon and ridicule, of slander and abuse, and to maliciously false propaganda against the Prophet's movement. Occasionally they also tried to tempt or terrorize his followers. During the third period, however, the Makkans subjected the believers to violent suppression, ruthless torture, and to severe economic deprivation.
This inevitably prompted a considerable number of Muslims to migrate to Abyssinia. As for those Muslims that remained, including the Prophet (peace be on him) and his family, they were confined to the quarters called Sha'b Abī Ṭālib and had to face a full-scale economic and social boycott. Nonetheless, there were two people during this period because of whom at least two influential families of the Quraysh continued to protect the Prophet (peace be on him). These two persons were his uncle, Abu Talib and his own wife, Khadijah. This period came to an end with the death of both of them, in the tenth year of prophethood. Shortly after, the fourth period commenced, and with it the Muslims of Makka were confronted with wide-scale persecution. Eventually all Muslims including the Prophet (peace be on him), were compelled to leave Makka.
If one reflects over the contents of this surah, it will be evident that it was most probably revealed during the beginning of the third period of the Prophet's Makkan life. It was revealed at a time when the Muslims were facing severe persecution and a little before their migration to Abyssinia. The story of the People of the Cave was narrated to these persecuted Muslims so as to raise their spirit. It was also narrated to apprise them of the sacrifices that the believers had made in the past in the cause of their faith.
Subject Matter
This surah was revealed in response to three questions which were posed by the Makkan polytheists. After consulting with the People of the Book, they had put these questions to the Prophet (peace be on him) so as to test him. As for these questions, they were as follows: Who were the People of the Cave? What is the true nature of the story of Khiḍr?* What is the story of Dhu al-Qarnayn? All these stories pertain to Judaeo-Christian history and were scarcely known to people in the Arabian peninsula. The People of the Book had selected these stories carefully so as to test whether or not any extraordinary source of knowledge was available to the Prophet (peace be on him). God subsequently provided adequate answers to their questions through the Prophet (peace be on him). What is more, He hinted at how each of the three stories was significant for understanding the situation obtaining in Makka at the time, viz. the conflict between Islam and Unbelief. The following points are of special importance:
*According to some reports (see, for instance, Ibn Hisham, Sirah, vol. I, p. 30), the second question was about the nature of the soul, which had been answered in Bani Isra' il (see 17: 85 ff.). There was, however, a gap of several years between the revelation of Surahs Bani Isra'il and al-Kahf. Moreover, there are three rather than two stories related in al-Kahf. We are, therefore, inclined to believe that the second question concerned Khidr rather than spirit. Our view seems to be corroborated by an allusion in the Qur'an itself. (For details see n. 61 below.)
(1) It was pointed out that the People of the Cave believed in the same monotheism which was being expounded by the Qur'ān.
Also, the situation of the People of the Cave was no different from that of the Makkan Muslims who were then being subjected to severe persecution. Likewise, the attitude towards the People of the Cave by their own people was quite similar to the attitude displayed by the Quraysh unbelievers to the Prophet (peace be on him) and his followers. Moreover, through this story the believers are instructed that even if the unbelievers are dominant and the believers oppressed, the latter should not surrender to falsehood. Instead, they should go boldly forth and strive for their cause, putting their trust in God. In this regard the Makkan unbelievers are told, en passant, that the story of the People of the Cave is evidence in support of the doctrine of the Hereafter. Since God had awakened the People of the Cave after a long spell of death-like slumber, it clearly shows that He has full power to raise the dead to life - a doctrine which they denied.
(2) In the course of narrating the story of the People of the Cave, the main story is set aside for a moment to mention the wrong-doing and injustice, and the humiliation and degradation which the Makkan leaders and aristocracy had perpetrated on the small, nascent Muslim community of their town. On the one hand, the Prophet (peace be on him) is directed neither to make any compromise with the perpetrators of wrong-doing and injustice, nor to pay much attention to affluent unbelievers in preference to his poor Companions. On the other hand, the affluent unbelievers of Makka are admonished to refrain from exulting in their ephemeral wealth and prosperity, and to seek instead virtues of abiding value.
(3) The story of Khidr and Moses was recounted in the same context. The story was narrated in such a manner that it served a two-fold purpose. On the one hand, the questions posed by the unbelievers were answered; and on the other, the suffering Muslims were comforted. The moral of the story is that man is in no position to plumb the depths of the wisdom of Providence. It is for this reason that man stands perplexed and begins to question, out of curiosity, why things should happen the way they do, sometimes considering certain events to be shockingly atrocious. If the totality of relevant facts were disclosed to him, man would know that there is good reason for things to happen the way they do. (4) This is followed by the story of Dhu al-Qarnayn. The interlocutors, are informed that while people generally feel proud of their petty positions of power and eminence, Dhu al-Qarnayn was singularly different. He was a great ruler and a great conqueror who controlled vast resources. And yet, none of these turned his head and he remained in a state of submission to his Creator. People foolishly think that they will enjoy life indefinitely; that their little palaces and mansions and orchards, and the resplendent life which they enjoy intensely will endure; but not Dhu al-Qarnayn. Despite the impenetrable wall that he managed to build for protective purposes, he placed all his trust in God. As long as God so willed, the wall would shield him and his people from attack. And, if and when, God willed something different, the wall would be riddled by a host of cracks and holes ensuring that it would crumble to pieces. Thus, the questions which had been put forward to test the Prophet (peace be on him) were thrown back at the unbelievers who had originally posed them. Thereafter, the main points which had been mentioned at the outset were repeated in the closing part of the surah. These points affirmed that monotheism and the Next Life are doubtlessly truths and that it is in man's own interest to believe in them, to shape his life according to those doctrines and to live with full consciousness of his accountability to God. Failure to do so will be to man's own detriment, and all his efforts will go to waste.