Iszlámról

Imam al-Laalikaa'ee 

Source: Sharh Usool ul-I'tiqaad (Eng. Trans. by Dawud Burbank)

(270)... al Hasan said: "From the person of innovation Allah does not accept Prayer, nor Fasting, nor Hajj, nor 'Umra, nor Jihaad, nor repentance, nor charity."

The Story of the People of Al-Kahf

In the Name of Allaah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

All praise is due to Allaah. We praise Him, seek His aid, and His forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allaah from the evils of our souls and the evils of our actions. Whomsoever Allaah guides, none can misguide. And whomsoever Allaah allows to go astray, none can guide him. I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, Alone and without any partners, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

This is the first part in a series intended to teach Muslim Parents and Children to not be influenced by their non-Muslim colleagues 

Here Allaah tells us about the story of the people of Al-Kahf in brief and general terms, then He explains it in more detail. He says:

[أَمْ حَسِبْتَ]

(Do you think) -- O Muhammad --

[أَنَّ أَصْحَـبَ الْكَهْفِ وَالرَّقِيمِ كَانُواْ مِنْ ءَايَـتِنَا عَجَبًا]

(that the people of Al-Kahf and Ar-Raqim were a wonder among Our signs) meaning, their case was not something amazing compared to Our power and ability, for the creation of the heavens and earth, the alternation of night and day and the subjugation of the sun, moon and heavenly bodies, and other mighty signs indicate the great power of Allaah and show that He is able to do whatever He wills. He is not incapable of doing more amazing things than the story of the people of the Cave. Similarly, Ibn Jurayj reported Mujahid saying about,

[أَمْ حَسِبْتَ أَنَّ أَصْحَـبَ الْكَهْفِ وَالرَّقِيمِ كَانُواْ مِنْ ءَايَـتِنَا عَجَبًا ]

(Do you think that the people of Al-Kahf and Ar-Raqim were a wonder among Our signs) "Among Our signs are things that are more amazing than this.'' Al-`Awfi reported that Ibn `Abbas said:

[أَمْ حَسِبْتَ أَنَّ أَصْحَـبَ الْكَهْفِ وَالرَّقِيمِ كَانُواْ مِنْ ءَايَـتِنَا عَجَبًا ]

(Do you think that the people of Al-Kahf and Ar-Raqim were a wonder among Our signs) "What I have given to you of knowledge, the Sunnah and the Book is far better than the story of the people of Al-Kahf and Ar-Raqim.'' Muhammad bin Ishaq said: "(It means) I have not shown My creatures a proof more amazing than the story of the people of the Al-Kahf and Ar-Raqim.'' iAl-Kahf refers to a cave in a mountain, which is where the young men sought refuge. With regard to the word Ar-Raqim, Al-`Awfi reported from Ibn `Abbas that it is a valley near Aylah. This was also said [in another narration] by `Atiyah Al-`Awfi and Qatadah. Ad-Dahhak said: "As for Al-Kahf, it is a cave in the valley, and Ar-Raqim is the name of the valley.'' Mujahid said, "Ar-Raqim refers to their buildings.'' Others said it refers to the valley in which their cave was. `Abdur-Razzaq recorded that Ibn `Abbas said about Ar-Raqim: "Ka`b used to say that it was the town.'' Ibn Jurayj reported that Ibn `Abbas said, "Ar-Raqim is the mountain in which the cave was.'' Sa`id bin Jubayr said, "Ar-Raqim is a tablet of stone o­n which they wrote the story of the people of the Cave, then they placed it at the entrance to the Cave.''

[إِذْ أَوَى الْفِتْيَةُ إِلَى الْكَهْفِ فَقَالُواْ رَبَّنَآ ءَاتِنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً وَهَيِّىءْ لَنَا مِنْ أَمْرِنَا رَشَدًا ]

((Remember) when the young men fled for refuge to Al-Kahf. They said: "Our Lord! Bestow o­n us mercy from Yourself, and facilitate for us our affair in the right way!'') Here Allaah tells us about those young men who fled from their people for the sake of their religion, fearing persecution. So they fled taking refuge in the cave of a mountain, where they hid from their people. When they entered the cave, they asked Allaah to show mercy and kindness towards them,

[رَبَّنَآ ءَاتِنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً]

(Our Lord! Bestow o­n us mercy from Yourself,) meaning, `give us Your mercy and conceal us from our people.'

[وَهَيِّىءْ لَنَا مِنْ أَمْرِنَا رَشَدًا]

(and facilitate for us our affair in the right way) means, direct our matter well, i.e., grant us a good end. As was reported in the Hadith:

«وَمَا قَضَيْتَ لَنَا مِنْ قَضَاءٍ فَاجْعَلْ عَاقِبَتَهُ رَشَدًا»

(Whatever You have decreed for us, make its consequences good).

[فَضَرَبْنَا عَلَى ءَاذَانِهِمْ فِى الْكَهْفِ سِنِينَ عَدَدًا ]

(Therefore, We covered up their hearing in the cave for a number of years.) meaning, `We caused them to sleep when they entered the cave, and they slept for many years.'

[ثُمَّ بَعَثْنَـهُمْ]

(Then We raised them up) from that slumber, and o­ne of them went out with his Dirhams (silver coins) to buy them some food, as it will be discussed in more detail below. Allaah says:

[ثُمَّ بَعَثْنَـهُمْ لِنَعْلَمَ أَيُّ الحِزْبَيْنِ]

(Then We raised them up, that We might test which of the two parties) meaning, the two parties who disputed about them,

[أَحْصَى لِمَا لَبِثُواْ أَمَدًا]

(was best at calculating the time period that they tarried.) It was said that this refers to how long they stayed in the cave.

Their Belief in Allaah and their Retreat from their People

[وَزِدْنَـهُمْ هُدًى]

(and We increased them in guidance.) From this and other similar Ayat, several scholars, such as Al-Bukhari and others, understood that faith may increase, that it may vary in degrees, and that it may fluctuate. Allaah says:

[وَزِدْنَـهُمْ هُدًى]

(and We increased them in guidance.) as He said elsewhere:

[وَالَّذِينَ اهْتَدَوْاْ زَادَهُمْ هُدًى وَءَاتَـهُمْ تَقُوَاهُمْ ]

(While as for those who accept guidance, He increases their guidance and bestows o­n them their Taqwa.) [47:17]

[فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ ءامَنُواْ فَزَادَتْهُمْ إِيمَـناً وَهُمْ يَسْتَبْشِرُونَ]

(As for those who believe, it has increased their faith, and they rejoice.) [9:124],

[لِيَزْدَادُواْ إِيمَـناً مَّعَ إِيمَـنِهِمْ]

(...that they may grow more in faith along with their (present) faith.) [48:4] There are other Ayat indicating the same thing. It has been mentioned that they were followers of the religion of Al-Masih `Isa, `Isa bin Maryam, but Allaah knows best. It seems that they lived before the time of Christianity altogether, because if they had been Christians, the Jewish rabbis would not have cared about preserving because of their differences. We have mentioned above the report from Ibn `Abbas that the Quraysh sent a message to the Jewish rabbis in Al-Madinah to ask them for things with which they could test the Messenger of Allaah , and they told them to ask him about these young men, and about Dhul-Qarnayn (the man who traveled much) and about the Ruh. This indicates that this story was something recorded in the books of the People of the Book, and that it came before Christianity. And Allaah knows best.

[وَرَبَطْنَا عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ إِذْ قَامُواْ فَقَالُواْ رَبُّنَا رَبُّ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ]

(And We made their hearts firm and strong when they stood up and said: "Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth,) Here Allaah is saying: `We gave them the patience to go against their people and their city, and to leave behind the life of luxury and ease that they had been living.' Several of the earlier and later Tafsir scholars have mentioned that they were sons of the kings and leaders of Byzantium, and that they went out o­ne day to o­ne of the festivals of their people. They used to gather o­nce a year outside the city, and they would worship idols and offer sacrifices to them. They had an arrogant, tyrannical king who was called Decianus, who commanded and encouraged the people to do that. When the people went out to attend this gathering, these young men went out with their fathers and their people, and when they saw their people's actions with clear insight, they realized that the prostrations and sacrifices the people were offering to their idols should o­nly be dedicated to Allaah, Who created the heavens and the earth. Each of them started to withdraw from his people and keep aloof from them. The first o­ne of them to move away o­n his own went and sat in the shade of a tree, then another came and sat with him, then another came and sat with them, then four more followed suit o­ne by o­ne. None of them knew the others, but they were brought together by the o­ne Who instilled faith in their hearts. As it says in the Hadith recorded by Al-Bukhari with an incomplete chain of narrators from `A'ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her), the Messenger of Allaah said:

«الْأَرْوَاحُ جُنُودٌ مُجَنَّدَةٌ، فَمَا تَعَارَفَ مِنْهَا ائْتَلَفَ وَمَا تَنَاكَرَ مِنْهَا اخْتَلَف»

(Souls are like recruited soldiers. Those that recognize o­ne another will come together, and those that do not recognize o­ne another will turn away from each another). Muslim also recorded this in his Sahih from the Hadith of Suhayl from his father from Abu Hurayrah from the Messenger of Allaah . People say that similar qualities or characteristics are what bring people together. So each of the young men was trying to conceal what he really believed from the others, out of fear of them, not knowing that they were like him. Then o­ne of them said, "O people, you know by Allaah that o­nly o­ne thing is making you leave your people and isolate yourselves from them, so let each o­ne of you say what it is in his case.'' Another said, "As for me, by Allaah I saw what my people are doing and I realized that it was false, and that the o­nly o­ne Who deserves to be worshipped Alone with out partner or associate is Allaah Who created everything, the heavens, the earth and everything in between.'' Another said, "By Allaah, the same thing happened to me.'' The others said the same, and they all agreed and became brothers in faith. They adopted a particular location as a place of worship and began worshipping Allaah there, but their people found out about them and told their king about them. The king ordered them to appear before him, and asked them about their beliefs. They told him the truth and called him to Allaah, as Allaah says about them:

[وَرَبَطْنَا عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ إِذْ قَامُواْ فَقَالُواْ رَبُّنَا رَبُّ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ لَن نَّدْعُوَاْ مِن دُونِهِ إِلـهاً]

(And We made their hearts firm and strong when they stood up and said: "Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth, never shall we call upon any god other than Him...'') "Never" (Lan) implies an absolute and eternal negation, meaning, `this will never happen, and if we were to do that it would be false.' So Allaah says about them:

[لَّقَدْ قُلْنَا إِذًا شَطَطًا]

(...if we did, we should indeed have uttered an enormity in disbelief.) meaning, untruth and utter falsehood.

[هَـؤُلاءِ قَوْمُنَا اتَّخَذْواْ مِن دُونِهِ ءَالِهَةً لَّوْلاَ يَأْتُونَ عَلَيْهِم بِسُلْطَـنٍ بَيِّنٍ]

(These, our people, have taken for worship gods other than Him (Allaah). Why do they not bring for them a clear authority) meaning, why do they not produce some clear evidence and genuine proof for their behavior

[فَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ افْتَرَى عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِبًا]

(And who does more wrong than he who invents a lie against Allaah.) They said: `but by saying that they are lying transgressors.' It was said that when they called their king to believe in Allaah, he refused, and warned and threatened them. He commanded them to be stripped of their clothing bearing the adornments of their people, then he gave them some time to think about the situation, hoping that they would return to their former religion. This was a way that Allaah showed kindness for them, because during that time they managed to escape from him and flee from persecution for the sake of their religion. This is what is prescribed in the Shari`ah during times of trial and persecution -- a person who fears for his religion should flee from his persecutors, as was reported in the Hadith:

«يُوشِكُ أَنْ يَكُونَ خَيْرُ مَالِ أَحَدِكُمْ غَنَمًا يَتْبَعُ بِهَا شَعَفَ الْجِبَالِ وَمَوَاقِعَ القَطْرِ يَفِرُّ بِدِينِهِ مِنَ الْفِتَن»

(Soon there will come a time when the best wealth any of you can have will be sheep, which he can follow to the tops of the mountains and places where rain falls, (fleeing) for the sake of his religion from persecution. ) In such cases, it is allowed to seclude o­neself from people, but this is not prescribed in any other case, because by such seclusion o­ne loses the benefits of congregational and Friday prayers. These young men were determined to flee from their people, and Allaah decreed that for them, as He says about them,

[وَإِذِ اعْتَزَلْتُمُوهُمْ وَمَا يَعْبُدُونَ إَلاَّ اللَّهَ]

(And when you withdraw from them, and that which they worship, except Allaah,) meaning, when you depart from them and follow a different religion, opposing their worship of others besides Allaah, then separate from them in a physical sense too,

[فَأْوُواْ إِلَى الْكَهْفِ يَنْشُرْ لَكُمْ رَبُّكُم مِّن رَّحْمَتِهِ]

(then seek refuge in the cave; your Lord will open a way for you from His mercy) meaning, He will bestow His mercy upon you, by which He will conceal you from your people.

[وَيُهَيِّىءْ لَكُمْ مِّنْ أَمْرِكُمْ مِّرْفَقًا]

(and will make easy for you your affair.) means, He will give you what you need. So they left and fled to the cave where they sought refuge. Then their people noticed they were missing, and the king looked for them, and it was said when he could not find them that Allaah concealed them from him so that he could not find any trace of them or any information about them, as Allaah concealed His Prophet Muhammad and his Companion [Abu Bakr] As-Siddiq, when they sought refuge in the cave of Thawr. The Quraysh idolators came in pursuit, but they did not find him even though they passed right by him. When the Messenger of Allaah noticed that As-Siddiq was anxious and said, "O Messenger of Allaah, if o­ne of them looks down at the place of his feet, he will see us,'' he told him:

«يَا أَبَا بَكْرٍ مَا ظَنُّكَ بِاثْنَيْنِ اللهُ ثَالِثُهُمَا؟»

(O Abu Bakr, what do you think of two who have Allaah as their third) And Allaah said:

[إِلاَّ تَنصُرُوهُ فَقَدْ نَصَرَهُ اللَّهُ إِذْ أَخْرَجَهُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ ثَانِيَ اثْنَيْنِ إِذْ هُمَا فِى الْغَارِ إِذْ يَقُولُ لِصَاحِبِهِ لاَ تَحْزَنْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَنَا فَأَنزَلَ اللَّهُ سَكِينَتَهُ عَلَيْهِ وَأَيَّدَهُ بِجُنُودٍ لَّمْ تَرَوْهَا وَجَعَلَ كَلِمَةَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ السُّفْلَى وَكَلِمَةُ اللَّهِ هِىَ الْعُلْيَا وَاللَّهُ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ ]

(If you help him not, for Allaah did indeed help him when the disbelievers drove him out, the second of the two; when they were in the cave, he said to his companion: "Do not grieve, surely, Allaah is with us.'' Then Allaah sent down His tranquillity upon him, and strengthened him with forces which you saw not, and made the word of those who disbelieved the lower, while the Word of Allaah became the higher; and Allaah is All-Mighty, All-Wise.) [9:40] -The story of this cave (Thawr) is far greater and more wondrous than that of the people of the Cave.

Source: Tafseer Ibn Katheer, Tafseer Surat al-Kahf

taken from: http://www.calgaryislam.com/imembers/modules.php?op=modload&name=Sections&file=index&req=viewarticle&artid=568&page=1