Surah Al-Kahf - سورة الكهف

Al-Kahf

Surat Al-Kahf recited by 397 different reciters

Information about Surat Al-Kahf

  • Number of verses : 110
  • Type : Makiya
  • Name translation : The cave
  • Chronological order : 69
  • Traditional order : 18

Description

About Surat Al Kahf :

Surat Al Kahf is number 18 in the holy Quran, and it comes immediately after Surat Al Isra and before Surat Maryam. It is a meccan Surat, that contains 110 verses, 1583 words and 6425 letters. It was called Al Kahf because it addresses the story of « Ashab Al Kahf » who stood in the face of sedition and infidelity and disbelief towards Allah, refusing to worship anyone but the Almighty Allah. This surah came to honor and to immortalize them in both the here and the hereafter. It is a divine documentation of their steadfastness and sacrifices and it is a lesson because of what its stories contain from practical advices about the importance of following the path of truth and guidance, despite sedition and temptations.

Reasons of its descent:

The scholars see that the reason for the descent of Surat Al Kahf is due to the Quraysh sending of two messengers to the rabbis of the Jews in the city to obtain evidence showing the falseness of the call of Muhammad (peace be upon him) and to prove wrong the sincerity of his prophecy. When the messengers reported the message of Quraysh, the rabbis of the Jews advised them to ask the prophet about three things, if he answered he earns back the sincerity of his prophecy, and if he fails, he will be proven wrong. They told them: « Ask him first about young men who went in the first age, for they have had a strange talk. Secondly, ask him about a man who toured the lands of the earth, what was his knowledge? And then ask him about what the spirit is ». After that the two messengers came back, Quraysh went to Muhammad PBUH to ask him these three questions. The Prophet answered them: « I will tell you tomorrow what you have asked about him ». Yet, no revelation came to him the following day, until the hearts of the people in Mecca started to fill with doubt. The arrival of Jibril peace be upon him was after 15 nights and with him Surat Al Kahf to answer all the questions of Quraysh.

Its content:

Perhaps the most prominent of what is included in Surat Al Kahf is the various stories that Allah strikes Muslims with in order to correct their beliefs. In this Surat, there is the story about « Ashab Al Kahf », who were young men who believed in their god and who asked the others to believe in the one and only God. Yet, their people refused their call which made them feel helpless, so they went to a cave, where they kept sleeping for three hundred and nine years. Once they woke up, they found out that everyone in their village is believer now. There is also the story about man who was misguided with his money and properties, so Allah came to him and removed everything he had, to show that being humble is important. There is also the story of Musa and Ibliss, and the story of Musa with a good servant who taught him that wisdom requires not to judge things according to the way they look, etc.

Its features:

One of the characteristics of Surat al-Kahf is the many acts of movement in it, as if Allah in this surah is urging people to move in the earth to escape its temptations. Also, one of the characteristics of this surah is its beginning and ending with the talk about the Holy Quran, as the Almighty Allah said in the beginning of the Surat: « [All] praise is [due] to Allah, who has sent down upon His Servant the Book » and his saying at the end of the Surat: «Say, "If the sea were ink for [writing] the words of my Lord » and this is sign that the Quran helps you to avoid the Fitna. Also, this Surat is encouraging the call towards Allah, as these young people call their people, and this poor slave calls the rich owner of the lands and properties, and even « Dou Al Qarnain » calls his people. It is also a Surat that mentions a lot of unseen things, including the number of « Ashab Al Kahf », and the duration of their stay, the story of Dou Al Qarnain and others. It is a reference to the lack of human beings to recognize all things with their normal senses and that Allah is the one who governs the universe wisdom and science.

Its Advantages:

Surah al-Kahf has a great place and a great virtue that the Muslim receives by reading it. It was narrated that the Prophet PBUH said:  « Whoever recites Surat Al Kahf in the Jumuaa will obtain light between the two Jumuaa’s », and also: « If anyone memorizes ten verses from the beginning of surat al-Kahf, he will be protected from the trial of Dajjal (Antichrist) ». Surat Al Kahf serves as a divine fortress that protects the Muslim from all things. a surah that is filled with parables and stories, and with lessons and morals.

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