بسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
SURAH: AL-KAHF = ON PEOPLE OF THE CAVE
I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE SOME REVEALING INFORMATION ON AYAHS 25 AND 26.
“Or dost thou reflect that the Companions of the Cave and of the Inscription were wonders among Our Sign? (9) Behold, the youths betook themselves to the Cave: they said, “Our Lord! bestow on us Mercy from Thyself, and dispose of our affair for us in the right way!” (10) Then We draw (a veil) over their ears, for a number of years, in the Cave, (so that they heard not): (11) Then We roused them, in order to test which of the two parties was best at calculating the term of years they had tarried! (12) We relate to thee their story in truth: they were youths who believed in their Lord, and We advanced them in guidance”:
“When ye turn away from them and the things they worship other than Allah, betake yourselves to the Cave: Your Lord will shower His mercies on you and disposes of your affair towards comfort and ease.” (16) Thou wouldst have seen the sun, when it rose, declining to the right from their Cave, and when it set, turning away from them to the left, while they lay in the open space in the midst of the Cave. Such are among the Signs of Allah: He whom Allah, guides is rightly guided; but he whom Allah leaves to stray,- for him wilt thou find no protector to lead him to the Right Way. (17) Thou wouldst have deemed them awake, whilst they were asleep, and We turned them on their right and on their left sides: their dog stretching forth his two fore-legs on the threshold: if thou hadst come up on to them, thou wouldst have certainly turned back from them in flight, and wouldst certainly have been filled with terror of them. (18).
Enter not, therefore, into controversies concerning them, except on a matter that is clear, nor consult any of them about (the affair of) the Sleepers. (22) Nor say of anything, “I shall be sure to do so and so tomorrow”- (23) Without adding, “So please Allah!” and call thy Lord to mind when thou forgettest, and say, “I hope that my Lord will guide me ever closer (even) than this to the right road.” (24) So they stayed in their Cave three hundred years, and (some) add nine (more) (25) Say: “Allah knows best how long they stayed!
NOTES; WHEN WE REACH A DEAD-END IN DIGESTING AND UNDERSTANDING SOME OF THE UN-FATHOMABLE PHENOMENA AROUND US, WE NORMALLY EXCLAIM “GOD KNOWS BEST”. WHILE THIS IS ABSOLUTELY A REASONBALE REACTION. THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THAT, AS HUMAN BEINGS ADVANCE IN THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF THE NATURE OF THINGS, WE ALWAYS COME TO THE CONCLUSION, THAT WHILE WE ARE NOT AWARE OF THE REASON, THERE IS AN ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY THAT ALL OF ALLAH’S WAYS ARE BASED ON REASONABLE PROCEDURES, METHODOLOGY AND SYSTEMS. LIKE THE WEE BIT ONE I AM ABOUT TO SHARE WITH YOU!!
EVEN THOUGH IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO EXPLAIN ALL THE DETAILS OF THE CAVE PEOPLE, IT IS NOW FEASIBLE TO GIVE SOME INKLING BASED ON SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION WE HAVE, WHICH I SHALL SHARE WITH MY AUDIENCE, WITHOUT CLAIMING THAT IT WILL MAKE SLEEPING FOR 300 YEARS PLAUSIBLE OR DIGESTIBLE BY YOU. BUT WITH THIS INFORMATION, YOU SHALL STILL NEED TO INDULGE IN A WIDE STRETCH OF YOUR IMAGINATION!!
ON THE BASIS OF THIS PROVISO, PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING: YOU ALL KNOW THAT BEARS HIBERNATE FOR 8 MONTHS, WITHOUT EATING OR ELIMINATING: ADULT FEMALE BEARS WEIGH BETWEEN 300 TO 800 POUNDS, WHILE ADULT MALE ONES BETWEEN 400 AND 1200 POUNDS!!! THEIR BODY TEMPERATURE IS 100 F. BUT DURING HIBERNATION IT DROPS TO BETWEEN 8-12 DEGREES, WHICH HELPS THEM TO SLEEP FOR 8 MONTHS WITHOUT EATING OR ELIMINATING!!
EVEN IF WE FIND SCIENTIFIC REASONS FOR HOW THINGS WORK, WE ARE FORCED TO ACCEPT THE FACT THAT ALLAH (SWT) HAS THE FINAL WORD IN EVERYTHING. IN VIEW OF THE ABOVE FACTS, WE STILL DO NOT HAVE THE LOGIC AS TO HOW COULD THE CAVE PEOPLE LIVE FOR 300 YEARS, AS STATED IN SURAH 18 AYAHS, 25-26:
“SO THEY STAYED IN THEIR CAVE THREE HUNDRED YEARS (300), AND (SOME) ADD NINE (MORE) (18:25) SAY: “ALLAH KNOWS BEST HOW LONG THEY STAYED: WITH HIM IS (THE KNOWLEDGE OF) THE SECRETS OF THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH: HOW CLEARLY HE SEES, HOW FINELY HE HEARS (EVERYTHING)! THEY HAVE NO PROTECTOR OTHER THAN HIM; NOR DOES HE SHARE HIS COMMAND WITH ANY PERSON WHATSOEVER. (18:26)
By: Hamid Zavosh
Delivered via Zoom,to Quranic Forum Session of IMAN
ON SUNDAY, October 30th, 2022