Al-Kahf (The Cave)

11. “Then We set over their ears (a curtain of sleep) in the Cave for a number of years.”

12. “Afterwards We raised them up in order to test which of the two parties would better calculate the time they had tarried.”

13. “We relate to you their story with the truth; verily they were youths who believed in their Lord and We increased them in guidance.”

Then Allah accepted the prayer of ‘the Companions of the Cave’ and covered a veil of sleep over their ears in the Cave so that they slept for a number of years. Then, He roused them in order to test and make it clear which of those two parties was best at calculating the term of years they had slept.

Here are the statements of the Qur’an:

“Then We set over their ears (a curtain of sleep) in the Cave for a number of years.” “Afterwards We raised them up in order to test which of the two parties would better calculate the time they had tarried.”

Next to a short statement of this story, the Qur’an refers to it by detailed explanation through fourteen verses, and begins explaining it as follows:

“We relate to you their story with the truth…”

Then the Qur’an continues saying:

“…verily they were youths who believed in their Lord and We increased them in guidance.”

It is understood precisely from the Qur’an and vastly from the history that the Companions of the Cave were living in an environment and at a time that idolatry and polytheism had surrounded them.

A tyrannical government, which was the protector and the guardian of paganism, infidelity, ignorance, and offence committed against those people, had cast an inauspicious shadow upon them.

But this group of youths, who had enjoyed an enough spiritual intelligence and truthfulness, realized the corruption of that creed and decided to rise against it, or, if they could not afford to stand against it, they would emigrate from that polluted environment.

Explanations

People are divided into three groups in connection with corruption which is done in a polluted society:

1. A part of people may assume the corruption of the society. These are those who do not migrate, and have not a complete Faith, either.

2. There are some people who are inside a polluted society but they try to protect themselves from pollution, (like the Companions of the Cave).

3. There are also a group of people who change others and improve their polluted society into a good one, (like prophets and saints).

However, there are some Islamic traditions which indicate that the Companions of the Cave will be amongst the friends and helpers of Hadrat Mahdi (May Allah hasten his glad advent).¹