Al-Kahf (The Cave)

23. “And do not say, regarding anything, ‘I will do that tomorrow,’”

24. “Save (say): ‘If Allah pleases’, and remember your Lord when you forget, and say: ‘It may be that my Lord will guide me to a nearer way to the right than this’.”

Allah (s.w.t.) prohibits His Prophet (S) in this holy verse to say that he does so and so the following day unless he depends that affair to the Will of Allah and he says:

‘If Allah pleases’.

Thus, Allah desires to train people and He teaches them that whenever they say something about an affair concerning the future, they ought to say this holy phrase, in order that if the affair had not been done the servant would not have said a falsehood.

The reason of this statement lies in the fact that man’s power is limited and it is not right and logical for him to decisively inform of something when the appearance of some barriers against it is probable, and many a time the information happens falsehood, save that it be followed by the phrase ‘Allah Willing’.

Saying the holy phrase ‘Allah Wiling’, which indicates to the belief in ‘The Power and Will of Allah’, was a phrase used by Allah’s saints for ‘resting upon’ in their conversation. For instance, this meaning has also been narrated in the Qur’an from the tongue of prophets.

In Surah Yusuf, No.12, verse 99, Jacob says to his children:

“…Enter safe into Egypt If Allah please”.

In the current Surah (Al-Kahf), verse 69, Moses says to Khidr:

“…Allah Willing, you shall find me patient…”.

In Surah Al-Qasas, No.28, verse 27, Hadrat Shu‘ayb says to Hadrat Moses:

“…If Allah please, you will find me one of the righteous.”

In Surah As-Saffat, no.37, verse 102, Ishmael (as) tells his father Abraham (as):

“…If Allah please, you will find me of the patient ones.” Of course, the purpose of saying “Allah Willing”, or “If Allah please”, and “I take refuge in Allah” and the like of them are not some things to be uttered unintentionally and barely by tongue, but the purpose of it for a servant is to have such a belief and such a knowledge in mind (heart) and in all dimensions of his life.

Imam Sadiq (as) recommended us not to forget to write ‘If Allah pleases’ even in our writings. One day he told someone to write a letter.

When he (as) observed that the letter was not involved with the phrase: ‘Allah Willing’, he said:

“How do you hope that this work will be completed?”1

Wherever the Prophet of Islam (S) entered a graveyard, he used to say:

“If Allah please, we will join you”,

while death is sure to happen.¹

A human being is free and has choice, but he is not absolutely independent. It is not so that all affairs to be given him in a manner that he can perform them without the Will of Allah (s.w.t.). In other words, human beings are neither in compulsion nor the free will of all affairs has been offered to them, but human’s freedom is conditioned to Allah’s Will.

The verse says:

“Save (say): ‘If Allah pleases’…”

Then, next to this sentence, the Qur’an says:

“…and remember your Lord when you forget…”

This statement denotes to this meaning that if you forget to add the holy phrase ‘If Allah please’ to the news that you inform of the events related to the future, whenever later you remember it immediately make amends it and recite ‘If Allah pleases’, because this action will compensate the past.

Besides that, you should say that you are hopeful that your Lord may show you a way more clear than this.

The verse continues saying:

“…and say: ‘It may be that my Lord will guide me to a nearer way to the right than this’.”

Finally, Sayyid Murtada, who is the most learned one amongst the scholars of Shi‘ah, on the commentary of this part of the verse which is recited:

“…and say: ‘It may be that my Lord will guide me to a nearer way to the right than this”

says: that he ought to say it may be that Allah will bestow on The Prophet (S) some miracles and evidences to prove his prophethood that will be stronger and more expressive than the story of the Companions of the Cave.

Hence, Allah, the Exalted, bestowed some evidences and miracles more effective on His Prophet. Allah informed His Messenger (S) of all unseen sciences and details about the lives and deeds of the whole prophets. Those facts were some proofs which were more clear and stronger than the story of the Companions of the Cave.