I consider myself fortunate to be able to have the benefit of receiving guidance and help from my learned friends and colleagues. Professor Syed Salman Nadvi, Professor Abdur Raheem Kidwai and Dr. Abdullah Sahin meticulously read the entire manuscript and offered many valuable comments. I am most grateful to them and also to Professor Seif Tag El Din and Mawlana Iqbal Ahmad Azami for their constructive suggestions to improve the work. My thanks are due to Dr. Susanne Thackray for editing the book and her very encouraging comments. I am also very grateful to Dr. Manazir Ahsan, the Director General of the Islamic Foundation, for checking the diacritical marks as well as for publishing this book. Not least, I thank Brother Naiem Qaddoura for typesetting the manuscript, Brother Nasir Cadir for the cover design and the staff of Kube Publishing for undertaking the production.
I am grateful to Allah, subḥānahū wa Ta‘ālā, that I have been enabled to complete this very satisfying and pleasant task and bring out an important work left by our very dear Brother Khurram. I hope and pray that this study will lead the way for in-depth study of the Qur’ān, especially by our younger generations. All the shortcomings and errors are, of course, mine, as Brother Khurram was so meticulous in presenting his views.
Finally, I pray to Allah that He in His gracious Mercy may accept this humble effort and forgive my mistakes and shortcomings and grant me tawfīq (Divine help) for aml (actions) which gain His Pleasure. (Āmīn)
Abdur Rashid Siddiqui
Leicester
21st Shawwal 1430 H
10th October 2009
* One such book which I found useful is Fitnah-i-Dajjāl Qur’ān aur Ḥadīth kī Roshnī Main (The trial of Dajjāl in the light of the Qur’ān and Ḥadīth) by Muhammad Zafar Iqbal, Lahore: Bait al-‘Ulum, 2005.
Chapter I
Introduction
Usually the period of revelation of the Madīnan sūrahs (chapters) can be ascertained by references to the historical events referred to therein. Then there are also reliable traditions which give the period of revelation not only of sūrahs but sometimes of the individual verses as well. The sūrahs which were revealed during the Prophet’s stay in Makkah present problems as his life was not recorded in great detail during this period. According to many muffasirūn (commentators), the Prophet’s Makkan life can be divided into four major periods. According to Sayyid Mawdūdī, the first period commenced with the conferring of Prophethood on him, which lasted for about three years. During this period the Prophet (peace be upon him) conveyed the message to his close friends and relatives. In the second period lasting two years, the Prophet (peace be upon him) faced a campaign of abuse and false propaganda and organized opposition. The third period (the sixth year of his Prophethood) saw the start of persecution and fierce opposition. This covers four years of violent hostility. The final three years of the Prophet’s stay in Makkah is the fourth period. This was a time of great hardship and suffering.1
THE PLACEMENT OF AL-KAHF
Sūrah al-Kahf belongs to the third period of the Makkan life of the Prophet (peace be upon him). During this period, the struggle was very intense. The sūrah was revealed when the Muslims were facing severe persecution. It is during this period that the Quraysh sought the help of the Ahl al-Kitāb (People of the Book) to frame some questions for the Prophet (peace be upon him) so as to test the authenticity of the revelations he received. Three questions were put to the Prophet (peace be upon him); two of them, relating to the story of Aṣḥāb al-Kahf and Dhū al-Qarnayn, were answered in this sūrah. The third, about al-Rūḥ, (soul, revelation), was dealt with in the preceding sūrah, Sūrah al-Isrā’.
Sūrah al-Kahf occupies an exact central position in the Qur’ān, covering as it does half of Juz’ (part) 15 and some part of Juz’ 16. It covers four historical events and two parables. In between there are three outstanding passages, one at the sūrah’s beginning, one right in the middle and finally the concluding ruku’. Their purpose was to provide guidance to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the Muslims during this very difficult time in Makkah. The sūrah highlights the following:
1. Clear declaration of basic beliefs: Tawḥīd (Oneness of Allah), Risālah (Prophethood) and Ākhirah (the Hereafter) by purging faith of all alien concepts.
2. A warning to the unbelievers that the punishment from God is imminent unless they respond to the call of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
3. Guidance to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the believers to remain patient as in the end, they will succeed.
4. The Christians are obliquely mentioned here but they are more directly addressed in the following Sūrah Maryam.
A COMPARISON OF AL-KAHF AND AL-ISRĀ’
Sūrah al-Kahf follows Sūrah al-Isrā’ with which it is very closely related. According to Mawlānā Amīn Aḥsan Iṣlāḥī (1904-1997) almost every sūrah has a twin. All sūrahs are arranged in pairs. Like partners, not only are there similarities between them but they also complement each other. If there are gaps in one sūrah, the other fills it. If something is hidden in one, the other manifests it. They shine like the sun and moon. In long sūrahs we see these features in al-Baqarah and Āl ‘Imrān; in short sūrahs we can observe them in the last two sūrahs, numbers 113 and 114, which are collectively called al-Mu‘awwidhatayn (the two sūrahs in which Allah’s refuge from evil is sought). The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to recite them in pairs, for example Sūrah al-Qiyāmah in one rukū’ and al-Insān in another, and similarly Sūrahs al-Ṣaff and al-Jumu‘ah and Sūrahs al-A‘lā and al-Ghāshiyah.
According to Mawlānā Iṣlāḥī, there are some exceptions about this pairing of sūrahs, for example Sūrah al-Fātiḥah has no partner, being in itself, the Introduction to the whole Qur’ān. Incidentally, one of the names of al-Fātiḥah is al-Kāfīyah indicating that it is self-sufficient and does not need pairing. In some cases, a later sūrah is the continuation of the preceding sūrah or its appendix. For example Sūrah al-Tawbah is the continuation of Sūrah al-Anfāl and the same relationship exits between Sūrahs al-Mu’minūn and al-Nūr. There are other examples as well.2
According to Dr. Israr Ahmad, the relationship between al-Isrā’ and al-Kahf is very close. Both are equal in length. Al-Isrā’ has 111 verses while al-Kahf has 110. Al-Isrā’ begins with the Subḥān Allah (Glory be to Allah) and al-Kahf starts with al-眗amdu-lillāh (Praise be to Allah). Both these expressions of praise complement each other, as it is narrated in a ḥadīth that Subḥān Allah and al-ḥamdu-lillāh fill up the whole of the balance (mīzān), or, fill up the whole (universe) that lies between the Heavens and the earth. (Muslim)
There is a similarity in their endings as well. The last two verses of both sūrahs start with the word qul (say). Thus, there are four quls and their meanings are truly great. The penultimate verse of al-Isrā’ mentions al-Asmā’