Understanding The Quran (Summarized commentary of Surah Kahf [18])

Bismillahi-Rahman-Roheem.

All Praises are for Allah; We adore Him and seek His help and forgiveness. We have Faith and Trust in Him. We seek Allah’s refuge against evil tendencies of our Selves and our bad deeds.

He whom Allah guides no one can lead him astray. And he whom Allah lets go astray there is none to guide him. I bear witness that there is no deity except Allah, the One and without any Partner; and I also bear witness that Muhammad (SAW) is His servant and Messenger. Allah had sent him with Truth, to give good tidings and to warn before the Doomsday. Whosoever obeys Allah and His Messenger will be successful and well guided.

And whosoever disobeys either of them has gone astray. Such a person harms none save himself; he does no harm to Allah. The best Word is the Book of Allah. And the best Guidance is that given by Muhammad (SAW). Good things are the firm (original) ones, and Bad things are those introduced later on. And everything introduced later (in religion) is innovation, and every innovation is in Hell Fire.

 

After that, I seek Allah’s refuge against Shaitan the outcast and I start in the name of Allah, the entirely Merciful, the especially Merciful.

It has been explained to us by the scholars how surah 18 is to develop the theme of the individual soul's spiritual history, and how they fit into general scheme of exposition. This particular Makkan Surah may be called a lesson in the brevity and mystery of Life.

·      First there is the story of the Companions of the Cave who slept therein for a long period, and yet thought they had been only a day or less.

·       Then there is the story of the mysterious Teacher who shows Moses how Life itself is a parable.    And further there is the story of Dhu al Qarnayn, the two horned one, the powerful ruler of west and east, who made an iron wall to protect the weak against the strong. 

·       The parable refer to the conciseness, uncertainty, and vanity of this life; to the many paradoxes in it, which can only be understood by patience and the fullness of knowledge; and to the need of guarding our spiritual gains against the incursions of evil.

The Quran is a direction and a warning. This life is brief and subject to vicissitudes. Our ideas of Time are defective, as shown in the story of Companions of Cave, who had faith, truth, patience, and other virtues. But their life was a mystery that can be fathomed but by few. (Q18:1-22)

Knowledge is for Allah: be on your guard against idle conjectures and overconfident hopes. Learn from the Quran the Parable of the man who is puffed up with this world's goods and is brought to naught. (Q18:23-44)

This life is uncertain and variable: goodness and virtue are better and more durable. For the Day of Reckoning will come, with its Mercy and its Wrath (Q18:45-59)

Moses in his thirst for knowledge forgot his limitations. Patience and faith were enjoined on him, and he understood when the paradoxes of Life were explained (Q18:60-82)

Dhu al Qarnayn had a wide dominion; he punished the guilty and rewarded the good; he protected the weak from the lawless; but he had faith, and valued the guidance of Allah. Allah is One, and His service is righteousness (Q18:83-110)

Finally:

The Book of Revelation gives straight direction to make our lives straight, to warn us against Evil and guide us to the Good everlasting. Teach the Truth; but fret not about men rejecting it.

The Parable of the Companions of the Cave shows how Allah works wonders beyond our fathoming, how Faith is a sure refuge in ways we know not; how time itself works Allah's Plan before we know how it passes; how He can give us rest, and raise us back to life against all odds; and how futile it is to engage in controversies about matters we know not.

Man's history and legendry knowledge show that greatness does not last and the proudest are brought low. For enforcing moral and spiritual truths, the strictest history is no better than legend. Indeed all artistic history is legend, for it is written from a special point of view.

Man is easily cowed by the contrasts in his own fortunes, and yet he does not learn from them the lesson of forbearance and kindness to others, and the final elevation of goodness in the Hereafter. When all the things on which his mind and heart are set on this earth shall be crushed to nothingness, he will see the real glory and power, love and beauty, of Allah, for these are the light of the Garden of Paradise.

“Indeed, Allah orders justice and good conduct and giving to relatives and forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression. He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded". (6:90). May Allah bless us to serve him in all aspects of our lives.

Oh Allah forgives all our dead love ones, our parents living and dead. Oh Allah preserve our teachers those that dead and those that are living make them a great guide for us to Aljannah and not a distractor. Oh Allah me and the Muslim Ummah. Amin

Alahumma infa`ni bima `allamtani wa `allamni ma yanfa`uni! (OH ALLAH! Make useful for me what You taught me and teach me knowledge that will be useful to me!)

Allahu Mustahan