Today, we share an anecdote of the Aṣḥāb al-Kahf (اصحاب الکهف, aṣḥāb al-kahf, lit. Companions of the Cave), mentioned in the 18th Surah / Chapter of Al-Qurʾān (verses 9–26)) called Surah Al Kahf (The Surah in which mention of the People of the Cave is made). Kahf in Arabic means cave. Their story is rich with meaning and offers several spiritual and moral lessons.
Let us find out what is so peculiar about these people exclusively mentioned by Allah and why.
Who Were the People of the Cave?
A group of young believing men, later known as the People of the Cave, lived in a society where paganism/idolatry was widespread. They rejected the polytheistic practices of their people and chose to worship Allah alone. Fearing persecution, they fled their city and took refuge in a cave (kahf). Allah caused them to fall into a deep sleep that lasted for 300 years (plus 9 lunar years). When they awoke, they had no idea so much time had passed.
The secret of their sleep was revealed when one of them went to Ephesus to buy food for them and offered a coin of the period of Emperor Decius. As it was a changed world, he naturally attracted attention for he was wearing a costume of 300 year old fashion and spoke a language different from that in vogue. This was because during those two centuries the language, culture, dress etc. had undergone a marked change. So the shopkeeper looked askance at him and, according to a Syriac tradition, he suspected that he had dug up some ancient treasure. Accordingly, he gathered some people of his neighborhood and they took him before the ruler. On questioning, it was discovered that he was one of those followers of Christ, who had fled the city 300 years ago to save their faith. As most of the population had embraced Christianity, the news immediately spread throughout the city and a big crowd of the people along with the Christian Roman Ruler, arrived at the cave. It was then that the sleepers of the cave came to know that they had slept for about three hundred years. So after making salutations to their Christian brothers they lay down and their souls left their bodies.
Their miraculous story became known, and people saw it as a sign of God’s power.
The story also appears in the Christian history as the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus. The Christian legend speaks about a group of youths who hid inside a cave around AD 250 to escape Roman persecutions of Christians and emerged many years later.
There is a cave near Amman, Jordan, also known as the Cave of Seven Sleepers, which has eight smaller sealed tombs present inside and a ventilation duct coming out of the cave. (Photo)
Lessons from the Story of the People of the Cave
- Faith Over Conformity
- The youths chose to obey Allah rather than follow social norms or political pressure.
- Lesson: Stand firm in your beliefs even when society is against you.
- Courage in the Face of Persecution
- They bravely left everything behind for their faith.
- Lesson: Sometimes, protecting your faith requires sacrifice and courage.
- Take the initiative and Allah will help you
- Allah responded to the young men when they beseeched Him for help, “Our Lord, grant us from Yourself mercy and prepare for us from our affair right guidance.” (Al-Kahf 18:10) It is important to remember that the young men took the initiative of leaving the comfort of their homes, and all their possessions behind, along with supplicating to Allah.
- This showed their commitment to the cause, and established them as true believers in His sight. Many times, we expect Allah’s help while being reluctant to make even a minor sacrifice on our part.
- We must be action-oriented in difficult times, and willing to take the right initiative, in order to be helped by Allah.
- Allah's Power Over Time and Life
- Sleeping for centuries and being awakened unharmed shows Allah's control over life, death, and time.
- Lesson: Time means nothing to Allah; He transcends natural laws.
- Faith Can Be Preserved and Revived
- When they awoke, the world had changed. What they had hoped for—a return to monotheism—had come to pass.
- Lesson: Even when truth seems buried or rejected, it can resurface with Allah’s will.
- Never Compromise on Faith
- You may encounter a situation where you are pressured to renounce some aspect of your faith. Never settle for such a compromise, and be willing to take substantive measures to defend your freedom to live according to Allah’s word. Just as the young men rejected their society and hid in a cave, we should be bold enough to stand against society, and migrate to a different place if we have to, for the sake of our faith.
- Allah informs us that those prevented from worshipping Allah alone will say to the angels after their death, “We were weak in the land.” (Al-Nisa 4:97) However, this excuse will not be accepted, and the angels will say, “Was not the earth of Allah spacious, so that you should have migrated therein?” (Al-Nisa 4:97)
- Don't Speculate Without Knowledge
- In verses 22–23, the Qur’an warns not to debate their number or details without knowledge.
- Base your beliefs on evidence: Religious beliefs and practices should be based on clear evidence, rather than a blind imitation of ancestral traditions. The young men lamented the fact that their people worshiped multiple deities without any authority from Allah: “These, our people, have taken besides Him deities. Why do they not bring for [worship of] them clear evidence?” (Al-Kahf 18:15) We should also scrutinize our contemporary beliefs and practices pertaining to religion to see whether they have a basis in the Quran or the example of the Prophet, or are simply being passed down generations without a clear authority.
- Lesson: Avoid idle speculation about religious matters and focus on what benefits the soul.
- Seek Good Company
- These youth supported one another in faith.
- Lesson: Righteous companionship strengthens belief and protects you in times of trial.
- Seek the best of Allah’s blessings
- Whenever initiating a new project, journey or action, always seek the blessings of Allah. This can be from simple Bismillah to many supplications mentioned in Qur'an and Hadith to seek Allah's prior blessings.
- When the young men finally woke up from their sleep, they said to one another, “Send one of you with this silver coin of yours to the city, and let him find out which is the best food, and bring some of that to you.” (Al-Kahf 18:19) It is encouraged to consume the best quality and purest food, as Allah says, “So eat of the lawful and good food Allah has provided for you.” (Al-Nahl 16:114)
- Similarly, there is nothing wrong with seeking the best among His other blessings, such as clothing and housing – provided one does not spend wastefully. In fact, Allah encourages us to live according to our means, without being extravagant, as Prophet Muhammad said, “Indeed, Allah loves to see the results of His favors upon His slaves.”
- Allah leaves positive perceptions about the righteous
- Speaking for a just cause can invite people’s spite and accusations. However, in the long term, those who have dared to differ by upholding the truth are usually held in high esteem by the people. The young men in the cave, who had earlier faced threats of stoning to death, were later commemorated as great heroes, as is evident from their people’s desire to pay them a tribute: “[Some] said, ‘Construct a building over them; their Lord knows best about them.’ Those who prevailed said, ‘We shall build a place of worship over them.’” (Al-Kahf 18:21)
- Similarly, many of the prophets, who were ridiculed for communicating the word of Allah, were eventually held in great honor.
- Lesson: It is wise to tolerate any spite hurled at you for supporting what is right, and have faith that Allah will not only reward you for it but will also eventually leave positive perceptions about you among the people.
Supporting Verses:
- Qur’an 18:13: “Indeed, they were youths who believed in their Lord, and We increased them in guidance.”
- Qur’an 18:26: “Say, Allah knows best how long they remained. His is the unseen of the heavens and the earth...”
Summary
The story of the People of the Cave teaches timeless values:
- Sincerity in faith
- Trust in divine protection
- Patience and perseverance
- Avoiding speculation
- Choosing righteous friends
The above explanation is just in skeleton form to introduce to the readers as to who Aṣḥāb al-Kahf (اصحاب الکهف, aṣḥāb al-kahf, lit. Companions of the Cave) were. Those desirous to know the detailed explanation of verse 9-26 of Surah Al Kaf / Aṣḥāb al-Kahf (اصحاب الکهف, aṣḥāb al-kahf, lit. Companions of the Cave) may like to visit our earlier published exegesis of the Surah from link given below:
May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door.
وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ
(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”
That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.
May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.
Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.
Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.
For more selected verses from Surah Al Kahf, please refer to our reference page: Al-Qurʾān: Selected verses from Sūrah 18. Al Kahf
For more Q&A about Understanding Islam, please refer to our reference page: Understanding Islam - Frequently asked Q&A
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