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Islamic History From Surah Al-Kahf Part 1

• Well-known story among Christians for centuries
• Still celebrated as a holiday today in parts of Germany and Eastern Europe
• Known as the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus
• Ephesus is a coastal city in western Turkey

• From the Catholic sources:
  • Emperor Decius 250CE commanded everyone to make a sacrifice to him
  • Some Christians obeyed, but many refused
  • Those who refused were persecuted
  • 7 young men from noble families were of those who refused
  • Decius gave them some time to reconsider
  • 7 men gave away their property and went to a cave to pray
  • Fell asleep inside
  • Roman soldiers covered up the cave with a boulder
  • A Christian wrote their names outside the cave
  • 145 years later the landowner removed the boulder waking them up
  • Sleepers sent one out with money to buy food.
  • They found out their land was now Christian
  • People heard the story, lauded them and turned their cave into a church
  • This miracle was also a proof against common heretical belief that body is not resurrected
• Story was long accepted by Christians but later said to be Gnostic, or false
• More recent Christian scholars have a greater appreciation for it
• Surah Al-Kahf was revealed as an answer to a challenge from Quraish and Jews of Medina
• Challenged the Prophet by asking about the Companions of the Cave, the Soul, and Dhul Qarnain
• Prophet said he’d have information in a day but Allah did not reveal Surah until two weeks later.
• The story in the Quran matches up very closely to the story in the Christian literature
• 18:9 Allah asks the Prophet about the wonder of the companions of the cave and inscription.
• 18:10 The youths sought refuge in a cave and prayed to Allah for help
• 18:11 Allah put them to sleep for many years
• 18:12 Allah raised them out of sleep to test which of the two parties was best at calculating time they spent asleep
• Most say the two parties spoken of was within the group of young men.
• However, evidence in this verse of two opposing groups
• Christians say there was a heretical belief denying resurrection of body
• Even in Islam that argument also exists of whether body or soul would be resurrected
• Correct opinion is the body is resurrected 36:37-39, Prophet Ibrahim and birds 2:260
• I believe Allah wanted to prove to these factions the body is resurrected
• 18:13 Allah confirms He will tell us the true story of these blessed young men
• 18:14 Allah quotes them when they stood up to their people and refused to worship the creation
• Were these regular Christians that worshiped Jesus?
• I believe they were true followers of Jesus, but did not worship him. There were many Christians then and now who were like that
• 18:15 The young men continue to rail against the practices of their people
• 18:16 Given time to rethink their actions, they decide to retreat to a cave a wait for Allah’s Mercy and Help.
• 18:17 Allah describes how we would have seen the sun rising and setting on them as the days passed
• 18:18 Allah continues to describe them, how we would have thought they were awake but they were really asleep,
• how He turned them from side to side, how their dog lay at the mouth of the cave, and how we would have been frightened by the sight of them.
• 18:19 Allah wakes them up and they begin questioning how long they’ve slept. Then they decide to get food from town, warning them to be careful
• 18:20 They caution that if the people know about them, they may kill them or force them into their idolatry
• 18:21 The young men go out to find the world has changed and Christianity is the now the state religion. The people are amazed by their story and Allah
• Confirms this was to prove that the hour is true and that only He knows its time. The young men died soon after and a dispute arose between them regarding what to do with the cave. Some said leave it alone to Allah, others said make it a place of worship. Those who wanted a place of worship won out.
• Appears also that the concept of full body resurrection won out also in Christianity and this story acts as proof of it.
• 18:22 Allah tells us there are many different theories about how many people were in the cave but only Allah knows the truth.
• Most scholars believe it to have been seven and the dog made eight.
• 18:23-24 Allah warns the Prophet and all of us not to make a promise without saying Inshallah.
• 18:25 Allah confirms that they were in the cave for 309 years.