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2.21

Day 26: Tafsir Part 21

SURAH KAHF AYAH 10 (PART 2)

Description
This video concludes the discussion on the 10th ayah of Surah Kahf.

Meanings of the word

shape or form or the condition of something

It is used in the Quran very rarely

o

Surah Maidah verse 110

Speaking to Prophet Eessa alayhi alsalam, When you created from clay the or shape of a

bird by the permission of Allah.

This shape or condition could be a physical visble one but could also be an internal state or affair of something

to prepare or get ready; literally means to furnish oneself with the right stuff; to fix or correct something

to furnish or to allow someone to get ready by giving them the right things or to mold something for
someone so that they have the right tools necessary

to be ready and equipped enough to feel like youre ready to do something

someone who shaped up and is in better condition; their condition improved

2ishtaaq ilayhi to miss someone and to long for someone; to feel like you need someone

in command form similar getting ready for work

Literary Points
The people of the cave are actually asking Allah to change the shape of reality around them.
Exists in Quran in Surah Maidah and also Surah Aal-Imran, when Eesa alayhi alsalam said, Im going to create

) .
for you from the shape of a bird (

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These people of the cave are followers of Eesa alayhi alsalam. The closest linguistic connection they have is back
to their own messenger.
Eesa alayhi alsalam used it in the context of dead clay being turned into life by Allahs permission
These young men are heading into a desolate desert where they are pretty much expected to either come back
and get killed or die out there, so theyre in a situation of death and theyre asking Allah to change that reality.
o Beautiful parallel from death to life in both cases.
Big difference between the Christian narrative and the Quranic narrative
o In the Christian version when the people of the cave woke up, one of them went out into the city and he
saw crosses everywhere and he was happy that they were all Christians now, which suggests that they
were originally people of the trinity before they went to sleep and that their faith in Jesus was restored
in all of it.
o The Quran from the very beginning cuts at the root of that argument.

First of all, the Quran ties them to Eesa alayhi alsalam in a very subtle word of
twice.

It comes up twice with Prophet Eesa and twice with the people of the cave
In their speech they are very clear and precise about their tawheed. Their dua of mercy is very
specifically worded that the mercy can only come from Allah. Theyre not expecting it from

Jesus. Theyre talking to Allah swt directly.

In the Christian narrative, love and mercy and care are associated with Eesa alayhi
alsalam

Meanings of the word

Guidance

Opposite of the word which means guidance

o

Same as ( corresponds to )versus ( corresponds to )

is used for a specific kind of misguidance

Its when somebody goes off course and leads to a series of wrong turns which means they go
so far out that they cant find the original road that they need to get back to anymore
This can happen in a physical journey or road when you take one wrong turn and you cant find
your way back anymore

by contrast would be when somebody commits to the right road, stays on course and doesnt veer off. And

if they do, they still find their way back.

Is the right directions. It is not a comment about the road itself or the journey itself.

means misdirection

someone who takes you off of the right course and makes you do the wrong thing
o

The con artist that got Musa alayhi alsalam to punch the guy and the guy died, and when Musa alayhi
alsalam realized what the con guy was doing to him he called him,

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which indicates somebody reforming themselves in character. Its not simply someone going on

the right road and having the right directions, but also has to do with reform. Someone who avoids
deviation and trying to better themselves.
when a young man or woman gets to an age where they can make a good distinction between
what is right and wrong and traverse the right parth then they are said to have experience .

Rush rashaad synonyms. Rashad is the most powerful

o

is more particular and specific in meaning than which is more broad and is only used in

context of spiritual and deen

o
o

Three words in the Quran

is used for worldly and other-worldly matters as well

Rashaaad spelled with more letters and therefore means more. It is used by the general
among the legions of Firaoun sabeel al rashaad, let me guide you to the path that is ultimately
guided.

something that you want guidance for in the future. When you are talking about guidance of Allah

that is already established and there are no unknowns about it is used.

The young men are heading in a direction of uncertainty. They dont know what the best things for
them are. They dont know what will happen. But they do know that something will be decided by
Allah. Therefore is used.

Scholarly Commentary on the Duaa

Al-Shaarawi
Make easy for us a path that is firm and well established towards the truth.
These young men feel frail and have made a tough decision and are asking Allah to stay steadfast on that
decision. They are asking Allah to facilitate things for them.

Ibn Ashoor
They they asked Allah that He should decree for them circumstances that will completely wrap them up in a
cirucumstance that will keep them firm on their religion and protect them from their enemies. This is basically
what Allah did for them.

Using the word

The duaa is so eloquent because in its essence it is to prepare for the means to acquire

something

The word here refers to the state and condition they are in.
o
o

This state they are in is a combination of their faith and holding on to this state of isolation from the
people of shirk they are escaping
Allah prepared for them these circumstances that will ensure their protection and guidance

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Allah
o
o
o
o
o
o

Turned their enemies away from them from even being able to follow them.
Inspired them to know which cave to go to
Made the location and opening of the cave just the right for them to sleep a long time
Put them to sleep for a long time so they could spend all this time in that cave in which the state of
affairs of the city would completely change and the hostile environment they left would be gone.
And as a result, their firm guidance was acquired and they witnessed the deen being something that is
helped and something that is being followed
Made them into a miracle for people to see that confirms the truth of the religion and it also was a
miracle for people to see the power of Allah and the truth in resurrection

Al-Shinqeeti

is to suggest closeness and facilitation

Make easy for us and bring close to us in regards to our decision some kind of guidance

means to be committed to guidance and to be constant on that guidance

Al-Razi

has 2 reasons for which was used (rough translation: Facilitate for us from our decision some
guidance)
1.
here is used to be all encompassing In other words, could suggest that we want our
entire affair sorted out.

The word isnt literally a from. It suggest entirety

2.
is a form of which means to articulate a fraction; fractionizing something or making
something a portion from something
So it would mean help us oh Allah with this one part that we are facing difficulty in
3. Nouman Ali Khans third reason: is a or the cause of something

Furnish for us some form of guidance because of our decision

Because of the decision we have made we deserve something special from you

It would be a

When people make sacrifices to Allah, they are in a special position to ask Allah swt for things.
The opposite is true. If you disobey Allah, then you are in no position to ask Allah for
anything
Its also an admission to Allah of what theyve done and that only Allah is the One able to
facilitate everything for the people of the cave.

The Overall Picture

The tightness and discomfort of the cave is more beloved to them than the vast openness of the city if it be that
that city would force them to make sajda to anyone other than Allah.
The cave is more comfortable and spacious for the one who calls on Allah as their Rabb. And the entire open sky
is tight on someone who ignores their Rabb.

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You can have the world at your feet physically but you will feel discomfort if you dont have Allah in your
life.
When the young men retreated to the cave and said, Our Lord, the Quran did not mention where they were,
when this happened, what their names were, or even who they people they were escaping from were. It did,
however, mention their duaa.
o Duaa is the foundation of all major turning points and all great endeavors
o The power of duaa is captured inside this introduction
They retreated to the cave and said, Our Lord,
o Always begin any intitiative with duaa for His assistance and facilitation of success
o The beginning of all great things will begin with duaa
Our Lord grant us from Yourself mercy and prepare for us from our affair right guidance.
o Allah protected and preserved them from this one duaa for more than 3 centuries.
o Protect your future with duaa.
Those who are obedient to Allah make decisions for Allahs sake will be guided to inspired decision-making in
matters where revelation isnt clear
o The ayah is teaching us that sometimes you will face situations in life where you are not sure what the
Quran says. There is no clear evidence or hadith about what you should do (where you should move,
what job you should take, multiple marriage offers, multiple schools have accepted you, etc)
This duaa is teaching us that they are in a valley, there are an endless amount of caves infront of
them, Allah guided them to the right decision when they made sacrifices for him. It will be

from Allah.
Of all the millions of variations of Islam that are out there, how do I know that Im following the right thing?
There were times in history where truth and information were not accessible to them
There were ancient empires that controlled their populations by limiting the flow of information
o For example, the Catholic Church limited access to their Bible
o We are living in the opposite times where we have been bombarded with way too much information
compared to those before us and we have access to it
This is essentially the same as not knowing anything
Skepticisms
o Inside Islam
o Between faiths
o Do we even need a faith?
Allah will open His guidance to young men who are not scholars or exhaustively knowledgeable and have no
Prophet or Sheikh or teacher
o But they make sacrifices and they want to serve Him and that was enough for Allah to give them
guidance
Scholars nowadays that are going to study their entire lives are not going to be worth the merit of these young
men
o We are learning the value of sincere prayer above all else
o People who turn to Allah and make genuine sacrifices their guidance and misguidance has been turned
over to Allah
o Dont glorify means to guidance as guidance itself.
Knowledge is a means to guidance. If you glorify knowledge too much you will lose guidance.
Youre learning for guidance so that it can bring you closer to Allah
The only thing Allah accepts on the Day of Judgment is the one that comes with a sound heart
The more important qualifications for guidance are not in books
The people of the cave turned to Allah and asked for mercy first, which will fix their dunya and their akhirah.
They asked for what is more important first. Their priorities in their life are clear to them.

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o
o
o
o
o

Then they asked about their immediate concerns.

The entire purpose of this surah is to combat materialism.
If Allah facilitates a way for them in which they can stay on guidance then they qualify for Allahs mercy
and Rahma. Its a cause and effect kind of thing
We need to ask Allah mercy and ask Him also to open up doors to make it easy for us to worship Him
more
We need to ask Allah for things that will cause

These young men dont feel socially awkward talking to Allah together
o We feel conscious a lot around others and cannot talk casually about Allah and make duaa together
o They are a company of young men and are just talking to Allah together and their consciousness of Allah
increases when they are together
We must emulate these things that have been immortalized in the Quran
o What is our company going to do? Take us closer to Allah or take us further away from Allah?
o We are so materialistic psychologically to the point that we feel awkward talking to Allah when we are
alone in the car
There is a psychological form of kufr somewhere in there
Youll only feel weird if you doubt that someone is even listening
Why in the world would you think that is crazy or that it is something embarrassing?

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