Pearls from the Qur’an (21)

The Story of the People of the Cave

18.9. Or do you reckon the People of the Cave and the Inscription as something strange among Our signs (manifesting the truth, and too extraordinary to believe)?

18.10. (Events came to the point) when the young men took refuge in the cave and said: “Our Lord! Grant us mercy from Your Presence and arrange for us in our affair what is right and good!”

18.11. Then We drew a veil over their ears (causing them to go into a deep sleep) in the cave for a number of years.

18.12. Then We raised them up (and dividing into two groups, they discussed how long they had remained in that state). We willed to make known which of the two groups were (more consciousness of time with the events in it, and therefore) better in computing for what period they had remained (in this state).

18.13. It is We who relate to you their exemplary story with truth. They were young men who believed in their Lord, and We increased them in guidance (so they adhered to the truth more faithfully).

18.14. And We strengthened their hearts, (and a time came) when they rose up (against association of partners with God and other injustices in the society), and they proclaimed: “Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth, and we never invoke any deity apart from Him; if we did so, we would certainly have uttered an enormity (a monstrous unbelief).

18.15. “These people of ours have adopted deities other than Him, although they cannot bring any clear authority for them. And who is more in the wrong than he who fabricates falsehood against God?”

18.16. (Events developed to the point that they had to leave their society. They discussed what they should do and concluded:) “And now that you have withdrawn yourselves from them and all that they worship instead of God, then seek refuge in the Cave. Your Lord will lay out for you of His mercy, and He will arrange for you in your affair a comfort and support. “

18.17. (They entered the Cave and fell into a deep sleep. ) You would have seen the sun, when it rose, moving away from their Cave to the right, and when it set, turning away from them to the left, while they lay in a spacious hollow in the Cave. That was one of God’s signs. Whoever God guides, he alone is rightly guided; and whoever He leads astray, you will never be able to find for him any friend and guardian to guide him to the right way.

18.18. You would have thought them awake though they were asleep. We caused them to turn over to the right and the left, and their dog lay outstretching its two forelegs on the threshold. Had you come upon them unprepared, you would certainly have turned away from them in flight, and would certainly have been filled with awe of them.

18.19. Such being their state, We raised them up so they began to ask questions of one another. One who spoke said: “How long have you stayed?” They (some among them) answered: “We have stayed

a day, or part of a day. “ The others said: “Your Lord knows better how long you have stayed. Now (we must deal with our hunger. So) send one of you to the city with this coin of yours: let him see what food is most pure there (and so lawful), and bring a supply from it. But let him behave with utmost care and guarded courtesy, and by no means make anyone aware of you.

18.20. “Indeed, if they should find you out, they will stone you to death or turn you back to their way of belief and life by force; then you will never attain prosperity ever hereafter. “

18.21. And in this way, We disclosed them to the people so that they might know that the promise of God is true, and that there can be no doubt about (the coming of) the Last Hour. When they (the people) disputed about their affair, they said: “Build a structure over them (to hide them, and leave them to their rest). Their Lord knows best about them. “ Those who prevailed (in the long-disputed matter) said: “We will most certainly build a place of worship over them. “

18.22. (Instead of reflecting on the lesson to be learnt from the People of the Cave, people concentrate their interest on the details of the event. ) Some will say they were three, the dog being the fourth among them; and some will say they were five, the dog being the sixth all guessing at random at (something related to) the Unseen. Still others will say: “They were seven, the dog being the eighth. “ Say (O Messenger): “My Lord knows their number better; it is but few that know (the truth about) them. “ So do not argue about them, being content with what is obvious (to you through Revelation), nor ask any of them (who argue even among themselves) to give you an opinion about them.

18.23. And do not say about anything (you intend), “I will do it tomorrow,”

18.24. Without (adding), “If God wills. “ And remember and mention Him (straightaway) should you forget (to do so, when expressing an intention for the future). And say: “I hope that my Lord will guide me to what is nearer to right conduct than this (forgetfulness of mine). “

18.25. And they stayed in their Cave three hundred (solar) years, and added nine (for lunar years).

18.26. Say: “God knows better how long they stayed. To Him belongs (absolute dominion and full knowledge of) the unseen of the heavens and the earth. How perfect is His seeing and how perfect is His hearing! And they have apart from Him no guardian, and He allots to no one a share in His absolute authority.

The Story of the Owners of the Garden

68.17. For sure, We try them (with drought, as they rely on their wealth and children We have granted them and reject Our call), just as We tried the owners of the garden. They swore that they would assuredly harvest its produce the next day.

68.18. They made no allowance (in their oaths, being oblivious of the rights of the needy and oblivious of God’s will).

68.19. Then a visitation from your Lord encompassed it while they were sleeping,

68.20. So by morning it had become bleak.

68.21. So they cried out to one another, having risen for the morning:

68.22. “Hurry to your cultivated land, if you mean to harvest (its produce)!”

68.23. So they set out, confiding to one another:

68.24. “(Take care) that no destitute enter there on you today. “

68.25. So early they went, firmly resolved in intent (to collect the harvest and not share it with the destitute).

68.26. But when they saw it, they said: “We have assuredly arrived at the wrong place!”

68.27. (Then when they realized that it was indeed their garden:) “No, rather we are made destitute!”

68.28. The one more equitable among them said: “Did I not say to you: ‘Will you not glorify God?’“

68.29. They said: “All-Glorified is our Lord! Indeed we have done wrong (by regarding ourselves as self-sufficient and not dependent on Him). “

68.30. Then they approached one another, reproaching themselves.

68.31. They said: “Oh, woe to us! We were habituated to arrogance and rebellion.

68.32. “It may be that our Lord will grant us something better than this instead. Surely to our Lord do we turn with hope. “

The People of the Ditch

85.4. Ruined were the people of the ditch,

85.5. Of the fire that kept burning with fuel.

85.6. When they were seated over it,

85.7. And were themselves witnesses of what they did to the believers.

85.8. They detested them for no other reason than that they believed in God, the All-Glorious with irresistible might, the All-Praiseworthy

85.9. (They believed in) Him, to Whom belongs the sovereignty of the heavens and the earth. God is indeed a witness over everything.

85.10. Those who persecute the believing men and the believing women and then do not repent, for them there surely is the punishment of Hell, and for them there is the punishment of burning fire.

The Qur’an invites people to guidance in many ways, one of which is narrating the stories of the prophets. In this section, we included some of these stories, hoping to help us better understand the truth and take lessons from them.