Surah Al Kahf - Ayah No 18

Assalam o Alaikum. Juma Mubarak. Its that time of the week when we talk about Al Kahf. Kahf is the Cave of refuge from forces of evil. And we need this refuge more than ever before because we are under attack. Whether its day or night, sun or shade, eyes open or shut, shivering cold or simmering heat, plain or mountain, desert or sea, we are under attack. From home to office, from university to market, from functions to funerals, we advertently or inadvertently are being mislead. We are being bombarded and fooled by information sans wisdom. We are being hoaxed by media lies. We are being deluded to look with lascivious eyes. We are being duped to talk in licentious manner. We are being tricked to put God behind material god. How turbulent? How messy? Ability to differentiate right from wrong is inbuilt in our default mechanism. However, it seems that in these tumultuous times, an impenetrable veil shrouds our ability to discern right from wrong. Cutting through this fog of confusion is the greatest challenge humanity faces today. Al Kahf offers those glasses which help us see through this intense mist of confusion. So let's spare some time today to recite and understand this magnificent defensive tool against ruthless offensive of devil.

Moving over to today's Ayah No 18. In last Ayah, Allah swt fondly mentioned that if you were there you would have seen how that miracle was at work. Sun was providing The Boys at sleep with due sunlight and would incline in the afternoon.

Continuing with the same affection on our heroes, The Kahf Boys, Allah swt sketches their state in the cave with his masterly word craft. Human mind at the time of these revelations was not accustomed to pictures or movies and Allah swt had to puff life in to this situation with His magical poetic prose. And how fitting is the quality of language, tone and tenor. How majestic is the manner of Storyteller who loved The Book(the story) and The Boys. If you (us or anyone) were there, you couldn't tell they were sleeping or awake. He swt made arrangenents in the Cave to turn them over from left to right and vice versa to avoid stiffness, bedsoars and maintaining their blood circulation. Whereas, their dog (namely Qitmir) sat at the front edge of the Cave. Though sleeping, Qitmir gave a ferocious look to passersby so that no one would try entering the Cave or in other words disturb The Boys' sleep. Look at the attention to details and care. Allah swt doesn't like to interfere with human freewill, so He swt created a scenario that onlookers would see the dog and wouldn't think of entering the Cave. On the other hand, He swt made arrangenents for The Boys' sustenance like a mother would do except that a mother couldn't sit beside her kid for three centuries and after all the love of a mother was created by Allah swt along with the mother.

Such were the privileges and VIP treatment The Boys got during their sleep in the cave. What happened next, shall follow next week.

May Allah swt make us like Kahf Boys. Ameen