❣Ashab Al Kahf ❣

Surah Kahf is one of the known surahs of the holy book Quran. In this surah, the story of the companions of the cave is narrated. The Companions of the Cave were honest people among the good and respectable people of the city. There was a very cruel king in his time whose name was Daqianus. He forced people to worship the creatures [instead of the Creator, Allah Almighty] and would kill anyone who did not like it. Ashab Kahf escaped the king's tyranny to protect his faith took refuge in a cave on a nearby mountain and slept there. Het remained slept for 309 years. When he woke up, he had no idea he had slept for centuries and thought he had only slept for a few hours. When they sent one of them to buy food, the shopkeeper was surprised to see such old coins, and the reality of the time they had spent in the cave gradually came to light.

All the above-mentioned names are the Companions of the Cave whose names are mentioned in the Holy Quran. Ashab e Kahaf's name in Urdu is provided here to let people understand their names. They are also known as seven sleepers. This name is given to them due to the time they spent sleeping in the cave. Ashab e Kahaf slept for more than 300 years.3

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NAME ABOUT ASAB E KAHF=" And they remained in their cave for three hundred years and exceeded by nine." Bartłomiej Grysa lists at least seven different sets of names for the sleepers: Maximian, Martinian, Dionisius, John, Constantine, Malchus, and Serapion.

It was the miracle of almighty Allah that let them sleep for so long and get them awake after hundreds of years. This blog is all about some information regarding their names and their story.

It is narrated: If these names are pasted to a door [of a house] after writing them [on a piece of paper, etc.], that house will remain safe from being burnt. If [the piece of paper etc.] having these names is kept on the capital/wealth, it will not be stolen. Boats and ships will not sink by their blessings. The person, who has fled, will come back by the blessings of these names. If a fire breaks out, write these names on a piece of cloth and put it into the fire. By the grace of Allah Almighty عَزَّوَجَلَّ, the fire will be extinguished. These names are beneficial for the children who cry or for a fever that comes after every third day, for headache, for Umm-us-Sibyaan (i.e. an illness in which a person suffers from a specific kind of mental fits), for travelling on land or sea, for the safety of life and wealth, for sharpening intellect and for the freedom of prisoners. (Haashiyah Jamal, vol. 4, pp. 423, part 15, Surah Al-Kahf, Ayah 22)

In addition to these names, the wooden board which was taken out from the box of Ashab-e-Kahf also contained this information that this group of people took refuge in this cave to protect their religion, having the fear of [being forced to convert by] Daqiyanoos. When Daqiyanoos was informed about this, he ordered them to erect a wall outside the cave so that they could be confined to the cave. ‘We have mentioned this fact so that whenever the cave is opened, people become aware of their state’. Having read the board, everyone was astonished and started praising Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ as Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ has revealed the sign that makes a person hold the belief of the Resurrection. The ruler of the city informed King Baydroos about this incident. Along with the chiefs and the honorable people of the city, the king also went to the cave and fell into Sajdah to thank Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ as He had answered his Du’a. Ashab-e-Kahf embraced the king and said: We entrust you with Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ. ‘وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَیْکَ وَرَحْمَۃُ اللّٰہِ وَبَرَکَا تُہُ’ May Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ protect you and your country and protect [you and your country] from the evil of Jinns and humans!

The king was still standing when these people returned to where they had been sleeping. They again fell asleep and Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ made them die. The king preserved their bodies in a wooden box of a tree. Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ infused such dignity into the hearts of the people about Ashab-e-Kahf that no one has the courage to go at that place. Afterward, King Baydroos ordered the construction of a Masjid at the entrance of the cave. He fixed an annual celebration day and asked the people to visit it on that day like an Eid day. (Siraat-ul-Jinaan, part 15, Al-Kahf, Taht-al-Ayah 9, 5-10/241, 5/543)

Dear Islamic brothers! From the parable as mentioned earlier, 3 Madani pearls have been obtained: Firstly, the resurrection is a reality and the parable of Ashaab-e-Kahf is a sign and evidence for it. Secondly, saintly miracles of pious saints are a reality; Ashab-e-Kahf are not prophets, but they are the pious saints of Bani Israel. It is their saintly miracle that they kept sleeping in the cave for more than 300 years. Sleeping for so long period of time without any food and death is certainly a saintly miracle. One should keep it in mind that a saintly miracle can happen even in a sleep. For a saintly miracle, it is not necessary that the pious saint should be awake.