Lessons from Surah Kahf - Part 1

 

Bismillah Ar-Rehman Ar-Raheem

“All the praises and thanks be to Allah, Who has sent down to His slave (Muhammad ﷺ) the Book (the Quran), and has not placed therein any crookedness.” (18:01)

• The Quran is like a lifeboat for someone stranded on an island. If held onto it tightly with excitement and joy, it will save the one stranded. The Quran is a roadmap that directs you to Allah (subhanahu’watala), and to the eternal happiness Allah has promised to the believers. 

• The way to Jannat ul Firdous, the way to receive excitement on the Day of Judgement is to show the same excitement towards the Quran. We must have a relationship with the Quran.

• The people of the cave were a group that lived after the time of the Prophet Isa (ʿalayhi s-salām) when there was no deen or source of guidance. They held onto the deen of Allah, and refused to participate in the pagan rituals common in their community. 

• What we must ask ourselves is how we can hold onto our deen in a time when there is no guidance (hypothetically if the masjids were closed or other sources of guidance shut down)

• This group of young men were the sons of kings and ministers with youth, wealth and a bright future before them, but it changed when they received and held onto the deen of Allah. 

• We learn from this that we must not lose hope that we won’t ever change, or that the people around us won’t change for the better. Allah guided them despite the society they were in, despite their wealth and status. Allah is capable of restoring deen in an individual, as well as in entire communities. 

• Allah is saying to the Prophet ﷺ and in extension to the believers that the story of the cave is not amazing. 

• Allah is teaching us that for Him to protect, help and to guide young men is not amazing. He has done so in the past, and will continue to do so in the future. Allah provides His help in any way He wants.

• Islam does not require something dramatic to happen everyday for it to be proved as the truth, the way the world functions effortlessly everyday is a miracle and sign enough.

• The people of the cave used to visit the cave for worship. They used to revise and learn their deen with each other using a stone tablet on which their aqeedah was written on. 

• Their relationship with their stone tablet is like our relationship with the Quran. They held onto their aqeedah and so they remained steadfast, similarly we must hold onto our deen to remain steadfast. We must revise and read the Quran everyday. 

• Consistency is key. In order to be people of the Quran, we must build a regular relationship with the Quran. 

“Do you think that the people of the Cave and the Inscription (the news or the names of the people of the Cave) were a wonder among Our Signs?” (18:09)

• The surah is called Kahf, cave, when the story of the cave is a portion of the entire surah. 

• What made this cave so special for Allah to name the surah after it was because of the people who were inside the cave. We learn from it that the believer is the most powerful tool of change in the world. 

• We should ask ourselves what good we have brought in our family and friends. 

“As for those who believe and do good, We certainly never deny the reward of those who are best in deeds.” (18:30)

• The second story in this surah is of a person who consistently gave dawah to his neighbor, but would eventually return home at the end of the day. The third story is of Musa seeking knowledge, but at the end of the trip he returns home. The last story is of Dhul-Qarnayn, who travels the world, and eventually returns home. However, the people of the cave did not return home, which was the biggest sacrifice mentioned in the surah.

• The people of the cave sacrificed their youth, their wealth and their families for the deen of Allah, and this is the biggest of sacrifices; going one way to Allah (subhanahu’watala). 

• The Ummah of the Prophet ﷺ is the best because of their sacrifice for Allah. Unfortunately nowadays most are not willing to sacrifice their time to attend lectures or their wealth to give in charity, without reminder after reminder.

• We must do something for the deen of Allah, we must realize that Jannat ul Firdous will only come after sacrifice. We must ask ourselves what kind of efforts and sacrifices have we made. 

• Even the speck of dust of good we do, Allah records it. The deen of Allah is a valuable asset, and we must sacrifice for it to see it’s value.

• One’s attention is directed towards where his time and effort is dedicated to. When a believer’s efforts and time are invested towards the HereAfter, the attention will also be directed towards the HereAfter.

• People fear death because they have prepared nothing for it. Imagine owning two houses, but only investing in one again and again. By the time you decorate that one house, you are asked to leave it and move into the second one, in which you never invested. 

• The youth of the cave did not sit and complain about their trial when the people turned against them, instead they prayed to Allah for help and mercy.

• Any fitnah you were to face in your life is easier than any trial in your deen.

• The youth were young, and yet they held onto their deen. We must learn from them to remain dedicated despite youthful distractions.

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taken from this lecture by Abu Bakr Zoud