Short Reminders from Surah Al-Kahf

Bismillah Ar-Rehman Ar-Raheem

“Praise belongs to Allah who has sent down the Book to His servant, and allowed no crookedness in it, a straightforward Book to warn of a severe punishment from Him, and to give the good news to the believers, who do righteous deeds, that they will have an excellent reward (Paradise)” (18:1-2)

The way to Jannat ul Firdous is through the Quran. It is a justly balanced book that gives glad tidings along with warnings. 

“Surely, We have made what is on earth an adornment for it, so that We test them as to who among them is better in deeds.” (18:07)

We are given blessings as a test to see our sincerity. Do we express our gratitude for our worldly blessings by enjoying them without being wasteful and heedless, do we share with others, or do we become so materialistic and distracted that we lose sight of the fact that we are being tested.

“We narrate to you their story with truth. They were young men who believed in their Lord and We gave them more guidance. We made their hearts firm when they stood up and said, “Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. We shall never invoke any god other than Him, otherwise we would be saying something far from the truth.” (18:13-14)

In the story of the People of the Cave, Allah tells us that He guided young men from well off families whilst they lived among a disbelieving community. This is a reminder that Allah guides whom He wills, and thus we should not lose hope that we ourselves won’t become better, or that our people won’t change. Allah is capable of changing conditions and restoring hearts. 

“Some will say, “(They were) three, the fourth of them being their dog,” and some will say, “Five, the sixth of them being their dog, just making conjectures.” And others will say, “Seven, the eighth of them is their dog.” Say, “My Lord knows best about their number.” No one knows them except a few, so do not argue about them except an apparent argumentation. And do not ask anyone of these about them.” (18:22)

It is easy to get distracted in the details, however our focus should be on the essence of a lesson or command. What is right and wrong is apparent, and is found clearly in the Quran and Sunnah.

“Wealth and children are the embellishment of the worldly life, and the everlasting virtues are better with your Lord, both in rewards and in creating good hopes.” (18:46)

None of our success or achievements are by our own hands, they have been permitted and gifted to us by Allah. In the story of the Man with Two Gardens, we learn that we must be humble and ascribe our success to Allah, because He can take away what He has given. 

“Mūsā said to him,‘May I have your company so that you teach me some of the rightful knowledge you have been given.’ He said, ‘You can never bear with me patiently. And how would you keep patient over something your comprehension cannot grasp?’” (18:66-68)

When we fail to see the wisdom behind an occurrence, it is not due to any deficiency in the laws of Allah, rather a deficiency in our understanding. In the story of Musa عليه السلام and Al-Khidr, we learn that when we are to surrender to Qadr Allah, having firm belief that what He has decided for us is the best course.

“He said, ‘What my Lord has (already) given in my control is better enough (for me than the tax you are offering to me), so help me (only) with some (man) power, and I shall make a rampart between you and them.’” (18:95)

Allah gives each of us our own unique tests; for some, the test is in the power and wealth given to them. In the account of Zulqarnain, which is the fourth story mentioned in this surah, Zulqarnain denies payment and appreciation for the work he did, attributing his success to Allah even at the peak of his achievements. This is the attitude of a true believer, one that all of us should strive to. 

“Those are the ones whose effort in the worldly life has gone in vain, while they think they are doing well.” (18:104)

Not having belief, not having correct intentions, can turn all our efforts into a waste of energy. Serving the creation instead of serving the Creator, building grand monuments to be remembered by people instead of as a means to gain Allah’s pleasure through charity, can make our deeds void, because they will not be given weightage in the HereAfter. Noble intentions even towards the smallest action can weigh heavy in the scales, since in the court of Allah, nothing is left out.