Period of Revelation
This is the first of those Suras which were sent down in the third stage of Prophethood
at Makkah. We have already divided the life of the Holy Prophet at Makkah into four
stages in the Introduction to Chapter VI. According to that division the third stage lasted
from the fifth to the tenth year of Prophethood. What distinguishes this stage from the
second and the fourth stages is this. During the second stage the Quraishmainly
resorted to ridiculing
scoffing
threatening
tempting
raising objections and making false propaganda against the Holy Prophet and his
followers in order to suppress the Islamic Movement. But during the third stage they
employed the weapons of persecution
man handling and economic pressure for the same purpose. So much so that a large
number of the Muslims had to emigrate from Arabia to Habash
and those who remained behind were besieged in Shi'ib Abi Talib along with the Holy
Prophet and his family. To add to their misery
a complete social and economic boycott was applied against them. The only redeeming
feature was that there were two personalities
Abu Talib and Hadrat Khadijah
whose personal influence had been conducive to the support of two great families of
the Quraish. However
when in the tenth year of Prophethood these two persons died
the fourth stage began with such revere persecutions as forced the Holy Prophet and
all his Companions to emigrate from Makkah. It appears from the theme of the Sura
that it was revealed at the beginning of the third stage when in spite of persecutions
and opposition
migration to Habash had not yet taken place. That is why the story of "Ashab-i-Kahf"
(the Sleepers of the Cave) has been related to comfort and encourage the persecuted
Muslims and to show them how the righteous people have been saving their Faith in
the past.
Subject and Topics
This Sura was sent down in answer to the three questions which the mushriksof
Makkah
in consultation with the people of the Book
had put to the Holy Prophet in order to test him. These were: (1) Who were "the
Sleepers of' the Cave" ? (2) What is the real story of Khidr? and (3) What do you know
about Zul- Qarnain?As these three questions and the stories involved concerned the
history of the Christians and the Jews
and were unknown in Hijaz
a choice of these was made to test whether the Holy Prophet possessed any source of
the knowledge of the hidden and unseen things. Allah
however
not only gave a complete answer to their questions but also employed the three stories
to the disadvantage of the opponents of Islam in the conflict that was going on at that
time at Makkah between Islam and un-belief The questioners were told that "the
Sleepers of the Cave" believed in the same doctrine of Tauhidwhich was being put
forward in the Quran and that their condition was similar to the condition of the
persecuted Muslims of Makkah. On the other hand
the persecutors of the Sleepers of the Cave had behaved in the same way towards
them as the disbelievers of the Quraishwere behaving towards the Muslims. Besides
this
the Muslims have been taught that even if a Believer is persecuted by a cruel society
he should not bow down before falsehood but emigrate from the place all alone
if need be
with trust in God. Incidentally the disbelievers of Makkah were told that the story of the
Sleepers of the Cave was a clear proof of the creed of the Hereafter
for this showed that Allah has the power to resurrect anyone He wills even after a long
sleep of death as He did in case of the Sleepers of the Cave. The story of the Sleepers
of the Cave has also been used to warn the chiefs of Makkah who were persecuting the
small newly formed Muslim Community. At the same time
the Holy Prophet has been instructed that he should in no case make a compromise
with their persecutors nor should he consider them to be more important than his poor
followers. On the other hand
those chiefs have been admonished that they should not be puffed up with the
transitory life of pleasure they were then enjoying but should seek after those
excellences which are permanent and eternal. The story of Khidr and Moses has been
related in such a way as to supply the answer to the question of the disbelievers and to
give comfort to the Believers as well. The lesson contained in this story is this "You
should have full faith in the wisdom of what is happening in the Divine Factory in
accordance with the will of Allah. As the reality is hidden from you
you are at a loss to understand the wisdom of what is happening
and sometimes if it appears that things are going against you
you cry out
'How and why has this happened'. The fact is that if the curtain be removed from the
"unseen"
you would yourselves come to know that what is happening here is for the best. Even if
some times it appears that something is going against you
you will see that in the end it also produces some good results for you. The same is
true of the story of zul-Qarnain for it also admonishes the questioners
as if to say
0 you vain chiefs of Makkah you should learn a lesson from zul-Qarnain. Though he
was a great ruler
a great conqueror and the owner of great resources
yet he always surrendered to his Creator
whereas you are rebelling against Him even though you are insignificant chieftains in
comparison with him. Besides this
though zul-Qarnain built one of the strongest walls for protection
yet his real trust was in Allah and not in the
wall". He believed that the wall could protect him against his enemies as long as it was
the will of Allah and that there would be crack and holes in it
when it would be His will : whereas you who possess only insignificant fortified abodes
and dwellings in comparison with him
consider yourselves to be permanently safe and secure against all sorts of calamities."
While the Quran turned the tables on the questioners who had tried to "expose" the
Holy Prophet, in the end of the Sura the same things have been reiterated that were
stated at its beginning: "Tauhidand the Hereafter are absolutely true and real and for
your own good you should accept these doctrines, mend your ways in accordance with
them and live in this world with this conviction that you are accountable to Allah:
otherwise you shall ruin your life and all your doings shall be set at naught."
