Translation of the Meanings of the Noble Qur'an - English Translation - Dr. Waleed Bleyhesh Omary * - Translations’ Index
Translation of the meanings Ayah: (21) Surah: Al-Kahf
وَكَذَٰلِكَ أَعۡثَرۡنَا عَلَيۡهِمۡ لِيَعۡلَمُوٓاْ أَنَّ وَعۡدَ ٱللَّهِ حَقّٞ وَأَنَّ ٱلسَّاعَةَ لَا رَيۡبَ فِيهَآ إِذۡ يَتَنَٰزَعُونَ بَيۡنَهُمۡ أَمۡرَهُمۡۖ فَقَالُواْ ٱبۡنُواْ عَلَيۡهِم بُنۡيَٰنٗاۖ رَّبُّهُمۡ أَعۡلَمُ بِهِمۡۚ قَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ غَلَبُواْ عَلَىٰٓ أَمۡرِهِمۡ لَنَتَّخِذَنَّ عَلَيۡهِم مَّسۡجِدٗا
(21) [3782]And like so We made them chanced upon so that they may come to know that the promise of Allah is true and that there is no doubt about ˹the coming of˺ the Hour[3783]; ˹that˺[3784] as they were disputing their affair amongst themselves. They said: “Put up some building around them[3785]; their Lord Knows best about them!”[3786] ˹But˺ Those who prevailed over their affair[3787] said: “We shall have a place of prostration put up above them!”
[3782] As God Almighty oversaw the amazing affair of their extraordinary sleep and their waking up after it in an intact state, He made sure that people would come to see them so that they might come to realize God’s Ability over bringing the dead to life, and to which the bringing about to life of these long-considered dead youths is akin (cf. al- al-Ṭabarī, al-Qurṭubī, Ibn al-Jawzī).
[3783] Realizing the Truth of the Day of Judgement is the moral of the story (cf. Ibn ʿĀshūr): “Verily the Hour is surely coming; there is no doubt about it, but most people Believe not!” (40: 59)
[3784] They were made to find them out at a juncture when people started hotly disputing resurrection among themselves, i.e. this great affair of theirs; some believing in it while others denied it (cf. al- al-Ṭabarī, al-Rasʿanī, Ibn Kathīr, al-Shawkānī, Ibn al-Saʿdī). It is also said that ‘the affair’ they disputed over was that of the youths themselves (cf. Ibn Juzayy, Ibn ʿĀshūr, Ibn ʿUthaymīn).
[3785] They intended to afford them a dignified burial in their cave and hide them away from the gazing eye of the curious (cf. al-Wāḥidī, al-Rasʿanī, Ibn ʿĀshūr).
[3786] It is said that these were the concluding words meant to put an end to the disputes that arose after finding them when people could not agree as to who they exactly were, how many they were and how long they had stayed; or that these are the Words of God Almighty aimed at those who waddle in their affair not having any evidence as to what they hold to be true about them (cf. al-Rāzī).
[3787] That is, their heads and leaders who have the final say (cf. al-Qurṭubī, Ibn Kathīr, al-Saʿdī).
That the ones who ruled over the matter and had their way are this kind of people goes to show that having places of worship over graves is an act resultant of force and coercion and not that of guidance based on Divine revelation (cf. Ibn Rajab, Fatḥ al-Bārī, 2: 397).
[3783] Realizing the Truth of the Day of Judgement is the moral of the story (cf. Ibn ʿĀshūr): “Verily the Hour is surely coming; there is no doubt about it, but most people Believe not!” (40: 59)
[3784] They were made to find them out at a juncture when people started hotly disputing resurrection among themselves, i.e. this great affair of theirs; some believing in it while others denied it (cf. al- al-Ṭabarī, al-Rasʿanī, Ibn Kathīr, al-Shawkānī, Ibn al-Saʿdī). It is also said that ‘the affair’ they disputed over was that of the youths themselves (cf. Ibn Juzayy, Ibn ʿĀshūr, Ibn ʿUthaymīn).
[3785] They intended to afford them a dignified burial in their cave and hide them away from the gazing eye of the curious (cf. al-Wāḥidī, al-Rasʿanī, Ibn ʿĀshūr).
[3786] It is said that these were the concluding words meant to put an end to the disputes that arose after finding them when people could not agree as to who they exactly were, how many they were and how long they had stayed; or that these are the Words of God Almighty aimed at those who waddle in their affair not having any evidence as to what they hold to be true about them (cf. al-Rāzī).
[3787] That is, their heads and leaders who have the final say (cf. al-Qurṭubī, Ibn Kathīr, al-Saʿdī).
That the ones who ruled over the matter and had their way are this kind of people goes to show that having places of worship over graves is an act resultant of force and coercion and not that of guidance based on Divine revelation (cf. Ibn Rajab, Fatḥ al-Bārī, 2: 397).
Arabic explanations of the Qur’an:
Translation of the meanings Ayah: (21) Surah: Al-Kahf
Translation of the Meanings of the Noble Qur'an - English Translation - Dr. Waleed Bleyhesh Omary - Translations’ Index
Translation of the meanings of the Noble Qur’an into English - in progress - translated by Dr. Walid Bleihesh Al-Omari.