Surah Kahf is one of the great surahs in the Quran that’s revealed in Mecca. It’s located in the middle of the holy Quran, after Surah Al-israa and before Surah Mariam.
It’s named Al-Kahf since it includes a story of some believers who took haven in a cave away from a decedent society. Also, surah kahf presents four moral stories and subjects that warn off following false temptations, promise believers with the immortal paradise, and intimidate disbelievers with the eternal hell.
In this article, we will guide you through this surah, why it was revealed, and the virtues of reciting it, especially on Friday.
What is the benefit of reading Surah Kahf on Friday? There’re many rewards for reciting Surah Kahf each Friday.
1. It’s a Light for the Muslim Abū Sa’id reported the Prophet as saying, “If anyone recites sūra al-Kahf (Qur’ān, 18) on Friday, the light will shine brightly for him till the next Friday.”
The light Allah throws in the heart of the believer, or in his eye, insight, and all of his life’s matters.
2. Protection from Al-Masih ad-Dajjal Prophet Mohamed said that Reading the first 10 verses of surah kahf protects the Muslims from Al-Masih ad-Dajjal, an evil figure in Islamic eschatology who will pretend to be the promised Messiah. He’ll appear before the Day of Judgment and tempt people to worship him.
Reading Surah- Alkahf will protect you from falling into his trap.
Prophet Mohamed said: Whoever memorizes ten ‘Ayat (Verses) from the beginning of Surat Al-Kahf, will be protected from the False Messiah”. In another hadith, he mentioned the last 10 ayat of surah kahf.
What is Surah Kahf talking about? Surah Kahf includes the subjects we just mentioned like the warning of life’s temptations, but it also includes 4 stories. Most stories in Quran portray the conflict between prophets and their nation like the stories of Ad and Thumod.
In surah al kahf, we find four distinct stories:
1. The Companions of the Cave (9-26) This story is about the Companions of the Cave, after them, the surah is named. They are faithful lads with their dogs who fled an infidel village governed by a mighty king. He persecuted believers, so they took refuge in a cave where they could practice their religion without fear.
The story goes like that. God cast [a cover of sleep] over their ears within the cave for 309 years. then resurrected them. when they were back to life, they thought they stayed for one day. So they clandestinely sent one of them to buy them food from the city, thinking that the unjust village was still as it was and they did not stay in the cave except for a short time.
إِذْ أَوَى الْفِتْيَةُ إِلَى الْكَهْفِ فَقَالُوا رَبَّنَا آتِنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً وَهَيِّئْ لَنَا مِنْ أَمْرِنَا رَشَدًا .فَضَرَبْنَا عَلَى آذَانِهِمْ فِي الْكَهْفِ سِنِينَ عَدَدًا. ثُمَّ بَعَثْنَاهُمْ لِنَعْلَمَ أَيُّ” “الْحِزْبَيْنِ أَحْصَى لِمَا لَبِثُوا أَمَدًا .نَحْنُ نَقُصُّ عَلَيْكَ نَبَأَهُم بِالْحَقِّ إِنَّهُمْ فِتْيَةٌ آمَنُوا بِرَبِّهِمْ وَزِدْنَاهُمْ هُدًى
The moral of the story is believers should cling to their religion, even in the times where disbelief and strife spread and sought immigration when they can’t resist the mighty power of infidelity.
Read also: Surah Nas: Seeking refuge from the poweful god over the evils.
2. The Parable of the Two Men (32-45) This story discusses a parable of two men. one of whom had been given two bountiful gardens of vineyards from God and the other was poor. The rich man was showing off his wealth and manpower against the poor one, thinking his blessings are immortal even in the afterlife.
With vanity, the rich man didn’t thank god for his blessing so the poor man has blamed him and warned him about the result of not thanking God and disbelieving in him as the source of this opulence he relish in. The result: god inflicted torture on him, turning his paradise into debris. He would be left alone with no help.
"وهُوَ يُحَاوِرُهُ أَكَفَرْتَ بِالَّذِي خَلَقَكَ مِنْ تُرَابٍ ثُمَّ مِنْ نُطْفَةٍ ثُمَّ سَوَّاكَ رَجُلًا. لَكِنَّا هُوَ اللَّهُ رَبِّي وَلَا أُشْرِكُ بِرَبِّي أَحَدًا. -وَلَوْلَا إِذْ دَخَلْتَ جَنَّتَكَ قُلْتَ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ" لَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ إِنْ تَرَنِ أَنَا أَقَلَّ مِنْكَ مَالًا وَوَلَدًا. فَعَسَى رَبِّي أَنْ يُؤْتِيَنِ خَيْرًا مِنْ جَنَّتِكَ وَيُرْسِلَ عَلَيْهَا حُسْبَانًا مِنَ السَّمَاءِ فَتُصْبِحَ صَعِيدًا زَلَقًا. أَوْ يُصْبِحَ مَاؤُهَا غَوْرًا فَلَنْ تَسْتَطِيعَ لَهُ طَلَبًا " The moral of the story is to turn all the blessings we have in our lives to god and feel gratitude and thankfulness for his gifts.
3. Moses and Al-Khidr (50-65) This story describes the meeting of Moses with a servant of God who has deep, divine knowledge and the capacity to predict the future. Moses asked him to teach him. Al-Khidr wisely said: You wouldn’t be patient to understand. Moses pledged to be patient.
Throughout the journey, Moses’d see him make incredible actions that reasoning couldn’t understand, like making a hole in a ship of poor people off their sight, killing a young man, and straightening a collapsing wall in a village whose people refused to give hospitality to them.
During those events, Moses was exclaiming and protesting, while Al-Khidr was reminding him of the pledge he undertook. In the last, he’ll explain to him why he did what he did. Moses will conclude that those deeds even they seem horrible in the current time, were good for the future.
. فوجدا عَبْدًا مِّنْ عِبَادِنَا آتَيْنَاهُ رَحْمَةً مِنْ عِندِنَا وَعَلَّمْنَاهُ مِن لَّدُنَّا عِلْمًا. قَالَ لَهُ مُوسَى هَلْ أَتَّبِعُكَ عَلَى أَن تُعَلِّمَنِ مِمَّا عُلِّمْتَ رُشْدا
“قَالَ إِنَّكَ لَن تَسْتَطِيعَ مَعِيَ صَبْرًا وَكَيْفَ تَصْبِرُ عَلَى مَا لَمْ تُحِطْ بِهِ خُبْرًا. قَالَ سَتَجِدُنِي إِن شَاء اللَّهُ صَابِرًا وَلا أَعْصِي لَكَ أَمْرًا
The Moral of the Story is
We should tolerate the adversities and challenges we encounter in our life with no complaints as we don’t have a complete vision about why they occur. We don’t see the future, so We’ve to believe, whatever happens, Allah will do good for us.
4. The story of Dhu al-Qarnayn (83-101) This is the fourth story in surah kahf. AboutDhu al-Qarnayn, a historic figure Quran didn’t uncover specifically his identity but Allah gave him power and authority. He roamed with his army in the lands until he reached a territory in the west marked with a large spring of mud.
God inspired him that he is the ruler of the people who used to worship the sun instead of God, and he’s the right either to torment or pardon them. He answered: unjust aggressors will be punished and God Almighty will judge them on the Day of Resurrection, and believers will be honored and God will reward them well.
The principal theme of this story is when Dhu al-Qarnay reached a place between two mountains and found beside them people who could hardly understand [his] speech. Those people pleaded, “O Ⱬul-Qarnain! Surely Gog and Magog are spreading corruption throughout the land. Should we pay you tribute in exchange for building a barrier between us and them?”
Dhu al-Qarnayn would help them by buildig a barrier made of blocks of iron. Allah said this wall will endure until the day of judgment. When it collapses, they will swarm as legions and wreak havoc throughout the land.
"حَتَّى إِذَا بَلَغَ بَيْنَ السَّدَّيْنِ وَجَدَ مِن دُونِهِمَا قَوْمًا لّا يَكَادُونَ يَفْقَهُونَ قَوْلا. قَالُوا يَا ذَا الْقَرْنَيْنِ إِنَّ يَأْجُوجَ وَمَأْجُوجَ مُفْسِدُونَ فِي الأَرْضِ فَهَلْ نَجْعَلُ لَكَ خَرْجًا عَلَى أَن تَجْعَلَ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَهُمْ سَدًّا. قَالَ مَا مَكَّنِّي فِيهِ رَبِّي خَيْرٌ فَأَعِينُونِي بِقُوَّةٍ أَجْعَلْ بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَهُمْ رَدْمًا. آتُونِي زُبَرَ الْحَدِيدِ حَتَّى إِذَا سَاوَى بَيْنَ الصَّدَفَيْنِ قَالَ انفُخُوا حَتَّى إِذَا جَعَلَهُ نَارًا قَالَ آتُونِي أُفْرِغْ عَلَيْهِ قِطْرًا The Moral of the Story The rule of Dhul-Qarnayn was built on pillars of wisdom, strength, and aiding the needy, not vanity and plunder. His goal was calling to God and achieving justice. Hed didn’t exploit the people and groups he passed by and he treated them with kindness. He is an exemplary model for any ruler.
Read surah Kahf (Arabic)
What was the reason for the Surah al Kahf revelation? Surah Kahf was revealed in Macca as a confirmation for prophet Mohamed’s massage and support for his believers as it portrays the suffering companions of the cave have been through and how Allah protected them.
Thus, it was a solace for the new-converting Muslims who had incurred hardships similar to the lads in the story and gave them a slight hope for relief after adversity.
Also, it’s mentioned that the polytheist of the tribe Quraysh sent two men of rabbis to ask them: how could we be ensured about the prophecy of Mohamed.
The rabbis suggested asking Mohammed about three things. One of them was about a man who traveled and reached the east and the west of the earth, and what his story was”.
“If he tells you about these things, then he is a prophet, so follow him, but if he does not tell you, then he is a liar. The story of Dhu al-Qarnayn was the answer.
Why is the Surah al-Kahf important? Surah Kahf has an important significance in Quran
1. It’s a resource of morals critical to shaping the life of the Muslim and preventing him from falling into life’s temptations.
2. It shows him the reality of life and its absolute fragility compared to the afterlife
وَٱضْرِبْ لَهُم مَّثَلَ ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا كَمَآءٍ أَنزَلْنَٰهُ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ فَٱخْتَلَطَ بِهِۦ نَبَاتُ ٱلْأَرْضِ فَأَصْبَحَ هَشِيمًا تَذْرُوهُ ٱلرِّيَٰحُ ۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ مُّقْتَدِرًا 3. It’s a confirmation that Allah will give a helpful hand for persecuted Muslims wherever they’re (if they have a pure belief in him) as he helped the Companions of the cave.
4. It proves that both good and bad things are a test from Allah. God has granted numerous blessings for the rich man as a trial for his belief to see whether he’ll thank or deny him.
5. It teaches that Above every knowledgeable person, there is the One who knows better than him. The story of the prophet Moses with Al-Khidr confirms that this latter has more knowledge for Allah taught him Prescience.
Read surah al kahf in English
When and where was Surah Al Kahf revealed? It was revealed in Mecca. some researchers say it’s speculated to be revealed in the fifth year after the massage before immigration to Madinah.
What page is surah kahf? 293
How many ayats in surah kahf? 110 verses.
Surah kahf in which para/chapter? Surah Kahf is present in the 15th chapter of the Quran
When to Read surah al-kahf on Friday? You can read surah kahf, anytime starting from the sunset of Thursday to the sunset of Friday. illiterate people can listen to it and get a reward from god
In ShaAllah , but for literate people, it’s better for them to read.
Conclusion surah al-kahf is one of the greatest surahs in Islam that our prophet Mohamed, peace upon him urged us to recite each Friday. It’s rich with stories and morals that alarm us about the reality of life and give us many lessons to deal with life’s temptation, aggression, and adversities.
Reading it will not take more than 2 or 3 hours but it’s more important to contemplate its deep meanings. If you understand it, your life will turn into paradise.
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