The Cave (Al-Kahf)
Verses 13-15 GROUP_670 18.13-15
13
نَحْنُ نَقُصُّ عَلَيْكَ نَبَأَهُم بِالْحَقِّ إِنَّهُمْ فِتْيَةٌ آمَنُوا بِرَبِّهِمْ وَزِدْنَاهُمْ هُدًى
We shall tell you their story as it really was. They were young men who believed in their Lord, and on whom We bestowed further guidance.
14
وَرَبَطْنَا عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ إِذْ قَامُوا فَقَالُوا رَبُّنَا رَبُّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ لَن نَّدْعُوَ مِن دُونِهِ إِلَهًا لَقَدْ قُلْنَا إِذًا شَطَطًا
We strengthened their hearts, when they rose up and declared, ‘Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. Never shall we call upon any deity other than Him: for that would be an outrageous thing to do.
15
هَؤُلَاء قَوْمُنَا اتَّخَذُوا مِن دُونِهِ آلِهَةً لَّوْلَا يَأْتُونَ عَلَيْهِم بِسُلْطَانٍ بَيِّنٍ فَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ افْتَرَى عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِبًا
These people of ours have taken deities other than Him. Why do they not produce clear evidence about them? Who is more wicked than the man who invents a falsehood against God?
No class discussions published for this verse group yet.
Commentary
(a) ‘Why do they not produce clear evidence?’ This question indicates that after embracing the new faith, there were prolonged discussions between these young men and the leaders of their community. But the statements made by these leaders in the course of discussions did not contain any convincing arguments in favour of polytheism (shirk). Therefore, they (the Men of the Cave) found it impossible to give up a faith whose merits stood proved for the sake of a belief which had no such advantage. On being opposed as above, had they given importance to the ‘greatness’ of the leaders of their community, they would have fallen a prey to hesitancy and doubt. But, when they gave more weight to sound reasoning and convincing arguments, it enhanced their faith. For, in respect of reasoning and arguments, these ‘great men’ appeared small to them. In spite of their outward greatness, they were found to be standing on false grounds and not on the grounds of truth.