Surah Kahf ayat 17 Tafsir Quran 18:17

﴿۞ وَتَرَى الشَّمْسَ إِذَا طَلَعَت تَّزَاوَرُ عَن كَهْفِهِمْ ذَاتَ الْيَمِينِ وَإِذَا غَرَبَت تَّقْرِضُهُمْ ذَاتَ الشِّمَالِ وَهُمْ فِي فَجْوَةٍ مِّنْهُ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ مِنْ آيَاتِ اللَّهِ ۗ مَن يَهْدِ اللَّهُ فَهُوَ الْمُهْتَدِ ۖ وَمَن يُضْلِلْ فَلَن تَجِدَ لَهُ وَلِيًّا مُّرْشِدًا﴾
[ الكهف: 17]

18:17 And [had you been present], you would see the sun when it rose, inclining away from their cave on the right, and when it set, passing away from them on the left, while they were [laying] within an open space thereof. That was from the signs of Allah. He whom Allah guides is the [rightly] guided, but he whom He leaves astray - never will you find for him a protecting guide.

And you might have seen the sun when it rose inclining read tazzāwaru or tazāwaru away from their Cave towards the right side of it and when it set go past them on the left avoid them and pass over them so that it does not fall on them at all while they were in a cavern therein in an ample space inside the Cave where the coolness and the gentle breeze of the winds reached them. That which is mentioned was one of God’s signs one of the proofs of His power. Whomever God guides he indeed is rightly guided and whomever He leads astray you will not find for him a guiding friend.

You could see the sun O Muhammad as it rose turning aside from their Cave to the right and as it set swerving to the left while they occupied a space within in a state of dead sleep; a divine wonderous sign indeed. He whom Allah guides to His path and Providence his guide is indeed guided into all truth, whereas he whom Allah sends astray, never shall you find for him a tutelary guide

The Location of the Cave This indicates that the entrance to the cave faced north, because Allah tells us that when the sun was rising, sunlight entered the cave ذَاتَ الْيَمِينِ ( the right ), meaning that the shade decreased towards the right, as Ibn `Abbas, Sa`id bin Jubayr and Qatadah said: تَّزَاوَرُ ( declining ) means leaning.
Every time the sun rises on the horizon, its rays decline until there is nothing left in such a place when it reaches its zenith.
So Allah said, وَإِذَا غَرَبَت تَّقْرِضُهُمْ ذَاتَ الشِّمَالِ ( and when it set, turning away from them to the left, ) meaning, it entered their cave from the left of its entrance, which means from the west.
This proves what we say, and it is clear to anyone who thinks about the matter and has some knowledge of astronomy and the paths of the sun, moon and stars.
If the entrance of the cave faced east, nothing would have entered it when the sun set, and if it faced the direction of the Qiblah ( in this case, south ), nothing would have entered it at the time of sunrise or sunset, and the shadows would have leaned neither to the right nor the left.
If it had faced west, nothing would have entered it at the time of sunrise, until after the sun had passed its zenith, and would have stayed until sunset.
This supports what we have said, and to Allah is the praise.
Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid and Qatadah said that "turning away from them" means that it would shine on them and then leave them.
Allah has told us this, and He wants us to understand it and ponder its meaning, but He did not tell us the location of this cave, i.e., in which country on earth it is, because there is no benefit for us in knowing that, and no legislative objective behind it.
If there was any spiritual or religious interest that could be served by our knowing that, Allah and His Messenger would have taught us about it, as the Prophet said:
«مَا تَرَكْتُ شَيْئًا يُقَرِّبُكُمْ إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ وَيُبَاعِدُكُمْ مِنَ النَّارِ إِلَّا وَقَدْ أَعْلَمْتُكُمْ بِه»
( I have not left anything that will bring you closer to Paradise and keep you further away from Hell but I have certainly taught you about it. ) So Allah has told us about the features of the cave, but He did not tell us where it is, and He said, وَتَرَى الشَّمْسَ إِذَا طَلَعَت تَّزَاوَرُ عَن كَهْفِهِمْ ( And you might have seen the sun, when it rose, declining from their cave. ) Malik narrated from Zayd bin Aslam, "Leaning." ذَاتَ الْيَمِينِ وَإِذَا غَرَبَت تَّقْرِضُهُمْ ذَاتَ الشِّمَالِ وَهُمْ فِى فَجْوَةٍ مِّنْهُ ( the right, and when it set, turning away from them to the left, while they lay in the midst of the cave. ) meaning, the sun entered the cave without touching them, because if it had touched them, it would have burnt their bodies and clothes.
This was the view of Ibn `Abbas. ذلِكَ مِنْ ءَايَاتِ اللَّهِ ( That is from the Ayat of Allah ), how He guided them to this cave where He kept them alive, and the sun and wind entered the cave preserving their bodies.
Allah says, ذلِكَ مِنْ ءَايَاتِ اللَّهِ ( That is from the Ayat of Allah. ) Then He says: مَن يَهْدِ اللَّهُ فَهُوَ الْمُهْتَدِ ( He whom Allah guides, he is the rightly-guided; ) meaning that He is the One Who guided these young men to true guidance among their people, for the one whom Allah guides is truly guided, and the one whom Allah leaves astray will find no one to guide him.

(18:17) If you had looked at them in the Cave, *12 it would have appeared to you that when the sun rose, it left the Cave to one side and inclined towards the right, and when it set, it turned away from them and went to the left while they lay in the spacious place inside the Cave. *13 This was one of the Signs of Allah. Whomsoever Allah guides aright, he is guided aright, and whomsoever Allah lets go astray, you will find no guardian to direct him.

And [had you been present], you would meaning

*12) It has not been mentioned that in accordance with this mutual resolve, they left the city and went to a secret Cave in the mountains in order to escape from death or forced apostasy.

*13) This is to show that the mouth of the Cave faced the north.
That is why the light of the sun could not enter inside the Cave and the one who passed by it could not see who was inside it.

 

The Location of the Cave This indicates that the entrance to the cave faced north, because Allah tells us that when the sun was rising, sunlight entered the cave ذَاتَ الْيَمِينِ ( the right ), meaning that the shade decreased towards the right, as Ibn `Abbas, Sa`id bin Jubayr and Qatadah said: تَّزَاوَرُ ( declining ) means leaning.
Every time the sun rises on the horizon, its rays decline until there is nothing left in such a place when it reaches its zenith.
So Allah said, وَإِذَا غَرَبَت تَّقْرِضُهُمْ ذَاتَ الشِّمَالِ ( and when it set, turning away from them to the left, ) meaning, it entered their cave from the left of its entrance, which means from the west.
This proves what we say, and it is clear to anyone who thinks about the matter and has some knowledge of astronomy and the paths of the sun, moon and stars.
If the entrance of the cave faced east, nothing would have entered it when the sun set, and if it faced the direction of the Qiblah ( in this case, south ), nothing would have entered it at the time of sunrise or sunset, and the shadows would have leaned neither to the right nor the left.
If it had faced west, nothing would have entered it at the time of sunrise, until after the sun had passed its zenith, and would have stayed until sunset.
This supports what we have said, and to Allah is the praise.
Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid and Qatadah said that "turning away from them" means that it would shine on them and then leave them.
Allah has told us this, and He wants us to understand it and ponder its meaning, but He did not tell us the location of this cave, i.e., in which country on earth it is, because there is no benefit for us in knowing that, and no legislative objective behind it.
If there was any spiritual or religious interest that could be served by our knowing that, Allah and His Messenger would have taught us about it, as the Prophet said: «مَا تَرَكْتُ شَيْئًا يُقَرِّبُكُمْ إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ وَيُبَاعِدُكُمْ مِنَ النَّارِ إِلَّا وَقَدْ أَعْلَمْتُكُمْ بِه» ( I have not left anything that will bring you closer to Paradise and keep you further away from Hell but I have certainly taught you about it. ) So Allah has told us about the features of the cave, but He did not tell us where it is, and He said, وَتَرَى الشَّمْسَ إِذَا طَلَعَت تَّزَاوَرُ عَن كَهْفِهِمْ ( And you might have seen the sun, when it rose, declining from their cave. ) Malik narrated from Zayd bin Aslam, "Leaning." ذَاتَ الْيَمِينِ وَإِذَا غَرَبَت تَّقْرِضُهُمْ ذَاتَ الشِّمَالِ وَهُمْ فِى فَجْوَةٍ مِّنْهُ ( the right, and when it set, turning away from them to the left, while they lay in the midst of the cave. ) meaning, the sun entered the cave without touching them, because if it had touched them, it would have burnt their bodies and clothes.
This was the view of Ibn `Abbas. ذلِكَ مِنْ ءَايَاتِ اللَّهِ ( That is from the Ayat of Allah ), how He guided them to this cave where He kept them alive, and the sun and wind entered the cave preserving their bodies.
Allah says, ذلِكَ مِنْ ءَايَاتِ اللَّهِ ( That is from the Ayat of Allah. ) Then He says: مَن يَهْدِ اللَّهُ فَهُوَ الْمُهْتَدِ ( He whom Allah guides, he is the rightly-guided; ) meaning that He is the One Who guided these young men to true guidance among their people, for the one whom Allah guides is truly guided, and the one whom Allah leaves astray will find no one to guide him.

( And thou mightest have seen the sun when it rose move away ) decline ( from their cave to the right ) the right of the Cave, ( and when it set go past them on the left ) the left of the Cave, ( and they were in the cleft thereof ) on a side of the Cave; it is also said that this means: they were in a space which was reached by the light of day. ( That ) which I have mentioned of their story ( was (one ) of the portents of Allah) of the marvels of Allah. ( He whom Allah guideth ) to His religion, ( he indeed is led aright ) to his religion, ( and he whom He sendeth astray, for him thou wilt not find a guiding friend ) who might lead him to the guidance.

And you might have seen the sun, when it rose, declining to the right from their Cave, and when it set, turning away from them to the left, while they lay in the midst of the Cave. That is (one) of the Ayat (proofs, evidences, signs) of Allah. He whom Allah guides, is rightly guided; but he whom He sends astray, for him you will find no Wali (guiding friend) to lead him (to the right Path).

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