Surah Kahf ayat 18 Tafsir Quran 18:18

﴿وَتَحْسَبُهُمْ أَيْقَاظًا وَهُمْ رُقُودٌ ۚ وَنُقَلِّبُهُمْ ذَاتَ الْيَمِينِ وَذَاتَ الشِّمَالِ ۖ وَكَلْبُهُم بَاسِطٌ ذِرَاعَيْهِ بِالْوَصِيدِ ۚ لَوِ اطَّلَعْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ لَوَلَّيْتَ مِنْهُمْ فِرَارًا وَلَمُلِئْتَ مِنْهُمْ رُعْبًا﴾
[ الكهف: 18]

18:18 And you would think them awake, while they were asleep. And We turned them to the right and to the left, while their dog stretched his forelegs at the entrance. If you had looked at them, you would have turned from them in flight and been filled by them with terror.

And you would have supposed them — had you seen them — awake that is conscious because their eyes were open ayqāz ‘awake’ is the plural of yaqiz though they were asleep ruqūd is the plural of rāqid. And We caused them to turn over to the right and to the left lest the earth consume their flesh and their dog lay stretching its forelegs his paws on the threshold at the opening of the cave whenever they turned over it would turn over just like them both during sleep and consciousness. If you had observed them you would have turned away from them in flight and you would have been filled read la-mulli’ta or la-muli’ta with awe because of them read ru‘ban or ru‘uban ‘awe’ it was through this awe that God protected them from anyone entering upon them.

You would have thought they were awake -probably their eyes were open- though they were fast asleep. And We turned them over from one side to the other right and left while on the threshold lay their dog with his forelegs outstretched. If you had seen them you would have run away from them making your escape, filled with horror

Their Sleep in the Cave Some of the scholars mentioned that when Allah caused them to sleep, their eyelids did not close, lest disintegration took hold of them.
If their eyes remained open to the air, this would be better for the sake of preservation.
Allah says: وَتَحْسَبُهُمْ أَيْقَاظًا وَهُمْ رُقُودٌ ( And you would have thought them awake, whereas they were asleep. ) It was mentioned that when the wolf sleeps, it closes one eye and keeps one eye open, then it switches eyes while asleep. وَنُقَلِّبُهُمْ ذَاتَ اليَمِينِ وَذَاتَ الشِّمَالِ ( And We turned them on their right and on their left sides, ) Ibn `Abbas said: "If they did not turn over, the earth would have consumed them." وَكَلْبُهُمْ بَـسِطٌ ذِرَاعَيْهِ بِالوَصِيدِ ( and their dog stretching forth his two forelegs at the Wasid ) Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, Sa`id bin Jubayr and Qatadah said: "The Wasid means the threshold." Ibn `Abbas said: "By the door." It was said: "On the ground." The correct view is that it means on the threshold, i.e., at the door. إِنَّهَا عَلَيْهِم مُّؤْصَدَةٌ ( Verily, it shall be closed upon them ) 104:8 Their dog lay down at the door, as is the habit of dogs.
Ibn Jurayj said, "He was guarding the door for them." It was his nature and habit to lie down at their door as if guarding them.
He was sitting outside the door, because the angels do not enter a house in which there is a dog, as was reported in As-Sahih, nor do they enter a house in which there is an image, a person in a state of ritual impurity or a disbeliever, as was narrated in the Hasan Hadith.
The blessing they enjoyed extended to their dog, so the sleep that overtook them overtook him too.
This is the benefit of accompanying good people, and so this dog attained fame and stature.
It was said that he was the hunting dog of one of the people which is the more appropriate view, or that he was the dog of the king's cook, who shared their religious views, and brought his dog with him.
And Allah knows best.
Allah says: لَوِ اطَّلَعْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ لَوْلَّيْتَ مِنْهُمْ فِرَارًا وَلَمُلِئْتَ مِنْهُمْ رُعْبًا ( Had you happened upon them, you would certainly have turned back from them in flight, and would certainly have been filled with awe of them. ) meaning that Allah made them appear dreadful, so that no one could look at them without being filled with terror, because of the frightening appearance they had been given.
This was so that no one would come near them or touch them until the appointed time when their sleep would come to an end as Allah willed, because of the wisdom, clear proof and great mercy involved in that.

(18:18) If you had seen them, it would have appeared to you as if they were awake, whereas in fact they were asleep. We turned them about to the right and the left sides. *14 And their dog was sitting at the entrance of the Cave with outstretched forelegs. If you had looked at them, you would have turned on your heels and their sight would have struck you with terror. *15

And you would think them awake, while meaning

*14) That is, " If some one could have peeped at the Seven Persons from outside and seen them turning from one side to the other at intervals, he would have thought that they were not asleep but were relaxing themselves. "
*15) Allah had so arranged their refuge that none dared go inside the Cave and know about them for it was pitch dark in the Cave and the dog was keeping watch at the entrance.
If someone ever peeped into the Cave and saw the Sleepers, he took them for some robbers and at once turned on his heels.
This was the reason why their refuge remained a secret to the outer world for such a long perio
 

Their Sleep in the Cave Some of the scholars mentioned that when Allah caused them to sleep, their eyelids did not close, lest disintegration took hold of them.
If their eyes remained open to the air, this would be better for the sake of preservation.
Allah says: وَتَحْسَبُهُمْ أَيْقَاظًا وَهُمْ رُقُودٌ ( And you would have thought them awake, whereas they were asleep. ) It was mentioned that when the wolf sleeps, it closes one eye and keeps one eye open, then it switches eyes while asleep. وَنُقَلِّبُهُمْ ذَاتَ اليَمِينِ وَذَاتَ الشِّمَالِ ( And We turned them on their right and on their left sides, ) Ibn `Abbas said: "If they did not turn over, the earth would have consumed them." وَكَلْبُهُمْ بَـسِطٌ ذِرَاعَيْهِ بِالوَصِيدِ ( and their dog stretching forth his two forelegs at the Wasid ) Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, Sa`id bin Jubayr and Qatadah said: "The Wasid means the threshold." Ibn `Abbas said: "By the door." It was said: "On the ground." The correct view is that it means on the threshold, i.e., at the door. إِنَّهَا عَلَيْهِم مُّؤْصَدَةٌ ( Verily, it shall be closed upon them ) 104:8 Their dog lay down at the door, as is the habit of dogs.
Ibn Jurayj said, "He was guarding the door for them." It was his nature and habit to lie down at their door as if guarding them.
He was sitting outside the door, because the angels do not enter a house in which there is a dog, as was reported in As-Sahih, nor do they enter a house in which there is an image, a person in a state of ritual impurity or a disbeliever, as was narrated in the Hasan Hadith.
The blessing they enjoyed extended to their dog, so the sleep that overtook them overtook him too.
This is the benefit of accompanying good people, and so this dog attained fame and stature.
It was said that he was the hunting dog of one of the people which is the more appropriate view, or that he was the dog of the king's cook, who shared their religious views, and brought his dog with him.
And Allah knows best.
Allah says: لَوِ اطَّلَعْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ لَوْلَّيْتَ مِنْهُمْ فِرَارًا وَلَمُلِئْتَ مِنْهُمْ رُعْبًا ( Had you happened upon them, you would certainly have turned back from them in flight, and would certainly have been filled with awe of them. ) meaning that Allah made them appear dreadful, so that no one could look at them without being filled with terror, because of the frightening appearance they had been given.
This was so that no one would come near them or touch them until the appointed time when their sleep would come to an end as Allah willed, because of the wisdom, clear proof and great mercy involved in that.

( And thou wouldst have deemed them ) O Muhammad ( waking ) not sleeping ( though they were asleep, and we caused them to turn over to the right and the left ) once each year so that the earth does not eat away their flesh, ( and their dog ) Qatmir ( stretching out his paws on the threshold ) at the entrance of the Cave. ( If thou hadst observed them closely ) in that state ( thou hadst assuredly turned away from them in flight, and hadst been filled with awe of them ) and you would have been sacred of them.

And you would have thought them awake, while they were asleep. And We turned them on their right and on their left sides, and their dog stretching forth his two forelegs at the entrance [of the Cave or in the space near to the entrance of the Cave (as a guard at the gate)]. Had you looked at them, you would certainly have turned back from them in flight, and would certainly have been filled with awe of them.

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