Surah Kahf ayat 19 Tafsir Quran 18:19

﴿وَكَذَٰلِكَ بَعَثْنَاهُمْ لِيَتَسَاءَلُوا بَيْنَهُمْ ۚ قَالَ قَائِلٌ مِّنْهُمْ كَمْ لَبِثْتُمْ ۖ قَالُوا لَبِثْنَا يَوْمًا أَوْ بَعْضَ يَوْمٍ ۚ قَالُوا رَبُّكُمْ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا لَبِثْتُمْ فَابْعَثُوا أَحَدَكُم بِوَرِقِكُمْ هَٰذِهِ إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ فَلْيَنظُرْ أَيُّهَا أَزْكَىٰ طَعَامًا فَلْيَأْتِكُم بِرِزْقٍ مِّنْهُ وَلْيَتَلَطَّفْ وَلَا يُشْعِرَنَّ بِكُمْ أَحَدًا﴾
[ الكهف: 19]

18:19 And similarly, We awakened them that they might question one another. Said a speaker from among them, "How long have you remained [here]?" They said, "We have remained a day or part of a day." They said, "Your Lord is most knowing of how long you remained. So send one of you with this silver coin of yours to the city and let him look to which is the best of food and bring you provision from it and let him be cautious. And let no one be aware of you.

And so just as We did with them that which We have mentioned it was that We aroused them We awakened them that they might question one another concerning their state and the length of their stay in the cave. One of them said ‘How long have you tarried?’ They said ‘We have tarried a day or part of a day’ he said this because they had entered the cave at sunrise and were awakened at sunset and so they thought that it was the time of sunset on the day of their entry. Then they said unsure about this fact ‘Your Lord knows best how long you have tarried. Now send one of you with this silver coin of yours read bi-warqikum or bi-wariqikum to the city — which is said to be the one now called Tarsus Tarasūs — and let him see which is the purest food that is which of the foods of the city is the purest and let him bring you a supply thereof. Let him be careful and not make anyone aware of you.

So conditioned, We aroused them and stirred them into activity only to question each other as to the length of time they had laid themselves to rest. How long do you think you have been in this place to repose your wearied virtues? asked one of them. Probably a day or less, they said. Allah, your Creator, knows best how long. Meantime send one of you with this silver coin to town in quest of the best food and he brings back some of it to satisfy our hunger, but he must be gentle and courteous and not to attract attention or fix directly upon himself nor indirectly upon you the notice of others

Their awakening and sending One of Themselves to buy Food Allah says: `just as We caused them to ... كَمْ لَبِثْتُمْ ( How long have you stayed (here )) meaning, `how long have you slept' قَالُواْ لَبِثْنَا يَوْمًا أَوْ بَعْضَ يَوْمٍ ( They said: "We have stayed a day or part of a day." ) because they entered the cave at the beginning of the day, and they woke up at the end of the day, which is why they then said, أَوْ بَعْضَ يَوْمٍ قَالُواْ رَبُّكُمْ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا لَبِثْتُمْ ( "...or a part of a day." They said: "Your Lord knows best how long you have stayed..." ) meaning, `Allah knows best about your situation.' It seems that they were not sure about how long they had slept, and Allah knows best.
Then they turned their attention to more pressing matters, like their need for food and drink, so they said: فَابْعَثُواْ أَحَدَكُمْ بِوَرِقِكُمْ ( So send one of you with this silver coin of yours ) They had brought with them some Dirhams ( silver coins ) from their homes, to buy whatever they might need, and they had given some in charity and kept some, so they said: فَابْعَثُواْ أَحَدَكُمْ بِوَرِقِكُمْ هَـذِهِ إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ ( So send one of you with this silver coin of yours to the town, ) meaning to their city, which they had left.
The definite article indicates that they were referring to a known city. فَلْيَنْظُرْ أَيُّهَآ أَزْكَى طَعَامًا ( and let him find out which is the Azka food. ) Azka means "purest", as Allah says elsewhere, وَلَوْلاَ فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُ مَا زَكَى مِنكُم مِّنْ أَحَدٍ أَبَداً ( And had it not been for the grace of Allah and His mercy on you, not one of you would ever have been pure Zaka from sins ) 24:21 and قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن تَزَكَّى ( Indeed whosoever purifies himself Tazakka shall achieve success. ) 87:14 From the same root also comes the word Zakah, which makes one's wealth good and purifies it. وَلْيَتَلَطَّفْ ( And let him be careful ) meaning when he goes out buying food and coming back.
They were telling him to conceal himself as much as he could, وَلاَ يُشْعِرَنَّ بِكُمْ أَحَدًاإِنَّهُمْ إِن يَظْهَرُواْ عَلَيْكُمْ يَرْجُمُوكُمْ ( and let no man know of you.
For, if they come to know of you, they will stone you ) means, `if they find out where you are,' يَرْجُمُوكُمْ أَوْ يُعِيدُوكُمْ فِى مِلَّتِهِمْ ( they will stone you or turn you back to their religion; ) They were referring to the followers of Decianus, who they were afraid might find out where they were, and punish them with all kinds of torture until they made them go back to their former religion, or until they died, for if they agreed to go back to their ( old ) religion, they would never attain success in this world or the Hereafter.
So they said: وَلَن تُفْلِحُواْ إِذًا أَبَدًا ( and in that case you will never be successful. )

(18:19) And in the same miraculous way We raised them up again *16 so that they may ask one another (about their wonderful experience). One of them asked, "Well, how long have you remained in this condition?" The others answered, "May-be, we have remained so for a day or a part of a day." Then they declared, "Your Lord knows best how long we have remained in this condition. So let us send one of us with this silver coin to the city, and he should look for a place wherein he can get the best food so that he may bring something to eat. He should, however, conduct himself with caution lest anyone should discover our whereabouts;

And similarly, We awakened them that they meaning

*16) They were roused from their sleep in the same miraculous way that was employed in sending them to sleep and keeping them hidden from the outer world.

 

Their awakening and sending One of Themselves to buy Food Allah says: `just as We caused them to ... كَمْ لَبِثْتُمْ ( How long have you stayed (here )) meaning, `how long have you slept' قَالُواْ لَبِثْنَا يَوْمًا أَوْ بَعْضَ يَوْمٍ ( They said: "We have stayed a day or part of a day." ) because they entered the cave at the beginning of the day, and they woke up at the end of the day, which is why they then said, أَوْ بَعْضَ يَوْمٍ قَالُواْ رَبُّكُمْ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا لَبِثْتُمْ ( "...or a part of a day." They said: "Your Lord knows best how long you have stayed..." ) meaning, `Allah knows best about your situation.' It seems that they were not sure about how long they had slept, and Allah knows best.
Then they turned their attention to more pressing matters, like their need for food and drink, so they said: فَابْعَثُواْ أَحَدَكُمْ بِوَرِقِكُمْ ( So send one of you with this silver coin of yours ) They had brought with them some Dirhams ( silver coins ) from their homes, to buy whatever they might need, and they had given some in charity and kept some, so they said: فَابْعَثُواْ أَحَدَكُمْ بِوَرِقِكُمْ هَـذِهِ إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ ( So send one of you with this silver coin of yours to the town, ) meaning to their city, which they had left.
The definite article indicates that they were referring to a known city. فَلْيَنْظُرْ أَيُّهَآ أَزْكَى طَعَامًا ( and let him find out which is the Azka food. ) Azka means "purest", as Allah says elsewhere, وَلَوْلاَ فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُ مَا زَكَى مِنكُم مِّنْ أَحَدٍ أَبَداً ( And had it not been for the grace of Allah and His mercy on you, not one of you would ever have been pure Zaka from sins ) 24:21 and قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن تَزَكَّى ( Indeed whosoever purifies himself Tazakka shall achieve success. ) 87:14 From the same root also comes the word Zakah, which makes one's wealth good and purifies it. وَلْيَتَلَطَّفْ ( And let him be careful ) meaning when he goes out buying food and coming back.
They were telling him to conceal himself as much as he could, وَلاَ يُشْعِرَنَّ بِكُمْ أَحَدًاإِنَّهُمْ إِن يَظْهَرُواْ عَلَيْكُمْ يَرْجُمُوكُمْ ( and let no man know of you.
For, if they come to know of you, they will stone you ) means, `if they find out where you are,' يَرْجُمُوكُمْ أَوْ يُعِيدُوكُمْ فِى مِلَّتِهِمْ ( they will stone you or turn you back to their religion; ) They were referring to the followers of Decianus, who they were afraid might find out where they were, and punish them with all kinds of torture until they made them go back to their former religion, or until they died, for if they agreed to go back to their ( old ) religion, they would never attain success in this world or the Hereafter.
So they said: وَلَن تُفْلِحُواْ إِذًا أَبَدًا ( and in that case you will never be successful. )

( And in like manner We awakened them ), after 309 years, ( that they might question one another ) so that they might talk to one another. ( A speaker from among them ) this is their chief and leader: Maxmillian ( Maksilmina ) ( said: How long have ye tarried ) in this Cave after you slept? ( They said: We have tarried a day ) and when they left the cave and saw that the sun did set yet, they said: ( or some part of a day. (Others ) said) i.e. Maxmillian: ( Your Lord best knoweth what ye have tarried ) after you slept. ( Now send one of you ) Yamblichus ( Yamlikha ) ( with this your silver coin unto the city ) of Ephesus ( Afsus ), ( and let him see what food is purest there ) the largest quantity; it is also said that this means: the best of bread and most lawful slaughtered meat ( and bring you a supply thereof. Let him be courteous ) when buying ( and let no man ) let no Magian ( know of you ) find out about you.

Likewise, We awakened them (from their long deep sleep) that they might question one another. A speaker from among them said: "How long have you stayed (here)?" They said: "We have stayed (perhaps) a day or part of a day." They said: "Your Lord (Alone) knows best how long you have stayed (here). So send one of you with this silver coin of yours to the town, and let him find out which is the good lawful food, and bring some of that to you. And let him be careful and let no man know of you.

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