Walabithoo fee kahfihim thalatha mi-atin sineena wazdadoo tisAAa (surah Kahf: 25)

Tafseer Tafheem-ul-Quran by Syed Abu-al-A'la Maududi

(18:25) -and some people say that they remained in their ' Cave for three hundred years and some others add nine more years *25

Wa labisoo fee kahfihim salaasa mi`atin sineena wazdaadoo tis`aa

*25) This sentence is connected with the theme preceding the parenthetical clause like this: "Some people wilt say, `They were three and the fourth was their do:.....' and some people will say that they remained in the Cave for three hundred years and some others would add nine more years (to the reckoning of the period)". We are of the opinion that the number of the years "300 and 309" have not been stated by AIIah Himself but Allah has cited these as sayings of the people. "this opinion is based on this succeeding sentence: "Allah knows best about the period of their stay there. If the number of years, given in v. 25, had been from ;>Allah, this succeeding sentence would have been meaningless. hadrat `Abdullah bin 'Abbas has also opined that this is not the saying of Allah but that of the people which has been cited as a part of the story.