إِذْ أَوَى ٱلْفِتْيَةُ إِلَى ٱلْكَهْفِ فَقَالُوا۟ رَبَّنَآ ءَاتِنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً وَهَيِّئْ لَنَا مِنْ أَمْرِنَا رَشَدًا 10
Translations
[Mention] when the youths retreated to the cave and said, "Our Lord, grant us from Yourself mercy and prepare for us from our affair right guidance."
Transliteration
Idh awa al-fityatu ila al-kahfi faqaloo rabbana atina min ladunka rahmatan wa hayyi lana min amrina rashada
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the moment when the young believers (the People of the Cave) sought refuge in the cave and made a sincere supplication to Allah, asking Him for mercy and guidance in their affairs. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, their du'a reflects complete reliance upon Allah (tawakkul) and demonstrates the importance of combining practical effort (seeking shelter) with spiritual submission through supplication. The phrase 'from Your presence' (min ladunka) emphasizes that true mercy and guidance come exclusively from Allah's divine grace, not from human efforts alone.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of the narrative of Ashab al-Kahf (People of the Cave), a story mentioned only in Surah Al-Kahf within the Quran. The broader context addresses a test of faith wherein young believers fled persecution and found solace in a cave, placing their trust entirely in Allah. While no specific asbab al-nuzul (revelation occasion) is documented for this particular ayah, the entire surah was revealed in Mecca to strengthen the believers against doubts and trials they faced.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) mentioned the People of the Cave in various contexts emphasizing sincerity and faith. A related hadith in Sahih Muslim discusses how sincere supplication (du'a) is a powerful weapon, which connects to the youths' earnest prayer in this ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us that when facing trials and uncertainty, we should combine practical wisdom (seeking appropriate refuge or solutions) with heartfelt reliance on Allah through sincere supplication. True guidance and mercy come only from Allah, and acknowledging our complete dependence on His grace—rather than our own abilities—is essential to finding the straight path in life's challenges.
Related Ayahs
قَالَ لَهُۥ صَاحِبُهُۥ وَهُوَ يُحَاوِرُهُۥٓ أَكَفَرْتَ بِٱلَّذِى خَلَقَكَ مِن تُرَابٍ ثُمَّ مِن نُّطْفَةٍ ثُمَّ سَوَّىٰكَ رَجُلًا
His companion said to him while he was conversing with him, "Have you disbelieved in He who created you from dust and then from a sperm-drop and then proportioned you [as] a man?
أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِ رَبِّهِمْ وَلِقَآئِهِۦ فَحَبِطَتْ أَعْمَـٰلُهُمْ فَلَا نُقِيمُ لَهُمْ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ وَزْنًا
Those are the ones who disbelieve in the verses of their Lord and in [their] meeting Him, so their deeds have become worthless; and We will not assign to them on the Day of Resurrection any weight [i.e., importance].
أَمَّا ٱلسَّفِينَةُ فَكَانَتْ لِمَسَـٰكِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ فِى ٱلْبَحْرِ فَأَرَدتُّ أَنْ أَعِيبَهَا وَكَانَ وَرَآءَهُم مَّلِكٌ يَأْخُذُ كُلَّ سَفِينَةٍ غَصْبًا
As for the ship, it belonged to poor people working at sea. So I intended to cause defect in it as there was after them a king who seized every [good] ship by force.
وَيُنذِرَ ٱلَّذِينَ قَالُوا۟ ٱتَّخَذَ ٱللَّهُ وَلَدًا
And to warn those who say, "Allāh has taken a son".