فَضَرَبْنَا عَلَىٰٓ ءَاذَانِهِمْ فِى ٱلْكَهْفِ سِنِينَ عَدَدًا 11
Translations
So We cast [a cover of sleep] over their ears within the cave for a number of years.
Transliteration
Fadarabna ala adhanihim fil-kahfi sinin adada
Tafsir (Explanation)
Allah caused sleep to overtake the Companions of the Cave, sealing their ears so they remained unconscious for a prolonged period numbering in years. According to classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this miraculous sleep was a divine mercy that preserved them from persecution by their disbelieving king, allowing them to escape harm through supernatural means. The phrase 'sinin adada' (numbered years) emphasizes the precise divine knowledge of the duration, which remained hidden from the young men themselves until their awakening.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of the Surah Al-Kahf's central narrative about the Companions of the Cave (Ashab al-Kahf), a story revealed in Mecca that addresses persecution of believers. The context describes how these young believers fled their city to preserve their faith, and Allah miraculously protected them through this prolonged sleep as they sought refuge in a cave, demonstrating divine protection for those who prioritize faith over worldly pressures.
Related Hadiths
The story of the Companions of the Cave is referenced in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, with scholars noting that the Quran itself is the primary source for this account. A related hadith in Sahih Bukhari discusses how reciting Surah Al-Kahf protects from the trials of the Dajjal, connecting the protective theme of this narrative.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that when believers face persecution for their faith, Allah's protection can come through means beyond human understanding, and that trusting in Allah's wisdom often means accepting His divine plan even when circumstances seem desperate. It reassures modern Muslims that steadfastness in faith, even in isolation or difficulty, is witnessed and rewarded by Allah in ways that transcend ordinary comprehension.
Related Ayahs
حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا بَلَغَ مَغْرِبَ ٱلشَّمْسِ وَجَدَهَا تَغْرُبُ فِى عَيْنٍ حَمِئَةٍ وَوَجَدَ عِندَهَا قَوْمًا ۗ قُلْنَا يَـٰذَا ٱلْقَرْنَيْنِ إِمَّآ أَن تُعَذِّبَ وَإِمَّآ أَن تَتَّخِذَ فِيهِمْ حُسْنًا
Until, when he reached the setting of the sun [i.e., the west], he found it [as if] setting in a body of dark water, and he found near it a people. We [i.e., Allāh] said, "O Dhul-Qarnayn, either you punish [them] or else adopt among them [a way of] goodness."
وَيَوْمَ يَقُولُ نَادُوا۟ شُرَكَآءِىَ ٱلَّذِينَ زَعَمْتُمْ فَدَعَوْهُمْ فَلَمْ يَسْتَجِيبُوا۟ لَهُمْ وَجَعَلْنَا بَيْنَهُم مَّوْبِقًا
And [warn of] the Day when He will say, "Call My 'partners' whom you claimed," and they will invoke them, but they will not respond to them. And We will put between them [a valley of] destruction.
وَيَوْمَ نُسَيِّرُ ٱلْجِبَالَ وَتَرَى ٱلْأَرْضَ بَارِزَةً وَحَشَرْنَـٰهُمْ فَلَمْ نُغَادِرْ مِنْهُمْ أَحَدًا
And [warn of] the Day when We will remove the mountains and you will see the earth exposed, and We will gather them and not leave behind from them anyone.
ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنزَلَ عَلَىٰ عَبْدِهِ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ وَلَمْ يَجْعَل لَّهُۥ عِوَجَا ۜ
[All] praise is [due] to Allāh, who has sent down upon His Servant [Muḥammad (ﷺ)] the Book and has not made therein any deviance.