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Sūrah al-Kahf is chapter 18 of the Holy Qur’an and was revealed in the early years of the Holy Prophet’s (sa) mission whilst he was residing at Makkah. Unlike other chapters that were revealed piecemeal, Sūrah al-Kahf descended as whole, guarded by 70,000 angels. The chapter contains prophecies concerning the rise and decline of powerful nations, the trials of Christianity, and the eventual triumph of Islam. It recounts the story of the ‘Dwellers of the Cave’– early Christians who sacrificed for their faith – contrasted with later Christians who fell into materialism and idolatry. The parable of the two gardens symbolises the temporary glory of worldly wealth, while the vision of Moses (as) and the account of Dhū al-Qarnain – highlight God’s eternal plan: the decline of falsehood, the eclipse of Islam through its own neglect, and ultimately its revival through divine aid.
The Holy Prophet (sa) himself declared that whoever memorises the opening and closing verses of this Sūrah will be safeguarded against the mischief of the Dajjāl – the Antichrist – identifying it as a timeless defence against the spiritual dangers of materialism and distorted belief.
We are honoured to present the first full English translation of Sūrah al-Kahf from Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad’s (ra) magnum opus, Al-Tafsīr Al-Kabīr for our readers.
سُورَةُ الْكَهْفِ مَكِيَّةٌ
Sūrah al-Kahf: A Makkan Sūrah
وَهِيَ مَعَ الْبَسْمَلَةِ مِائَةٌ وَإِحْدَى عَشْرَةَ آيَةً وَاثْنَا عَشَرَ رُكُوعًا
Including بِسْمِ اللَّهِ [Bismillāh], it contains 111 verses and 12 rukū‘s [1].
According to Ibn ‘Abbās [ra] and Ibn Zubair [ra], all of Sūrah al-Kahf was revealed at Makkah [2],and all commentators of the Qur’ān appear to agree on this point. ‘Abdullāh bin Mas‘ūd (ra) narrates that this chapter was not only revealed in Makkah, but was revealed in the early days of the Makkan period. He stated that chapters Banī Isrā‘īl, al-Kahf, and Maryam were among the first Sūrahs revealed to the Holy Prophet (sa) and considered among Ibn Mas‘ūd’s (ra) early treasures.[3]
The Chapter Revealed All at Once and the Significance of the Descent of 70,000 Angels
According to some authorities, this chapter is one of those chapters which was revealed, not piecemeal, but altogether at once. Al-Dailamī has transmitted the same narration from Anas (ra) that this chapter was revealed all at once, and seventy thousand angels accompanied and safeguarded it.[4] These narrations should not be understood to mean that some chapters of the Holy Qur’ān were safeguarded more than others, and some protected less than others. Because if we accept this to be true, then we must also believe that certain chapters enjoyed greater protection than others. But this is obviously false. Thus, whenever a Ḥadīth claims that x number of angels descended for the protection of such-and-such chapter, it does not refer to their protection at the time of their revelation but rather after they have been revealed. In fact, every chapter deals with a specific subject matter. Sometimes a chapter contains prophecies, and the truth of that chapter is proven through their fulfilment. Sometimes these prophecies pertain to natural shifts and changes, and some to human behaviour. The prophecies concerning human behaviour are of particular importance when they contain warnings of punishment. People make every effort to avert that punishment, and since these prophecies are generally made under extraordinary adverse circumstances, their fulfilment appears impossible or improbable from a worldly perspective; but it is only through exceptional circumstances, when Allah the Almighty arranges for hidden support and succour, that their fulfilment can occur. Thus, for those chapters containing such kinds of prophecies, which powerful nations strive to invalidate and nullify, Allah Almighty directs those angels who are appointed as administrators over various affairs of the world to create such circumstances that these prophecies are fulfilled without interference. It is evident that the more far-reaching a prophecy is, the more numerous will be the number of its opponents, and accordingly, the more extensive means the enemy will employ to invalidate it. Correspondingly, Allah the Almighty will utilise equally extensive means to support it.
Thus, since all the means of the world are entrusted to the angels, and they act as administrators for these means according to the laws established by Allah the Almighty, when such a prophecy is made, angels who are in charge of the provisions related to its fulfilment are commanded to protect the content of this chapter. In other words, they are instructed to engage in those measures which are necessary for the fulfilment of this prophecy.
Thus, the protection does not occur from heaven to earth during revelation, but the real work of protection begins after the revelation and continues until the prophecies mentioned in that chapter are fulfilled. Otherwise, in terms of satanic or human interference, every chapter, every verse, every word, and indeed every letter and diacritical mark of the Holy Qur’ān is equally protected and safeguarded. No chapter, verse, letter, or diacritical mark has any distinction over other chapters, verses, letters, or diacritical marks in this regard.
The purpose of sending down seventy thousand angels with this chapter is that, since it contains prophecies about the annihilation of powerful nations like Gog and Magog, and the uprooting of the final tribulation of Christianity, thousands of angels have been appointed since the time of the Holy Qur’ān’s revelation to fulfil this prophecy.
Time of Revelation
Christian authors place the time of this chapter’s revelation around the sixth year of prophethood.[5] However, in my view, it appears to be from the fourth or fifth year, as evidenced by the aforementioned narration by Ḥaḍrat ‘Abdullāh bin Mas‘ūd (ra).
Serialisation of Sūrah al-Kahf will continue in the next edition.
Translated by Murtaza Ahmed
ENDNOTES
1. A Rukū’ means a subsection within a chapter. [Publisher]
2. Al-Durr al-Manthūr.
3. Sahīh al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Tafsīr, Sūrah Banī Isrā‘īl.
4. Sheikh al-Dailamī, Firdaus al-Akhbār 7070.
5. Commentary of Reverend Wherry, Volume 3, page 77.
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