QUL

[swamidada_2]

QUL-Say: Indeed I am a human being (bashar) like you, but I receive inspiration (WAHI). No doubt Allah is one (in universe). Who ever expects to meet 'LIQAA' (dedaar, meet, see, face) his Lord, should follow righteousness and in worship of his Lord, admit no one as His partner. AL KAHF 18/110

When Prophet Muhammad first started propagating Islam there arose severe opposition from Meccans. They said, how can we believe or trust you because you look like us. If God has to send message it should have been through angels or through some miraculous body or God should have appeared in front of us personally to guide, why specially you Muhammad?
Prophet replied; No doubt I look like you but in myself and you the difference is WAHI, that is I am receiving inspiration from Allah. Prophet explained them, if you want to meet Allah then follow the right path, follow the moral values, and in worship refrain from admitting any other as His partner.

In surah Yunus, Quran says; Indeed those who expect not the meeting with Us but desire the life of world and are pleased and satisfied with it are those who heed not Our Signs. Surah Yunus 10/7

In Quran the word LIQAA' as is, used 17 times and the word LIQAA'NA as is, used 4 times. In spiritual terms the word LIQAA' is very important because it means Dedaar as well as Face also. Liqaa' of Allah is very difficult, one has to sacrifice worldly affairs and live a pious life and be fana in Allah. Still to achieve this goal is conditional as Imam said to achieve Noor " it is not yours to be taken but it is yours to be given " and that should be through Noor of Ali and Noor of Imamat.

[swamidada_2]

There are 5 surahs in Quran which start with QUL.
Surah Ikhlas
Surah Naas
Surah Falaq
Surah Kaafirun
Surah Jinn

Surah Jinn is # 72 mentioned in Quran. There are 28 ayats in this Surah out of which 5 starts with the word QUL. The word Jinn is used 29 times in Quran. In Islamic tradition, Prophet Muhammad was sent as a prophet to both human and jinn communities.

QUL (Say) "It has been revealed to me that a group of the jinn listened and said, 'Indeed, we have heard an amazing Qur'an. # 1

QUL (Say) "I only invoke my Lord and do not associate with Him anyone." # 20

QUL (Say) "Indeed, I do not possess for you [the power of] harm or right direction." # 21

QUL (Say) "Indeed, there will never protect me from Allah anyone [if I should disobey], nor will I find in other than Him a refuge.# 22

QUL (Say) "I do not know if what you are promised is near or if my Lord will grant for it a [long] period." # 25

This Surah was revealed in Mecca when Prophet returned from Taa'if after TABLIGHI mission. Abdullah Yusuf Ali mentioned regarding this Surah,"In all sorts of unexpected places, and in all sorts of unexpected ways, the man of God, when most depressed by the buffets of a world steeped in selfishness, sees a glorious vision. Hidden spiritual forces work for him, make known the truth in marvelous ways...... Man's duty is plain, but in the kingdom of Allah , through Allah's chosen ones rise to higher and higher mysteries expedient for righteous ones. Yet when or how our end may be, is not given to man to know. Let him take the treasures well guarded, that come to him, and praise the Lord of all knowledge and wisdom".

Jinn is an Arabic collective noun deriving from the Semitic root jnn (jann), whose primary meaning is "to hide" or "to conceal". Some authors interpret the word to mean, literally, "beings that are concealed from the senses". Cognates include the Arabic majnu ("possessed", or generally "insane"), jannah ("garden", also “heaven”), and janin ("embryo"). Jinn is properly treated as a plural, with the singular being jinni.

In pre Islamic Arabia Jinn were worshipped by many Arabs during the Pre Islamic period, but, unlike gods, jinn were not regarded as immortal. In ancient Arabia, the term jinn also applied to all kinds of supernatural entities among various religions and cults; thus, Zoroastrian, Christian, and Jewish angels and demons were also called "jinn".

The exact origins of belief in jinn are not entirely clear. Some scholars of the Middle East hold that they originated as malevolent spirits residing in deserts and unclean places, who often took the forms of animals; others hold that they were originally pagan nature deities who gradually became marginalized as other deities took greater importance. According to common Arabian belief, soothsayers, pre Islamic philosophers, and poets were inspired by the jinn. However, jinn were also feared and thought to be responsible for causing various diseases and mental illnesses.

In the Islamic sense, the term jinn is used in two different ways:
As invisible entities, who roamed the earth before Adam, created by God out of a "mixture of fire" or "smokeless fire". They are believed to resemble humans in that they eat and drink, have children and die, are subject to judgment, so will either be sent to heaven or hell according to their deeds. But they were much faster and stronger than humans. This jinn are distinct from an angelic tribe called Al-jinn, named after Jannah (the Gardens), heavenly creatures created out of the fires of samum in contrast to the genus of jinn created out of mixture of fire, who waged war against the genus of jinn and regarded as able to sin, unlike their light created counterpart. As the opposite of al-Ins (something in shape) referring to any object that cannot be detected by human sensory organs, including angels, demons and the interior of human beings. Thus every demon and every angel is also a jinn, but not every jinn is an angel or a demon. Al Jahiz categorizes the jinn in his work Kitab al-Hayawan as follows: If he is pure, clean, untouched by any defilement, being entirely good, he is an angel, if he is faithless, dishonest, hostile, wicked, he is demon, if he succeeds in supporting an edifice, lifting a heavy weight and listening at the doors of Heaven he is a marid and if he more than this, he is an ifreet.

Belief in jinn is not included among the articles of Islamic faith, as belief in angels is, however at least some Muslims believe it essential to the Islamic faith. Jinn are mentioned approximately 29 times in the Quran often together with humans, and the 72 surah (chapter) named after them (Al-Jinn). They are also mentioned in collections of Ṣaḥīḥ (authentic) hadith. One hadith divides them into three groups, with one type flying through the air; another that are snakes and dogs; and a third that moves from place to place like human.

In Islamic tradition, Muhammad was sent as a prophet to both human and jinn communities, and that prophets and messengers were sent to both communities. Traditionally Surah 72 is held to tell about the revelation to jinn and several stories mention one of Muhammad's followers accompanied him, witnessing the revelation to the jinn.

Another Prophet, who is related to interactions with jinn, is Solomon. In the Quran, he is said to be a king in ancient Israel and was gifted by God to talk to animals and jinn. God granted him authority over the rebellious jinn or marid, thus Solomon forced them to build the First Temple. Beliefs regarding Solomon and his power over the jinn were later extended in folklore and folktales.

[swamidada_2]

God’s Love and Mercy in the Quran

[O Muhammad], inform My servants that it is I who am the Forgiving, the Merciful. 15/49

The names Rahman and Raheem stem from the root letters r-h-m. These are the same root letters which the word rahim comes from. A rahim is a womb, and the names of God Rahman and Raheem connote a motherly love. No one would describe a mother’s love as mercy, but they would use terms like loving, caring, selfless, compassionate, and empathetic. Umar once being with the Prophet with a group of women and children detained after a battle. One woman among them was searching for her child. Whenever she saw her child, she took the child to her bosom and began breastfeeding it. The Messenger asked his companions, “Do you think this woman would throw her child into the fire?” They said, “No, by Allah, unless she has no power otherwise.” He replied, “Allah has more rahmah (arham) for His servants than this woman for her child” (Muslim).

In another narration, the Prophet peace be upon him used to play with his grandchildren and then said: “O Allah, have rahmah for them (irhamhuma) as I have rahmah for them (arhamuhuma).” (Bukhari). A Bedouin in the time of the Prophet peace be upon him saw the Prophet kissing his grandchildren. In the patriarchal context of Arabia, the man said to the Prophet, “I have ten children and never kissed one of them” implying that it was not befitting of a man to show love. The Prophet replied, “What can I do for you if Allah removed rahmah from your heart?” (Bukhari).

The Quran mentions two kinds of love, one is Rahmah and the second is Hub. Allah has rahmah on everything and everyone: My rahmah has encompassed everything 7/157. It is particularly interesting that He chose to open each chapter in the Qurʾān by reminding the reader of only two of his names, Rahman and Raheem. First impressions are extremely important and leave a lasting impression on people. Therefore, when God introduces Himself in the first chapter of the Qurʾān the names Rahman and Raheem appear four times in only seven verses. God could have chosen any other name, but He wants the reader to know that He is loving, compassionate, forgiving, and always willing to accept you back no matter how many mistakes you make.

The following article is adopted from council for USA.
Ismaili Insight United States • Saturday, April 11, 2020

Inspirations from the Qur’an
Rahmah

Over the past six days, we have been reflecting on questions about the human condition and have turned to the Qur’an, stories of the Prophet’s life, and Farmans for inspiration.

We have explored the connection between taqwa, or God consciousness, and love for the near-kin and the stranger. We have discussed the imperative to raise our voices for adl, or justice; our responsibility to the natural world; and the power of being in a constant state of shukr and tawba.

The difficulties we face in life may seem insurmountable at times, but they are as much part of our life as are joy and happiness. Sometimes, they may also present a test of our faith, only so that we may rise above them. For Allah says in Surah al-Baqarah that “He will surely test us in what He has given us – with fear, with loss of property, with loss of life. If we are patient and understand that we are from Allah and to Him we will return, He will then shower us with His blessings and His mercy.”

Every day, whether in our prayers or before we begin something, we consistently recite two attributes of Allah that remind us of His mercy: Allah is al-Rahman and al-Rahim – the Compassionate and the Merciful.
Both divine names share the same Arabic root, R-H-M, which means caring and mercy. The same root produces the word rahm, which means the womb. This close connection between the names of Allah and the womb is eloquently expressed in hadith qudsi, considered the word of God:

“I am God, Allah, and I am the Merciful. I created the womb, rahm, and I have [given] it a name derived from My own name.”

This powerful linking of the terms provides a strong indication of the all-encompassing mercy of Allah. Like the mother’s womb, Allah’s mercy surrounds us, nurtures us, and protects us.

Let us bring our difficulties to Allah in the hope of receiving His Rahmah and truly recognize that difficulties presented in life do not imply any abandonment from Allah or the removal of His Rahmah. Further, let us not forget our own responsibilities to make an effort in our own human ways to emulate or mirror the attributes of Allah in our being. After all, Allah has imprinted His attributes onto us. We, therefore, have a critical role to play in striving to embody Rahmah.

Hazrat Ali explains this further when he says,

“I am astounded by the person who hopes for the mercy from [the] one above him, while he is not merciful to those beneath him...[indeed] the dispensing of mercy brings down [Divine] mercy.”

Rather than understanding this as a conditional relationship, where Allah is only merciful if we ourselves practice mercy, we are called to remember that mercy exists no matter what. However, we are better positioned to feel it, receive it, and recognize it, if we polish our hearts and are merciful towards each other.

We encourage the Jamat to read the Farman made on December 17, 2017 in Karachi, Pakistan, published on pages 103–105 of the book: Farman Mubarak of Mawlana Hazar Imam Shah Karim Al-Hussaini , Diamond Jubilee (2017-2018). While reading this Farman, reflect upon the Imam’s guidance and see how we may embody Rahmah to help our spiritual brothers and sisters.

Let us pray for Allah’s Rahmah and for the strength to embody His attributes in our everyday lives.

We would like to thank the Jamat for participating in a special week of daily articles focused on inspirations from the Qur’an. We hope that this has provided solace and an opportunity for inner reflection on the importance of conceptions within the Qur’an in our own lives.

Ismaili Insight Council For USA

[swamidada_2]

The foolish among the people will say, "What has turned them away from their qiblah, which they used to face?" QUL (Say), "To Allah belongs the east and the west. He guides whom He wills to straight path." 2/142

Islam lays great stress on social prayer in order to emphasize Muslim universal Brotherhood, mutual cooperation, and pluralism. For such prayer, order, punctuality, precision, symbolic postures, and a common direction are essential. In the early days of Islam before they were organized as a people they followed as a symbol for their Qiblah the sacred city of Jerusalem, sacred both to to the Jews and Cristians, the people of the Book. This symbolized their allegiance to the continuity of Allah's revelations. Prophet Muhammad under divine direction began to organize its people as an Ummah, an independent people, with laws and rituals of their own. At that stage The Ka'bah was established as Qiblah, thus going back to the earliest center, with which the name of Prophet Ibrahim was connected, and traditionally also the name of Prophet Adam. Jerusalem still remains sacred in the eyes of Islam as Prophet went on Ma'raj from Masjid Aqsa. According to a Hadith, during congregation prayer, Allah's revelation came to change Qiblah. Prophet and some of his followers immediately changed their direction from Jerusalem to Mecca in the middle of the prayer ritual. (mostly were confused and puzzled did not change the direction to Mecca immediately). It is narrated only 10 companions followed. The location of this event became the Masjid al-Qiblatayn ("The Mosque of the Two Qiblas").

Why Qiblah changed from Masjidul Aqsa to Ka'bah?

Shia tradition says, because Mowla Ali was born in Ka'bah. Let me quote a Persian quatrain.

PESH AZ EEN BAITUL MUQADUS QIBLAH BUUD
JUMLAH AALIM NAMUUD UU RA SUJUUD
CHU(N) TAWWALUD KARD DAR KA'BAH ALI
KA'BAH QIBLAH HAST AZ NARSEY JALLI

Before that baitul Muqadus was Qiblah, all (Jews and Christians) bowed and prostrated in that direction. But when Mowla Ali was born inside Ka'bah then Ka'bah became Qiblah for Muslims with Farman.

TAWAAF E KHAN E KA'BAH AZAA(N) SHUD BER HAMAI WAJIB
KE AA(N) JAAH DER WUJUUD AAMID ALI IBN ABI TALIB

Tawaaf (circumambulation) of khan e Ka'bah (baitullah) is waajib for Mulims because in that pious place was born Mowla Ali ibn e abu Talib (real name of Hazrat abu Talib is Imran)

TU BI TAARIKI ALI RA DEEDAI
AZ EE(N) SABAB DEEGARA(N) RA BER BAGUZIDAI
Rumi

You have seen Ali in darkness that's why you go to other's door (false saints and fake sufis dargah) to prostrate.

[kmaherali]

If I pray
it's so my heart might turn toward you
If I face the Ka'ba
it's so my eyes might turn towards you
If this is not so,
My prayer is hot air,
The Ka'ba is a pile of rocks

- Mowlana Rumi

[swamidada_2]

WAQTIKE BI KA'BAH MURTAZA SHUD PAIDA ALHAMDU LILLAH
DAR ARZ O SAMA' JALWA NUMA SHUD PAIDA SUBHAN ALLAH
JIBRAEL ZA ASMAN FA RAWAD AAMED WA GUFT YA HABIBULLH
FARZAND BI KHANA E KHUDA SHUD PAIDA WALLAH BILLAH

When Mowla Murtaza Ali was born in Ka'bah, Al Hamdu Lillah
The Noor is manifested in skies and Earth, Subhan Allah
Jibrael came from Heaven and said to Prophet, Ya Habibullah
Son is born in the house of God, Wallah Billah, praise be to Allah

[swamidada_2]

Say (Qul), "Who is Lord of the heavens and earth?" Say, " Allah ." Say, "Have you then taken besides Him allies not possessing [even] for themselves any benefit or any harm?" Say, "Is the blind equivalent to the seeing? Or is darkness equivalent to light? Or have they attributed to Allah partners who created like His creation so that the creation [of each] seemed similar to them?" Say, " Allah is the Creator of all things, and He is the One, the Prevailing." 13/16

In this Ayat of Surah Ra'ad the word QUL (say) is used 5 times.

It will be worthwhile to note that though the question, “Who is the Lord of the heavens and the earth?” was put to the disbelievers, Allah told the Prophet Muhammad to answer it himself and say, “Allah”. This was because the disbelievers hesitated to answer it one way or the other. They could not say that it was not Allah for they themselves believed that Allah was the Creator of everything. On the other hand, they could not acknowledge this fact in so many words in answer to such question. For, they would then have to acknowledge the doctrine of Tawhid. Then no basis could have been left in favor of shirk. As they realized their weak position, they would not give any answer to such questions. That is why Allah asks Prophet to put such questions to the disbelievers: “Who is the Creator of the heavens and the earth? Who is the Lord of the Universe? Who sustains you with provisions of life?”

The blind man is the person who cannot see any of the countless signs of the Oneness of Allah, though these lie spread over before him in the universe. On the other hand, the seeing man is the person who can see in every particle of the universe and in every leaf of grass and tree signs pointing to their Creator. Thus the question that has been posed means: O disbelievers, if you are blind to the signs, why should the one who can see the signs should behave like a blind man and stumble along like you?

Noor means the light of the knowledge and wisdom which the Prophet possessed. In contrast to this, there was the “darkness” of ignorance in which the disbelievers were wandering about. The question that has been posed means to ask this: Why should those, who have received the light, extinguish it and wander about in the darkness like you? Well, if you do not know the worth of the light, you may choose to wander in the darkness. But how can you expect the one who has received the light and who appreciates the difference between the light and the darkness, and who is seeing the right way as if in broad daylight, to leave the light and wander about in the darkness?

The Arabic word Qahhaar literally means “The one who rules over all by virtue of His own power, and keeps all under His complete control.”

This fact that He is “the One, the Prevailing” follows naturally from the preceding fact that “Allah is the Creator of all things” for this fact was also acknowledged by the mushriks and was never denied by them. This is so because the Creator of everything should logically be Unique, and every other thing or being must necessarily be His creation. Therefore nothing could be the equal of the Creator or partner in His Being, attributes, powers and rights. Likewise, the Creator must have complete power and control over His Creation.

[swamidada]

Surah AL kafirun (chapter 109)
In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

QUL(Say): "Oh, you who disbelieve!
"I do not worship that which you worship,
"Nor do you worship That Which I worship.
"Nor will I worship that which you have been worshiping,
"Neither will you worship That Which I worship.
"To you your deen (religion) and to me mine."

Occasion of the Revelation:

Islamic narrations say that this Surah was revealed about some of the pagan chiefs of the Quraish tribe such as 'Walid-ibn-i-Muqayrah', 'As-ibn-i-wa'il,’ Harith-ibn-i-Qays'.’ Umiyyah-ibn-i-Khalaf and so on. They said:
"O Muhammad Follow our belief and we will follow yours and we will let you enjoy all our privileges. For one year you should worship our gods and the next year we will worship your God. If your belief is better, we have enjoyed it with you; and if our belief is better, you have enjoyed it with us".

The Prophet said:
“I take refuge to Allah that I make no match of anything with Him".
They said:
"You may touch some of our gods, at least, and take a good omen from them. If you do this, we will confirm you and worship your God".
The Prophet said:
“I am waiting for the command of my Lord".

At that moment this Surah was revealed. Then, the Messenger of Allah infront of the chiefs of the Quraish recited Surah Al Kafirun. When they heard the message of the Surah they became completely hopeless of their aim and began hurting him and his followers.

It is narrated by Muslim that the Messenger of Allah used to recite this Surah with Surah Al-Ikhlas in two raka'at following tawaf of the Ka'bah; it is also narrated by Muslim that he used to recite them in the two raka'at of fajr prayer.

Lessons of Surah Al-Kafirun:

1. Never compromise your Muslim Identity.

This Surah purifies faith and strengthens Muslim identity. We must never sacrifice the teachings of Islam for anyone. We must not allow other people to harm our relationship with Allah.

2. Islam is guidance from Allah and is not based on human desires.

“…They follow but a guess and that which they themselves desire, whereas there has surely come to them the guidance from their Lord!” (53:23)

This Surah addresses the Quraish leaders who Allah knew were never going to accept Islam. This Surah does not mean that we should leave non-Muslims and not call them to Islam. Muslims have a duty to teach and invite people to Islam.

3. Islam is a serious commitment and should not be viewed lightly.

The ridiculous proposal of the Quraish leaders showed that they did not take religion and the worship of God seriously. Islam is a lifelong commitment and should be practiced with sincerity and devotion.

4. Islam respects the right of freedom of religion.

Islam respects the right of people to choose what religion they follow. Islam does not allow the forcing of religion on others, and it also does not allow the compromising its own values, such as the belief that it is the true religion of God.

In the first article of PREAMBLE, it is mentioned by Hazar Imam," The Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims affirm Shahadah,' La ilaha illallah Muhammadur Rasulullah,' the Tawheed there in and that the Holy Prophet Muhammad PBUH is the last and final Prophet of Allah. Islam, as revealed in the Holy Quran, is the final message of Allah to mankind, and is universal and eternal.

[swamidada]

QUL (Say), O Prophet,˺ “I do not say to you that I possess Allah’s treasuries or know the unseen, nor do I claim to be an angel. I only follow what is revealed to me.” QUL (Say), “Are those blind ˹to the truth˺ equal to those who can see? Will you not then reflect?” 6/50

In the above ayat, the questions asked and demands were made by the Meccans. The disbelievers of Makkah had presented three demands before the Prophet Muhammad. They demanded:

1. If you are really a Messenger of Allah, bring to us the treasures of the whole world through the power of miracle;

2. If you are really a Messenger of Allah, tell us everything good and bad that is going to happen to us in the future so that we can arrange to acquire what is good and abstain from what is bad beforehand.

3. Explain to us for we cannot understand how can someone who is a human being like us, is from us, was born from a mother and father like us, and does things like eating, drinking, walking around in streets and bazaars as we do, all of a sudden become a Messenger of Allah. Had this been an angel, whose creation and attributes would have been more distinguished than ours, we would have accepted him as a Messenger of Allah, and our leader.

The above Ayat was revealed to Prophet to answer infidels. This verse removes the silly notions about Prophethood and answers the absurd objections raised against the claim of Prophethood. The foolish people have always had the silly notion that a Prophet of Allah must be supernatural and capable of performing wonderful miracles. For instance, they expected that a whole mountain should turn into a mass of gold at his bidding: that the earth should throw out treasures by his orders: that he should be able to tell the people all about their past and future: that he should be able to locate a lost thing and foretell whether a sick person will get well or die. They also believed that such a person should be above the common human limitations. They could not conceive anyone to be a prophet, if he suffered from hunger or thirst and needed sleep, or, if he had wife and children and went to the bazaar to buy and sell the necessities of life, or, if he was sometimes forced to borrow money or was involved in poverty and indigence.

When Prophet Muhammad put forward the claim that he was a Messenger of Allah, his contemporaries wanted to test his claim with the touch-stone of such silly notions. They would ask him questions about the unseen things and demand supernatural miracles from him. They would also raise the objection that he was merely a common man, who needed food and drank water like them: who had wife and children and who moved about in the bazaars. In answer to these things, Allah told His Prophet to inform them that he never claimed to be supernatural; his only claim was that he was following the Revelations he received from Allah and that he should be judged by that standard only.

In Surah Kahf/110, Allah said to Prophet, QUL (say) to infidels;
Indeed I am a human being (bashar) like you, but I receive inspiration (WAHI). No doubt Allah is one (in universe).

At the end of Ayat, Allah explain, "that the blind and the sighted cannot be equal". Blind here refers to someone who is misled by his own prejudice and biasness while the sighted is the one who is guided, that is, the one following the truth. They can never be equal. Therefore, people should get rid of their selfish concerns, leave obstinacy and hostility, and see reality as it is so that they may no longer be counted among the blind.

[swamidada]

25. QAAL RUBBI ASHRAH LI SADRI (Moses) said: “O my Lord! Open for me my chest (grant me knowledge, self-confidence, contentment, and boldness).

26. “And ease my task for me;

27. “And make loose the knot (the defect) from my tongue, (i.e. remove the incorrectness from my speech) [That occurred as a result of a brand of fire which Musa (Moses) put in his mouth when he was an infant]. [Tafsir At-Tabari, Vol. 16, Page 159].

28. “That they understand my speech,

29. “And appoint for me a helper from my family,

30. “Harun (Aaron), my brother;

31. “Increase my strength with him,

32. “And let him share my task (of conveying Allah’s Message and Prophethood),

33. “That we may glorify You much,

34. “And remember You much,

35. “Verily! You are of us Ever a Well-Seer.

Surah TA HA, 20/25-35

TA HA is the 20th chapter of the Qur'an with 135 verses. It is named TA HA because the chapter starts with the Arabic "mysterious letters". TA HA which is believed one of the names of the prophet Muhammad and Ahl Bait. The letters Ta-Ha could mean "marvel" or "be amazed" in Aramaic. The mostly Ayat in this chapter are related to story of Moses (Prophrt Musa). When Allah appointed him as Prophet and gave him task to preach Pharoa and Egyptians. He prayed and requested Allah to open his heart, fill it with spiritual knowledge and make Haroon his brother as his helper to spread His message and guidance. Allah accepted Moses request and appointed Haroon as his helper and successor.

Prophet Muhammad said to Mowla Ali," YA ALI ANTA MINNI BI MANZILATI HAROONA MIN MUSA", O Ali, your position with me is same as was Haroon's to Musa. It was Ali Murtaza who was attached with Prophet Muhammad in spreading Islam. He stood by him in thick and thin, and never left Prophet in his mission. Ali fought for Islam and martyred for Islam.
Prophet Muhammad said," ANA MIN ALI, WA ALIYYUM MINNI", I am from Ali and Ali is from me.

[swamidada]

QUL RUBBI ZIDNI ILMA
Surah Taha 20/114
Say (QUL) my RUBB (Lord) increase my knowledge (ILM)

Islam is the religion of knowledge. The first ayah of the Qur’an enjoined reading which is the key to knowledge. Allah says: “Read In the Name of your Lord Who has created (all that exists). He has created man from a clot (a piece of thick coagulated blood). Read and your Lord is the Most Generous. Who has taught (the writing) by the pen. He has taught man that which he knew not.” (Qur’an, 96:1-5)

The Quran urges the mankind to think, ponder, reflect and acquire knowledge that would bring them closer to God and his creation.
Prophet Muhammad said, " "Acquire knowledge. It enables the possessor to distinguish right from wrong; it sustains us in adversity, it is a weapon against enemies and ornament among friends".
The Prophet Muhammad is famously reported to have said: “Seeking knowledge is obligatory upon every Muslim”.

Islam provided great impetus for the human pursuit of knowledge. The first verse that descended on the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) Was Iqra, meaning "read,” opening the door to read, write, and ponder. The Quran urges the mankind to think, ponder, reflect and acquire knowledge that would bring them closer to God and his creation. The Quran uses repetition to embed certain key concepts in the consciousness of its listeners. Allah (God) and Rubb (the Sustainer) are repeated 2,800 and 950 times, respectively, in the sacred text; Ilm (knowledge) comes third with 750 mentions.

The prophet Muhammad commanded knowledge upon all Muslims, and urged them to seek knowledge as far they could reach, and also to seek it all times. Following these commands and traditions, Many Muslim rulers insisted that every Muslim acquire learning and they gave considerable support to institution and learning in general. (sorry to write that in past 5/6 centuries Muslim rulers failed to educate Muslim masses)

Hazar Imam has insisted in his Farmans to acquire high quality and excellent education. Imam wants all of his murids should be educated. In fact our jamaits are highly educated in comparison to other communities. Imam wants not only in worldly education but in religious spiritual ILM (knowledge) we should be progressive.

The necessity of preserving the Quran and the Traditions (Hadith) awakened the spirit of collecting such writings in various forms, which paved the way for the establishment of the earliest libraries in the Muslim world. The mosques which, during the early decades of Islam formed the nerve centers of all political, social, religious, and educational activities, housed valuable libraries comprising books on religion, philosophy, and science. Muslims who distinguished themselves as patrons of learning, established some of the biggest libraries of medieval times and created the great intellectuals of their age. In medieval times, in 9th/10th centuries the best libraries of that era were established, there were libraries in Cairo, Aleppo, Baghdad, and the major cities of Iran and Central Asia. But Muslim rulers forgot the command and decree of Prophet Muhammad and in Shia and Sunni conflict not only they killed millions of Ummah (till today) but burnt valuable libraries of Islamic world like Banu Fatimid in Cairo and Almout area libraries in Iran.

[swamidada]

QUL (Say) travel in the land and see what was the end of those who rejected truth. Surah, Al An'aam, Ayat # 11

Travel in the earth is of two types, physically traveling to a place and traveling by Qulb (spiritual journey), meaning person learns about it and contemplates upon whatever he has learned. For example, not everyone can visit Egypt and see the pyramids but all of us can read about the Pharaoh and the pyramids by reading Qur’an and history books.

Mostly have read about the previous nations, reflect on how they were destroyed. Entire nations were wiped out either through earthquakes, floods fire or some other sort of punishment, like nation of Noah, nation of Aad, nation of Samud, calamities on Israelis according to Bible and Quran. Modern day diseases like Polio, Chickenpox, Aids, Cow disease, Swine disease, and recently Covid 19. This contemplation is going to make a man fear the consequences and his end.

LESSONS TO LEARN:
Don’t utter statements that are a reflection of arrogance and pride. The man who built the Titanic said, “Even God can’t sink it.” And what happened to Titanic?

Travel to places and take heed. Visit to a museum shouldn’t be an entertainment rather the objective should be to take a lesson. Go with fear of Allah.

Be obedient to Allah, His Rasul, and Imam of the time for protection and salvation.

[swamidada]

يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْأَنفَالِ قُلِ الْأَنفَالُ لِلَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَأَصْلِحُوا ذَاتَ بَيْنِكُمْ وَأَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ

They ask you ˹O Prophet˺ regarding the spoils of war. QUL (say), “Their distribution is decided by Allah and His Messenger. So be mindful of Allah, settle your affairs, and obey Allah and His Messenger if you are ˹true˺ believers.” Al Anfal # 1
After the battle of Badr was over many fighters collected the booty and wanted to keep for themselves, and started quarreling each other, some of those who collected the spoils said, 'We collected it, so none else will have a share in it that's why the above Quranic Ayat was revealed.
Historical events and battles have played a critical role in its history. For Muslims, it was the great Battle of Badr a historical war in which 313 Muslims from Madinah under the leadership of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and with the aid of Allah defeated the fierce and powerful army of Quraysh of Makkah, led by Abu Sufyan.

Battle of Badr:

Known to be one of the most important battles in Islamic history, the Battle of Badr marked a major turning point for Muslims. Led by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), the Muslim community fought this battle against an army of the Quraysh that was led by Abu Jahl near Badr, Madinah province. This battle also saw the killing of important Qurayshi leaders, including Umayyah ibn Khalaf and Abu Jahl, at the hands of Muslims. In battle of Badr Mowla Murtaza Ali killed many famous warriors of Quraysh. According to popular beliefs, the victory of Muslims in this battle paved way for the strengthening of Prophet Muhammad’s position. Totally a decisive clash in Islamic history, the victory was attributed to divine intervention coupled with the strategic skills and valour of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Well-known as the first major skirmish between the Qurayshite Mecca and Muslims, the Battle of Badr story has been passed down in the history of Islam for centuries as an important event. One can find its mention in the holy book Quran as well.
Here are some Quranic verses that talk about the event of the great Battle of Badr:

“Already there has been for you a sign in the two armies which met – one fighting in the cause of Allah and another of disbelievers. They saw them (to be) twice their (own) number by (their) eyesight. But Allah supports with His victory whom He wills. Indeed in that is a lesson for those of vision.” [Holy Quran, 3:13]

“[Remember] when you asked the help of your Lord, and He answered you, “Indeed, I will reinforce you with a thousand from the angels, following one another.” [Holy Quran, 8: 9]

“And Allah only gave it as good news and that your hearts might be at ease thereby, and victory is only from Allah; surely Allah is Mighty, Wise.” [Holy Quran, 8:10]

According to hadiths it was said that the Nafl (singular for Anfal) refers to the portion of the spoils of war that the commander gives to some of the fighters after dividing the bulk of the spoils. It was also said that Anfal refers to the KHUMS; one-fifth of the captured goods after four-fifths are divided [between the fighters]. It was also said that the Anfal refers to the Fay', the possessions taken from the disbelievers without fighting, and the animals, servants or whatever other possessions escape from the disbelievers to Muslims.

[swamidada]

قُلْ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ إِنِّى رَسُولُ ٱللَّهِ إِلَيْكُمْ جَمِيعًا ٱلَّذِى لَهُۥ مُلْكُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۖ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ يُحْىِۦ وَيُمِيتُ ۖ

QUL (say), Prophet, “O humanity! I am Allah’s Messenger to you all. To Him alone belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. There is no god ˹worthy of worship˺ except Him. He gives life and causes death.” Surah A'raaf # 158.

The Quran uses يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ "O the mankind" or HUMANITY to address or guide all human beings. The representatives of Allah , whether Vicegerents, Prophets, or Imams are all appointed for the sake of the wellbeing and welfare of the hamanity physically and spiritually. Adam's Vicegerency, Abrahim's Imamat and Muhammad's Prophethood were all for the sake of humanity.
Quran mentions INSAAN 65 times, BASHAR 26 times, Adam and his children 25 times, DUNYA 115 times, ARDH (planet earth) 86 times, 'ALAMEEN 73 times and NAAS 240 times. In all these verses are mentioned humankind and the world of humanity.
Mowla Ali said" you should bear good will to all people in your heart and help others (human beings) all the times.
Prophet Muhammad, past prophets, and Imams are mercy for mankind. Quran says for the Prophet," We have sent you as mercy to the mankind (21:107). Allah wants to elevate the world of humanity to the pinnacle of perfection. He does not like human beings to fall down. All humans deserve the mercy of God but mercy comes when humans are merciful to fellow beings.

[swamidada]

ALLAH says in Quran: Do people not see that We have created them from a sperm-drop, then—behold!—they openly challenge Us? And they argue forgetting they were created—saying, “Who will give life to decayed bones?” 'QUL' Say, O Prophet, “They will be revived by the One Who produced them the first time, for He has perfect knowledge of every created being. He is the One Who gives you fire from green trees, and—behold!—you kindle fire from them. Can the One Who created the heavens and the earth not easily resurrect these deniers? Yes He can! For He is the Master Creator, All-Knowing. All it takes, when He wills something to be, is simply to say to it: “Be!” And it is 'KUN FAYAKUN'. So glory be to the One in Whose Hands is the authority over all things, and to Whomalone you will all be returned. (36:77-83)

"Be, and it is" (كُن فَيَكُونُ kun fa-yakunu) is a phrase referring to creation by Allah. In Arabic the imperative verb "be" (kun) is spelled with the letters kaaf and nun. Kun fa-yakūnu has its reference in the Quran cited as a symbol or sign of God's supreme creative power. There are seven more Quranic references to kun fa-yakun:

Verse numbers
2:117– He is the One Who has originated the heavens and the earth, and when He wills to (originate) a thing, He only says to it: 'Be', and it becomes.

3:47– Mary submitted: 'O my Lord, how shall I have a son when no man has ever touched me?' He said: 'Just as Allah creates what He pleases.' When He decides (to do) some work, He just gives it the command 'Be', and it becomes.

3:59– Surely, the example of ‘Isa (Jesus) in the sight of Allah is the same as that of Adam whom He formed from clay, then said (to him): 'Be'. And he became.

6:73– And He is the One (Allah) Who has created the heavens and the earth (in accordance with His decreed celestial order based) on truth. And the Day when He will say: 'Be', then that (Day of Judgment) will come into being. His Word is the truth. And His will be the sovereignty on the Day when the Trumpet will be blown. He (is the One Who) has the knowledge of the unseen and the seen, and He is All-Wise, All-Aware.

16:40– Our command for a thing is but only this much that when We intend (to bring) it (into existence), We say to it: 'Be', and it becomes.

19:35– It is not Allah's Glory that He should take (to Himself anyone as) a son. Holy and Glorified is He (above this)! When He decrees any matter, He only says to it: 'Be', and it becomes.

40:68– He is the One Who gives life and causes death. Then when He decides upon a thing, He says to it only: 'Be', so it becomes.

The "AMR" (command) of God is in the word "KUN" (be). He alone is the Absolute Sovereign of the world of creation and the world of command. By His AMR (command) The souls and the things pass through the boundry of creation. Fayakun is not that Allah issues a verbal command with the word 'Be', but the reality is that when He wills something to exist it exists. God says in Quran,"Indeed, His are the "KHALQ" (creation) and the "AMR" (command). Blessed be God, the sustainer of the worlds" (7:54). That is to say, He alone is the sovereign of both the worlds of bodies (matter) and souls. There are His countless bounties and favors in both of them. He is the sustainer of both the creation and command.

[swamidada]

سَيَقُولُونَ ثَلَٰثَةٞ رَّابِعُهُمۡ كَلۡبُهُمۡ وَيَقُولُونَ خَمۡسَةٞ سَادِسُهُمۡ كَلۡبُهُمۡ رَجۡمَۢا بِٱلۡغَيۡبِۖ وَيَقُولُونَ سَبۡعَةٞ وَثَامِنُهُمۡ كَلۡبُهُمۡۚ قُل رَّبِّيٓ أَعۡلَمُ بِعِدَّتِهِم مَّا يَعۡلَمُهُمۡ إِلَّا قَلِيلٞۗ فَلَا تُمَارِ فِيهِمۡ إِلَّا مِرَآءٗ ظَٰهِرٗا وَلَا تَسۡتَفۡتِ فِيهِم مِّنۡهُمۡ أَحَدٗا
18:22
They will say there were three, the fourth of them being their dog; and they will say there were five, the sixth of them being their dog, guessing at the unseen; and they will say there were seven, and the eighth of them was their dog. QUL (Say),(O Prophet),“My Lord is most knowing of their number. None knows them except a few. So do not argue about them except with an obvious argument and do not inquire about them among (the speculators) from anyone.”

As usual in history, men often mix historical truth with fables, and we end up losing important lessons of our past. After having studied in depth the story of the companions of the cave focusing exclusively on the Quran, I came to the conclusion that questionable Christian and Islamic traditions have prevented us from understanding correctly part of the historical message narrated in sura 18 (surah kahef). A close analysis reveals for instance that long before the first large scale Christian persecution led by roman emperor Decius in 250 CE, it is in reality Trinitarian Christians who first started massively eradicating pure monotheist Christians exemplified by the companions of the cave. It took many centuries of persecutions, wars and massacres for the polytheistic doctrine of trinity to eventually prevail in the Christian world; sura 18 reinstates the historical responsibilities of the early trinitarian church by taking us back to the dark ages of the beginning of the 2rd century when corrupted Christianity didn’t find any other solution but to kill people to impose the concept of Jesus’ deity.

Sura 18 tells us one of the most profound stories in the history of mankind: The companions of the cave fell asleep for three centuries before God awoke them. How many companions stayed in the cave has remained a historical enigma in the Quran that very few people have been able to solve decisively; One of the key questions is why is there so much importance given to their number as such a number could easily seem insignificant in itself? As usual in the Quran, there is a profoundly meaningful symbolical dimension hidden behind their number, and one of the goals of this study will be to decipher it, God willing.

Why did they stay specifically “three hundred years and they add nine”, as the Quran puts it literally? We will explain why such a number is written in such a peculiar manner, and also show that the number of years is deeply related to the correct number of companions who remained in the cave.

In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful,

(18:1) Glory to God, the one who revealed the Book to His servant, and has not allowed in it any deviousness; (18:2) Straightforward, in order to warn about a terrible punishment that will impart from Him; and give good news to the believers who accomplish good deeds that a generous recompense awaits them, (18:3) In which they shall abide eternally. (18:4) And to warn those who say: “God has ascribed a son to Himself”. (18:5) They do not have in this regard any [sound] knowledge, nor do their forefathers. Grievous is the word that comes out of their mouths! All they say is nothing but a lie. (18:6) And you may torment yourself in grief keeping after their footsteps, if they happen not to believe in this narration. (18:7) Indeed, We have turned everything that there is on Earth into a means by which to embellish it, that we may test which one accomplishes the best deeds. (18:8) And indeed, We will make everything on it a barren land. (18:9) Why else have you thought that the companions of the Cave and Al Raqeem were among Our wondrous signs? (18:10) Once the youths retreated to the Cave, they then implored: “May the inherent mercy of your soul be bestowed upon us; help us conduct our affairs in the right way.” (18:11) We then veiled their ears in the Cave for a specific number of years. (18:12) We then awakened them to reveal which of the two groups best calculated how much time they remained. (18:13) We narrate to you this story with absolute truthfulness. Indeed they were youths who believed in their Lord and We increased their guidance. (18:14) We strengthened their hearts when they stood up and proclaimed: “Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the Earth. We will never invoke beside Him any other god. Assuredly, we would otherwise have uttered an enormity.” (18:15) These people of ours have set up gods beside Him. Why do they not bring forward any clear evidence to support them! And Who could possibly be more wicked than he who invents a lie about God? (18:16) And now that you have dissociated (yourself) from them and what they worship beside God, seek refuge in the Cave: Your Lord will bestow His mercy upon you, and will provide a solution regarding your (current) situation. (18:17) You can see the rising sun declining away from the right of their cave, and once it set, disappearing from them to the left, while they stand inside in the enclosed space. This is (indeed) among God’s signs. He whom Allah guides is rightly guided; but he whom He lets go astray, you cannot find any guardian to lead him on the Right Way. (18:18) And you (would) think that they [were] awake, while they (were) asleep. And We turn[ed] them over to the right, and to the left, their dog stretching his two forelegs at the entrance. If you had looked at them, you would have turned away from them in haste, as their [sight] would most assuredly have stricken you with terror. (18:19) And similarly, we resurrected them, so they would debate among themselves. One of them took the floor and said “How long did you remain [asleep]?”They (who were part of the first group) replied: “We remained (asleep) a day, or part of a day.” They (who were part of the second group) said: “Your Lord knows best how long you remained, so send one of you with this silver coin of yours to the city, and let him find out which food is best there, and bring you thereof some provisions; let him be cautious not to attract attention on any of you. (18:20) Indeed, if they happen to find out about you, they will stone you [to death], or revert you to their religion and in that case you will never attain felicity.” (18:21) And this is how We allowed the secret about them to come to light, in order for them to know that God’s promise is the truth, and that there is no doubt in it whatsoever regarding the [advent of the] Hour. When they had an argument with each other about their case, they said: “Build over them an edifice; their Lord has full knowledge about them”. Those who prevailed regarding their case said: “We will surely erect a place of worship over them”. (18:22) They will [subsequently] say: “They were three, the fourth being their dog.”, while (others) will say: “Five, the sixth being their dog”, taking a guess about the hidden aspect of things; and they will say: “Seven, the eighth being their dog.” Say: “My Lord knows their number; none knows them except a few”. So do not argue with them except with a decisive argument, and do not seek information regarding them from anyone. (18:23) And do not ever say about anything: “I will certainly do that tomorrow”, (18:24) Except “If God so wills”. And remember your Lord when you forget and say: “May this guidance, O my Lord, draw me nearer”. (18:25) And they remained in their cave for three hundred solar years, and they add nine. (18:26) Say: “God knows best how long they stayed; to Him belongs the hidden aspect of the heavens and the Earth; how clearly He sees through it and hears! No one other than Him can serve as a Protector, and He doesn’t share anything in His judgment.”(18:27) And recite what has been revealed to you from the book of your Lord. Nothing can modify His words; you will find no refuge to protect you other than Him. (18:28) And may your soul be patient with those who call their Lord in the morning and the evening seeking His face, and do not let your eyes turn away from them, seeking the beauties of this worldly life, and do not obey the one whose heart we have made heedless of our remembrance and succumbed to his desires, while his affairs were driven to excess.

General historical context of sura 18

According to historians and what we can derive directly from sura 18, Prophet Muhammad was tested by Jews and Christians regarding three historic events. It is a fact that none of the three events narrated in sura 18 are found in the Bible and were well known puzzling stories in Jewish and Christians circles:

– The story of young Christians who fell asleep for three centuries in a cave.

– The story of a mysterious man (known as Khidr in hadiths, which you can be certain is false) who traveled with Moses and taught him lessons he was not prepared for.

– The story of Zul Qarnain, who built the wall that prevented Gog and Magog to spread evil on Earth.

Jews and Christians suspected that someone was teaching the Bible to Muhammad (25:5) and they knew that only an authentic prophet who would receive God’s revelations could answer their questions regarding stories that were not even found in the Bible and that even themselves had only partial knowledge of. This is why sura 18 was revealed.

Sura 18 and the symbolical resurrection of the companions of the cave is a physical proof that the Day of Resurrection is an incontrovertible reality, a fact that an overwhelming majority of Jews have historically denied to this day. God tells us in the Quran that He takes away our souls when we are asleep in the same way as He does with people who die, and that He resurrects us during the day (25:47, 39:42).

(25:47) He is the one who made for you the night as a garment, and the sleep a rest; and He made the day a resurrection.

(39:42) God takes away the souls at the time of their death, as well as the ones who do not die in their sleep; He then keeps the one upon which He has decreed death, and sends back the others for a specified term. There are indeed therein signs for people who reflect.

Human beings have a clear choice between Heaven and Hell and the story of companions of the Cave is a profound warning intended primarily towards Christians:

Condemnation of the doctrine of trinity

The typical mistake that many people make commenting or reading sura 18 is to consciously or unconsciously dissociate the beginning of sura 18 (verses 1 to from the rest of the sura and believe that the story of the companions actually starts in verse 9 where they are mentioned for the first time. It is extremely important to bear in mind that the context of the story begins with verse 1 and follows afterwards a very logical order until its very end.

Verse 4 sets the tone right away as it warns those who believe that Jesus is the son of God. The condemnation is extremely strong as such a belief is called a “lie” (verse 5). It implies in the context of the sura that the companions of the cave were pure, early Christians whose faith was not tarnished by the doctrine of trinity. The prophet Muhammad was deeply sad and “tormented” (verse 6) when he met Christians in his time as most of them refused to purify their faith by stopping worshipping Jesus and his mother. We will learn more about the theme of the rejection of the trinity later in the commentary when it comes to who persecuted the companions of the cave.

There is a very strong connection between the theme of rejecting trinity, verse 8 which describes the Day of resurrection, and verse 9 where the companions of the cave are mentioned for the first time: God used pure early Christians as a warning and a lesson for subsequent generations manifesting a miracle which provides an analogy with the day of resurrection:

أَمْ حَسِبْتَ أَنَّ أَصْحَابَ الْكَهْفِ

وَالرَّقِيمِ كَانُوا مِنْ آيَاتِنَا عَجَبًا

(18:9) Why else have you thought that the companions of the Cave and Al Raqeem were among Our wondrous signs?

“Al Raqeem” is in my opinion the name of the dog that slept in the cave, not “scriptures” that the sleepers carried with them, or an “inscription” that was subsequently posted at the entrance of the cave, or again a physical location as others have claimed, as is usually interpreted by many translators and commentators. Verse 22 makes it a fact that a dog slept with them in the cave. “The companions and their dog” are therefore altogether part of the “wondrous sign” described in verse 9, all of them being the symbol of resurrection. It would not make sense to call alleged scriptures that we did not even inherit from them, an alleged inscription that we cannot find, or an alleged physical location near the cave to be part of the “wondrous sign” together with the companions, while not even mentioning the dog which we are certain was present (verses 18 and 22). The dog being awakened together with the companions is a very important message that all creatures, not just humans, will be resurrected at the end of times; this is why we cannot dissociate the dog as being part of the “wondrous sign”, and it is why “al Raqeem” is very simply the name of their dog. The story also shows that dogs are not unclean, as corrupted Islamic traditions have claimed. The companions are one of the utmost symbol of purity of faith in the Quran and they slept three centuries in the same space as a dog. Would God choose to do such a thing if they were unclean or impure?!

God always answers righteous prayers and He has a plan: The young companions were persecuted because of their faith in the One True God as corrupted Christianity based on trinity was in the process of being established in the Byzantine empire; they would have been martyred, but they implored God and He saved them by sending them in a deep sleep for many years in a safe place. Verse 12 provides us a very important piece of information as it clarifies that the sleepers were awakened in order “to reveal which of the two groups best calculated how much time they remained.” It makes it clear that the sleepers were divided in two groups with two different opinions regarding how much time they remained in the cave. This important detail will help us determine how many sleepers there were.

The companions make a most beautiful proclamation of their faith in the One true God before falling asleep in verses 14 to 16, which implies not only a condemnation of roman paganism, but primarily in the context of the sura of the concept of Jesus’ deity, a doctrine which appeared very early in Christianity and was derived from the teachings of Paul, who introduced the corrupted belief that Jesus is the savior of the world and died on the cross to save the entire mankind. The concept of Jesus’ deity was a constant subject of divisions in Christianity and only became the official doctrine of the Roman Empire in 325 C.E. after the Council of Nicea. It took several more centuries of terror killing Christians who rejected it before it became the official creed in the entire Christian world.

What makes us say that the companions of the cave were persecuted by Trinitarians before they fell asleep is verse 14 where they say about those who ascribed deities beside God that they “would have uttered an enormity” if they had listened to those who corrupted the faith in God by setting up partners beside Him. It is not a coincidence if the very same word “enormity” (Shatatan = شَطَطًا) is used only one more time in the entire Quran in 72:4 to specifically denounce Christians who deify Mary and Jesus:

(72:3) Exalted is the majesty of our Lord, He has never attributed a wife (Mary) nor a son (Jesus) to himself. (72:4) The foolish among us used to utter against God an enormity (Shatatan = شَطَطًا).

The word “enormity” occurs therefore only twice in the Quran (18:14, 72:3), the word in 72:3 clarifying the context of the one in 18:14, which is very typical of how the Quran functions. It confirms that the companions of the cave were initially persecuted by corrupted Christians who were forcing them to renounce to the pure stand of monotheism to worship God Alone. This interpretation connects perfectly with the fact that the very beginning of sura 18 is all about condemning those who claim that Jesus is “the son of God”, which belief we saw is called a “lie” (كَذِبًا) in verse 5. The very same word “lie” is used again in verse 15 where, in the context of the sura, the companions condemn the doctrine of trinity as they are quoted saying: “Who could possibly be more wicked than he who invents a lie (كَذِبًا = trinity) about God?”.

Since the companions of the cave were awakened before the revelation of the Quran (revealed in 610 C.E.) and slept about three centuries, it means that the Quran provides historical proof that Trinitarian Christians began persecuting and killing pure Christians before the Council of Nicea in 325 C.E., which is the first time the roman empire formally accepted trinitarian Christianity as the official religion.

Location of the cave

Verse 18:17 provides geographical insight regarding the location of the actual cave, which seems to be facing North, as the sun first reverberates against the right side of the entrance of the cave at sunrise and on the left side at sunset (You can see the rising sun declining away from the right of their cave, and once it set, disappearing from them to the left, while they stand inside in the enclosed space.).

From Spain to Turkey, Algeria, Tunisia, Jordan, Yemen, Afghanistan…, over 100 caves around the world are said to be the cave of the seven sleepers. The most famous site is the cave of Ephesus in Turkey.

A number of caves can be easily discarded because the Quran is extremely precise, God telling us that eventually a “Masjid” (lit. “a place where people prostrate”) was built “over them”:

وَكَذَٰلِكَ أَعْثَرْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ لِيَعْلَمُوا أَنَّ وَعْدَ اللَّهِ حَقٌّ

وَأَنَّ السَّاعَةَ لَا رَيْبَ فِيهَا إِذْ يَتَنَازَعُونَ بَيْنَهُمْ

أَمْرَهُمْ فَقَالُوا ابْنُوا عَلَيْهِم بُنْيَانًا رَّبُّهُمْ أَعْلَمُ بِهِمْ

قَالَ الَّذِينَ غَلَبُوا عَلَىٰ أَمْرِهِمْ لَنَتَّخِذَنَّ عَلَيْهِم مَّسْجِدًا

(18:21) And this is how We allowed (the secret) about them to come to light, in order for them to know that God’s promise is the truth, and that there is no doubt in it whatsoever regarding the (advent of the) Hour. When they had an argument with each other about their case, they said: “Build over them an edifice; their Lord has full knowledge about them”. Those who prevailed regarding their case said: “We will surely erect a place of worship over them”.

The way Jews and Christians prayed in ancient times was very much alike Muslims as they used to prostrate during their ritual prayer, starting from the standing position. Even today, Coptic Christians in the Middle East, Syrian Orthodox Christian, Greek Orthodox Christian and other Christian denominations still prostrate during their prayer ritual.

Another blatant example can be found in the book written by Rabbi Hayim Halevy Donin, “To Pray as a Jew”, which shows that Jews originally used to pray almost the same way Muslims do today, standing, bowing and prostrating.

This is why the Christians who witnessed the miracle of the seven sleepers built a “Masjid” (“Place of prostration”), since “prostration” was a natural part of their prayer ritual at the time.

The oldest known account of the story of the seven sleepers was written in Syriac in 474 C.E. by Jacob of Sarug (a Christian priest born approximately in 451 C.E. in the village of Kurtam on the Euphrates, modern Turkey, very close to the modern border between Syria and Iraq a few years after the sleepers woke up. His story describes Ephesus as the location of the cave and his description is fairly close to the story in the Quran, but departs from it regarding important details, for instance when it says that “the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus” fell asleep around 250 AD during the reign of the Roman emperor Decius and awoke approximately 150-200 years later during the reign of Theodosius II (who was the Byzantine Emperor from 408 to 450). This story grossly contradicts the Quranic account that they slept 300 years, the Quran being the infallible word of God.

Therefore, the Syriac story cannot be trusted at the same level as the Quran, but is very important because it establishes that the date the sleepers awoke cannot be later than 450 C.E (the year Theodosius II died) This means that the companions of the cave fell asleep no later than 150 C.E. (as Their sleep lasted about 300 years according to 18:25) and likely a few years before. Christians like Jacob of Sarug who did not witness the story directly be reported it years later must have guessed that the companions fell asleep during the reign of Decius because he is historically the first emperor to have initiated a large scale persecution against Christians; Such an assumption turns out to be completely false once that we realize that the Quran cannot be wrong about the companions sleeping three centuries.
This may very well be one of several signs that Ephesus is the right location because it is the place where Christianity reached the utmost stage of idol worship. We can wonder if 431 C.E. would have been the year the companions of the cave awoke as a symbolic response to the council of Ephesus, and because 431 is the gematrical value of “the sun”, key symbol of the solar calendar in the sura, God knows best; we will see later the importance of the word “the sun” in 18:17 in connection with the number of years the companions slept.

Just like in corrupted Christianity, the same need to build sanctuaries or shrines for dead saints has become widespread throughout the Sunni and Shia world and it is a blatant proof that they deviated from pure monotheism in the very same way as Christians.

The site of Ephesus may or may not be the actual cave described in the Quran, as there are over one hundred caves in the world which claim that title. We will simply mention that Ephesus is a likely candidate simply because it is the oldest site reported historically (by Jacob of Sarug).

The emperor Constantine (272 – 337) converted to Christianity and brutally imposed the doctrine of trinity in the roman empire after the council of Nicea in 325, which was a compromise between Christianity and roman paganism. Here is an example of Constantine’s hatred against non Trinitarian Christians which gives an idea of what pure Christians had to endure:

“In addition, if any writing composed by Arius should be found, it should be handed over to the flames, so that not only will the wickedness of his teaching be obliterated, but nothing will be left even to remind anyone of him. And I hereby make a public order, that if someone should be discovered to have hidden a writing composed by Arius, and not to have immediately brought it forward and destroyed it by fire, his penalty shall be death. As soon as he is discovered in this offence, he shall be submitted for capital punishment…..”

Remark: Arius, a Christian presbyter in Alexandria (Egypt) of Libyan origins, is known historically to have rejected the doctrine of Trinity. He and his followers were persecuted and Arius seems to have died by poisoning.

We already have solid proof from verse 19 that the sleepers were a minimum of seven, which discards the first two possibilities their dog being the 4th” and “5 and their dog being the 6th”). God pointed at the weakness of the two statements by saying that such people were purely “guessing about the hidden aspect of things”. The Quran is “the book for which there is no doubt” (2:2): It never quotes a false statement or anything incorrect in general without indicating in some way its weakness or falseness and providing the right answer instead. By contrast, God did not make any objection against people who said they were “Seven, the eighth being their dog.” For this reason, together with the fact we know for certain that they were a minimum of seven, the third solution is indeed the right one. The simple and miraculously precise language of the Quran provided us the “decisive argument” God is talking about in verse 22: “So do not argue with them except with a decisive argument, and do not seek their advice pertaining to them.”

Conclusion:
The seven companions of the cave were pure early Christians (around 150 C.E.) who were persecuted by trinitarian Christians (and not by typical Roman polytheists as usually thought) because they refused to corrupt their faith in the one true God and rejected trinity and the concept of Jesus being divine.

The seven sleepers are one of the greatest miracle in the history of mankind. It is one of the greatest sign of the Quran as well; it is a deep, multiple meaning sign.

God saved them and made them a sign that resurrection is an incontrovertible fact.

Al Raqeem, their dog, is a proof that anything that has a soul will be resurrected as well.

We shall show them Our portents on the horizons and within themselves until it will be manifest unto them that it is the Truth. Does not your Lord suffice, that He is Witness over all things? (41:53)

[swamidada]

قُل لَّن يُصِيبَنَآ إِلَّا مَا كَتَبَ ٱللَّهُ لَنَا هُوَ مَوۡلَىٰنَاۚ وَعَلَى ٱللَّهِ فَلۡيَتَوَكَّلِ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ
Surah Tauba-51
QUL (Say): “Nothing shall ever happen to us except what Allah has ordained for us. He is our Mowla (Lord, Helper and Protector). And in Allah let the believers put their trust".

“And whoever has Tawakkul in Allah, He is sufficient for them.” [65:3]

Tawakkul توکل is one of the superior human qualities. It does not mean that one should cut off all his connections with the effort to collect material support. On the contrary, one should collect what is obviously needed to the best of his ability, use it, and then, let Allah take care of the outcome. Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah said;" Struggle is the meaning of life; defeat or victory is in the hands of God. But struggle itself is man's duty and should be his joy.

Ayat 51 of Surah Tauba explains the attitudes of a man of the world and of a man of God. Whatever the man of the world does, he does it to please his own self. He exults if he attains some worldly ends but feels utterly dejected if he fails to attain them. Besides, he depends entirely on his material resources for his success and feels encouraged if these are favorable, but loses heart if these are unfavorable.

In contrast to the man of the world, whatever the man of God does, he does it to please Him and trusts in Him and not in his own powers nor in material resources. Therefore he is neither exultant over his success in the cause of Allah, nor loses heart by failure, for he believes that it is the will of God that is working in both the cases. Therefore he is neither disheartened by disasters nor is filled with conceit by successes. This is because he believes that both prosperity and adversity are from Allah and are nothing but a trial from Him. Therefore his only worry is to do his best to come out successful in His test. Besides, as there are no worldly ends before him, he does not measure his success or failure by the achievement or failure of his ends. On the other hand, the only object before him is to sacrifice his life and wealth in the Way of Allah, and he measures the success or failure of his efforts by the standard he achieves in the performance of this duty. Therefore if he is satisfied that he has done his best to perform this duty, he believes that he has come out successful by the grace of God, though he might not have been able to accomplish anything from the worldly point of view; for he believes that his Allah in whose cause he has expended his life and wealth will not let go waste the reward of his efforts. As he does not depend on the material resources only, he is neither grieved if they are unfavorable, nor feels exultant when these are favorable. His entire trust is in God who is the controller of all the resources; therefore he goes on doing his duty even under the most unfavorable circumstances with the same courage and perseverance that is shown by the worldly people unfavorable circumstances alone. That is why Allah asked the Prophet (peace be upon him) to say to the hypocrites, “There is a basic difference between you and us in regard to the conduct of affairs. We believe that both the good and the bad are from Allah: therefore the apparent result does not make us happy or sad. Moreover, we depend on Allah in our affairs and you depend on material resources: so we are content and happy in all circumstances.”

Quran says; “When you are firm (in making a decision), then have tawakkul in Allah, for surely Allah loves the people of tawakkul.” [3:159]

In Surah Al-Baqarah (2:286), the Quran says, “Allah does not burden a soul beyond that it can bear”. This verse reminds us that Allah knows our limits and strengths, and will not give us a test that we cannot handle.