Sura - 18 The Cave (Al-Kahf) Order Of Revelation 69, Verses: 110 [18:0] In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful [18:1] Praise GOD, who revealed to His servant this scripture, and made it flawless. [18:2] A perfect (scripture) to warn of severe retribution from Him, and to deliver good news to the believers who lead a righteous life, that they have earned a generous recompense. [18:3] Wherein they abide forever. [18:4] And to warn those who said, "GOD has begotten a son!" _____________________________________________________________________ 1585 92329 [18:5] They possess no knowledge about this, nor did their parents. What a blasphemy coming out of their mouths! What they utter is a gross lie. [18:6] You may blame yourself on account of their response to this narration, and their disbelieving in it; you may be saddened. The End of the World* [18:7] We have adorned everything on earth, in order to test them, and thus distinguish those among them who work righteousness. [18:8] Inevitably, we will wipe out everything on it, leaving it completely barren. The Dwellers of the Cave [18:9] Why else do you think we are telling you about the people of the cave, and the numbers connected with them? They are among our wondrous signs. [18:10] When the youths took refuge in the cave, they said, "Our Lord, shower us with Your mercy, and bless our affairs with Your guidance." [18:11] We then sealed their ears in the cave for a predetermined number of years. [18:12] Then we resurrected them to see which of the two parties could count the duration of their stay therein. [18:13] We narrate to you their history, truthfully. 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 only Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. We will never worship any other god beside Him. Otherwise, we would be far astray. [18:15] "Here are our people setting up gods beside Him. If only they could provide any proof to support their stand! Who is more evil than the one who fabricates lies and attributes them to GOD? _____________________________________________________________________ *18:8-9 As it turns out, the history of these Christian believers, the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus, is directly connected with the end of the world as stated in 18:9 & 21. The role of these believers in unveiling the end of the world is detailed in Appendix 25. 1586 92344 The Seven Sleepers of Ephesus* [18:16] "Since you wish to avoid them, and their worshipping of other than GOD*, let us take refuge in the cave. May your Lord shower you with His mercy and direct you to the right decision." A Guiding Teacher is a Prerequisite [18:17] You could see the sun when it rose coming from the right side of their cave, and when it set, it shone on them from the left, as they slept in the hollow thereof. This is one of GOD's portents. Whomever GOD guides is the truly guided one, and whomever He sends astray, you will not find for him a guiding teacher. [18:18] You would think that they were awake, when they were in fact asleep. We turned them to the right side and the left side, while their dog stretched his arms in their midst. Had you looked at them, you would have fled from them, stricken with terror. [18:19] When we resurrected them, they asked each other, "How long have you been here?" "We have been here one day or part of the day," they answered. "Your Lord knows best how long we stayed here, so let us send one of us with this money to the city. Let him fetch the cleanest food, and buy some for us. Let him keep a low profile, and attract no attention. [18:20] "If they discover you, they will stone you, or force you to revert to their religion, then you can never succeed." _____________________________________________________________________ *18:16-20 Ephesus is located about 200 miles south of ancient Nicene, and 30 miles south of today's Izmir in Turkey. The dwellers of the cave were young Christians who wanted to follow the teachings of Jesus, and worship God alone. They were fleeing the persecution of neo-christians who proclaimed a corrupted Christianity three centuries after Jesus, following the Nicene Conferences, when the Trinity doctrine was announced. In 1928, Franz Miltner, an Austrian archeologist discovered the tomb of the seven sleepers of Ephesus. Their history is well documented in several encyclopedias. *18:17 This sign, or hint, tells us that the cave was facing north. 1589 92377 Connection With the End of the World* [18:21] We caused them to be discovered, to let eve

• published: 14 Nov 2008
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