IN THE NAME OF ALLAH THE MOST
BENEFICENT AND MERCIFUL.
The air was filled with a thick, nauseous stench of animals' blood.
For as far as the eyes could see clusters of people were scattered around
in small gatherings and groups engrossed in their individual forms of worship.
Some were ferociously slaughtering their sacrifices in the name of false
gods, some humbly kneeling over besides tiny lifeless idols proclaiming
boundless servitude, whilst others chanted and prostrated to numerous hand
carved, stone statues.
A single lone figure stood and glanced around, attentively observing
the customary rituals around him. The atmosphere was strained for many
of these people were worshipping half heartedly due to the oppression of
their tyrant king Daqyaanoos.
A thought crossed his mind - baseless.
Worshipping a being, any being, demands total submission. Belief that
he is the Creator, not the created; the Provider rather than the Receiver.
Suddenly the youth was filled with a deep resentment for idol-worship.
He was overwhelmed with a sincere desire to release himself from his surroundings
and quickly, yet cautiously began to make his way away with a new found
determination in his heart to submit to the real Lord of both worlds: Allah.
The zealous young man strode away towards an opening, leaving behind
the noisy pandemonium of his astray people and took refuge under the shade
of a tree. Before long he sighted the distant figure of another youth approaching
from the same direction. He watched curiously as he also came and took
refuge beneath the tree. Both sat in silence as they observed a third,
then a fourth figure heading towards the same destination until a small
congregation of seven unacquainted youths gathered.
Each individual was curious about the other, yet at the same time each
one was relunctant to reveal his thoughts lest the tyrant king learns of
their apostacy.
Eventually, after what seemed like eternity of silence had elapsed one
youth spoke up, "Brothers", he began cautiously, breaking
the ice, "We had all chosen to detach ourselves from the carnival,
maybe we should inform each other of our thoughts." Hearing this
request for honesty a bold youth stepped forth and confessed, "The
truth is.........."he spoke, "I simply do not agree with
the choice of religion our people have adopted. I strongly believe the
only deity worthy of worship is, Allah subhanahu wa ta'aalaa who created
the heavens and the earths and all that beholds it."
Hearing their own thoughts voiced out aloud inspired the rest to disclose
their own beliefs which were exactly the same. This immediately sent a
wave of relief over their hearts and an instinctive band of companionship
was formed immediately.
With the support of their new found friendship after their total faith
in Allah, the youngsters decided to construct a place of worship where
they would gather and worship Allah. But as time passed, people rapidly
learnt of this 'alien' form of worship and rumours spread quickly like
wild fire until they reached the king who was obviously outraged.
The kings exasperation rose at their intolerable courage and in a gust
of fury ordered that their fine exquisite robes be removed saying, "I
shall withold your punishment temporarily to allow you to think the matter
over. If you wish you may return to the religion of your forefathers and
no harm shall come to you. If, however, you refuse to accept this proposal
you shall most certainly be beheaded,"
This ultimatum offered the group the perfect opportunity to escape to
safer grounds. Embracing this chance they fled towards the wilderness in
search of a safe haven. As they made their way along they suddenly became
aware of another presence pursuing them. They turned to find a brown/yellow
dog at their heels.
Despite their many efforts to deter the creature it remained steadfast
at their footsteps until finally Allah granted the dog ability to speak
with which it spoke out loud, "Should I not love those who love Allah?"
Hearing this the youths allowed the dog to accompany them in their trek.
It has been stated regarding this fortunate dog that it is the only
dog which shall enter paradise. Surely, it is a point to ponder over. If
a creature as disgraced as a dog can achieve such a lofty rank by accompanying
the pious and beloved bondsmen of Allah, what can be said regarding the
humans who adopt such benevolent company?
Finally they took cover in a hidden cave of the foot of a mountain.
The cave was spacious inside and was situated either towards the northern
or southern direction, either way it was impossible for the sun's rays
to fall inside the cave. It made the perfect hideout.
They appointed one amongst themselves to go to the city in disguise
for purchase and investigation. He informed one day that they were being
searched for by the soldiers of the king and there relatives were being
compelled to give information about them.
As they were discussing this matter, Allah, all of a sudden, set sleep
over them. As they lay there, along with their new found companion, Qitmeer
the dog, they drifted through the first few moments of an extraordinary
sleep which was destined to last 309 years.
During this state of deep sleep the Almighty Allah above watched over
them and organized his own manner of protecting them from the outside world.
Seven open eyed figures lay peacefully inside, undisturbed by the blazing
sun outside. Occasionally, the silence was broken momentarily as the sleeping
bodies swiftly turned to avoid decomposition eating at their sides. Then
after a few seconds of disturbances, silence would prevail again.
To an outsider or passer-by the scene, barely visible in the dimly lit
cave would appear eerie, almost ghostly. No doubt an inquisitive glance
inside would fill one with fear causing him to flee in awe of them.
The years gradually rolled by and in the ever changing world outside,
custom and society advanced leaving the eminents of the grave centuries
behind; untouched by the aging world of time.
Eventually, after a number of years the bodies stirred, limbs stretched
and consciousness returned to bring the youths plunging forward 300 years
into the future. Despite the lengthy sleep, signs of it were virtually
nonexistent. Upon awakening, one youth questioned casually," How
long have you stayed here? "
The youths glanced out into the dusky evening and assumed the night
they were witnessing was the end of the same they had entered the cave.
" Oh, (maybe) a day or part of the day," came the reply.
Joining in the conversation, a few more spoke up, " Your Lord
knows best how long you have stayed."
The topic was brushed aside as quickly as it had begun and they began
to discuss plans for the future. However, before any step ahead they decided
to satisfy their hunger. Approaching the matter tactfully, one youth advised,
' Send one of you with this silver coin to the city and let him
see what food is purest there and bring you a supply thereof.' ( Kahf :
20 )
The youths realised caution was a necessity here because the king definitely
must have issued an arrest warrant for them. As this was the first time
any of them had dared to venture into the city after the king's ultimatum
they added a few words of advice. ' (Let him) be courteous and let
no man know of you. For they, if they should come to know of you they will
never prosper.
(Kahf: 20/21)
And so, with this advice and silver coin clutched tightly in his hand,
one zealous youth named Yamleekha set off towards the local bazaar. Little
did he know that in the city he was heading to, corruption and controversial
opinions were slowly breaking to surface amongst the city dwellers themselves.
A large sect was stubbornly denying the resurrection of mankind after his
biological death. Whilst one sect blatantly denied this far fetched possibility,
the other faithfully adhered to their sound initial belief, consequently
causing dispute throughout.
" How," they argued persistently, " can even one
human being ever return to its original state after spending centuries
wasting away into dust and ashes? According to us this is surely beyond
the grounds of possibility."
In the confusion of satans attempts to misguide them they had grown
blind to the extraordinary manner in which Allah created man in the first
place from a clot of blood. To resurrect was nothing in comparison.
As time and era had, so had belief changed in 300 years and so had the
king of the nearby city. The tryant king, Decius, had been replaced by
King Baydoosees who was not only alot more merciful but was also a pious
god fearing believer. Witnessing the dispute within his people King Baydoosees’s
anxiety grew and he deeply worried for the safety of his peoples’ belief.
One day, realising there was only one solution to this problem, the
king retired to the privacy of his personal quarters where he sat alone;
a sorrowful figure dressed in old worn out clothes. He looked a pitiful
sight with tears streaming damnlessly down his cheeks and his hands raised
high in prayer to Allah. Through his racking sobs a few words could be
heard, "Oh, Allah, I am relying on you and you alone to create a
meaning of understanding for my people and lead them onto the righteous
path....
Meanwhile, in the market place Yamleekha was choosely wandering around
searching for provisions. He was aware of the fact that the townsfolk often
slaughtered animals in the name of false Gods and he certainly didn’t want
to partake their sacrifice. Stopping at a nearby stall he settled for some
suitable goods and offered his coin in return. The shopkeeper absent mindedly
accepted the coin but when he glanced down at it his eyes grew wide in
astonishment. "Why, this coin is over three centuries old,"
he exclaimed to himself in surprise. Puzzled, the shopkeeper walked over
to the nearby stall keepers who all inspected the coin, then unanimously
came to the conclusion that this strange young man has probably embarked
upon some ancient buried treasure.
Together they confronted Yamleekha with this who persistently
denied it.
"No, no, no, brothers you’ve got it all wrong. I have not discovered
any treasure. This is definitely my own coin"
His cries were to no avail as the townsfolk immediately arrested him
and took him to the kings courts. King Baydoosees was engrossed in his
prayers when he was disturbed by the arrival of the so-called criminal.
As he entered the courts he was greeted by the towns people who related
the situation to him. After hearing one side of the story the king looked
towards Yamleekha who began to explain himself, "Your Majesty,"
began Yamleekha, "I am no thief and neither have I unearthed any
great treasure. The truth is .... " And so, patiently, the king
listened to Yamleekha’s story. Once he had finished he remembered the ancient
tablet named ‘Raqeem’ which had been preserved amongst the city’s historical
treasures. It had either been written by order of Decius himself who wanted
the public to be aware of the fate of those who dared oppose the king,
or by a group of true believers who secretly agreed with the youths, but
lacked the courage to openly announce their apostacy, and had written this
tablet as a memorium.
Slowly, as everything began to fall into place, it dawned upon Baydoosees
that Allah had, as He had promised to, accepted his prayer and sent a way
for him to prove to the people that resurrection after death is possible.
The king was overjoyed upon hearing the whole truthful story, and said,
"Yamleekha, take me with you to your cave so I too can meet the rest
of your group."
And so, the king with a large group of the townspeople made their way
towards the city. Upon reaching the cave, Yamleekha turned to face the
king, " Sire, may I stop you here so I can enter the cave alone first
and inform the rest, of the situation, otherwise they will assume the tyrant
king and his troops have found us." The king agreed and waited
patiently outside.
After many minutes had passed Yamleekha had still not reappeared so
the king decided to investigate. When he entered the dark cave he stopped
at the sight of the motionless figures lying in front of him. Then, slowly,
it dawned upon him that their lives had been taken and each youth had breathed
his last before the king had even entered the cave.
The Ashaab-e -Kahf had lived to teach the world many lessons.
One of the greatest being the possibility of resurrection. If the Almighty
Allah can bring the people of the cave back to life after three centuries
without a sign of aging or tiredness, then surely he can gather the bodies
and souls of every deceased being in this world on the Day of Judgement
to answer for their every move in this transitory world.
NOTE: In some narrations it has been said that the king and the townspeople
all entered the cave whilst the Ashaab-e -Kahf were alive. After meeting
and sitting with the group they left and the youths died immediately afterwards.
(Allah knows best)
This was a brief account of the Ashaabe- Kahf. With regards to the
location of their cave we now present in the following pages a translated
piece from Mufti Muhammad Taqi Uthmaani’s kitaab ‘Jahaane- Deedah’
The location of the cave of the 'Ashaab-e-Kahf' has been an issue of
much conflict amongst the Ulamaa ( scholars ) and researchers. Where is
the cave situated in which Ashaab-e- Kahf slept for over 300 years? Some
researchers have reported it to be in the city Ephesus, in Turkey. Some
have named a cave in Spain to be the cave of Ashaab-e-Kahf, and others
have proclaimed it to be in Jordan, Syria or Yemen. But a Jordanian researcher,
Muhammad Tayseer Brother Zibyaan, who was the editor of the magazine, 'Ash-sharee'ah',
arrived in Pakistan in 1976, where he visited Darul-Uloom in order to make
the acquaintance of my father ( Mufti Shafi (R.A)). Here he stated with
great determination and full confidence that this cave has at present been
discovered on a mountain near Amman. He further stated, " I have written
an article to verify this." In view of the proof and evidence he presented
at that time, it seemed conceivable that the cave of the Ashaab-e-Kahf
is most probably situated there.
Brother Zibyaan has now passed away, but has safely stored away his
results of the investigations he carried out in a book called ' Location
of Ashaab-e-Kahf's Cave', published by Darul Ii'tisaam.
When Did This Incident Take Place?
After relating briefly the incident of Ashaab-e-Kahf, the Qur’an also
states that the people of that time decided to construct a mosque ( on
this site ) in regard to Allah's Ta'aalaa's devotees.
According to the Holy Qur’an's usual pattern , it does not state the
historical or geographical details, as to which period or to where this
incident took place. Therefore, commentators and historians have disclosed
their different views on the basis of historical narrations.
Most researchers are inclined towards the fact that this incident took
place some time after the divine ascension of Eesa (A.S) from 100 to 300
A.D. At that time, in this region, there was the reign of an idol worshipping
Nabti king. But the effects of the Christian religion, which started off
in Palestine, were gradually advancing towards this region.
These youngsters became devotees of this religion on the basis of these
very effects. Then, in the period in which these auspicious souls were
absorbed in deep sleep, the followers of Christianity gradually freed this
region from the Nabti rulers, and succeeded in forming their own rule.
The citizens here also accepted Christianity.
It is known from some narrations, that after learning about Ashaab-e-Kahf,
the reigning king arrived at the cave to visit them, but found them deceased.
There is no mention of them being deceased in other narrations.
This same incident has been narrated in some Christian narrations with
little difference. It has been stated that the very first detailed narration
of this incident was written in an article in the year 521 A.H. by an Iraqi
soothsayer named Yaqoob. This article was written in Syriac, then it was
translated into Greek and Latin. According to him, this incident took place
in Ephesus in Asia ( Minor ) in the year 250 A.D. There were seven people
of the cave, and after spreading the word of Allah Ta'aalaa's complete
power, returned to sleep in the cave. ( Britannica, printed in 1950 )
Because Yaqoob Sarooghi stated that they 'returned to sleep' alot of
people hold the belief that Ashaab-e-Kahf are still living, and will arise
again near Qiyaamah.
It has been narrated in some Christian sources that this incident took
place near the city Ephesus in Turkey ( the Islamic name for Ephesus is
Tarsoos ). A cave in that city has said to be the cave of Ashaab-e- Kahf.
Maybe the reason for Muslim commentators and historians at having named
the place of Ashaab-e- Kahf in Ephesus is on the basis of these Christian
sources.
A narration by Abdullah Ibn Abbaas (R.A) from Tafseer Ibn Jareer is
:
' The cave of Ashaab-e-Kahf is situated near 'Ila' in Jordan.’ Many
scholars of today have given preference to the fact that this cave is situated
in Jordan on the basis of this narration, and other evidence. Hadhrat Moulana
Hifz-ur-Rehman Sahib Syoharwi (R.A) has written a detailed account on this
subject in Qasasul-Qur’an and in the light of the relevant historical geographical
proof has proclaimed it right that the cave is actually in Jordan. Hadhrat
Moulana Sayyad Suleman Nadawi (R.A) has stated in Ardhul-Qur’an that the
old city of Parra in Jordan is the 'Raqeem.'.
My honourable father, Hadhrat Moulana Shafi Sahib (R.A), and Moulana
Abul-Kalam Azaad are also inclined towards the cave being in Jordan.
The result to their research is that the actual name of the famous historical
city 'Parra' was ' Raqeem The Romans changed the name to Parra, and this
cave is situated somewhere near here.
But, in 1953 Brother Zibyaan somehow came across the fact that there
is a certain cave in Oman, situated on a mountain, in which are some graves
and corpse, and that there is also a mosque on this site. Hence, he set
out in search for this cave with one of his companions. But because this
was somewhat off the common path they had to cover some kilometres of rough
land, but were finally successful in reaching the cave. Brother Zibyaan
reports:
' We were standing in front of a pitch black cave which was situated
on a far away fallow land on a bare mountain. It was dark to such an extent
that we found it difficult to enter. A shepherd let us know that there
were some graves inside the cave containing old bones. The opening of the
cave was in the south and there were two pillars on both sides, which had
been made from a large rock. Suddenly my eyes fell on the carvings on the
two pillars. Some Byzantine inscriptions were visible. The cave was covered
by stones and debris. At a distance of about 100 metres, there was a small
village named 'Rajeeb'.
Brother Zibyaan continued his research and approached the department
of archaeological findings. Finally, an archaeologist named Rafiq Dajani
Sahib, concluded after alot of research that this is in actual fact the
cave of Ashaab-e-Kahf.
Hence, in 1961 they started their excavation and research, and continued
to discover such evidence which proved this conclusion right. The following
are a few of these :
1. The opening of this cave is in the south, and the following ayah
justifies this :
‘And thou mightest have seen the sun when it rose move away from
their cave to the right, and when it set go past them on the left, and
they were in the cleft thereof.’(Surah Kahf)
The location of this cave is such that the sunshine never enters it
at any time, but passes from the left and right when the sun sets and rises.
And there is a spacious hollow inside the cave where the wind and light
reach easily.
2. It has also been mentioned in the Qur’an that the villagers had in
mind to construct a mosque on top of this cave. Accordingly, after removing
the debris and rocks, a mosque was discovered directly above the cave,
which had been constructed from old Roman style stone. Archaeologists have
said that the mosque was made from stone and originally a place of worship
in a Byzantine form, and was converted into a mosque in the time of Abdul
Malik Ibn Marwaan.
The polytheist King due to whose tyranny and oppression
the Ashaab-e- Kahf sought shelter in the cave was, according to the theory
of modern day researchers, Tarajaan, who remained ruler from 98 till 117
A.D. It is a well known fact that he used to subject opposers of idolatry
to severe hardships. It has been authenticated by history that in 106 A.D
Tarajaan conquered the region of east Jordan and constructed the stadium
of Amman.
According to modern day researchers, the king during whose
reign the Ashaab-e-Kahf stirred was called Theodosius and he lived in the
beginning of the 5th century.
Upon the initial discovery of the cave, many coins were
found scattered within, of which several are indeed from Tarajaan's era
which greatly supports the belief that this is the very cave of the Ashaab-e-Kahf.
The Holy Quran has termed the Ashaab-e-Kahf as 'Ashaab-e-Kahf
and Raqeem'. What is Raqeem? Various opinions have been stated in
its commentary, but the opinion of modern day researchers is that ‘Raqeem’
is the name of the village in which these people originally resided. The
cave is situated at a total 100 metre distance from this point, in a small
village called Rajeeb. It is the opinion of Rafiq-ad-Dajani that this is
an altered name form of Raqeem, because the Bedouins of this area pronounce
the 'qaaf' as 'jeem' and the 'meem' as ' baa', therefore, the ruling body
of Jordan, later officially titled this village 'Raqeem'. Several early
scholars of geography have also indicated the village of Raqeem as being
situated near Amman at one time, therefore, the renowned geographer Abu
Abdullah has stated in his kitab, 'Ahsanut-taqaasim-fee-maarifatil-aqaaleem'
: Raqeem is a city in east Jordan close to Amman, in which a cave has been
constituted together with several human corpse which are not altogether
devoid of flesh.
Apart from this, Allaamah Yaqoot Hamawee (R.A) has also
issued forth a statement in a commentary based upon Raqeem :
‘In the suburbs of Damascus there is an Arabic state
called 'Balqaa', and within it dwells a place close to Amman, which these
people regard as that of Kahf and Raqeem.’
Brother Zibyaan (R.A) has made several statements, from
which it can be apprehended that the Muslims of the earlier eras believe
the certain cave belonging to this area to be the very cave of Ashaab-e-Kahf.
It has been narrated in regard to Hadhrat Ubada Ibn Saamit (R.A) that Hadhrat
Siddique Akbar sent a convoy to the Roman emperor. During this journey,
on the route leading to Syria and Hijaaz, he encountered a mountain named
' Jabal-ur-Raqeem' in which there was a cave containing several corpse,
not totally devoid of flesh. In a commentary of Tafseer- e -Qurtubi it
has also been narrated in regard to Hadhrat Abbas that he too encountered
this cave and declared it to be the very cave of Ashaab-e-Kahf.
In Futooh- hush-Sham, Waqidee has narrated a lengthy account
in relation to Hadhrat Saeed Ibn Aamir. Hadhrat was despatched to Syria
for participation in jihad, whilst proceeding along the way he forgot the
route. After wandering about fruitlessly, he reached the mountain Raqeem,
and after careful scrutiny perceived it to be that of the Ashaab-e -Kahf.
He informed his companions of his find and stated that this is the cave
of the Ashaab-e-Kahf. Therefore, they performed prayers within it and entered
the city of Amman.
However, in the case of such an ancient incident it is
very difficult to arrive at a final conclusion in regard to the correct
site. But there is no doubt in the fact that up till this moment in time,
out of the several sites the cave has been rumoured to be located in, together
with the large amount of circumstantial evidence discovered in relation
to the cave, there is no evidence present to this extent in regard to any
other cave.
Brother Zibyaan has even compared this cave with the cave
of Ephesus and this comparison further confirms the concept.
This cave is situated seven miles south of the city Amman
and the central highway that stretches from Aqabah until Amman is at a
distance of three kilometres away from it. We reached this place at approximately
nine o' clock in the evening. A road has now been constructed to enable
cars to reach the peak of the mountain. After leaving the car, one ascends
a little, to an expansive area in which there are several pillars belonging
to an old fashioned construction. After crossing this area is the mouth
of the cave and on its floor is a door post constructed out of broad stone.
To enter the cave one must descend approximately two steps.
Upon reaching this stage the cave is divided into three sections. One section
stretches straight from the mouth in a northward direction, a second section
branches off towards the east on the right hand side, and a third section
branches off towards the west from the left hand side. In the eastern and
western sections are eight constructed graves resembling coffins. In a
grave in the eastern section there is also a small hole. If one peers into
the hole, a human corpse can be clearly seen. If it is dark the attendant
of the cave lights a candle and the inner view can be clearly observed.
But the section that stretches straight to the north from
the south is mainly flat and it is Brother Zibyaan 's opinion in regard
to this, that this is the 'Fajwah' referred to in the Quran. When the excavation
and the clearing work commenced in 1961, according to Rafi-ad-Dajani a
jaw of an animal was discovered lying around with one incisor and 4 molars
intact. According to the thoughts of Brother Zibyaan this was the jaw belonging
to Ashaab-e-Kahf's dog.
Furthermore, hereupon this site a great number of coins
belonging to the Roman era, Islamic era, Ottoman era, together with a clay
bowl, a pearl necklace, a copper comb and rings were also discovered lying
scattered around. All of these things have now been gathered and placed
on display in a cabinet and maintained within the northern wall of the
cave which we have observed ourselves.
In the Eastern section of the cave is a small tunnel ascending
upwards which resembles a chimney that expels smoke. This tunnel enters
and leaves through the roof of the cave, a boulder was perceived to be
buried in the upper opening of this tunnel.
Usama Ibn Munkiaz,a general belonging to Sultan Salah-uddin
Ayubee's army, coincidentally writes in his kitab 'I’tibaar', ' That I
together with 30 horsemen entered this cave and performed prayers here,
but there was a narrow tunnel that we did not enter.'
Brother Zibyaan is of the opinion that this is that very
passage.
After the cave was cleaned out and examined, several passages
of writing were discovered on the walls in Greek and 'Kufic' but the writing
was not legible.
On exit from the cave, a round patch can be seen in the
nearby area. The attendant has disclosed that, at the time of the discovery
of the cave, the trunk of an olive tree was flourishing. Rafiq Ad dajani
has stated that this olive tree is one belonging to the era of the bedouins,
and nearby is a cave with a roof. When the excavation and clearing out
initially commenced, the nearby elderly folk reported that this olive tree
was until twenty years ago in bloom and they used to consume its produce.
The walls of an ancient mosque together with its niche
can be clearly noticed, elevated several feet above the cave. At the time
Brothers Zibyaan and Rafiq-ad-Dajani initially reached the cave, the mosque
could not be noticed. After the excavation and the clearing out of the
cave the mosque was unveiled.
This mosque is 10 metres in length and 10 metres in width.
During the time the excavation work was being undertaken, four pillars
were discovered fashioned in the mode of the Roman era and several copper
coins were also discovered from the era of the Roman emperor Justin ( 517-527
). A small chamber, equivalent to one and a half metres, was also revealed
whose roof was probably employed for the call to prayer. Several clay jugs
were also discovered nearby which were probably used to perform ablution.
An inscription was also perceived here, and it is evident from its inscript
that this mosque was renovated in the time of 'Kamaarwiya', son of Ahmed
Ibn Touloon ( A.D 895 ). The experts have deduced from this entire collection
that in the beginning, the Romans built a place of worship on this site
and during the Islamic reign ( possibly in the time of Abdul Malik Ibn
Marwaan ) it was converted into a mosque but the Muslims did not supplement
its length or width.
At this time, the Jordan department of ancient relics
and the department of property focused specific attention with regard to
this cave's preservation. In addition, a new mosque was built nearby, an
easier route was constructed for the comfort of visitors and notices were
installed inside the cave.
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