Lessons from Surah al-Kahf by Dr Yasir Qadhi
As for those who reject him, Dajjal will be able to kill them, and the trials on Muslim believers from Dajjal will be more severe than any other. In the face of such tribulations, what is the relevance of Surah al-Kahf? If we consider the beginning of the surah, the first ten ayahs relate the story of the people of the cave, fleeing persecution from the king for their beliefs. These men fled seeking Allah’s S protection and were granted it. In the context of Dajjal, he will be that murderous king and the believers will be the men fleeing persecution. Indeed, our Prophet has said: ‘There will come a time when the best property of a Muslim will be sheep, which he will take to the tops of mountains and the places of rainfall so as to flee with his religion from the afflictions.’ This is exactly what these young men did, and what Muslims will do in a later time.
Furthermore, among the tribulations that Dajjal will bring will be his ability to control food and water. Those who believe in him will be fed and those who do not, Dajjal will stop their sources of sustenance and cause the earth to dry up beneath them. In such a context, Allah explicitly teaches us in Surah al-Kahf: ‘In the ultimate, We shall reduce all that is on the earth to a barren plain.’ Allah thus teaches that He is the one who controls the earth and it is to Him that we must turn for sustenance, not to Dajjal. Furthermore, Surah al-Kahf teaches
us that the dwellers of the cave sought Allah’s aid and He paved a way out for them. In some traditions, it is also mentioned that people will seek protection in the caves and mountains from Dajjal, thus resembling the young men and the cave mentioned in the beginning of the surah.
The tenth verse of the surah concludes in a manner that is perfect and optimistic, with the prayer of the young men: ‘Our Lord! Grant us mercy from Yourself and provide for us rectitude in our affairs’ It is notable that it is at this tenth verse that
the verses of protection conclude. The eleventh verse goes on to relate the slumber that Allah bestowed on the young men as the manner in which they were saved. Yet this will not be the manner in which those fleeing Dajjal will be saved. As the Prophet f has taught us, it will be the arrival of Isa ibn Maryam that will herald the salvation of the Muslims. And thus we conclude at the tenth verse, a verse of dua' (supplication) which teaches us that the dwellers of the cave prayed to Allah’s for help and He accepted their dua’.
Excerpt is from Lessons from Surah al-Kahf by Dr Yasir Qadhi
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