The following is an excerpt from al-Bahr al-Madid (The Immense Ocean), the extraordinary tafsir of the late Moroccan scholar Ahmed Ibn ‘Ajibah. The tafsir of verses 11-26, 32-44, 60-82, and 83-101, and 101-110 are also published on the IGI blog, along with an introduction to the surah.

Tafsir of Verses 1-5

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.

1 All praise is due to Allah, Who revealed the Book to His slave and didn’t place therein any crookedness 2 Being upright; to warn of a severe punishment from Him, and to give glad tidings to the believers who do good works; that for them is a beautiful reward 3 They will abide therein forever 4 And to warn those who say “Allah has taken a son” 5 They, and their fathers, have no knowledge of the matter whatsoever. How dreadful is the word that comes out of their mouths. They only speak a lie. (Qur’an 18:1-5)

Allah سبحانه وتعالىٰ says:

“All praise is due to Allah” This means: May Allah be extolled for His Beautiful Attributes and Blessings. Allah’s intention is to inform us of this so that we may believe in it. Or, His intention is to extol Himself. Or, both intentions have been combined.

Then, He mentions one reason for His deserving of praise. He says:

“Who revealed the Book to His slave” The Perfect Book, the Qur’an, is known as a “Book” before any other books. It is the Book that truly deserves the name “the Book.” This verse refers to the entirety of the Qur’an. And [Allah’s] deserving of praise has been connected to the Revelation [of the Book] as an indication that it is the greatest of blessings. That is because the Book is the guide to that which will complete the slaves, and the caller to that which arranges life in this world and the next.

In calling the Messenger ﷺ a “slave” and the word “slave” being associated with the Majestic pronoun, there is indication of the Messenger’s ﷺ reaching the summits of worship and perfect slavehood, in the most perfect way. He has become extinguished from his own pursuits, upholding the Divine Rights, and exclusive in his worship for the sake of his Lord alone.

“and didn’t place therein any crookedness” Therein: i.e. in the Book. “Crookedness” means any kind of deviation, such as conflict in its wording, contradictions in its meanings, or deviation in its call. Qushayri has said, “[Allah] preserved it from conflicts and contradictions. So, it is a Mighty Book, from a Mighty Lord, revealed to a Mighty Slave.”

“Being upright” This means impeccable, and reaching the limit of uprightness. And it also means moderate, without any extravagance or negligence. So, this phrase emphasizes the negation of crookedness, and conveys that this uprightness is one of the essential qualities of the Book; and this is what the grammatical form of the word “qayyim” indicates. Or, the Book’s “being upright” means that it contains that which rectifies the worldly and otherworldly life for the slaves of Allah. This second meaning is enforced by the mention of warning and giving glad tidings that follows. In this case, “being upright” would be describing [the Book] as something that completes something else, after it has been described with perfection. Or, "being upright” could refer to the fact that the Qur’an rectifies the previous Heavenly Books, bearing witness to their authenticity and having authority over them.

“to warn” This means that Allah سبحانه وتعالىٰ, or the Book, may cause fear by it. The first meaning is more appropriate as it corresponds more closely to the passage that follows. In other words, “He sent the Book to warn, through that which it contains, those who disbelieve.”

“of a severe punishment from Him” This means that [the punishment] comes from and descends from His Presence as a requital for the disbelief and denial of the people.

“and to give glad tidings to the believers” This means those who confirm the truth of it. “who do” This means those who labor in “good works” which spread out in His multiplication of them.

“that for them” This means that they will have, as a requital for their faith and works “a beautiful reward.” That “beautiful reward” is Paradise and the excellent rewards that it contains.

“They will abide therein forever” This means, they will abide in that reward for an eternal course.

In the relative clause, the word “work” is expressed with the imperfect verb, i.e “ya’maluna”, to give the sense of repeatedly and constantly doing good works. And the connection between the relative clause and those who have been described as having faith indicates that the pre-condition for the acceptance of one’s works is faith. And the warning is mentioned before the glad tidings in order to inform [the Prophet ﷺ] of Allah’s complete concern for him, through rebuking the disbelievers for their false beliefs and actions; and this is also done out of consideration for the rule of refrainment before refinement.

The Perfect Book, the Qur’an, is known as a **“Book”** before any other books. It is the Book that truly deserves the name “the Book.”

“And to warn those who say, ‘Allah has taken a son’” This warning is related to a specific group from among those who were included in the previous, general warning of a severe punishment. This verse is a declaration of the enormity of their state, because of the extreme repulsiveness of their disbelief and deviation. In other words, “And [the Book] also warns, from among the collective of disbelievers, the ridiculous people of the religions that have claimed [that Allah has taken a son].” These are the disbelievers of the Arabs who said, “The Angels are the daughters of Allah,” as well as the disbelievers of the Jews who said, “Uzayr is the son of Allah,” and also the disbelievers of the Christians who said, “Christ is the son of Allah.”

“They have no knowledge of the matter whatsoever” In other words, they have no knowledge at all regarding this supposed taking of a son. Rather, these people have deviated and are leading others astray.

“Nor do their fathers” whom they are blindly following (have any knowledge of the matter). Rather, all of them are perplexed and mired in the confusion of ignorance and deviance. Another possible meaning is that they do not know whether what they say is correct or incorrect. They merely say it, speaking a word that proceeds from blindness and ignorance, without any thought or deliberation. Likewise, [Allah] سبحانه وتعالىٰ has said “They have fabricated for Him sons and daughters without any knowledge” [Surah Maryam, 88-90].

Yet another possible meaning is that they have no knowledge of the reality of what they have said, nor of its sheer, immeasurable enormity, such as in His words سبحانه وتعالىٰ “They say, ‘Allah has taken a son.’ You have brought and atrocious thing, from which the Heavens and the Earth are almost rent asunder” [Surah Maryam, 88-90]. This opinion is the most correct due to His words [immediately after] “How dreadful is this word.”

“How dreadful is this word” This means that their statement is an enormity of disbelief and lying, because it attributes to Him سبحانه وتعالىٰ that which does not at all befit His Honor and Greatness. This is due to the anthropomorphic and polytheistic implications of this statement, and also due to the deluded notion that Allah سبحانه وتعالىٰ would need a son to assist Him and succeed Him. How utterly ugly a statement this is.

Hafiz ‘Abd a-Ghani al-Maqdisi’s Reports on the Dajjal, collects over one hundred Prophetic narrations on this great trial of the End Times. This translation was published by Imam Ghazali Publishing in 2023.

“that comes out of their mouths” In other words, they utter this word without [understanding] its reality, nor investigating its meaning.

“They only speak a lie” They only make an untrue statement, and there is no possible way for it to be true.

An Indicative Lesson Contained in Verses 1-5

If one perfects his worship of Allah, becoming free from anything apart from Him by freeing himself from the yoke of created beings, and thereby coming to the station of witnessing and seeing, Allah will cause the knowledge of confirmation to descend upon his heart; and He will cause his slave to follow the methodology of the people of Divine Facilitation in a balanced way, without any excess or negligence. The person’s inner being will be protected from deviation and heresy, while his outer being will be protected from corruption and obstinacy. Allah will take the person’s affair off the person’s hands, and Allah will take charge of it Himself. So, the person will be upon a clear proof from his Lord regarding what he accepts and what he rejects.

If one is given permission to remind people, his expressions will be understood by them and his subtle indications will be apparent to them. So, he will give them glad tidings and warn them. He will kindle desire in them [for good deeds] and will admonish them [against evil acts]. He will give glad tidings to the people who declare God’s Oneness and His Transcendence, of the blissful Gardens and vision of the Countenance of the Most Merciful; and he will warn those who attribute partners to Allah, of the punishment of the Fire, of degradation, and of abasement. Allah be our refuge from the causes of sedition.

Tafsir of Verses 6-8

Since Qur’aysh used to utter some of these words, and Allah has reviled those who uttered them, [the Prophet] ﷺ had felt a sense of difficulty. However, Allah lightened that burden for His Messenger ﷺ and ordered him to turn away from those people.

Allah سبحانه وتعالىٰ says:

6 Would you torment yourself, out of sorrow over them, if they do not believe in this message 7 We made all that is upon the Earth as an adornment for it, that We may try them as to who is best in action 8 And We will surely reduce all that it is upon it to barren dust. (Qur’an 18:6-8)

“Would you” O, Muhammad! “torment” or in other words, destroy “yourself.” This means, would you kill yourself out of gloom and sorrow over their refusal to believe and their having separated themselves from you?

“over them” This refers to when they turn away from you [O Prophet] whenever you call them to Allah. Allah makes a comparison to the Prophet ﷺ “killing” himself, due to the anxiety the Prophet ﷺ suffered when those closest to him befriended those who parted from him. Allah’s Messenger ﷺ was distressed by their leaving, and he caused himself suffering through his anxiety over them.

“out of sorrow over them, if they do not believe in this message” The “message” refers to the Qur’an, which at the beginning of this Surah was termed, “the Book.” This suffering has occurred to the Prophet ﷺ “out of sorrow;” or, in other words, it has occurred due to the Prophet’s ﷺ excess sadness and sorrow over the people who rejected the “message.”

Then, [Allah] indicated that their turning away from faith was due to their being seduced by the allure of the beauty of this world. He said:

“We made all that is upon the Earth,” such as trees, flowers, fruits, its mines of precious stones, different kinds of clothes and food, mounts and women, “as an adornment for it.” This means that the things that are on the earth beautify it, and the onlookers gain enjoyment from these adornments; and the onlookers also benefit from these adornments, by using them as food and dress, and by looking [at them] and taking lessons from them. Indeed, even snakes and scorpions, from the point of view that they remind us of the punishment of the Hereafter, are numbered amongst beneficial things. Nay, all contingent things are adornments, due to the fact that they are signs that point towards their Creator. Likewise, wives and children [are adornments]; and these are among the greatest adornments, also coming under the category of tests.

Imam al-Ghazali’s Ayyuhal Walad contains a concise yet thorough discussion of the relationship between knowledge and action.

“that We may try them” In other words, that we may examine them, and make manifest “who is best in action.” This means to show which of them is more abstinent from the world, and who turns more often towards Allah سبحانه وتعالىٰ with pious acts. That is because there is no act more excellent than abstaining from the world, because abstaining from the world is a means to free oneself, in order to be able to perform bodily and spiritual acts of worship.

Abu Sa’ud has said:

“One who is excellent in action will be abstinent from the world, having no interest in it. He will be satisfied with the smallest portion thereof, spending what he possesses of it in a befitting manner. He will enjoy it only as much as the Lawgiver has allowed, fulfilling its rights and being grateful for its blessings. And He will not make it a means towards his lowly desires and corrupt aims, as the disbelievers and the people of desires do.”

“And We will surely reduce all that it is upon it,” meaning everything that the world contains, “to barren dust.” In other words, everything will be reduced into dry dirt without any vegetation, even though previously onlookers had been impressed by its beauty, and eyes had been enchanted through seeing it. Thus, no person is beguiled by that which is impermanent and ephemeral, except one who lacks intelligence. Therefore, do not be surprised when people turn away, for in doing so they prove they are not intelligent.

It is possible that this verse is a means of diverting the attention of the Prophet ﷺ. This verse is guiding the Prophet ﷺ towards witnessing Allah’s management of affairs, so that, by witnessing Allah’s management of his affairs, he ﷺ would be distracted from the rejection of the people; so that he ﷺ would abstain from worldly forms and affairs through the Fashioner and Director of Affairs, and would abstain from the adornments through the Adorner.

The universe is merely the locus of manifestation, and the mirror of the Divine Attributes. And the universe, and its reflection of the Divine Attributes, become concealed in the Essence - their storehouse - through annihilation of their external reality and of external acts; just as [Allah] informed us in His words “And We will surely reduce all that is upon it to barren dust.”

**“And We will surely reduce all that it is upon it,”** meaning everything that the world contains, **“to barren dust.”** In other words, everything will be reduced into dry dirt without any vegetation, even though previously onlookers had been impressed by its beauty, and eyes had been enchanted through seeing it.

The Indicative Lesson Contained in Verses 6-8

Excellence, in terms of its reality, has a beginning and an apex. It is characteristic of the people of its beginning stages, that they are keen for that which is best for themselves and for the slaves of Allah. They hope that all of mankind should be among the elect, or at the very least the pious. So, when see people turning away from that which is best, they become sorrowful over those people. And if the people turn towards that which is best, those of the beginning stages of excellence are happy for the people’s own sake, due to the increase in guidance among the slaves of Allah.

However, it is characteristic of those who are firmly rooted in excellence, and who gain a strong foothold in it, and who obtain the greatest annihilation, that they are not keen for anything, nor do they feel sorrow over lacking anything, neither for themselves or for anyone else. They have been lightly rebuked for their keenness in their beginning stages, as a means of perfection for them, and an elevation towards the most perfect station.

Allah’s words, “We have made all that is upon the earth …” contain the wisdom in some people failing to reach the station of excellence, so that the person that seeks excellence will be distinguished from the person who turns away from it. If someone turns towards the adornment of this world and its allure, he will not obtain excellence. But if he turns away from the world and from its beauty, and turns with his heart towards Allah, he will be among the elect who are drawn close to Allah.

This is what being “best in action” means, when Allah mentions that He created the world “that We may try them as to who is best in action.”

And the following hadith has been narrated [from the Prophet ﷺ]:

“The world is the wealth of those who have none. Only an unintelligent person gathers it. And only someone without knowledge shows it enmity.”

The hadiths on asceticism and encouraging people towards good are many, and have been collected in volumes especially dedicated to this subject.

And Allah is the source of success.

Tafsir of Verses 9-10

Then, Allah embarked upon the story of the People of the Cave, which is the main point of this Surah.

Allah سبحانه وتعالىٰ‎ says:

9 Or do you deem that the People of the Cave and the Raqim are our most wondrous sign? 10 When those youths took to their cave and said, “Our Lord! Bestow upon us from You a mercy and grant us guidance in our affair” (Qur’an 18:9-10)

“Or do you deem” Meaning, “Do you, o, Muhammad, believe…?” But the meaning is also a general question directed towards the Ummah.

“that the People of the Cave” The word “kahf” refers to a wise opening in a mountain. The location of this particular cave has been disputed. It has been stated that it is near to Palestine; and it has also been said that it is in Andalus (in present day southern Spain), near Loja, Granada.

Ibn ‘Atiyyah mentioned that he had entered the cave, and therein were found some dead people and their dog. There was a mosque built on top of them. And nearby there was a building called “al-Raqim” the remains of whose walls are still found. In that region of Andalus, there are some ruins that are called the City of Decius. But Allah knows best.

However, Ibn Juzay has negated Ibn ‘Atiyyah’s claim, stating that it is unlikely to be true, due to the narration that Mu’awiyah passed by the People of the Cave and wanted to enter upon them, but refrained from doing so out of respect for them. Mu’awiyah never entered Andalus, so the cave could not be in there. Also, the dead people found in Loja, Andalus were seen by people, and these people who saw them did not experience the fear that Allah mentioned regarding the People of the Cave.

The location of this particular cave has been disputed….it has been said that it is in Andalus (in present day southern Spain), near Loja, Granada….However, Ibn Juzay has negated [this] claim, stating that it is unlikely to be true.

The most accepted position is that the “Raqim” is a tablet on which the names and their lineages of the People of the Cave were written. That tablet had been kept in the treasury of the King, and was made of lead or stone. The King ordered that their names be written on the tablet when their people complained of their absence.

It has also been said that "Raqim” is the name of their dog.

“...do you deem that the People of the Cave and the Raqim” meaning their story, “are Our most wondrous sign” meaning they are among Our most wondrous signs. The meaning of these words is, “Do you think that they are more wondrous than any of our other signs? That is not so.” Even though their story is a break in the natural order, it is not more wondrous than the rest of Allah’s signs; and among the most wondrous of Allah’s signs are what has already been mentioned of what Allah has created upon the earth, of kingdoms, and species, the first of which can hardly be numbered. Rather, in comparison to all of that, [the story of the People of the Cave] is a very insignificant thing.

Qushayri has said, “He removed the cause of wonder from their attributes, through the signs that He attributed to Himself when He said, “of Our signs.” When a change in the natural order happens from the command of Allah, it is neither a rebuke, nor is it a novelty.

Then, Allah mentioned the first part of the story of the People of the Cave. He said:

“When the youths took to their cave” “fityah” (youths) is the plural of fatah which is a vigorous young man, brimming with youth. The meaning of this passage is, “And mention when the group of vigorous youths fled to their cave, escaping with their religion intact, and protecting their faith from the disbelievers among their people.” The leader of their people was Decius, as will be explained later in their story.

“And said” when they entered their cave, “Our Lord! Bestow upon us from You” This means, “Bestow upon us from Your Hidden Affairs, and from the treasures of Your special mercy that is hidden from the eyes of those who depend upon conventional means.”

“a mercy” This is a special mercy that includes gentleness [from Allah] and safety from enemies.

“and grant us guidance in our affair" This means, “Rectify this affair that we have undertaken, in which we have separated ourselves and migrated from our people.”

“and grant us guidance” This means, “Grant us guidance which we will become rightly guided and upright.” Or, “Make our entire matter guided and correct,” similar to if one were to say, “I found correctness with you.” Or, “[Grant us] to take the correct path towards that which we seek.”

The origin of the word “hayyi’” [translated here as “grant [us]”] is the expression, “ihdath hay’at al-shay’,” which means “to renew the appearance of something.”

The Indicative Lesson Contained in Verses 9-10

Allah's consummate habit with those who dedicate themselves completely to Him, through cutting themselves off from everything else, with those who flee to the cave of His guardianship, and who abandon [hope] for the kindness of His creation, is to protect them with the eyes of His attentive care, and to preserve them with the protection of His guardianship.

Then, when they have fled to the protective sanctuary of His mercy, and have taken shade in the expansive shadow of His guidance, He veils the ears of their hearts from entertaining distractions, and He protects the eye of their insight from witnessing anything other than Him.