Surah Kahf EXTRA

In the name of Allah the Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Below is a speech I wrote regarding Surah Kahf and its benefits. Insha'Allah it will help in understanding the importance of the Surah and the four tests mentioned within further. This is NOT part of Halaqah but considering the topic was covered, a little extra reading won't harm :)

When reciting the Quran, we must not only pay it lip service but it is also our duty to understand it and put it into practise.

So 1) Recitation 2) Understanding 3) Putting it into practise 4) Conveying it to others.

The Surah that I would like to touch upon today is Kahf. As Muslims, we should be very familiar with this Surah: we recite it and hear it almost every week.

It has been mentioned in a Hadith:

“The one who reads Surah Kahf on a Friday, will find their entire week until the next Friday enlightened”.

It has also been mentioned in Sunan ad Darimi:

“One who reads Surah al Kahf will be protected from the trials of Dajaal”

So what is the connection between Dajaal and Surah Kahf?

Firstly when Dajaal comes, the people will be tested in 4 ways.

1.       Religion

2.      Wealth

3.      Knowledge

4.      Power

Religion:

Dajaal will attempt to take faith away from people by claiming he is God and that we must accept him as the deity to be worshipped.

  

A point to be made is that, there is what we know as the person Dajaal and then there is what is known as the fitna (trials) connected to the tests that we have been taught about.

So anyone trying to take your religion away from you is a Dajaal.

This is why the Prophet (SAW) constantly emphasised that he is the last Prophet: “People will come and claim they are the Prophets, you should know that I am the last”.

The time at which Dajaal comes will be during drought, famine etc. So he will say “I will give you what you want, all you have to do is admit that I am God and you will not die of hunger”.

It is important for us to be protected in that sense.

Allah mentions in the Quran:

“Hold fast onto the rope of A—h and do not be disunited”

Here rope refers to the Quran and Sunnah of the Prophet (SAW).

So the first test is of religion, he will want us to disbelieve in A—h and believe in him. However it has been mentioned in a Hadith “Whoever has believed in A—h will see Dajaal for who he really is” *

The second test, connected to the first is of wealth. The time when Dajaal comes will be of drought, people will be poor and suffering. But he will have control of the water and irrigation. “So you believe that I’m a God, I will make you rich, I will allow water to get to your land”.

The third test is the test of knowledge. What is right will be considered wrong and those who are ignorant will be considered upright and the knowledgeable will be labelled as ignorant. To the degree that those with knowledge will be fought and eradicated.

This has also been mentioned in a Hadith:

“A—h will not remove knowledge by snatching it away from people, but will be taken by the death of the scholars and those who have no knowledge will be considered knowledgeable and be made leaders”.

People will be greatly misguided by others. Just think about how the media twists the news!!

If it has been commanded that we must authenticate a story told by a fellow Muslim before believing it then what extent must we go to when the story comes from another party?!

True knowledge will be taken and he will try to convince us that what he brings is knowledge where in reality it isn’t.

The final test is of power.

Where people love to be powerful and have authority so they begin to act in a way which contradicts the teachings of Islam and even surpasses the boundaries of humanity. 

So how does this connect to Surah Kahf?

Well the first story is of the people of the cave; well they were tested with their religion. What did they do? They did not give it up

They left their community and homes and went away for 309 years but their religion was safe. They made a dua “Oh A—h save us and protect us from this negative environment where people are trying to take away our religion away from us!!” They were saved.

The lesson we should learn from this is when it comes to protecting our faith, we should leave no stone unturned! Even if it means having to leave the place where we live.

Second story, connects to the test of wealth.

Is about the man who had gardens in abundance said it was so because of his work and his brains and it will not be depleted.

He makes mention of all the wealth he had, thinking that it was his own work that got him to where he was, that it was never going to ever end and that he didn’t believe in the day of Judgement.

He was then given some guidance by another man, that for you, it is best to say that I have been blessed by A—h and that I have been guided, I have been allowed to earn this much. A—h  has provided it for me. When it comes to wealth A—h owns it. It is not mine or yours.

This is what we need to realise, A—h has made you a custodian of a certain amount of wealth, what do you do with it?

The test of wealth has been mentioned in the Surah in a story form. There was a man, he was blessed with a lot of wealth and gardens, he thought it would last forever, what happened after that? A—h showed him by taking away that which he loved.

The third test was of knowledge. Where Musa (AS) was asked who is the most knowledgeable? Being a Prophet of A—h, he said me. He didn’t say it in a way to deny that A—h is the owner of knowledge but he thought that seen as A—h has bestowed it on me and that is the answer.

A—h wanted to rectify his thinking, so A—h directed him towards a person who knew more than him, not on a holistic level but certain categories of knowledge, he knows more. Like with us, there are people who are experts in different categories. Not everyone knows everything.

Just remember when Islam has prohibited something it will be so even if the whole world says it isn’t.

So Musa (AS) met Khidr and they went on a journey and Musa (AS) learnt that not everything is what it is seems. Never think that I’ve learnt everything. Ask and keep on asking. It has been mentioned:

“Knowledge is an ocean which has no coast”.

Then the fourth test, the test of power. A—h mentions Zul Qarnayn. He was blessed with immense power, but he didn’t abuse it. A—h mentions:

“We gave him authority, to do what he wanted to with it, either to punish or leave people.”

But because he feared A—h he said those who have done wrong, they will be punished, as they deserve it. But those who believe and do good deeds, they are far greater in number, we will never be able to recompense them so the least we can do is say kind words to them.

Zul Qarnayn and his example is for us, when you are given power by A—h you can do what you want, but remember that you can only attain righteousness when you’ve protected yourself from the Dajaal like force which makes you feel  that you can do what you want.

Now when we read Surah Kahf, we will When it comes to the test of faith, we must not shake, when we are tested with wealth we must relate it to A—h and not to seek it from anyone besides A—h.

When it comes to knowledge we must ensure that we seek pristine pure knowledge that is not contaminated in any way. Whenever we are given authority on land then we should fear A—h with regards to that authority. Use that position in such a way that when you leave it, people will miss you and say that person was so successful when he was in charge of us.