Surah kahf was one of the chapters that tell us the stories of the old nations to benefit from them by understanding their actions and destinies, whether righteous or disbeliever nations.
So what is surah Kahf? Why did Allah reveal it? What are its benefits and learned lessons? Check out the answers to these questions through this blog.
Here we will learn the following:
What Is Surah Kahf?
Surah kahf is a makki chapter, which Allah revealed to prophet Muhammed (PBUH) in Makkah city before his immigration to Medina.
It lies in the 18th arrangement in the noble Quran, after surah Isra and before surah Maryam. It consists of 110 verses.
Kahf in Arabic means cave, as the chapter mentioned the story of the people of the cave at the beginning.
Surah Kahf was revealed in Makkah. Reciting it has several benefits such as protecting from Dajjal’s trial.
Surah Kahf teaches us several lessons from the main stories that Allah mentioned, which are: the people of the cave, the man of two gardens, the prophet Moses (AS) and Khidr, Dhul Qarnayn.
Virtues and Benefits of Surah Kahf:
The virtues and benefits of surah Kahf are:
1. Saving from Antichrist’s Temptation
The trial of the antichrist or Dajjal is the greatest one on earth since Adam’s (AS) creation. So according to the prophet Muhammed’s (PBUH) hadith, the key to protection from Dajjal’s trial is retaining the first ten verses of surah Kahf.
Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) said:
”If anyone learns by heart the first 10 verses of the Surah Al Kahf, he will be protected from the Dajjal.”
Moreover, reading the last ten verses of surah kahf protects the reader from the antichrist temptation. Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) said:
“Whoever recites the last ten verses of Surah Al-Kahf he will be safe from the temptation of Dajjal”.
2. Protection from the devil
Ibn Mardawih reported from Abdullah Ibn Mughaffal that the prophet Muhammed (PBUH) said:
“The home in which Surah Kahf is recited, Shaytaan does not enter that house on that specific night”.
There is a dispute among scholars over the earlier hadith as some of them stated that the hadith is weak.
3. Following the Sunnah
Reciting surah al kahf and memorizing its verses is to obey the messenger of Allah, who recommended reading it to be protected from the antichrist’s temptation shows following his Sunnah.
4. A guide to facing temptations
If you understand the meanings of surah Kahf’s verses and each story Allah mentioned, you’ll learn how to deal with life’s trials to keep your faith and satisfy your lord.
5. Increasing the faith
Reciting surah al kahf guides us to learn from the stories of old nations how to have strong faith and strive against the temptations that Allah tests us in life.
6. Build a strong connection with Allah
Reading surah Kahf or any other chapter brings closeness to Allah as the reciter reads the book of Allah including his words and messages.
7. Gaining doubled rewards
Reciting surah Kahf or any other chapter weighs the scale of rewards. Each letter we read in the Quran equals a reward.
Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) said:
” Whoever recites a letter from Allah’s Book, then he receives the reward from it and the award of ten the like of it. I do not say that Alif Lam Mim is a letter, but Alif is a letter, Lam is a letter, and Mim is a letter.”
Benefits of Reading Surah Kahf on Friday:
There are many reading Benefits of Surah Kahf on Friday:
1. A light shines between two Fridays
You may have heard about reading surah kahf on Friday as a Sunnah. But some scholars ruled that the hadith of the prophet
Muhammed (PBUH) recommends reading it is weak, which is:
”Whoever reads the letter of Al-Kahf on Friday will be emitted light for him between two Jum’at”.
So, one of the most popular virtues about reciting surah Kahf is that Allah makes a light between two Fridays, which got disputes among scholars over its validity.
2. Light from the feet to the sky
Some scholars pointed out that those who read surah Kahf on Friday get light beneath their feet to the clouds of the sky and get forgiveness from Allah between two Fridays.
Ibn Umar reported (RA):
“The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: ‘Whoever reads Surat al-Kahf on the day of Jumu’ah, a light will shine for him from beneath his feet to the clouds of the sky, which will shine for him on the Day of Resurrection, and he will be forgiven (his sins) between the two Fridays”.
3. Extended light to the Ka’abah
Abu Sa’id al-khudari (RA) said that prophet Muhammed said:” Whoever reads Surat al-Kahf on the night of Jumu’ah, will have a light that will stretch between him and the Ancient House (the Ka’bah)”.
Lessons from Surah Kahf
Surah al Kahf tells us four stories, each one of them carries meaningful lessons, which are:
- The story of the people of the cave.
- The story of the man of two gardens.
- The story of Moses (AS) and Al Khidr.
- The story of king Dhul Qarnayn.
1. Lessons from the story of the people of the cave
The importance of trusting in Allah and holding onto faith as the people of the cave did. They decided to leave their city and hide in the cave to protect themselves from the king’s assault, who was an idolater.
In turn, the people of the cave got help and support from their lord, who saved him from the king, as they slept for three hundred and nine years.
The story teaches us the importance of faith’s strength which helps the believer to strive against life’s temptations.
2. Lessons from the story of the man who of two gardens
The story was about the trial of wealth. It’s about a man who owned two gardens full of fruits. But he didn’t appreciate these blessings.
He was ungrateful and tempted by them. So Allah punished him by destroying his gardens. The story teaches us these lessons:
- How to be humble to Allah and avoid being bragged with his blessings.
- Appreciate Allah’s blessings by thanking him always.
- Avoid underestimating the status of the poor.
- Avoid being bragged about wealth in front of others.
3. Lessons from the story of Moses and Al Khidr
The story of the prophet Moses (AS) and Al Khidr has three themes which are: killing a boy, rocking the ship, and building the wall. The most prominent lessons are:
- Accompany of the righteous and knowledgeable people to benefit from them.
- Be patient while learning from knowledgeable people as Al Khidr recommended the prophet Moses (AS): “He responded, “Then if you follow me, do not question me about anything until I ˹myself˺ clarify it for you.” (Surah kahf 18:71).
- Be humble with the scholars.
4. Lessons from the story of Dhul Qarnayan
Dhul Qarnayn was a king who built an impenetrable dam to protect the people from the harm and corruption of Gog and Magog. So the lessons learned from this story are:
- Face the corrupt by preventing their evil.
- Seek to spread goodness and justice among the people.
- Make good use of authority.
Reasons for Revelation of Surah Kahf
The reason for the revelation of surah kahf was the increased number of Muslims that prompted the disbelievers of Makkah to send two men: Al Nadr Bin Hareth and Uqba ibn Abi Mu’ayt to ask rabbis of Jews about prophet Muhammed and his prophethood.
The rabbis of Jews replied that three questions can prove his prophethood. The questions related to the story of the people of the cave, the spirit, and the man roamed all over the world (Dhul Qarnayn).
When prophet Muhammed (PBUH) received these questions, he replied that he would answer them the next day without saying “if Allah wills it”.
Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) waited a long time for the revelation of the Quran to give him the answer, so he was saddened by the late revelation, then Allah revealed to him these verses from surah kahf to guide him:
{And never say of anything, “I will definitely do this tomorrow,” }{without adding, “if Allah so wills!” But if you forget, then remember your Lord, and say, “I trust my Lord will guide me to what is more right than this.”}
(Kahf 18:23,24)
Surah Kahf answered the Questions of Jews except for the Question about the spirit which Allah answered in Surah Isra:
{They ask you ˹O Prophet˺ about the spirit. Say, “Its nature is known only to my Lord, and you ˹O humanity˺ have been given but little knowledge}
(Isra 17:85).
How to Memorize Surah Kahf?
Memorizing surah kahf at once is challenging as the chapter is long (110 verses). So here are the top tips to ease retaining the verses:
- Start retaining short verses. You can split the chapter into ten verses.
- Revise the earlier verses you’ve memorized before start retaining the new verses.
- Make a schedule for memorizing times to achieve commitment and consistency.
- Recite the memorized verses while praying.
- Choose a convenient place without any distractions to concentrate well while retaining.
- Use tafser books (interpretation) to understand the meaning of each verse.
- Learn the correct pronunciation by listening to the Quran reciter.
You can memorize with professional instructors who are certified by Al Azhar university. So join memorization and hifz online course, which guides you to retain verses with tajweed by using the best techniques.
One of Surah Kahf lessons is striving against life’s trials. You can easily memorize this surah with tajweed by learning online with the best-certified tutors.
