The People of the Cave – A Journey Through Surat Al-Kahf #02

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Bismillah Alhamdulillah wa salatu salam ala Rasulillah Allah Allah He was a big marine will begin the name of Allah All Praise and Glory be to Allah and mais finest peace and blessings be upon His messenger Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and his family and his companions and all those who tried his path. We asked Allah azza wa jal to brighten illuminates our lives and yours with the Quran and make us a new people of the Quran who recited by day and by night in a manner that's pleasing with him to him.

And to help us inculcate

bring into our life, the manners of the Quran and the guidance of the Quran and the inspiration of the Quran and the peace of the Quran Allahumma Amin. So we begin officially today. The discussion on the introductory is in surah Al KEF. So we gave a thematic overview last Friday, and we said suitable calf is basically four stories. And every story

has a common thread with those around it, which is the importance of activity, movement, taking this religion seriously, and doing something with whatever opportunity and circumstance Allah azza wa jal presents you with in life, regardless of the trials involved, and so whether it's moving to seek a safe space to practice your deen like the people of the cave, are moving to give that our to your neighbor like the man who approached the owner of the two gardens, or whether you're, you know, you're making a move to seek to seek sacred knowledge like Musa Allah, He said, I'm with a harder, or you're on the move to utilize the assets and skills Allah gave you to serve humanity like Volker

Nain it's all about this, right?

And so now, we will rewind to now before actually getting into those four stories that share that common theme, and speak about the intro or the build up to these, the preface, if you will, to these four stories.

And these 10 ayat,

were identified by the Prophet salAllahu alayhi wasallam we had this lesson when he said whoever guards the first 10 If so, there are a special bundle of eight. Why that is the case what is the you know, the the major lesson or lessons, you know, in these 10 If in particular, we'll try to come back as we close this reminder or this talk and say it but let's cover the A at first. The first of them

don't fail me Alhamdulillah Hilah De Anza Allah Allah Abdi Hill Kitab wala myalgia Allahu alayhi wa jal. All Praise be to Allah, who sent down upon his servant or His devotee, Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, the book The

Quran and he did not allow or place any crookedness, any deviance in that book.

All Praise be to Allah right Alhamdulillah

first of all Alhamdulillah that means all praise, the praise but that means everything that falls under the word praise the praise not just some praise praise, the praise meaning everything that falls under the word praise is intended. And that's why it's correctly translated as All Praise be to Allah. Why is all Praise be to Allah? Tell me quickly.

Let's keep this to way. Why is all praise deserved by Allah azza wa jal

He created everything. Anyone you praise and thank and compliment and appreciate their warm hug their donated resources, their time, their energy, their advice. These people were created by Allah and the energy and matter they use that time for created by Allah if I can use physics terms, right? It all is sourced back in Allah azza wa jal, so ultimately, anything praiseworthy, he's the one to be praised for it, because He's the source of it all. subhanho wa taala. Some people often ask or wonder, why does Allah praise himself? Like, why is he praising himself? You know, Alhamdulillah five sutras in the Quran begin with Alhamdulillah. And the hammer of Allah is all throughout the

Quran. Why is he praising himself? It's definitely not because he needs us to praise him. And he also he, you know, he's reminding us to take care of his needs no way, right? Allah has no needs, then why?

Allah azza wa jal, the scholars give a few reasons. They said, first of all, if Allah

did not teach us to praise Him and praise Him in this way, in this comprehensive way, Al hamdu, Lillah. All Praise be to Allah, many people would fall short in praising him in a manner that is befitting of him, we wouldn't be able to write. Because human beings vary in their ability to recognize how much praise Allah deserves, right?

They don't recognize all of the favors they have. They don't recognize all of the greatness that belongs to Him. And so he did us a favor by saying you say, All Praise be to me.

Don't try to counter figure out. In other words, All Praise be to me always.

As you know,

one of our teachers said that Allah Who wants you even on the day that you have a stroke, when you wake up the next salah, you're still gonna say Alhamdulillah. Why? Because that's the way we make salah. That's the way we were taught. Allah taught us through His prophets of salaam that had he not taught us that how many people would actually think of all praise still belongs to Allah, the moment after a stroke, right? So he taught us because we would falter otherwise.

And also because there are people that have good intentions and recognize Allah's favors, but they don't know how they're not as eloquent people vary in their eloquence. So whether you're not eloquent at all, or you're the most politically eloquent person ever, you all know it's pretty straightforward. He didn't leave it in the dark, just say Alhamdulillah say it, and you got it right. And that's why the Prophet alayhi salatu wa sallam said learnosity, Tana And I like, and Anita, Allah and fcwc, you are not as you have praised yourself, except as you we cannot praise you correctly, or enough. You are as you have praised yourself, how did he praise himself Alhamdulillah,

that phrase of Al Hamdulillah.

That's important to identify.

The next thing very quickly, I want to say and I will obviously spend more time on hamdulillah because the scholars discussed this, you know, central victory, this great victory of our deen so much more than other out of the surah. But at Shafi, the great scholar, remember Schaeffer, he said he wrote in his book, and Omar rissalah, one of his two famous books, he wrote, and every time you say Alhamdulillah, realize that this is a brand new favor, that you need to thank Allah for. And therefore all praise is due to Him always and forever. In other words, when I said Hamdulillah, who guided me and reminded me he said Hamdulillah

he did, right. So it's like an endless chain reaction happening here. And then so I have to thank Him and praise Him for reminding me to thank Him and praise Him. And then remembering that I actually have to is yet another one, and it cycles back infinitum.

And that is another reason why Allah is reassuring you and telling you just saying hamdulillah and you're fine. Recognize it, say it and you're okay.

So this is how social calf begins.

The last thing that I will point out for you, which is, you know, a beautiful connection the scholars made is that Alhamdulillah at the beginning of a calf is

tied to the surah before it in many ways, first of all the surah before it is what? Al Israa so Alexandria 17 and LKF 18 These are like twin sorrows in many respects of them is that there's a striking similarity between them and have you have it is that there's a there's a striking connection between them so they look like each other and they build on each other. I'll tell you, I'll instruct begins with what sube Hannah levy as Ravi Abbe de glorified Subhanallah the one who took his servant on a night journey LKF begins with what Alhamdulillah Hilah De Anza Allah Allah Abdi Praise be to the one who sent down on his servant. Okay, so Subhan Allah Al Hamdulillah, you

know, our twin pair, they're complementary, they're always together. The Prophet alayhi salatu salam said these two when they come together, they fill the skies and the earth with rewards for you. They fill the scales fill the skies in the earth with reward.

This pair Glorified is Allah above imperfections. And praiseworthy is Allah for all his perfection. That's the meaning right? They complete each other. Subhan Allah means Allah has no deficiencies. Alhamdulillah means Allah is absolutely perfect, right?

And then they both say Abdi Abdi, my servants, My servant, Allah is making it very clear in these two sutras. I'll tell you why in a second. This is my servant. He is my truest servant. He is the best of my creation, because he served me best. He worshipped me best, he devoted to me best. He's the one I prefer, above all. Always in the highest context of speaking about the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, always throughout the Quran, not just in these two places. He is called the Abbot, the servant of God, because that's the highest station.

Okay, then the rush really quickly to the end of Surah Surah, the last verse in Surah Surah, Allah says, we're coding hamdulillah and say All Praise be to Allah. Allah de la mia Taffy the wala den who never took a son. Okay, the very first verses in LKF. The next surah is Alhamdulillah Praise be to Allah. And you're gonna see in a minute, Allah is gonna say and warn those who said I took a son. So the sutras don't just resemble each other and complement each other, they build off into each other. Is that clear? That's important. So why are they paired? These two sources came down together. Storytime, right? When the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam.

went public with his call. In the early years of the public call, they say the sutras came down right before the Muslims had to flee to Habesha to Abyssinia from the persecution after he went public with Islam, right. And notice, by the way, the story of the boys in the cave who fled town, right, from the persecution. So this was like a buildup and a preparation the people before you did this as well, right? But before this happened Quraishi the pagans, the idol worshipers from Quraysh they went to Medina, to the Jewish community in Medina and said, Listen, you guys know books and stuff. were illiterate idol worshipers? That's our tradition. That's what we do. You guys know

scripture, and you guys are always saying A prophet is coming. And once he comes, you're gonna kill us. They said this to the Jews.

So we got a man who's saying he's a prophet. How do we know if he's a true prophet or not?

And so the prophets Allah Allahu alayhi wa sallam

was

Qureshi was given three litmus tests, three questions to ask. And these were presented to the Prophet salAllahu alayhi wasallam. They come back from Medina, it was called yesterday but the time of course, right? They come to the Prophet Muhammad and say, We got three questions for you.

What do you know

about the boys in the cave?

who fled the king and were persecuted and had to seek refuge in a cave?

Number two, what do you know about the man who traveled the globe from its east to its west? He dominated everyone.

And number three, tell us about the rule. Tell us about the human soul or the spirit.

And so they go back to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and they asked him these three questions. I'm gonna have to fast forward and I'll come back later in the sutra. The Prophet Allah

Sato Salam, ultimately fast forwarding, he answered the three questions. He said the boys in the cave. Here's a full account of everything about them. The Jews said Go ask Mohammed this, nobody can know this but a true prophet. So he said here is the story of the boys in the cave. We are going to tell you what you don't even know about it. Oh Jewish community who set up the Karachi in against me. And about Lulu carnation, we'll come back to it but the ISS what? Yes. Luna candle arraign. Right. They asked her to call her name. Cool. Tell them Oh Mohammed, tell them these questioners said Zulu ally come in who vichara I'm gonna tell you more than you ever knew basically about little

codename. I'm going to educate you on the current and you're not going to test me on her name. Right? And the third question

was about the soul. And that was actually a trick question. They said to the idolaters.

Another Manhattan Aqua bedroom, right? Who wants a Medina got this from the Jews? And the Jews said to him, no one's gonna know these two stories but a true prophet.

But the third question, if he answers it, then he's not a true prophet. Because God told us that the soul is a mystery. And no one can ever know anything about the soul.

And so he said, Boys in the cave, I'll tell you their story, little carnation at the end. So the gaff, Here's their story. And as for the soul, go back to the era. That's why so that talks about the soul. It says, Yes, Aluna can rule they ask you about the soul. God arose from in me, Robbie, tell them the soul is from the secrets of my Lord, when my ot terminal enemy Illa kalila and you have not been given of knowledge, but little. Okay, so it's raw and LKF were brought in response to the challenge given by the Jewish community of Yathrib, Medina, su the idolaters of Quraysh. They bring it to the Prophet SAW Salem to try to stump him with two questions he couldn't know, except

from God. And one question that he would not answer if he was really sent by God. And he answers all three in the right way Allah He salatu salam, and they still disbelief. We'll come back to that point later. That is the idea of the intro of SoTL calf, tying with a straw I had to use a hammer to tie to the straw is referencing will hand Okay, now let's run through the other ads.

Of course, you know, did not place any crookedness in the book.

This is something to celebrate, right? Allah gave you a book that is pure, a book that is direct a book that is clear, a book that is not filled with riddles. Right. And that is why it hamdulillah Al Hamdulillah that he honored Muhammad with it Allah Abdi and Hamdulillah that he gave you a book that was crystal clear, a straight path, something to celebrate the Muslims need to celebrate the book. Believers celebrate this book Allah extended for you a rope in the middle of the ocean, without which you would drown the scholars say Right? Imagine you're in the middle of the desert, you're about to die and they give you a roadmap. Here's where the water is how ecstatic you would be with

that roadmap. That is the Quran. no crookedness straight path to survival.

Clay Iman, did we get there yet? A human und Robertson Shedinja this book here now is clean clear means upright. And it also means that which makes others upright it corrects and oversees rectifies others and of course because the Quran is not crooked, it is upright it's a fact checker for everything else that has been distorted that has been corrupted that no longer applies right some rules Allah revealed that were intended as temporary right.

That is this is the meaning of claim

leaving the Robertson Shaadi dot min lagoon who and to warn the rejecters of this Quran of a severe torment from him. You know that phrase from him means what? Means it's nothing like anything anyone can ever

inflict upon you. This is different from him, right?

It's not like what you can do to each other, where you bedsheet all meaning Alladhina Amma Luna Salah hat and to give glad tidings to the believers who do righteous deeds and Allahumma giran Hasina, that for them is an excellent reward.

Is that what's on yes and excellent reward. You know, sometimes the word edge actually in Arabic is payment like salaries are called Edge and Arabic are wages. And human beings are so transactional, that Allah azza wa jal eases our debt to him by calling and get a transaction. Right.

And so he says for you is an excellent edge, but then he adds to it. Mackay thena fee he EBITDA that you will continue

You enjoying forever. It's not like the salaries of this world of obviously this is talking about gender, right? This world you might not get your salary. And don't just think money right people might not appreciate you for the work you do. Or they may want to appreciate you but you're not around where did you go?

You died right. So that the reward may not reach you, or it may come to you and not find you. All the rewards all payments, all compensation in this world is interrupted, right? This is what McAfee McAfee Ebba reminds us of about what's so special of the hereafter. What's so much Worthy are in the hereafter. Were you in the royal Lavina Carlota had Allahu Allah,

and to especially warn those who said, Allah has taken that they say, offspring, that's a better translation. Some people say that Allah has taken a son, but Allah has taken a sun, it would apply to maybe the Jews and Christians, right who say God's Son is or Zaid or God's son is Jesus. But so whenever there's not been, well, that means a child or an offspring, not particularly a male offspring, which would be a been right. And this would include who then when we widen it to not just males?

Who else said God had children?

I mean, many, but who in the time of the Prophet alayhi salatu salam?

What did courage say God has?

Daughters, right? They said, The angels are the daughters of God. Right? And so this is a warning. But Allah already warned right to warn those meaning who reject from a severe torment, and to warn here, we must understand it to mean and to especially warn

those that have the audacity to say that Allah has children.

So here's an important question. Why is it so ugly to say that God has a son or a daughter? What's so horrible about that?

Sisters? What's so bad about saying God has a child

because think about it, us as human beings, if I say he can't have children, that would be what

an abnormality right? But with Allah, it is part of his perfection that he does not have children.

So how is that so?

You see, what is it that makes children so desirable?

Our needs, right? Our need for companionship a need for someone to live on our legacy, a need for someone to become our crutches when we get old, a need for right the needs. So a child helps you with your needs, right? Your emotional needs, your social needs and otherwise, Allah azza wa jal has needs are not absolutely not. So it is not that Allah cannot it is about Allah it is unbefitting 1 million barely law Romania Takeda wala, in Surah Maryam when he was addressing the Christians, he said they their claim God has a son look to Him che and it that you have said something monstrous. How could you say that? Right? The sky is almost crumbled, the mountains almost fell over the earth

almost split the ISS because they claim that Allah had a son when Malyan belly it is unbefitting of Allah to have a son is unbefitting of him because he does not have needs and also to have a son or a daughter means you're not unique because children are some resemble parents, don't they? So you're not one and only anymore, right? You have resemblances.

Well, and then Allah Baraka with Allah follows that up and says

they have no basis whatsoever for claiming this. neither them nor their forefathers. no basis whatsoever.

Neither did they have proof for this nor do their ancestors have proof for this. Cable rot Kelly Martin What a horrible word they say with their mouths. Al coluna Illa Kathy but it is just a blatant outright lie nothing but a lie.

And then there is an area here that says Allah Allah kabbah here on NAFSA gala 30 him in them Umino Bihar that hadith eSFR.

Allah azza wa jal now switches to addressing the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam

in one idea, and then goes back to addressing the Quran. He says, you almost kill yourself on Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, you're too hard on yourself. You almost kill yourself out of sorrow out of grief out of depression and sadness as you chase after them to believe as you chase after them why

because they refuse to believe in this message.

You know this on one level tells you about the deep sincerity of the Prophet alayhi salatu salam, right, of course, his compassion for humanity. But he was not just trying to win the arguments he really wanted them to believe.

And that is why he No matter how much hurts they dished out, they inflicted on him, his worry about them, always he clips that he didn't care. He never avenged himself. He just wanted to get past that so that he could save as many as possible before his time or their time was up. Many times we speak in the name of Dean and we call to the dean. But in reality, we're calling to ourself, we want to win the argument. We want to, you know, put someone else down, right, this prove someone else. He truly wanted them and was over saddened by his wants for them to believe in his message sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, but Allah Baraka with Allah corrected him, and he said, This is not your job, not

your duty. Your duty is to relay that message. Yes, your sadness is a sign of mercy. Yes, your sadness is a friend of compassion. Yes, that is praiseworthy. But But everyone has got their trial. Remember that everyone's got their tests. They got to fill out their own examination sheet. You can take the horse to water, right? They got to drink on their own.

What's really interesting to me when I read this is I used to always think, what does this I have to do with the rest of the 10? I had.

And honestly,

the biggest, most evident lesson here is how much value the Prophet alayhi salatu salam had in the eyes of Allah subhanho wa taala. Like this is almost like a I don't want to say a tangent. I don't know if that's appropriate. But it is like an aside. You know,

they are saying an awful word. They have no basis for it.

neither they nor their forefathers. And then it says, And you Oh, Mohamed, don't kill yourself. Don't be too hard on yourself, right?

Why step aside in the middle of the narrative and say this to the Prophet SAW Selim, it is a great sign of how much he meant to Allah subhanho wa taala.

And for sure, it could have been a warning to the disbelievers as well, that why don't you care about yourself as much as this man is? Why aren't you sincere about your own well being more than a second party a different person is

and then the IAF go on to say, we have made everything on this earth, just an ornament, an adornment, a means of beautification, for it, it's all just the core, it's all just plastic, so that we may test them who is best in their deeds.

And there is so much to be said here, but Allah azza wa jal is seeking quality from the servants.

The Mushrikeen brothers and sisters remember this, then we should again believed in Allah, and then we should again worshipped Allah. Make no mistake about that. But it was not pure worship, they worshipped Allah and others. They did so much, selectively, conditionally insincerely. And that's why the verse says, We made this earth

an examination ground for who will be best indeed, not most indeed. Right? It's not about quantity. It's about the quality of their worship, is it sincere for Allah or not? So he said, this is their trial on Mohamed Salah who said you did your job now back to you. You need to realize that everything on Earth, your riches and your selective everything is a test to see how pure you are with Allah. We're in Allah Jerry Luna Allah so our hidden jewel Rosa and very soon don't get tricked the same way.

You know the plants are so gorgeous and they fall apart every season so pretty and they fall apart every season. Likewise, everything in this world becomes rubble.

The last two I had to close out

Allah Tabata Kota Allah says

I'm happy to announce herbal Kaffee or rocky mica new Minaya Tina algebra How did they translate this?

Have you Oh Prophet thought that the people of the cave and the plaque were the only one there's of our signs. What does that mean?

And you'll want to try Yes sir.

Yeah, perfect just like Hola, Hayden. That's it. Do these people think? Do they think oh Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wasallam or do you think because they're asking that this is like the the deal breaker or the game changer or there are so many signs of Allah Azza Qian, right. They saw all of the signs.

But the problem was not the absence of signs.

The problem was the presence of their arrogance. So they didn't benefit from the science. The presence of their heedlessness, you know, shake a book is owed a whole lot. He says, you know, it's not only the moon splitting, which they happen to see as well, that's a sign. The moon itself was already a sign. These people see the moon every night, and it splits and it's still not enough. You think this is going to impress them?

You understand the message here? Like the ocean is enough of a sign.

Forget Musa listen, I'm splitting it, it by itself is designed right? Even with Musa alayhis salam split it it still wasn't enough for some people. So it is not the absence of signs and wonders signs. It is the presence of arrogance and the presence of Love, Love being heedless.

The other meaning is that well, they are one in the same right, a sign of Allah's power also Allah has. There's nothing amazing about this story. Also, that Allah has been saving people forever and will continue saving people forever, not just a sign of the prophethood of Muhammad, but also think of it as a sign a reference to this sign regarding Allah's power. Is that clear? Does that make sense?

But what's what's so cool here is that he's saying there's nothing special about this story, but I'm going to tell you anyway. You think we don't know this story? I'm gonna have Mohammed tell it to you anyway. Salallahu Alaihe Salam.

And the last idea

I'm done. I'm gonna take an extra just two minutes just to close out this last 10th and last idea. Allah azza wa jal begins with the story in summer and he says, when those young men went off to the cave, and they said are benna Tina mean lagoon Kurama Oh, Allah grant for us from you.

Exceptional mercy. Like, don't worry, we're done. We have no mercy from the people. They've chased us out. We have no mercy, right? From the cave. There's nothing nice here in a cave. Nothing gentle or pleasant about the game. We need something straight from you. We're all out of options. Right? Send us from you mean Loudoun. Kia rahmatan. So an exceptional mercy from you. Well, hey, Atlanta, I'm in Emelina Rasheeda. And that's the final lesson of the surah. That's for I mean, from tonight's session on the surah. They did their job and they prayed. That's what the believer does, right? To not do your part, right to not study to pass to not go to the doctor if you need, you know, medical

assistants do not submit your resume. If you don't do your part. That's an insult of Allah's wisdom. Right? Allah created this world designed it that means lead to ends, but to rely on your effort. That's an insult of Allah's power, everything is ultimately up to him, he activates things and he activates other things. He makes your effort effective or ineffective, right?

And so they ran to the cave, and they called upon their Lord, what is the connection of these 10? I add to it the gel because the sun is protected from it the gel right? And it's not the boys in the cave, you think it was the story of the boys in the cave reciting that with the protector of the gel, but the sun is are just introducing the concept, right? Perhaps and Allah azza wa jal knows best. This is a personal reflection, nothing I've read everything here I shared tonight I've read or gathered from other scholars. Perhaps the wisdom here is that it is Allah who gets us through all trials, right? And his guidance that gets us through all trials, right, and our reliance on him.

That gets us through all trials. Then the stories the stories are a vehicle but the source of all safety from our trials is Allah, Allah who is praiseworthy Allah Who sent down the book upon his servant, right? Allah who is not imperfect does not have children does not have a board of trustees does not have helpers. Allah subhanho wa Taala who the boys pray to, that is the true source of being saved. knowledge of God knowledge of His perfection, knowledge of his Deen relying on him and praying to Him Subhana Allah to Allah, that's what it all comes down to. And Allah azza wa jal specialisation I'm sorry, I still an extra three minutes. I apologize. Brother

updraft man.

No. Okay, cool. Well, he's on floors yours does that look clean everybody Subhan Allah Muhammad Allah and Minister for Ghana. Today, we'll hand off to our guidance residential rep before we head over to

refreshments. And next Friday, we begin the actual incidents within the cave BarakAllahu Chico