People & Names in Surah al-Kahf

DRAFT 

1 الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَنزَلَ عَلَىٰ عَبْدِهِ الْكِتَابَ وَلَمْ يَجْعَل لَّهُ عِوَجًا ۜ [All] praise is [due] to Allah, who has sent down upon His Servant the Book and has not made therein any deviance.

2 قَيِّمًا لِّيُنذِرَ بَأْسًا شَدِيدًا مِّن لَّدُنْهُ وَيُبَشِّرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ الَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ الصَّالِحَاتِ أَنَّ لَهُمْ أَجْرًا حَسَنًا [He has made it] straight, to warn of severe punishment from Him and to give good tidings to the believers who do righteous deeds that they will have a good reward

Surah al-Kahf begins with the statement that there is no عِوَجًا in it, generally translated as no crookedness, and no deviance, as in the translation quoted above.   This means that this message is perfect, and we need to focus on that which is mentioned in it. 

Surah al-Kahf narrates a series of stories. It mentions the names of a few person (proper nouns), while others are referred to with common nouns, pronouns, and with reference to something. There must be a reason why some are mentioned by name, while others are left unnamed. I suppose we need to focus on the lessons in their story, and not on the person of the unnamed character. 

The following lists the few names mentioned, and then the list of all people mentioned across the Surah. 

Names mentioned in Surah al-Kahf  

Q18:1 Allah 

Q18:4 Allah 

Q18:15 Allah 

Q18:16 Allah  

Q18:17 Allah 

Q18:21 Allah 

Q18:24 Allah 

Q18:26 Allah 

Q18:38 Allah 

Q18:39 Allah 

Q18:39 Allah 

Q18:43 Allah 

Q18:44 Allah 

Q18:45 Allah 

Q18:50 Adam 

Q18:50 Iblis 

Q18:60 Moses 

Q18:66 Moses 

Q18:69 Allah 

Q18:94 Yajuj Majooj 

People mentioned in Surah al-Kahf 

The following is a list of the people mentioned in the Surah: 

Q18:1 Allah, The One who sent the Book 

Q18:1 His servant to whom the Book was sent 

Q18:2 warning of great violence from near Him 

Q18:2 good news for the Believers 

Q18:4 warning to those who say that Allah has taken a son 

Q18:5 those mentioned in Q18:4 and their forefathers 

Q18:6 perhaps you will worry? your Nafs to death over them 

Q18:7 We have made whatever is on Earth an adornment to test … 

Q18:8 and We are going to make it barren 

Q18:9 the companions of the cave 

Q18:10 they were young men 

Q18:10 their prayer: ‘our Lord, give us from near you mercy, and … 

Q18:11 We sealed 

Q18:11 their ears 

Q18:12 We raised 

Q18:12 raised them 

Q18:12 which party calculates/counts better 

Q18:13 We relate 

Q18:13 to you 

Q18:13 they were young men who believed in their Lord 

Q18:13 and We increased them in guidance 

Q18:14 We strengthened their hearts when they stood and said: 

Q18:14 ‘our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the Earth 

Q18:14 ‘we will not call upon any other god 

Q18:15 our nation has taken other gods 

Q18:15 who is more wrong than he who invents against Allah a lie 

Q18:16 when you separate yourselves 

Q18:16 from them and who they worship except Allah 

Q18:16 your Lord will spread His Mercy upon you 

Q18:16 prepare for you a pillow in your plight 

Q18:17 you would have seen the sun 

Q18:17 when rising, moving to their right 

Q18:17 and when setting, moving to their north / left

Q18:17 they were in the open space in the middle 

Q18:17 that is from the signs of Allah 

Q18:17 whom Allah guides, he is guided 

Q18:17 whom Allah lets go astray, you will never find for him any rightly guiding friend 

Q18:18 you would have thought that they are awake while they were asleep 

Q18:18 We were turning them to the right and the left  

Q18:18 their dog, spreading out his fore paws 

Q18:18 if you had peeped/ rose in on them 

Q18:18 you would have turned and run away (escaped) 

Q18:18 you would have been awesomely frightened of them 

Q18:19 and like that We rose them 

Q18:19 so they would question among themselves 

Q18:19 said one of them 

Q18:19 how long have you tarried here 

Q18:19 they said: we have tarried a day or part of a day 

Q18:19 your Lord knows best how long you tarried 

Q18:19 raise one of you to go with his leaf to the city 

Q18:19 so he sees what is more-growing to eat food 

Q18:19 so he brings rizq from it for you 

Q18:19 and be cautious/subtle, 

Q18:19 and not let anyone know about you 

Q18:20 if they are cone upon you 

Q18:20 they will stone you 

Q18:20 or they will make you return to their way of life, and then you will never prosper 

Q18:21 and like that We made known upon them 

Q18:21 so that they would know that Allah’s promise is true, and there is no doubt about the Hour 

Q18:21 those who argued among themselves in their matter

Q18:21 said let’s build a building 

Q18:21 their Lord knows better about them 

Q18:21 those who prevailed in their matter 

Q18:21 we will definitely take upon them a place of prostration 

Q18:22 soon, (some of them) they will say: three, and fourth the dog,

Q18:22 and (some of them)  they will say: five, and sixth the dog, aiming to guess with the hidden  

Q18:22 and (some of them) they will say: seven, and eighth the dog 

Q18:22 say: my Lord knows better their number 

Q18:22 and they don’t know except a little 

Q18:22 you don’t argue with them except on what’s apparent  

Q18:22 and you do not ask about them among them anyone 

Q18:23  

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References & Links 

Links to posts about Surah al-Kahf in this blog: https://signsandscience.blogspot.com/p/surah-al-kahf.html 

Arabic & Translation copied from: https://www.searchtruth.com/chapter_display.php?chapter=18&translator=29&show_arabic=1 

Compare 50+ translations at: https://www.islamawakened.com/quran/18/1/default.htm 

Word Occurrence across The Quran: https://corpus.quran.com/qurandictionary.jsp?q=Ewj#(18:1:11) 

Ablution & Hygiene

Surah al-Maidah 

6 يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا قُمْتُمْ إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ فَاغْسِلُوا وُجُوهَكُمْ وَأَيْدِيَكُمْ إِلَى الْمَرَافِقِ وَامْسَحُوا بِرُءُوسِكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ إِلَى الْكَعْبَيْنِ ۚ وَإِن كُنتُمْ جُنُبًا فَاطَّهَّرُوا ۚ وَإِن كُنتُم مَّرْضَىٰ أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ أَوْ جَاءَ أَحَدٌ مِّنكُم مِّنَ الْغَائِطِ أَوْ لَامَسْتُمُ النِّسَاءَ فَلَمْ تَجِدُوا مَاءً فَتَيَمَّمُوا صَعِيدًا طَيِّبًا فَامْسَحُوا بِوُجُوهِكُمْ وَأَيْدِيكُم مِّنْهُ ۚ مَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيَجْعَلَ عَلَيْكُم مِّنْ حَرَجٍ وَلَـٰكِن يُرِيدُ لِيُطَهِّرَكُمْ وَلِيُتِمَّ نِعْمَتَهُ عَلَيْكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُون O you who believe! when you rise up to prayer, wash your faces and your hands as far as the elbows, and wipe your heads and your feet to the ankles; and if you are under an obligation to perform a total ablution, then wash (yourselves) and if you are sick or on a journey, or one of you come from the privy, or you have touched the women, and you cannot find water, betake yourselves to pure earth and wipe your faces and your hands therewith, Allah does not desire to put on you any difficulty, but He wishes to purify you and that He may complete His favor on you, so that you may be grateful.

Arabic & Translation (Muhammad Habib Shakir): https://www.searchtruth.com/chapter_display.php?chapter=5&translator=3&show_arabic=1 

Surah al-Maidah ayat 6 commands the Believers to wash (perform ablution with water: ( فَاغْسِلُوا )) when they stand up to offer contact prayers (الصَّلَاةِ), and purify (cleanse with water: (فَاطَّهَّرُوا)) if  in a state of impurity. 

Note: In the rare situation that water is not available, I do not think Q5:6 is excusing from contact prayer, as seems to be implied in Q2:238-239 (to pray while walking/riding when, due to fear, you cannot stop for prayer), and Q4:101-103 (to permission to shorten prayer in danger of enemy attack during a war). 

The ayat mentions four special cases in which, if water is not available, then clean dust should be used for purification: 

…  and if you are sick or on a journey, or one of you come from the privy, or you have touched the women, and you cannot find water, betake yourselves to pure earth and wipe your faces and your hands therewith  … 

Translation: Shakir; Compare 50+ translations at: https://www.islamawakened.com/quran/5/6/default.htm 

Note: Q4:43 also directs to perform ablution, or cleansing with earth. 

Water is a universal solvent, and clean dust is known to have purifying effect. Increasingly, experts are realising that the benefits of purification with water, even the washing of wounds. Clay masks are recommended to purify facial skin. 

Our Creator knows what substances he has created us from, and He has already guided us on how to attempt to purify ourselves. Thus, the ayat concludes with the statement: 

… Allah does not desire to put on you any difficulty, but He wishes to purify you and that He may complete His favor on you, so that you may be grateful. 

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The following is an excerpt from: Water & Earth 

Ratio of Water & Earth in the Human Body

Like all other living creatures, the amount of Earth that we are made of is a fraction of the amount of water that binds it together and enables us to live. 

By percent of mass, human adults are 50%-70% water. 

The molecular ratio of earth to water in humans is for 1 molecule of the Earth there are almost 99 molecules of Water! 

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The following is an excerpt from: The Same Religion (الدِّينِ) 

Purity 

The root ṭā hā rā occurs 31 times in The Quran. It means physical purity: to rid something or someone of uncleanliness, to purify it. 

Purity is desirable and the objective across a broad spectrum of things, places and persons, as evident from the following ayaat: 

Ayat #	Subject
2:125; 22:26	purification of My House
3:42	purification of Maryam, before conceiving Jesus
3:55	removal of Jesus from the midst of the disbelievers
56:79	those who are in a continuous state of purity
25:48	pure water
76:21	purifying drink
5:6	purification of the body
5:41; 33:53	purification of the qalb
33:33	removal of rijs
74:4	purification of the clothes
2:232	purity of spouses in this world
7:82; 11:78; 27:56;	pure for mating
2:25, 3:15, 4:57	purity of spouses in the Hereafter
2:222 & 9:108	Allah loves those who purify themselves

Purity & Growth through Spending 

Surah atTaubah (Q9:103) presents a combination of purity and growth:                                

وَآخَرُونَ اعْتَرَفُوا بِذُنُوبِهِمْ خَلَطُوا عَمَلًا صَالِحًا وَآخَرَ سَيِّئًا عَسَى اللَّهُ أَن يَتُوبَ عَلَيْهِمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

خُذْ مِنْ أَمْوَالِهِمْ صَدَقَةً تُطَهِّرُهُمْ وَتُزَكِّيهِم بِهَا وَصَلِّ عَلَيْهِمْ إِنَّ صَلَاتَكَ سَكَنٌ لَّهُمْ وَاللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ

أَلَمْ يَعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ يَقْبَلُ التَّوْبَةَ عَنْ عِبَادِهِ وَيَأْخُذُ الصَّدَقَاتِ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ

And [there are] others who have acknowledged their sins. They had mixed a righteous deed with another that was bad. Perhaps Allah will turn to them in forgiveness. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.

 Take, [O, Muhammad], from their wealth a charity by which you purify them and cause them increase, and invoke [Allah 's blessings] upon them. Indeed, your invocations are reassurance for them. And Allah is Hearing and Knowing.         

 Do they not know that it is Allah who accepts repentance from His servants and receives charities and that it is Allah who is the Accepting of repentance, the Merciful?

[Al-Quran 9:102-104, Translator: Saheeh International] 

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