Sūrat al-Kahf
Section 4 of 14 · Surah Studies · Mufti Abdul Rahman Mangera
Awakening to a Changed World
So they became heroes: when their story is told, they become heroes; and subḥān Allāh, a great many things are established from it. The resurrection after death is proven from it; a miracle of faith is proven from it. There is a whole discussion, which may be read elsewhere, in which it is said: we shall build a masjid over their graves. That discussion took place; and in verse 21 there is the debate over what should be done with them, and so they said: let us build a structure over them.
وَكَذَٰلِكَ أَعْثَرْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ لِيَعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّ وَعْدَ ٱللَّهِ حَقٌّ وَأَنَّ ٱلسَّاعَةَ لَا رَيْبَ فِيهَآ إِذْ يَتَنَـٰزَعُونَ بَيْنَهُمْ أَمْرَهُمْ ۖ فَقَالُوا۟ ٱبْنُوا۟ عَلَيْهِم بُنْيَـٰنًا ۖ رَّبُّهُمْ أَعْلَمُ بِهِمْ ۚ قَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ غَلَبُوا۟ عَلَىٰٓ أَمْرِهِمْ لَنَتَّخِذَنَّ عَلَيْهِم مَّسْجِدًا
“And in this way, We made them known to the people (of the city), so that they realize that Allah’s promise is true, and that there is no doubt about the Hour (the Day of Resurrection). When they were disputing among themselves in their matter, they said, “Erect a building over them. Their Lord knows them best.” Said those who prevailed in their matter, “We will certainly make a mosque over them.”” (18:21)
There are at least three places in the world that claim this honour. Two of them have been visited, and the third as well. Two are in Turkey: one at Ephesus, which has not been visited; and the one that has is at Tarsus, Tarsus as they say in Turkey. And mā shāʾ Allāh, there was a fine imam there, Imam Daniel Atish by name, may Allah bless him — whether he is still alive is not known — who took the visiting party there, and a full reading of al-Kahf was made there; that place claims to be it. And the third, which according to many scholars is probably the best authenticated, is the one in Jordan, at Amman, visited by an earlier generation of the same family as well — just outside, not far from the towns, a day's journey or half a day's journey away; and there is, it seems, a building beside it, and old bones there. Whether those bones are truly theirs, Allah knows best.
Beyond what has just been said, what this story teaches is that the struggle for one's faith is repaid; it is worth it. There are a great many stories of this kind: the struggle for faith; and today there are people in the world struggling for their faith in various ways. In some places they are literally persecuted and driven from their lands; in others they are attacked on every side, physically; in others it is through the media; and in others they are deprived of their rights. May Allah (swt) bring relief. But this story, and some of the others here, give great relief: if Allah could put men to sleep for so long to preserve them through such things, then it is not far-fetched that Allah (swt) will help in the present as well. That is why, when a man stands between something of materialism and his faith, and the one goes against the other, Allah is asked to help him choose the faith over the materialism.