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Surah Al-Kahf, Ayah 19 (18:19)

ٱلْكَهْف

وَكَذَٰلِكَ بَعَثْنَٰهُمْ لِيَتَسَآءَلُوا۟ بَيْنَهُمْ ۚ قَالَ قَآئِلٌ مِّنْهُمْ كَمْ لَبِثْتُمْ ۖ قَالُوا۟ …

Quran 18:19 is ayah 19 of Surah Al-Kahf (“The Cave”), a Meccan surah of 110 ayahs. It is in Juz 15, on page 295 of the Madani Mushaf.

18:19
وَكَذَٰلِكَبَعَثْنَٰهُمْلِيَتَسَآءَلُوا۟بَيْنَهُمْ ۚقَالَقَآئِلٌمِّنْهُمْكَمْلَبِثْتُمْ ۖقَالُوا۟لَبِثْنَايَوْمًاأَوْبَعْضَيَوْمٍ ۚقَالُوا۟رَبُّكُمْأَعْلَمُبِمَالَبِثْتُمْفَٱبْعَثُوٓا۟أَحَدَكُمبِوَرِقِكُمْهَٰذِهِۦٓإِلَىٱلْمَدِينَةِفَلْيَنظُرْأَيُّهَآأَزْكَىٰطَعَامًافَلْيَأْتِكُمبِرِزْقٍمِّنْهُوَلْيَتَلَطَّفْوَلَايُشْعِرَنَّبِكُمْأَحَدًا١٩
wakadhālika baʿathnāhum liyatasāalū baynahum qāla qāilun min'hum kam labith'tum qālū labith'nā yawman aw baʿḍa yawmin qālū rabbukum aʿlamu bimā labith'tum fa-ib'ʿathū aḥadakum biwariqikum hādhihi ilā l-madīnati falyanẓur ayyuhā azkā ṭaʿāman falyatikum biriz'qin min'hu walyatalaṭṭaf walā yush'ʿiranna bikum aḥadan

And similarly, We awakened them that they might question one another. Said a speaker from among them, "How long have you remained [here]?" They said, "We have remained a day or part of a day." They said, "Your Lord is most knowing of how long you remained. So send one of you with this silver coin of yours to the city and let him look to which is the best of food and bring you provision from it and let him be cautious. And let no one be aware of you.(19)

Word by word

  1. وَكَذَٰلِكَwakadhālikaAnd similarly
  2. بَعَثْنَٰهُمْbaʿathnāhumWe raised them
  3. لِيَتَسَآءَلُوا۟liyatasāalūthat they might question
  4. بَيْنَهُمْ ۚbaynahumamong them
  5. قَالَqālaSaid
  6. قَآئِلٌqāiluna speaker
  7. مِّنْهُمْmin'humamong them
  8. كَمْkamHow long
  9. لَبِثْتُمْ ۖlabith'tumhave you remained
  10. قَالُوا۟qālūThey said
  11. لَبِثْنَاlabith'nāWe have remained
  12. يَوْمًاyawmana day
  13. أَوْawor
  14. بَعْضَbaʿḍaa part
  15. يَوْمٍ ۚyawmin(of) a day
  16. قَالُوا۟qālūThey said
  17. رَبُّكُمْrabbukumYour Lord
  18. أَعْلَمُaʿlamuknows best
  19. بِمَاbimāhow long
  20. لَبِثْتُمْlabith'tumyou have remained
  21. فَٱبْعَثُوٓا۟fa-ib'ʿathūSo send
  22. أَحَدَكُمaḥadakumone of you
  23. بِوَرِقِكُمْbiwariqikumwith this silver coin of yours
  24. هَٰذِهِۦٓhādhihiwith this silver coin of yours
  25. إِلَىilāto
  26. ٱلْمَدِينَةِl-madīnatithe city
  27. فَلْيَنظُرْfalyanẓurand let him see
  28. أَيُّهَآayyuhāwhich is
  29. أَزْكَىٰazkāthe purest
  30. طَعَامًاṭaʿāmanfood
  31. فَلْيَأْتِكُمfalyatikumand let him bring to you
  32. بِرِزْقٍbiriz'qinprovision
  33. مِّنْهُmin'hufrom it
  34. وَلْيَتَلَطَّفْwalyatalaṭṭafand let him be cautious
  35. وَلَاwalāAnd let not be aware
  36. يُشْعِرَنَّyush'ʿirannaAnd let not be aware
  37. بِكُمْbikumabout you
  38. أَحَدًاaḥadananyone

Tafsir (commentary) of 18:19

Available in English, Bengali, Urdu, Arabic, Russian.

English · EnglishTafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

This commentary explains ayahs 18:19–20 together.

Their awakening and sending One of Themselves to buy Food Allah says: `just as We caused them to ...

كَمْ لَبِثْتُمْ

(How long have you stayed (here)) meaning, `how long have you slept'

قَالُواْ لَبِثْنَا يَوْمًا أَوْ بَعْضَ يَوْمٍ

(They said: "We have stayed a day or part of a day.") because they entered the cave at the beginning of the day, and they woke up at the end of the day, which is why they then said,

أَوْ بَعْضَ يَوْمٍ قَالُواْ رَبُّكُمْ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا لَبِثْتُمْ

("...or a part of a day." They said: "Your Lord knows best how long you have stayed...") meaning, `Allah knows best about your situation.' It seems that they were not sure about how long they had slept, and Allah knows best. Then they turned their attention to more pressing matters, like their need for food and drink, so they said:

فَابْعَثُواْ أَحَدَكُمْ بِوَرِقِكُمْ

(So send one of you with this silver coin of yours) They had brought with them some Dirhams (silver coins) from their homes, to buy whatever they might need, and they had given some in charity and kept some, so they said:

فَابْعَثُواْ أَحَدَكُمْ بِوَرِقِكُمْ هَـذِهِ إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ

(So send one of you with this silver coin of yours to the town,) meaning to their city, which they had left. The definite article indicates that they were referring to a known city.

فَلْيَنْظُرْ أَيُّهَآ أَزْكَى طَعَامًا

(and let him find out which is the Azka food.) Azka means "purest", as Allah says elsewhere,

وَلَوْلاَ فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُ مَا زَكَى مِنكُم مِّنْ أَحَدٍ أَبَداً

(And had it not been for the grace of Allah and His mercy on you, not one of you would ever have been pure Zaka from sins) 24:21 and

قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن تَزَكَّى

(Indeed whosoever purifies himself Tazakka shall achieve success.) 87:14 From the same root also comes the word Zakah, which makes one's wealth good and purifies it.

وَلْيَتَلَطَّفْ

(And let him be careful) meaning when he goes out buying food and coming back. They were telling him to conceal himself as much as he could,

وَلاَ يُشْعِرَنَّ بِكُمْ أَحَدًاإِنَّهُمْ إِن يَظْهَرُواْ عَلَيْكُمْ يَرْجُمُوكُمْ

(and let no man know of you. For, if they come to know of you, they will stone you) means, `if they find out where you are,'

يَرْجُمُوكُمْ أَوْ يُعِيدُوكُمْ فِى مِلَّتِهِمْ

(they will stone you or turn you back to their religion;) They were referring to the followers of Decianus, who they were afraid might find out where they were, and punish them with all kinds of torture until they made them go back to their former religion, or until they died, for if they agreed to go back to their (old) religion, they would never attain success in this world or the Hereafter. So they said:

وَلَن تُفْلِحُواْ إِذًا أَبَدًا

(and in that case you will never be successful.)

Read the full Surah Al-Kahf