سُوْرَةُ الْكَهْفِ
Surah Al-Kahf (18) — Ayah 22
سَيَقُولُونَ ثَلَـٰثَةٌ رَّابِعُهُمْ كَلْبُهُمْ وَيَقُولُونَ خَمْسَةٌ سَادِسُهُمْ كَلْبُهُمْ رَجْمًۢا بِٱلْغَيْبِ ۖ وَيَقُولُونَ سَبْعَةٌ وَثَامِنُهُمْ كَلْبُهُمْ ۚ قُل رَّبِّىٓ أَعْلَمُ بِعِدَّتِهِم مَّا يَعْلَمُهُمْ إِلَّا قَلِيلٌ ۗ فَلَا تُمَارِ فِيهِمْ إِلَّا مِرَآءً ظَـٰهِرًا وَلَا تَسْتَفْتِ فِيهِم مِّنْهُمْ أَحَدًا ﴿22﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
(Some) say they were three, the dog being the fourth among them; and (others) say they were five, the dog being the sixth, - guessing at the unseen; (yet others) say they were seven, and the dog being the eighth. Say (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم): "My Lord knows best their number; none knows them but a few." So debate not (about their number) except with the clear proof (which We have revealed to you). And consult not any of them (people of the Scripture - Jews and Christians) about (the affair of) the people of the Cave.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
سَيَقُولُونَ
sayaqūlūna
They say
ثَلَـٰثَةٌۭ
thalāthatun
(they were) three
رَّابِعُهُمْ
rābiʿuhum
the forth of them
كَلْبُهُمْ
kalbuhum
their dog
وَيَقُولُونَ
wayaqūlūna
and they say
خَمْسَةٌۭ
khamsatun
(they were) five
سَادِسُهُمْ
sādisuhum
the sixth of them
كَلْبُهُمْ
kalbuhum
their dog
رَجْمًۢا
rajman
guessing
بِٱلْغَيْبِ ۖ
bil-ghaybi
about the unseen
وَيَقُولُونَ
wayaqūlūna
and they say
سَبْعَةٌۭ
sabʿatun
(they were) seven
وَثَامِنُهُمْ
wathāminuhum
and the eight of them
كَلْبُهُمْ ۚ
kalbuhum
their dog
قُل
qul
Say
رَّبِّىٓ
rabbī
My Lord
أَعْلَمُ
aʿlamu
knows best
بِعِدَّتِهِم
biʿiddatihim
their number
مَّا
mā
None
يَعْلَمُهُمْ
yaʿlamuhum
knows them
إِلَّا
illā
except
قَلِيلٌۭ ۗ
qalīlun
a few
فَلَا
falā
So (do) not
تُمَارِ
tumāri
argue
فِيهِمْ
fīhim
about them
إِلَّا
illā
except
مِرَآءًۭ
mirāan
(with) an argument
ظَـٰهِرًۭا
ẓāhiran
obvious
وَلَا
walā
and (do) not
تَسْتَفْتِ
tastafti
inquire
فِيهِم
fīhim
about them
مِّنْهُمْ
min'hum
among them
أَحَدًۭا
aḥadan
(from) anyone
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
22. 1 Those who said this and those who mentioned their various numbers were the believers and disbelievers of the time of the Messenger, especially the People of the Book who claimed awareness and knowledge from the heavenly scriptures.
22. 2 That is, none of them possess knowledge, just as someone throws a stone without seeing, they too are making such conjectural statements.
22. 3 Allah Almighty mentioned only three statements; first, He called the two statements رَجْمًا بِالْغَيْبِ (conjecture and guesswork), declaring them weak opinions, and then mentioned the third statement after that, from which the scholars of exegesis have deduced that this style is evidence of the authenticity of this statement, and in reality, their number was exactly as much (Ibn Kathir).
22. 4 It is narrated from some Companions that they used to say: I am also among those few people who know how many the People of the Cave were; they were only seven, as mentioned in the third statement (Ibn Kathir).
22. 5 That is, suffice only with those matters which have been conveyed to you through revelation, or do not argue and dispute about the determination of the number, just say that there is no evidence for this determination.
22. 6 That is, do not ask those who argue about them anything, because the one who is asked should have more knowledge than the one asking, whereas here the matter is the opposite. You at least have a definite source of knowledge, revelation, while others have nothing but mental conjecture.
22. 2 That is, none of them possess knowledge, just as someone throws a stone without seeing, they too are making such conjectural statements.
22. 3 Allah Almighty mentioned only three statements; first, He called the two statements رَجْمًا بِالْغَيْبِ (conjecture and guesswork), declaring them weak opinions, and then mentioned the third statement after that, from which the scholars of exegesis have deduced that this style is evidence of the authenticity of this statement, and in reality, their number was exactly as much (Ibn Kathir).
22. 4 It is narrated from some Companions that they used to say: I am also among those few people who know how many the People of the Cave were; they were only seven, as mentioned in the third statement (Ibn Kathir).
22. 5 That is, suffice only with those matters which have been conveyed to you through revelation, or do not argue and dispute about the determination of the number, just say that there is no evidence for this determination.
22. 6 That is, do not ask those who argue about them anything, because the one who is asked should have more knowledge than the one asking, whereas here the matter is the opposite. You at least have a definite source of knowledge, revelation, while others have nothing but mental conjecture.
