Surah Al-Kahf (18) — Ayah 1

{سورة كهف}
Kahf means a wide and open cave in a mountain; a narrow cave is called { ’’غَارٌ‘‘ } or {’’مَغَارَةٌ‘‘ }. In this surah, Allah Almighty has narrated the story of the People of the Cave, in which the blessings of faith in Allah are described—how, through it, a person becomes safe from the enemy and independent of the whole world, how much courage is developed to speak the truth, and how Allah Almighty grants honor and dignity to His servants in wondrous ways. (Maha’imi) There are several authentic hadiths regarding its virtue. In one hadith, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ مَنْ حَفِظَ عَشْرَ آيَاتٍ مِنْ أَوَّلِ سُوْرَةِ الْكَهْفِ، عُصِمَ مِنْ فِتْنَةِ الدَّجَّالِ ] [ مسلم، صلاۃ المسافرین، باب فضل سورۃ الکہف و آیۃ الکرسی : ۸۰۹ ] “Whoever memorizes the first ten verses of Surah Kahf will be protected from the trial of Dajjal.” In this hadith of Muslim, the same virtue is mentioned for the last ten verses of this surah. By reciting this surah, tranquility and blessings descend upon the house. Bara’ bin Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: [ كَانَ رَجُلٌ يَقْرَأُ سُوْرَةَ الْكَهْفِ وَإِلٰی جَانِبِهِ حِصَانٌ مَرْبُوْطٌ بِشَطَنَيْنِ، فَتَغَشَّتْهُ سَحَابَةٌ فَجَعَلَتْ تَدْنُوْ وَ تَدْنُوْ، وَجَعَلَ فَرَسُهُ يَنْفِرُ، فَلَمَّا أَصْبَحَ أَتَي النَّبِيَّ صَلَّی اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَذَكَرَ ذٰلِكَ لَهُ، فَقَالَ تِلْكَ السَّكِيْنَةُ تَنَزَّلَتْ بِالْقُرْآنِ ] “A man was reciting Surah Kahf, and beside him was a horse tied with two ropes. A cloud came and covered him, then it began to come closer and closer, so his horse started to shy away. When morning came, he went to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and mentioned it to him, so he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘That was tranquility which descended with the Qur’an.’” [ بخاری، فضائل القرآن، باب فضل الکہف : ۵۰۱۱ ] Abu Sa’id Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ إِنَّ مَنْ قَرَأَ سُوْرَةَ الْكَهْفِ يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ أَضَاءَ لَهٗ مِنَ النُّوْرِ مَا بَيْنَ الْجُمُعَتَيْنِ] [ مستدرک حاکم : 368/2، ح : ۳۳۹۲، صححہ الألباني في صحیح الجامع : ۶۴۷۰ ] “Whoever recites Surah Kahf on Friday, a light will shine for him between the two Fridays.”
(Ayah 1) ➊ { اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ الَّذِيْۤ … :} This surah is among the five surahs that begin with {’’ اَلْحَمْدُ ‘‘}; the other four surahs are Fatihah, An’am, Saba, and Fatir. The previous surah also ended with {’’ اَلْحَمْدُ ‘‘}. From this, the lesson is learned that every work should begin and end with the pure name of Allah or with His praise. Although the method of each of these surahs is different, the purpose is to make people believe that only Allah Almighty is worthy of praise, and no one else, because if anyone has any virtue, it is only by the grant of Allah Almighty.
➋ {الَّذِيْۤ اَنْزَلَ عَلٰى عَبْدِهِ الْكِتٰبَ :} In Surah Fatihah, four attributes are mentioned as evidence that Allah Almighty is the owner of all praise; here, only one reason is given for Allah Almighty being the owner of all praise and virtues, and that is Allah Almighty’s sending down of {’’الْكِتٰبَ ‘‘} upon His servant. Because although all other blessings are greater than each other, this blessing is the most important, because upon it depends eternal life—that is, success or failure in the Hereafter.
➌ { عَلٰى عَبْدِهِ:} “Upon His servant, upon His slave”—in this, by declaring the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) as His special servant, his immense status is described. Although everything in the heavens and the earth is a servant of Allah Almighty, by saying “His servant,” the honor given to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is one that very few have received, as in «سُبْحٰنَ الَّذِيْۤ اَسْرٰى بِعَبْدِهٖ » [بنی إسرائیل : ۱ ], and it is also praise for the Book that was revealed. In {’’ الْكِتٰبَ ‘‘}, the alif-lam is for specification, meaning “this Book,” referring to the Noble Qur’an, because when only {’’ الْكِتٰبَ ‘‘} is mentioned, it refers to the Noble Qur’an, since no other book has the perfection to be called {’’ الْكِتٰبَ ‘‘}.
➍ {وَ لَمْ يَجْعَلْ لَّهٗ عِوَجًا: ’’ عِوَجًا ‘‘} Deviation, crookedness. The tanween on {’’ عِوَجًا ‘‘} is for generality, which, after a negation, becomes even more general—meaning, there is absolutely no kind of crookedness in this Book: not in its words, not in its meanings, not in eloquence and rhetoric, nor is there any contradiction between its verses, nor is any of its information incorrect, nor is any ruling devoid of wisdom. See also Surah Zumar (28), Bani Isra’il (9, 10), and Nisa’ (82).