سُوْرَةُ الْكَهْفِ
Surah Al-Kahf (18) — Ayah 25
وَلَبِثُوا۟ فِى كَهْفِهِمْ ثَلَـٰثَ مِا۟ئَةٍ سِنِينَ وَٱزْدَادُوا۟ تِسْعًا ﴿25﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And they stayed in their Cave three hundred (solar) years, adding nine (for lunar years). (Tafsir Al-Qurtubi)
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَلَبِثُوا۟
walabithū
And they remained
فِى
fī
in
كَهْفِهِمْ
kahfihim
their cave
ثَلَـٰثَ
thalātha
(for) three
مِا۟ئَةٍۢ
mi-atin
hundred
سِنِينَ
sinīna
years
وَٱزْدَادُوا۟
wa-iz'dādū
and add
تِسْعًۭا
tis'ʿan
nine
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 25){وَ لَبِثُوْا فِيْ كَهْفِهِمْ …:} Some commentators have stated that Allah Almighty mentioned the nine years separately because if the years were solar, then it would be three hundred years, and if lunar, then their period of stay would be three hundred and nine years. These scholars say that if this were not the case, then {’’ثَلاَثَ مِائَةٍ وَ تِسْعَ سِنِيْنَ‘‘} (that is, three hundred and nine years) would have been sufficient and concise. However, the reality is that there is no evidence for this difference between solar and lunar. The reason for mentioning the nine years separately is the endings of the verses (the final words), which creates beauty in the speech, and in terms of eloquence, the difference between the words of the Qur’an between {’’ ثَلٰثَ مِائَةٍ سِنِيْنَ وَ ازْدَادُوْا تِسْعًا ‘‘} and {’’ ثَلاَثَ مِائَةٍ وَ تِسْعَ سِنِيْنَ ‘‘} is like that of earth and sky. The rule of eloquence is that sometimes there is beauty in brevity and sometimes in elaboration. Therefore, their period of stay was three hundred and nine years; if they were lunar years, then all were lunar, and if solar, then all were solar. The distinction between three hundred solar and three hundred and nine lunar is nothing but a mental fabrication. (Muhasin al-Ta’wil)
