سُوْرَةُ الْكَهْفِ
Surah Al-Kahf (18) — Ayah 11
فَضَرَبْنَا عَلَىٰٓ ءَاذَانِهِمْ فِى ٱلْكَهْفِ سِنِينَ عَدَدًا ﴿11﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Therefore We covered up their (sense of) hearing (causing them to go in deep sleep) in the Cave for a number of years.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
فَضَرَبْنَا
faḍarabnā
So We cast
عَلَىٰٓ
ʿalā
over
ءَاذَانِهِمْ
ādhānihim
their ears
فِى
fī
in
ٱلْكَهْفِ
l-kahfi
the cave
سِنِينَ
sinīna
years
عَدَدًۭا
ʿadadan
a number
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
11. So We cast a cover of sleep over them in the cave for many years [10].
[10] Acceptance of Prayer and Prolonged Sleep
These people entered the cave with the intention that, from time to time, one of them would disguise himself and bring food items, and would also find out what people were saying about them and in which direction the circumstances were heading. However, when they entered the cave praying to Allah and lay down there to rest, Allah cast a sleep upon them for a long period and patted their ears as a mother soothes her child to sleep. Thus, they lay there asleep for years and years, and this was the result of their prayer being accepted: Allah saved them from the oppression and tyranny of the government by making them sleep for a long time.
[10] Acceptance of Prayer and Prolonged Sleep
These people entered the cave with the intention that, from time to time, one of them would disguise himself and bring food items, and would also find out what people were saying about them and in which direction the circumstances were heading. However, when they entered the cave praying to Allah and lay down there to rest, Allah cast a sleep upon them for a long period and patted their ears as a mother soothes her child to sleep. Thus, they lay there asleep for years and years, and this was the result of their prayer being accepted: Allah saved them from the oppression and tyranny of the government by making them sleep for a long time.
