Where can i find story of kahf

[seeker_of_ilm]

Salam,
I am a new member and hope to benefit from all the posts and discussions on this site. Can someone please tell me where I can find the story of the people of the cave. Not an online version but in a good book format with the story written in a book style?
also can anyone answer these 3 questions?
why was there a dog with them?
what were their names?
how did their bodies not rot?

Thank you for your help! Jazakumullah

[kayra]

:salam:

The location of the cave is supposed to be quite close to where I live, so what little knowledge I have is probably tainted by touristic brochures. The best source of knowledge about the people of the cave is of course the Holy Quran (Surah Al-Kahf). According to the Surah, the exact number is known only to Allah (and an elect few?), so it's unlikely that their names are known for sure - there are popularly accepted names, though. The dog is said to have been called Qitmir, and said to have been a shepherd's dog. Their bodies didn't rot because Allah allowed them to sleep rather than die =) This narrative articl (http://www.harunyahya.net/V2/Lang/en/Pg/WorkDetail/Number/10906)e (not quite a story, sorry!) does speculate about the reasons for the presence of the dog. Could we perhaps learn the reason for your wish to read about the "story"? That might help us to point you in the direction of a suitable book.

:ws:

[UmHasan]

Abdullah ibn Abbas :ra: has given the names as:
1. Muksalmina
2. Tamlikhah
3. Martunis
4. Sanunis
5. Sarinunis
6. Dhuniwas
7. Kakastitiyoonis

However, there appears to some variations in the names as I have also come across the following list of names:
1. Yamleekha
2. Muksalmeenah
3. Masheenah
4. Marnoosh
5. Dabarnoosh
6. Shazhnoosh
7. Kafashteetoosh (or in the opinion of Kashfi (RA) it is Martoosh.

Not sure why you asked this brother but thought I would add that Ibn Abbas RA says that if the names of the people of the cave are written and kept as tawiz...

[meelash]

I have a booklet published by Jamea tul Imam Muhammad Zakariya called "Ashaabe-Kahf & the Location of their Cave". There is an online version of it here: http://www.inter-islam.org/Pastevents/khf.htm but it is also available in nice published form, because I have it. Not sure where you may be able to purchase it.

[UmHasan]

(sorry, I have to multiple postings as I'm typing from my phone and worry about losing it when the post gets too long)

....Ibn Abbas(RA) says if the names of the As-haabul Kahf are written and are kept as tawiz they are benficial in locating a lost item or person. If they are written on a paper and thown into the fire the fire wil be extinguished, can also be useful when placed under the pillow of a crying baby and used to increase the yield of farm crops. Can also be written and tied to the right leg for fever and headache, for gaining respect and before appearing before a king.

To ease labour pains, write and tie to left leg ( I tried this myself for my first 4 babies then lost the taweez and forgot about it). Can also be used for safeguarding wealth, for a safe sea journey and to protect form murder.

Hadhrat Mujaddid Alfi Thani (RA) says that People of the Cave will fight alongside Mahdi.

[UmHasan]

The dog, Qitmeer, as siter Kayra mentioned, was there either:

- as a guard dog, for protection from intruders
- some mufassireen say he was outside the entrance of the cave therfore he was not a hinderance to the angels.
- others say that at that time dogs were not prohibited (as part of Isa AS's shariah) so the dog was okay to be with them
- he was an exception. He was a dog that liked good company and to be with the pious and therefore he was not on the same pedestal as your average yorkshire terrior.
- others say he was a hunting dog therefore allowed.

I haven't included references for these but please let me know if you need them. I can look them up. Maybe.

[The Fake Shaykh]

The Story of Ashab al-Kahf in detail


نَّحۡنُ نَقُصُّ عَلَيۡكَ نَبَأَهُم بِٱلۡحَقِّ*ۚ إِنَّہُمۡ فِتۡيَةٌ ءَامَنُواْ بِرَبِّهِمۡ وَزِدۡنَـٰهُمۡ هُدً۬ى (١٣) وَرَبَطۡنَا عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمۡ إِذۡ قَامُواْ فَقَالُواْ رَبُّنَا رَبُّ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ لَن نَّدۡعُوَاْ مِن دُونِهِۦۤ إِلَـٰهً۬ا*ۖ لَّقَدۡ قُلۡنَآ إِذً۬ا شَطَطًا (١٤) هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ قَوۡمُنَا ٱتَّخَذُواْ مِن دُونِهِۦۤ ءَالِهَةً۬*ۖ لَّوۡلَا يَأۡتُونَ عَلَيۡهِم بِسُلۡطَـٰنِۭ بَيِّنٍ۬*ۖ فَمَنۡ أَظۡلَمُ مِمَّنِ ٱفۡتَرَىٰ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ كَذِبً۬ا (١٥)

We relate unto you their story accurately. This was said because various versions of the story had been circulated by people. Hence, we are being told that the correct version is the one contained herein. They, the people of the cave, were a handful of youth who according to true Christian teachings brought faith in their Lord and upon their bringing faith We increased them in guidance by additionally giving them qualities of patience, perseverance, reliance, and the ability to resist worldly and carnal desires, and from this increased guidance was that We strengthened their hearts with patience and perseverance, when they having become firm in religion, said between themselves or in front of the king and the people, Our Lord is He who is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. We are not, in exclusion to Him, going to worship any god. Because if we were to do this, God forbid, in that case we will surely have said something far from the truth. Speech attributed with being far from truth has been predicated upon worshiping false gods because worship without doubt presupposes acknowledgement of their being worthy of worship, not to mention, the uttering of words of reverence and veneration in front of them. These, our people, leaving Him have taken up gods because this entire nation along with their king were idolaters. So why don’t these people bring upon the worship of these worshiped ones any clear proof, similar to how monotheists carry clear proof upon Tawheed. So despite Tawheed being established by proof, who then, is more atrocious than one who forges against Allah a lie that, ma’aadh Allah, He also has partners?



وَإِذِ ٱعۡتَزَلۡتُمُوهُمۡ وَمَا يَعۡبُدُونَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهَ فَأۡوُ ۥۤاْ إِلَى ٱلۡكَهۡفِ يَنشُرۡ لَكُمۡ رَبُّكُم مِّن رَّحۡمَتِهِۦ وَيُهَيِّئۡ لَكُم مِّنۡ أَمۡرِكُم مِّرۡفَقً۬ا (١٦) ۞ وَتَرَى ٱلشَّمۡسَ إِذَا طَلَعَت تَّزَٲوَرُ عَن كَهۡفِهِمۡ ذَاتَ ٱلۡيَمِينِ وَإِذَا غَرَبَت تَّقۡرِضُہُمۡ ذَاتَ ٱلشِّمَالِ وَهُمۡ فِى فَجۡوَةٍ۬ مِّنۡهُ*ۚ ذَٲلِكَ مِنۡ ءَايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ*ۗ مَن يَہۡدِ ٱللَّهُ فَهُوَ ٱلۡمُهۡتَدِ*ۖ وَمَن يُضۡلِلۡ فَلَن تَجِدَ لَهُ ۥ وَلِيًّ۬ا مُّرۡشِدً۬ا (١٧)

And between themselves they said, Since you have separated from them in beliefs and also separated from the worship of their worshiped ones, except from Allah have not separated, rather on account of him have separated from all others, then in that case benefit dictates that you take refuge in the direction of the certain cave which was probably discussed earlier among them, so that you may worship your Lord in peace and tranquility. Your Lord will spread upon you his mercy, and will validate for you the means of success in your task.

This expectation is the very prayer related from them above, “رَبَّنَآ ءَاتِنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحۡمَةً۬ وَهَيِّئۡ لَنَا مِنۡ أَمۡرِنَا رَشَدً۬ا“. And O Addressee, that cave is positioned in a manner that you would see the sun, when it rises, inclining away from their cave, i.e. stays away from the opening of the cave, and when it sets, it would avoid them to the left of the cave, in other words, even at sunset the sun does not fall on the opening in order to protect them from its heat. And they were in a spacious portion of it. That is to say, in such deep caves where there are wide and narrow cavities, they happened to be residing in a wide area, protecting them from claustrophobia and allowing sufficient air. This, receiving guidance in spite of weakness and small numbers on the one hand, and the enemy being strong and plentiful on the other, is from the signs of Allah’s power to show how he strengthens and encourages his chosen servants without any conventional means. It is therefore established that whomever Allah guides, only he will be guided, and whomever Allah leads astray, you will not find for him a helping guide.

Benefits
The right and left of the cave are either in relation to the one entering it or the one exiting from it. Thus, in the first case, the cave was facing North, and in the second, it was facing South. Had it been facing East, sunlight would have fallen upon it during the rising of the sun. Similarly, facing West would have caused the sun to shine upon it while setting. The purpose is to illustrate how safe and protected it was

[UmHasan]

In answer to the last question:

The bodies did not rot because the sun did not shine directly in the cave but passed over it. They would also turn their bodies from side to side to prevent rigor mortis and stiffness.
But actually, the real reason they did not rot was that it was Allah's will. How else can people sleep for 390 years and walk out alive?

[The Fake Shaykh]

The Qur’an also tells us the story of the Ashab Al-Kahf, the People of the Cave, they were not Prophets or Messengers, but they were committed youths. They believed in their Lord. They refused the pressure of evil rulers who wanted to turn them away from the path of righteousness. Allah says about them:

[We relate to you their story in truth: they were youths who believed in their Lord, and We advanced them in guidance. We gave strength to their hearts: behold, they stood up and said: “Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and of the earth: never shall we call upon any god other than Him: if we did, we should indeed have uttered an enormity!] (Al-Kahf 18: 13-14)

[UmHasan]

I have a booklet published by Jamea tul Imam Muhammad Zakariya called "Ashaabe-Kahf & the Location of their Cave". There is an online version of it here: http://www.inter-islam.org/Pastevents/khf.htm but it is also available in nice published form, because I have it. Not sure where you may be able to purchase it.

You can get it by contacting Jamea. I wrote it myself as a student years ago (except the last chapter).

[seeker_of_ilm]

Thank you all. THese posts have been very useful, especially soupys direct answers to the questions. One more quick question, is the cave located in jordan, or afghanistan?

I am doing some volunteering where I am talking to teenagers. I though I would tell them some Quranic stories rather than talk about wordly things. But I found I couldnt answer all their questions wit hmy limited knowledge.

[meelash]

You can get it by contacting Jamea. I wrote it myself as a student years ago (except the last chapter).

:mash: It is well written, :jazak:

[kayra]

:salam:
Tourists visiting Turkey are told the location is Tarsus/ Ephesus (Efes), about 50-100 km from where I am now. Never been there myself. The wikipedia entry (search "seven sleepers" at wikipedia.org) discusses various popular notions about location.
:ws:

[al-Kankohi]

Thank you all. THese posts have been very useful, especially soupys direct answers to the questions. One more quick question, is the cave located in jordan, or afghanistan?

I am doing some volunteering where I am talking to teenagers. I though I would tell them some Quranic stories rather than talk about wordly things. But I found I couldnt answer all their questions wit hmy limited knowledge.

It's in Jordan, near Amman according to Mufti Taqi Usmani.