In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you and your family are well.
The entire Qur'an is good and a blessing because it is the Speech of Allah, sent upon His slave Muhammad (Allah bless him and grant him peace), and its miracle is lasting. The Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, “The best of you are those who learn the Qur'an and teach it.”
The ahadiith about the merits of reciting Surah Kahf on Friday is abundant. The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “Whoever reads Surah Al-Kahf on Friday, Allah will illuminate for him a light between his feet and the clouds of the sky.” And he (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, “If the Dajjal appears before one of you, recite the opening of Surah Al-Kahf. He will have a protection from the Dajjal.”
Surah Al-Kahf is one of the Makkan surahs and it is one of the five Surahs (Al-Fatihah, Al-An`aam, Al-Kahf, Saba’, Faatir) to begin with “Alhamdulillah” (All praises and thanks are due to Allah alone). How many times have we praised and thanked Allah today? Thanking Allah for His bounties in general and in specific protects the bounties and increases them. Allah Almighty says,
وَإِذْ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكُمْ لَئِن شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ ۖ وَلَئِن كَفَرْتُمْ إِنَّ عَذَابِى لَشَدِيدٌ ﴿٧[Qur'an, Ibrahim 14:7]
And [remember] when your Lord proclaimed, 'If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in favor]; but if you deny, indeed, My punishment is severe.' (7)
Surah Kahf mentions four Qur'anic stories: The Companions of the Cave, The Man With the Two Gardens, Musa and Khidr, and Dhul-Qarnain.
The four stories of Surah Al-Kahf ties into one message, and that is that it gathers the four fitan (trials) in life: the Fitnah of Deen (The People of the Cave), the Fitnah of Wealth (The Owner of the Two Gardens), the Fitnah of Knowledge (Musa and Khidr), and the Fitnah of Power/Authority (Dhul Qarnain).
These fitan are heavy on people and the active leader of them is Shaytan, the one who beautified these fitan and for that, the verse came. (Ayah 50)
وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ ٱسْجُدُوا۟ لِـَٔادَمَ فَسَجَدُوٓا۟ إِلَّآ إِبْلِيسَ كَانَ مِنَ ٱلْجِنِّ فَفَسَقَ عَنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّهِۦٓ ۗ أَفَتَتَّخِذُونَهُۥ وَذُرِّيَّتَهُۥٓ أَوْلِيَآءَ مِن دُونِى وَهُمْ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّۢ ۚ بِئْسَ لِلظَّـٰلِمِينَ بَدَلًا ﴿٥٠[Qur'an, Al-Kahf 18:50]
And [mention] when We said to the angels, "Prostrate to Adam," and they prostrated, except for Iblees. He was of the jinn and departed from the command of his Lord. Then will you take him and his descendants as allies other than Me while they are enemies to you? Wretched it is for the wrongdoers as an exchange. (50)
It was reported that Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: "From the creation of Adam until the Standing, there isn’t a fitnah heavier than the fitnah of the Dajjal."
And the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) used to seek refuge during his prayer from four, one being the fitnah of the Dajjal. The stories of Surah Al-Kahf, every one of them, talks about one of the fitan (trials) and brings, after it, a bit about the protection from the fitan.
The Fitnah of Deen
The story of the companions of the cave in which the youths fled with their religion from their oppressive king, retreating to the cave when a miracle happened, preserving them in it for three hundred years plus nine, while the entire village became a village on tawhid (belief in Oneness of God). The verses that points to the way of protection from this fitnah are in Ayah 28-29.
وَٱصْبِرْ نَفْسَكَ مَعَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ رَبَّهُم بِٱلْغَدَوٰةِ وَٱلْعَشِىِّ يُرِيدُونَ وَجْهَهُۥ ۖ وَلَا تَعْدُ عَيْنَاكَ عَنْهُمْ تُرِيدُ زِينَةَ ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ وَلَا تُطِعْ مَنْ أَغْفَلْنَا قَلْبَهُۥ عَن ذِكْرِنَا وَٱتَّبَعَ هَوَىٰهُ وَكَانَ أَمْرُهُۥ فُرُطًا ﴿٢٨﴾ وَقُلِ ٱلْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكُمْ ۖ فَمَن شَآءَ فَلْيُؤْمِن وَمَن شَآءَ فَلْيَكْفُرْ ۚ إِنَّآ أَعْتَدْنَا لِلظَّـٰلِمِينَ نَارًا أَحَاطَ بِهِمْ سُرَادِقُهَا ۚ وَإِن يَسْتَغِيثُوا۟ يُغَاثُوا۟ بِمَآءٍ كَٱلْمُهْلِ يَشْوِى ٱلْوُجُوهَ ۚ بِئْسَ ٱلشَّرَابُ وَسَآءَتْ مُرْتَفَقًا ﴿٢٩[Qur'an, Al-Kahf 18:28-29]
And keep yourself patient [by being] with those who call upon their Lord in the morning and the evening, seeking His countenance. And let not your eyes pass beyond them, desiring adornments of the worldly life, and do not obey one whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance and who follows his desire and whose affair is ever [in] neglect. (28) And say, "The truth is from your Lord, so whoever wills - let him believe; and whoever wills - let him disbelieve." Indeed, We have prepared for the wrongdoers a fire whose walls will surround them. And if they call for relief, they will be relieved with water like murky oil, which scalds [their] faces. Wretched is the drink, and evil is the resting place.
So, the protection from the fitnah of Deen is to be in righteous company and remember the Hereafter.
The Fitnah of Wealth
The story of a man with two gardens in which Allah gave the man everything but he was ungrateful to the blessings of Allah and denied the Resurrection. So Allah completely destroyed the gardens. Then comes the ayah for protection from this fitnah. (Ayah 45-46)
وَٱضْرِبْ لَهُم مَّثَلَ ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا كَمَآءٍ أَنزَلْنَـٰهُ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ فَٱخْتَلَطَ بِهِۦ نَبَاتُ ٱلْأَرْضِ فَأَصْبَحَ هَشِيمًا تَذْرُوهُ ٱلرِّيَـٰحُ ۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّـهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ مُّقْتَدِرًا ﴿٤٥[Qur'an, Al-Kahf 18:45-46]
ٱلْمَالُ وَٱلْبَنُونَ زِينَةُ ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ وَٱلْبَـٰقِيَـٰتُ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتُ خَيْرٌ عِندَ رَبِّكَ ثَوَابًا وَخَيْرٌ أَمَلًا ﴿٤٦
And present to them the example of the life of this world, [its being] like rain which We send down from the sky, and the vegetation of the earth mingles with it and [then] it becomes dry remnants, scattered by the winds. And Allah is ever, over all things, Perfect in Ability. (45) Wealth and children are [but] adornment of the worldly life. But the enduring good deeds are better to your Lord for reward and better for [one's] hope. (46)
Thus, the protection from the fitnah of wealth is to understand the reality of the Dunya (material world) and to remember the Hereafter.
The Fitnah of Knowledge
The story of Musa with Khidr (may Allah grant them peace) in which Musa believed he was more knowledgeable than the people of the Earth, so Allah revealed to him that there was a person who was more knowledgeable than him. Musa went to meet him and learn from him, then he wasn’t patient with what Khidr had done because he didn’t understand the wisdom behind his actions. Rather, he only took what was apparent. Then comes the ayah of protection from this fitnah. (Ayah 69)
قَالَ سَتَجِدُنِىٓ إِن شَآءَ ٱللَّـهُ صَابِرًا وَلَآ أَعْصِى لَكَ أَمْرًا ﴿٦٩[Qur'an, Al-Kahf 18:69]
[Moses] said, "You will find me, if Allah wills, patient, and I will not disobey you in [any] order." (69)
Thus, the protection from the fitnah of knowledge is humility and to not be vain with knowledge.
The Fitnah of Power/Authority
The story of Dhul-Qarnain, who was a powerful and just king, possessed knowledge and moved about between the east of the Earth to the west of it, assisting people, remembering Allah and making du'a to Allah, and spreading good, until he arrived at a nation who were afraid of the attacks of Ya’juuj and Ma’juuj, so he helped them in building a barrier to prevent them (Ya’juuj and Ma’juuj) from the nation. And, still, the barrier is standing to this day.
قَالَ هَـٰذَا رَحْمَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّى ۖ فَإِذَا جَآءَ وَعْدُ رَبِّى جَعَلَهُۥ دَكَّآءَ ۖ وَكَانَ وَعْدُ رَبِّى حَقًّا ﴿٩٨[Qur'an, Al-Kahf 18:98]
[Dhul-Qarnain] said, "This is a mercy from my Lord; but when the promise of my Lord comes, He will make it level, and ever is the promise of my Lord true." (98)
Then comes the ayah of protection from this fitnah. (Ayah 103-104).
قُلْ هَلْ نُنَبِّئُكُم بِٱلْأَخْسَرِينَ أَعْمَـٰلًا ﴿١٠٣﴾ ٱلَّذِينَ ضَلَّ سَعْيُهُمْ فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَهُمْ يَحْسَبُونَ أَنَّهُمْ يُحْسِنُونَ صُنْعًا ﴿١٠٤[Qur'an, Al-Kahf 18:103-104]
Say, [O Muhammad], "Shall we [believers] inform you of the greatest losers as to [their] deeds? (103) [They are] those whose effort is lost in worldly life, while they think that they are doing well in work." (104)
So the protection from the fitnah of power and authority is sincerity to Allah in all actions and remembering the Hereafter.
End of Surah: The complete protection from fitan
The last ayah of Surah Al-Kahf focuses on the complete protection from the fitan by mentioning the Last Day. (Ayah 110)
قُلْ إِنَّمَآ أَنَا۠ بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ يُوحَىٰٓ إِلَىَّ أَنَّمَآ إِلَـٰهُكُمْ إِلَـٰهٌ وَٰحِدٌ ۖ فَمَن كَانَ يَرْجُوا۟ لِقَآءَ رَبِّهِۦ فَلْيَعْمَلْ عَمَلًا صَـٰلِحًا وَلَا يُشْرِكْ بِعِبَادَةِ رَبِّهِۦٓ أَحَدًۢا ﴿١١٠[Qur'an, Al-Kahf 18:110]
Say, "I am only a man like you, to whom has been revealed that your god is one God. So whoever would hope for the meeting with his Lord - let him do righteous work and not associate in the worship of his Lord anyone." (110)
It is imperative that we do actions that are righteous, complete, and sincere to Allah. He will accept it. And salvation from fitan is waiting for the meeting with Allah.
Let not the hours of your dear life pass away confronting with counterparts, socializing with friends, facebooking, twittering, whatsapping, watching Youtubes/shows/movies/games/videos, playing computer games, downloading new apps/music/movies/shows/games. Watch out! Allah has concluded His statement on the following verse:
فَمَن كَانَ يَرْجُوا۟ لِقَآءَ رَبِّهِۦ فَلْيَعْمَلْ عَمَلًا صَـٰلِحًا وَلَا يُشْرِكْ بِعِبَادَةِ رَبِّهِۦٓ أَحَدًۢا ...
... So whoever would hope for the meeting with his Lord - let him do righteous work and not associate in the worship of his Lord anyone.
We ask Allah for wellness and we seek refuge in Allah from the fitans.
The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “Seek refuge in Allah from the punishment of Allah. Seek refuge in Allah from the punishment of the grave. Seek refuge in Allah from the fitnah of the Dajjal. Seek refuge in Allah from the fitnah of life and death.
Allahumma. Verily, I seek refuge in You from the punishment of Jahannam and the punishment of the grave and the fitnah of life and death and the evil of the fitnah of the Dajjal. Allahumma. Allahumma. Verily, I seek refuge in You from sin and debt. Allahumma. Forgive me, my parents, and all the Muslim men and Muslim women, the alive from them and the dead.
wa salla Allahu 'ala Sayyidina Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wa sallam.
Please don't forget us in your du'as and your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
Have a blessed Friday.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
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