The isolation of the youth from surah Kahf from an astray, oppressing nation
Imâm Ibn Kathîr

” We narrate unto you their story with truth: Truly, they were young men who believed in their Lord (Allah), and We increased them in guidance. And We made their hearts firm and strong when they stood up and said: “Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth, never shall we call upon any god other than Him; if we did, we should indeed have uttered an enormity in disbelief. These our people have taken for worship gods other than Him. Why do they not bring for them a clear authority And who does more wrong than he who invents a lie against Allah. The young men said to one another:) “And when you withdraw from them, and that which they worship, except Allah, then seek refuge in the cave; your Lord will open a way for you from His mercy and will make easy for you your affair.” [Surah Kahf 17:13-16]

From here Allah begins to explain the story in detail. He states that they were boys or young men, and that they were more accepting of the truth and more guided than the elders who had become stubbornly set in their ways and clung to the religion of falsehood. For the same reason, most of those who responded to Allah and His Messenger were young people. As for the elders of Quraysh, most of them kept to their religion and only a few of them became Muslims. So Allah tells us that the people of the cave were young men. Mujahid said,

“I was informed that some of them wore some kind of earrings, then Allah guided them and inspired them to fear Him, so they recognized His Oneness, and bore witness that there is no god besides Him.”

“and We increased them in guidance.”

From this and other similar Ayat, several scholars, such as Al-Bukhari and others, understood that faith may increase, that it may vary in degrees, and that it may fluctuate. Allah says:

“and We increased them in guidance.”

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How Do You Benefit From the Qur’aan
Ibn al-Qayyim

Source: Al-Fawaa’id

Ibn Al-Qayyim (rahimahullaah) said in al-Fawaa’id:

Allaah the Exalted said:

Verily, therein is indeed a reminder for him who has a heart or gives ear while he is heedful. (Qaaf 50:37)

When you desire benefit from the Qur’an, then bring your heart together during its recitation, listen heedfully and have the presence of the one who is being addressed and spoken to, since it is a speech from Him, the Sublime, to you, upon the tongue of His Messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam).

This is because the best and most complete effect is suspended between the following:

1. That which produces the required effect,

2. A place which receives this effect,

3. The condition which is necessary to receive such an effect and

4. The absence of that which prevents this effect from being obtained.

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The Command to Fast
ibn Kathir

183. 0 you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may acquire Taqwa

184. Fast for a fixed number of days, but if any of you is ill or on a journey, the same number (should be made up) from other days. And as for those who can fast with difficulty, (e.g., an old man), they have (a choice either to fast or) to feed a Miskin (poor person) (for every day). But whoever does good of his own accord, it is better for him. And that you fast is better for you if only you know.

The Order to Fast
In an address to the believers of this Ummah, Allah ordered them to fast, that is, to abstain from food, drink and sexual activity with the intention of doing so sincerely for Allah the Exalted alone. This is because fasting purifies the souls and cleanses them from the evil that might mix with them and their ill behavior. Allah mentioned that He has ordained fasting for Muslims just as He ordained it for those before them, they being an example for them in that, so they should vigorously perform this obligation more obediently than the previous nations.

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103. Al-Asr
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

How `Amr bin Al-`As was aware of the Qur’an’s Miracle due to this Surah

They have mentioned that `Amr bin Al-`As went to visit Musaylimah Al-Kadhdhab after the Messenger of Allah was commissioned (as a Prophet) and before `Amr had

They have mentioned that `Amr bin Al-`As went to visit Musaylimah Al-Kadhdhab after the Messenger of Allah was commissioned (as a Prophet) and before `Amr had accepted Islam. Upon his arrival, Musaylimah said to him, “What has been revealed to your friend (Muhammad ) during this time” `Amr said, “A short and concise Surah has been revealed to him.” Musaylimah then said, “What is it” `Amr replied;

[ِﺮْﺼَﻌْﻟﺍَﻭ - ٍﺮْﺴُﺧ ﻰِﻔَﻟ َﻦـَﺴﻧِ ﻹﺍ َّﻥِﺇ -ْﺍﻮُﻠِﻤَﻋَﻭ ْﺍﻮُﻨَﻣﺍَء َﻦﻳِﺬَّﻟﺍ َّ ﻻِﺇ ِﺮْﺒَّﺼﻟﺎِﺑ ْﺍْﻮَﺻﺍَﻮَﺗَﻭ ِّﻖَﺤْﻟﺎِﺑ ْﺍْﻮَﺻﺍَﻮَﺗَﻭ ِﺖـَﺤِﻠـَّﺼﻟﺍ]

(By Al-`Asr. Verily, man is in loss. Except those who believe and do righteous deeds, and recommend one another to the truth, and recommend one another to patience.) So Musaylimah thought for a while. Then he said, “Indeed something similar has also been revealed to me.” `Amr asked him, “What is it” He replied, “O Wabr (a small, furry mammal; hyrax), O Wabr! You are only two ears and a chest, and the rest of you is digging and burrowing.” Then he said, “What do you think, O `Amr” So `Amr said to him, “By Allah! Verily, you know that I know you are lying.” I saw that Abu Bakr Al-Khara’iti mentioned a chain of narration for part of this story, or what was close to its meaning, in volume two of his famous book Masawi’ ul-Akhlaq. The Wabr is a small animal that resembles a cat, and the largest thing on it is its ears and its torso, while the rest of it is ugly. Musayli- mah intended by the composition of these nonsensical verses to produce something which would oppose the Qur’an. Yet, it was not even convin- cing to the idol wor- shipper of that time.

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Selected Ayaat On The Fruits Of Taqwaa In This Life
By Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Saalih Ibn ‘Uthaymeen

1. Verily, fearing Allah causes the general affairs of mankind, to become easy. Allah, the Most High, says,

And whosoever has taqwaa (fear) of Allah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make his matter easy for him. [Q. 65:4]

As for him, who gives in charity to Allah, and has taqwaa (fear) of Him and believes in al-husnaa (a reward from Allah), we will make smooth for him, the path of ease. [Q. 92: 5 - 7]

2. Taqwaa protects mankind from the harm of Shaytaan. Allaah, the Most High, says,

Verily those who have taqwaa (fear) of Allah, when an evil thought comes to them from shaytaan, they remember (Allah), and indeed they then see (aright). [Q. 7:201]

3. Indeed taqwaa, is also the cause for opening up the blessings from the heaven and the earth for them. Allah, the Most High, says,

And, if the people of the towns, had believed and had taqwaa, certainly We would have opened (bestowed) for them blessings from the heaven and the earth. [Q. 7:96]

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