Al-Kahf 18:19
The Cave · ayah 19 of 110
Wakathalika baAAathnahumliyatasaaloo baynahum qala qa-ilun minhumkam labithtum qaloo labithna yawman aw baAAdayawmin qaloo rabbukum aAAlamu bima labithtum fabAAathooahadakum biwariqikum hathihi ila almadeenatifalyanthur ayyuha azka taAAamanfalya/tikum birizqin minhu walyatalattaf walayushAAiranna bikum ahada
Saheeh International translation
Other English translations
Abdel Haleem (Oxford)+
"In time We woke them, and they began to question one another. One of them asked, ‘How long have you been here?’ and [some] answered, ‘A day or part of a day,’ but then [others] said, ‘Your Lord knows best how long you have been here. One of you go to the city with your silver coins, find out where the best food is there, and bring some back. But be careful not to let anyone know about you:"
Pickthall (classic)+
"And in like manner We awakened them that they might question one another. A speaker from among them said: How long have ye tarried? They said: We have tarried a day or some part of a day, (Others) said: Your Lord best knoweth what ye have tarried. Now send one of you with this your silver coin unto the city, and let him see what food is purest there and bring you a supply thereof. Let him be courteous and let no man know of you."
Yusuf Ali (classic)+
"Such (being their state), we raised them up (from sleep), that they might question each other. Said one of them, "How long have ye stayed (here)?" They said, "We have stayed (perhaps) a day, or part of a day." (At length) they (all) said, "Allah (alone) knows best how long ye have stayed here.... Now send ye then one of you with this money of yours to the town: let him find out which is the best food (to be had) and bring some to you, that (ye may) satisfy your hunger therewith: And let him behave with care and courtesy, and let him not inform any one about you."
Tafsīr · classical commentary
Ibn Kathir
Abridged English, public domain
+
Ibn Kathir
Abridged English, public domain
Their awakening and sending One of Themselves to buy Food Allah says: `just as We caused them to ...
(How long have you stayed (here)) meaning, `how long have you slept'
(They said: "We have stayed a day or part of a day.") because they entered the cave at the beginning of the day, and they woke up at the end of the day, which is why they then said,
("...or a part of a day." They said: "Your Lord knows best how long you have stayed...") meaning, `Allah knows best about your situation.' It seems that they were not sure about how long they had slept, and Allah knows best. Then they turned their attention to more pressing matters, like their need for food and drink, so they said:
(So send one of you with this silver coin of yours) They had brought with them some Dirhams (silver coins) from their homes, to buy whatever they might need, and they had given some in charity and kept some, so they said:
(So send one of you with this silver coin of yours to the town,) meaning to their city, which they had left. The definite article indicates that they were referring to a known city.
(and let him find out which is the Azka food.) Azka means "purest", as Allah says elsewhere,
(And had it not been for the grace of Allah and His mercy on you, not one of you would ever have been pure Zaka from sins) 24:21 and
(Indeed whosoever purifies himself Tazakka shall achieve success.) 87:14 From the same root also comes the word Zakah, which makes one's wealth good and purifies it.
(And let him be careful) meaning when he goes out buying food and coming back. They were telling him to conceal himself as much as he could,
(and let no man know of you. For, if they come to know of you, they will stone you) means, `if they find out where you are,'
(they will stone you or turn you back to their religion;) They were referring to the followers of Decianus, who they were afraid might find out where they were, and punish them with all kinds of torture until they made them go back to their former religion, or until they died, for if they agreed to go back to their (old) religion, they would never attain success in this world or the Hereafter. So they said:
(and in that case you will never be successful.)