Parable of the Ashaab-e-Kahf

On page 541 of the 617-page Quranic commentary namely, ‘Siraat-ul-Jinaan’, volume 5, the faith-refreshing parable of the Ashab-e-Kahf has been mentioned in these words: The Ashab-e-Kahf were the honest people amongst the noble and respectable people of the city of Ufsoos. In their era, there was a very cruel king namely Daqiyanoos. He forced the people to worship the creation [rather than the Creator, Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ] and would kill anyone who did not agree to it. Ashab-e-Kahf escaped the king’s oppression in order to protect their faith and took refuge in a cave on a nearby mountain, and fell asleep over there. They remained there [sleeping] in the same state for more than 300 years. When the king searched and came to know that they were inside the cave, he ordered to seal the cave with a strong wall so that they would die (due to hunger and thirst) in it and the cave would become their grave. It was their punishment. (Siraat-ul-Jinaan, vol. 5, pp. 541)

Dear Islamic brothers! Ashab-e-Kahf had a great Madani mind-set for protecting their faith. These people sacrificed everything in order to protect themselves from Fitnahs [i.e. evils] and to protect their faith. They preferred to take refuge in a cave, rather than worshipping anyone other than Allah. It is also deduced that an extremely effective source of protecting faith in the era of Fitnahs [i.e. evils] is to get separated from the people.

The Revered and Renowned Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم has stated: Soon there will be Fitnahs. In [the era of] these Fitnahs, a person sitting will be better than the standing one; and the person standing will be better than the walking one; and the person walking will be better than the running one. Whoever will peep at that (Fitnah), it will affect him as well. So whoever finds any refuge or shelter, he should take refuge in it.

(Sahih Bukhari, Kitab-ul-Fitan, vol. 4, pp. 435, Hadees 7081)

Commenting on the abovementioned Hadees, a renowned commentator, a great thinker of the Ummah, Mufti Ahmad Yar Khan رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ تَـعَـالٰی عَـلَيْـه has stated: ‘Sitting’ here means completely staying away from those Fitnahs. In this way, a person can remain safe from those Fitnahs as he will remain unaffected, by not looking at them. ‘Standing’ here means watching them from a distance,