The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 3) — Page 646
CH. 18 AL-KAHF PT. 15 that they might question one وَكَذلِكَ بَعَثْنُهُمْ لِيَتَسَاءَلُوْا بَيْنَهُمْ قَالَ And so We raised them up. 20 قَابِلُ مِنْهُمْ كَمْ لَبِثْتُمْ قَالُوا لَبِثْنَا ,another. One of them said b يَوْمًا أَوْ بَعْضَ يَوْمٍ قَالُوا رَبُّكُمْ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا لَبِثْتُمْ فَابْعَثُوا أَحَدَكُمْ "How long have you tarried?' They said, 'We have tarried a day or part of a day. ' Others said, 'Your Lord knows best the "2:260; 23:113-114. means, the market became stagnant that existed in the shape of the or dull (Lane & Aqrab). . وصد threshold) is derived from) وصيد They say, i. e. he remained in means, he closed وصل الباب. the house the door. means, a court or open space in front of a house; a threshold of a door or entrance; a door or entrance; a fold for sheep or goats; a house of stones made in the mountains for flocks or herds (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: The verse does not refer to the Dwellers of the Cave in the early days of Christianity but to Christian nations in the Holy Prophet's own time. Muslims of that time were warned that Christian nations in northern regions were then lying in a state of dormancy but they would soon rise from their deep sleep of centuries and would spread all over the world and hold it under their sway. Before that time Muslims should make effective preparation to protect themselves against their devastating onslaughts. Muslims threw this timely Divine warning to the winds. After Caliph Uthman, internecine dissensions rent them. They became heedless of the danger 1854 Byzantine Empire by their side. If they then had attacked and conquered it, for which they had quite legitimate as the Romans had first attacked them, the political map of now be quite the world would reasons different from what it is. The words, their dog stretching out his forelegs on the threshold, refer to the great fondness of Christian peoples for their dogs. The words may also be taken as referring to the Byzantine Empire which then kept guard over Europe on both sides of the Sea of Marmora. This sea looks like a dog keeping watch with his forelegs stretched forth on both sides. The Turks conquered this country in the 15th century but it was too late. By then a great political awakening had taken place among the Christian nations of the northern regions. If in the day of their power and glory the Moors and the Abbasids had made common cause to subdue and crush these nations, Islam would have spread to these parts and mankind would have been spared much misery and bloodshed. The expression, If thou had had a look at them, thou wouldst surely have turned away from them in fright,