Hadith: “Whoever recites Surah kahf on Friday, a Noor will shine for him until the following Friday. (Nasai, Bayhaqi, hakim)
This means that Allah will place special light in his/her heart which will guide them towards good throughout the whole week.

Hadith: “Whoever recites the opening ten verses of Surah kahf will be protected from the fitnah of Dajjal” (Muslim)

Another Hadith says “If Dajjal appears before you, recite the last ten verses of Surah kahf, because they will protect you from his fitnah”.

My shaykh Hazrat mawlana Yusuf Motala Saheb says” If Surah kahf can protect from Dajjal’s fitnah, which is the greatest fitnah from the time of Adam alayhissalam until qiyamah, then why can it not protect from the minor fitnas which we face in our lives”

Here under is a beautiful article analysing the Surah. May Allah reward the writer.
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Ever wondered why Prophet Muhammad(SAW) asked us to recite Surat Al-Kahf every Friday?
Let’s find out today inshaAllah…

This Surah has Four stories in it,having some morals,lets see them and understand what they are saying to us:

1) The People Of The Cave
Its the story of young men who lived in a disbelieving town, so they decided to migrate for the sake of Allah and run away. -Allah rewards them with mercy in the cave and protection from the sun – They woke up and found the entire village believers.

MORAL:TRIAL OF FAITH.

2) The Owner Of Two Gardens
A story of a man whom Allah blessed with two beautiful gardens, but the man forgot to thank the One who blessed him with everything and he even dared to doubt Allah regarding the afterlife.So His garden was destroyed – He regretted ,but was too late and his regret did not benefit him .

MORAL:TRIAL OF WEALTH.

3) Musa(AS) and Khidr(AS)
When Musa(AS) was asked-“Who’s the most knowledgeable of the people of earth?”” Musa(AS) said:Me…,but Allah revealed to him that there’s someone who Knows more than him.Musa(AS) traveled to the man and learnt how the Divine Wisdom can sometimes be hidden in matters which we perceive as bad.

MORAL:TRIAL OF KNOWLEDGE.

4) Dhul-Qarnayn
Its a story of the great King that was given knowledge and power and was going around the world,helping people and spreading all that’s good.He was able to overcome the problem of Yajooj-Majooj and build a massive dam with the help of people whom he could not even understand.

MORAL:TRIAL OF POWER.

In the middle Allah mentions Iblees as the one who stirs these trials:
Behold! We said to the angels “Bow down to Adam”: they bowed down except Iblis. He was one of the Jinns, and he broke the Command of his Lord. Will ye then take him and his progeny as protectors rather than Me? And they are enemies to you! Evil would be the exchange for the wrongdoers!

Now let us see what’s the relationship between Surat Al-Kahf and the Dajjal (Anti-Christ)?

Dajjal will appear before Day of Judgement with the 4 trials:

***He’ll ask people to worship him and not Allah:
Trial of Faith .

***He’ll be given powers to start/stop rain and tempt people with his wealth:
Trial of with his wealth. .

***He’ll trial people with the “knowledge” and news he gives them:
Trial of Knowledge .

He’ll control huge parts of the Earth.
Trial of Power .

How to survive these trials? The answers are in Surat Al-Kahf

Survival Kit 1: Good companionship.

“And keep thy soul content with those who call on their Lord morning and evening, seeking His Face; and let not thine eyes pass beyond them, seeking the pomp and glitter of this Life; no obey any whose heart We have permitted to neglect the remembrance of Us, one who follows his own desires, whose case has gone beyond all bounds.” (Surat Al-Kahf, verse 28)

Survival Kit 2: Knowing the Truth of this World .

“Set forth to them the similitude of the life of this world: It is like the rain which we send down from the skies: the earth’s vegetation absorbs it, but soon it becomes dry stubble, which the winds do scatter: it is (only) Allah who prevails over all things” (Surat Al-Kahf, verse 45)

Survival Kit 3: Humbleness.

“Moses said: “Thou wilt find me, if Allah so will, (truly) patient: nor shall I disobey thee in aught.””(Surat Al-Kahf, verse 69)

Survival Kit 4: Sincerity.

“Say: “I am but a man like yourselves, (but) the inspiration has come to me, that your Allah is one Allah. whoever expects to meet his Lord, let him work righteousness, and, in the worship of his Lord, admit no one as partner.” (Surat Al- Kahf, verse 110)
Survival Kit 5: Calling to Allah .

“And recite (and teach) what has been revealed to thee of the Book of thy Lord: none can change His Words, and none wilt thou find as a refuge other than Him.” (Surat Al-Kahf, verse 27)

Survival Kit 6: Remembering the HereAfter .

“ One Day We shall remove the mountains, and thou wilt see the earth as a level stretch, and We shall gather them, all together, nor shall We leave out any one of them. And they will be marshalled before thy Lord in ranks, (with the announcement), “Now have ye come to Us (bare) as We created you first: aye, ye thought We shall not fulfil the appointment made to you to meet (Us)!”: And the Book (of Deeds) will be placed (before you); and thou wilt see the sinful in great terror because of what is (recorded) therein; they will say, “Ah! woe to us! what a Book is this! It leaves out nothing small or great,but takes account thereof !” They will find all that they did, placed before them: And not one will thy Lord treat with injustice.” (Surat Al-Kahf, verses 47-49)

Source

"I DID NOT CREATE THE JINN AND MANKIND EXCEPT TO WORSHIP ME" (51:56)

The final purpose of the world is nothing but Divine Worship. Devotion or worship, ultimately, is in 3 stages:-

(1) Devotion of ordinary people: obedience to God's Commands. 

(2) Devotion of the elect on the mystical path: Increasing of intention and will and cultivation of sincerity. 

(3) Devotion of the elect of the elect (akhassu l-khassa) : Serving God with love. 

In all these 3 forms/stages, Devotion should/must be seen as the presence of the heart, whereby one gets immersed in the ocean of love and connecting to the Divine in his/her acts of worship. 

In chapter 91, verses 7-10 of the Holy Qur'an, Surat Shams, we read it where Allah Ta'ala says:-

"By the soul, and that which proportioned it, and inspired its depravity and godwariness (its wrong and its right). 

Prosperous is he who purifies it, and failed has he who (corrupts) buries it." 

It is clear that the prosperity achieved through purifying the soul pertains to the next world. In relation to that prosperity, the prosperity of this world is (in the modern, secular understanding of being prosperous) is irrelevant. Those who fail to purify their souls and instead "bury" their souls will not be prosperous. Instead, they will be miserable when they reach the next world, whether or not they are prosperous here. 

We must, therefore, cultivate our souls by following God's instructions and achieve the everlasting wholeness and well-being of the self. Let us not be among those who bury their souls in ignorance and forgetfulness. 

Best Wishes. 

Ayat 31 of chapter 3 of the Holy Qur'an, Surat Al-Imran, reads:-

"Say (O Muhammad), if you love Allah, follow me : Allah will love you and forgive you your sins." (3:31)

Here we see clearly that following... imitating Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, is the key to living a life that pleases Allah and thus will be rewarded by being drawn to the love of Allah. 

Muhammad, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, is al-insan al-Kamil, the perfect human being, so those who seek perfection should follow his example in all things. 

The first step in following the Prophet is to align the human will with the Will of Allah by obeying all the Commands and Prohibitions of Allah. The second step is through additional voluntary acts of service, worship and love... as summarized in a saying of Allah on the lips of the Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, (Hadith-Qudsi) :--

"When My servant approaches Me through additional voluntary good works, then I love him. When I love him, I am the hearing with which he hears, the eye with which he sees, the hand with which he grasps and the foot with which he walks." (Bukhari, No. 6502).

This is the state of selflessness. 

In ayat/verse 32 of chapter 17 of the Holy Qur'an, Surat Bani Isra'el, Allah Ta'ala says :--

"And come not near unto adultery, 

Verily, it is an obscenity and an evil way". (17:32).

Here, we are prohibited from even approaching Zina/adultery, thus educating us to the fact that : ANY CAUSE THAT LEADS TO HARAAM ACT IS ALSO HARAAM, and thus should totally be avoided. 

Human instinct is such that no sooner do a strange man and woman meet in privacy, that a sensation of mutual attraction permeates the atmosphere between them. This attraction develops from stage to stage from affection to uncontrollable passion and ultimately into the irreversible stage, where it is about impossible to control the nafs, and finally the shameful deed of Zina is perpetrated. Therefore, Allah Ta'ala has made easy for us the beautiful pathway to chastity, purity and piety (Taqwa), by declaring unlawful all those factors that contribute to the commission of Zina. 

In verse/ayat 28 of chapter 34 of the Holy Qur'an, Allah Ta'ala says :--

"We have not sent you (O Muhammad) but as a Universal (Messenger) to all men, giving them glad tidings, and Warning them (against sin)" /34:28/.

Note that the ayat says "kaaffatan li-naas"... not 'Li n-naasi kaaffah'... putting 'kaaffah' before an-naas.. which means this Message being delivered by the Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, is meant for all human beings, no one is excluded until this world is finished!.

Indeed, in this ayat it is as if Allah Ta'ala is saying that the Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, from the beginning has been sent not with the Message only when he was 40 years of age, but also before Adam, alaihis Salaat Wassalaam, was created. 

Verse/ayat number 5 in chapter 20 of the Holy Qur'an, Surat Ta-ha, states :-

"(Allah) Most Gracious is firmly established on the Throne (of authority)" (20:5).

Allahu! Never can the throne carry Him, rather the Throne and the Throne-Bearers are carried up by the subtlety of His infinite might, and all are powerless in His grasp. 

On this, Abu Hanifa, may Allah be Merciful to him, observes: " We assert that Allah established Himself over the throne without His need over settlement upon it, it is He who preserves the Throne and other than it without needing any of them". 

And Imam Abu Hassan al-Ash'ari also on this matter said that "Allah established Himself on the Throne in the sense that He said and the meaning that He wills, with an establishment that transcends touch, settlement, location, immanence and displacement. The Throne does not carry Him, rather the throne and its carriers are carried by the subtleness of His power, subdued under His grip ". (Al-Ash'ari, al-Ibna 'an Usul al-Diyana, Mahmoud Ed. P. 21).

"... And Allah is unneedy (free of all wants), and you are the poor/needy" (47:38).

Allah Ta'ala has no need for our/your obedience, and you are the poor toward His mercy. Allah is the unneedy and has no need for anyone. 

He is One and has no associate or partner. He, Tabaraka Wa Ta'ala, is the Invincible, and no one has the color of union with Him. He is the owner of the Kingdom, and no matter what He does, no one has the gall to protest or the means to fight back. 

Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar!! 

Wa Lillahil Hamd... 

"There is for you in the Envoy of Allah an excellent example (uswa)".. /33:31.

This ayat/verse forms the basis of the very first Muslims setting their hearts on finding out about the behavior of the Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam. They made efforts to find out from him or those close to him, to acquaint themselves with even the minutest details of his tastes, his preferences, and his way of reacting in any given circumstance. 

Deprived of the physical presence of the Messenger of Allah, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, the succeeding generations of Muslims down to our time today, did everything possible to conserve the memory of his Sunnah, his custom, by collecting together the hadiths. These are testimonies going as far back as the first generation of Muslims, which rescued  the sayings and actions of the Prophet or of his companions, and they are gathered into a vast corpus of which 6 books are reputed to be canonical. These are :-

(1) Sahih Bukhari of Imam Muhammad Ibn Isma'il Al-Bukhari. 

(2) Sahih Muslim of Muslim ibn al-Hajj. 

(3) Sunan Abu Dawud of Abu Dawud al-Sijjistani

(4) Ibn Majah 

(5) Sunan al-Tirmidhi of Abu Isa al-Tirmidhi and

(6) Al-Nisa'i of Ahmad Ibn Shu'ayb Al-Nisa'i. 

Subjects and issues covered in the above 6 authenticated books of hadith included actual rituals (the Ibaadat) social behavior (the mu'amalat) and everyday actions--eating, drinking sleeping etc. 

This way, the Prophetic Sunnah is preserved for Muslims to observe it today in accordance with the above quoted ayat (33:21) and in compliance with ayat 31 in Surat Al-i-Imran:

"Say, if you love Allah, follow me (ittabi'uni), Allah will love you".. (3:31).

as following the Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, is the only means of access to the highest spiritual realization. 

In chapter 29 of the Holy Qur'an, Surat Ankabut, Allah Ta'ala says :-

"As for those who strive in Us, We shall guide them to Our Paths" (29:69)

Explaining this ayat, Imam Ibn al- Qayyim said that "the most compulsory form of Jihad is Jihad against the ego (nafs), against unbridled passions (hawa), against the devil (shaytan) and against being worldly (dunya). 

Those who wage Jihad against these 4, in obedience to Allah, shall be guided by Allah to the path of His good pleasure which (in turn) will lead to His Paradise. Those who neglect Jihad will be veiled from guidance to the degree they forsake Jihad ". 

So, let us strive to overcome temptations, casual desires and/or the devil's whisperings. May we be blessed with Taufiq to internalize Islamic teachings through acts of worship and devotion such as prayer/Sallat, fasting, Zikr, alms giving etc.. 

See Ibn Qayyim's 'Al-Fawa' I d'  and 'Zadil Ma' ad' for further reading. 

In chapter 15 of the Holy Qur'an, Allah Ta'ala says :-

"And serve your Lord till the inevitable (death) comes unto you" (15:99)

Thus our commitment to submit to Allah should not be a fad, a temporary emotional reaction, we should not waver despite all the highs and lows of life. The goal is to reach the end of our life in a state of total submission to our Creator. 

Best Wishes. 

Verse/ayat 26 of chapter 10 of the Holy Qur'an reads:--

"Lillazina ahsanu-l-husna, Wa ziyadat.. For those who do good is the best (reward) and an addition." (10:26)

The authentic hadith mention (Muslim No. 181-449 and Ibn Majah No. 187) that the Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, said :

"When the people of Paradise enter paradise a caller will announce, 'People of Paradise, Allah has given you a promise which He wishes to fulfil.' They will say, 'What is that? Has He not made our faces white? Has He not made our scales heavy? Has He not granted us entry into Paradise and saved us from the Fire?' 

So He will remove the veil and they will look on at Him and by Allah, He will not have granted them anything more blessed to them than this, and there will be nothing that gives  more pleasure to their eyes than this! This is the addition. " 

The he, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, recited the above quoted ayat. 

In verse/ayat 8 of Surat Tahreem of the Holy Qur'an, it is stated :-

"O you who believe, truly turn to Allah with sincere repentance (taubatun nasooha) : in the hope that your Lord will remove from you your ills.." (66:8)

What is sincere Repentance? Sayyadi Abdullah Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said that sincere repentance means that a person's heart is ashamed, his tongue seeks forgiveness and he resolves never to repeat the sin he or she committed. 

And a certain wiseman has mentioned that Allah's acceptance of Tauba (Repentance) can be recognized by 4 signs as follows :-

(1) A person guards his tongue from futile talk, lying and backbiting. 

(2) He habours no jealousy or enmity for anyone

(3) He forsakes evil company and

(4) He prepares for death, is always remorseful, always repenting and always obedient to Allah's Orders. 

May Allah Ta'ala help us with Tabatun Nasooha, ameen. 

We have it in Surat Saba' of the Holy Qur'an, where Allah Ta'ala said :-

"... only a few of My worshippers are thankful" (34:13).

Allah says 'very few of My servants are thankful.' Qaleel means very few... compared to millions or billions it means nothing. 

We should be among those few who are thankful.. then Allah will not put us down, but will raise us up. But we need faith (Imaan), as without it neither patience nor thankfulness comes. Faith brings everything. 

In ayat 41/42 of Surat Ahzab of the Holy Qur'an, Allah Ta'ala said:-

"O you who believe, Remember Allah with much remembrance

  and Glorify Him early and late." (33:41/42).

Note that He didn't say 'izkurullah zikraa' but He said 'Izkurullah Zikran katheera'... too much.. persistently or consistently. Why did He say too much or consistent Zikr? We can make Zikr one time... La ilaha illallah.. Yaa Allahu.. Yaa Rahman... through His Beatiful Names and Attributes. But He said katheeran because He loves us and He wants to always give us a cause that will dress us from His Mercy and His Beauty, Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala. 

The first chapter of the Holy Qur'an, Surat Al-Fatiha is known as the mother of the Book, Ummul Kitab, among its several names. It contains everything that is in the Holy Qur'an in condensed form. 

The great Sufi Master, al-Hassan al - Basri, may Allah be pleased with him, in explaining the Ummul Kitab, has said Allah Most High has revealed 104 Heavenly Books for the guidance of the creations. Among them were four-- the Torah, the Injeel (New Testament), the Psalms of David and the Criterion.. the Criterion is also one of the names of the Holy Qur'an. 

Allah Ta'ala condensed all of the knowledge of the details into the opening chapter of the Holy Qur'an, the Fatiha. Anyone who knows the interpretations thereof will be like the one who has knowledge of all the Divine Books that have been revealed to humanity. Whoever reads Al-Fatiha (Ummul Kitab), it is like he has read the Torah, the New Testament, the Psalms of Dawud and the Criterion. 

With regards to the fact that Al Fatiha contains everything in the Holy Qur'an, the Ulama explained it this way :-

(1) Regarding Divinity, it is the saying of Allah : "BISMILLAHI RAHMANI RAHEEM 

ALHAMDU LILLAHI RABBIL ALAMEEN- In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate, All Praise be to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds." This explains Divinity. 

(2) With respect to the Hereafter, it is in the saying of Allah :" MALIKI YAUMIDDEN-Master of the Day of Judgement ". 

(3) Regarding all the exoteric spiritual practices (the Law), this is in the saying of Allah :" IYAKA NA'ABUDU - it is You alone that we worship" and the inward of the self (the esoteric) is contained in "WA IYAKA NAS'TAIN- And it is You alone that we rely upon". 

(4) Regarding all the prophecies and guidance, it is in "IHDINA SIRADAL MUSTAQEEM." 

You have to know the way of the Prophets and Messengers. 

(5) As for the narratives and history and news of those who have gone before us, those who enter a state of bliss and those who have missed the way, it is : "SIRADAL LAZINA AN'AMTA ALAIHIM, GAIRUL MAGRUBI ALAIHIM, WALA LAALEEN- The path of those on whom You have bestowed Your grace, not the path of those who earn Your anger nor those who go astray." 

  "INNA RAHMATALLAHI QARIBUN MINAL-MUHSININ.. Truly, the Mercy of Allah is near those who do good" (7:56)

Here, qaribun is not put in the feminine (qaribatun) although 'rahma' is feminine, because in reality that rahma is the Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam... as explained in the ayat "WAMA ARSALNAKA ILLA RAHMATAN LIL-ALAMIN.. And We did not send you (O Muhammad) except as a Mercy to the world's" (21:107)

"Say: In the bounty of Allah and in His Mercy : therein (alone) let them rejoice. It is better than what they hoard" (10:58)

As Sayyadina Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "The bounty of Allah is knowledge of Tawheed, and His Mercy is the Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam. 

Allahu Tabaraka Wa Ta'ala says:-

"EVERY SOUL SHALL HAVE A TASTE OF DEATH" (3:185) 

But you/we have forgotten the day of your death and drank the goblet of some form of Satanic oblivion. You prefer to fulfill the rights of people ignoring the rights of your Lord. Keep in mind that Allah says :

"WHOEVER IS BLIND (to the vision of Allah) HERE WILL REMAIN BLIND IN THE HEREAFTER AS WELL" (17:72)

We should not disobey the Creator to obey creation... 

A flood of Allah's unlimited forgiveness is contained in this Noble verse/ayat which reads :

"Our Lord, let not our hearts go astray after You have guided us, and give us mercy from You". (3:8)

The Du'a in this ayat is saying : "O Allah, keep our hearts far from confusion and straying, make us firm on the carpet of service with the stipulation of Sunnah-Nabiy, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam. 

" And give us mercy from You"- give us what you give, O Lord, as Your bounty and mercy, not as the recompense for our works or the compensation for our acts of obedience. Our acts of obedience are not worthy for the Presence of Your Majesty, so the only thing to do is to efface them and ignore them. 

Says Allah Ta'ala in verse/ayat 27 of chapter 30 of the Holy Qur'an :

"AND HE IS THE ONE WHO BEGINS CREATION AND THEN RENEWS IT." (30:27)

Allah Ta'ala is the One who begins creation either from dust or from pure non existence. He is the one who originated the creation without a primordial pattern. He thus originated it and then brought it into existence after it had been nothing. 

The words "... and then renews it", means as Imam Mujahid said: "That He originates creation then causes it to perish and then He will revive it for the Resurrection". 

Says Allah, Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala, in ayat 99 of chapter 15 of the Holy Qur'an :

"AND SERVE YOUR LORD TILL THE INEVITABLE (death) COMES INTO YOU" (Hijr-15:99)

Therefore our commitment to submit to Allah Ta'ala should not be a fad, a temporary emotional reaction, we should not waver despite all the highs and lows of life. The goal is to reach the end our life in a state of total submission to our Creator. 

"No vision (eyes) can grasp Him, but He sees (grasps) all eyes: He is above all comprehension". (6:103)

In other words, no sight can reach Him (Allah Ta'ala), while He is in all that sees. Ibn Arabi here observes that "No eyes can see Him, so no one can perceive Him. He is the only existence, and if no one can see Him, then there is no one besides Him. 

If there were other existences besides Allah, they should have been able to see Him. So the meaning of " the eyes cannot see Him.." is that there is no existence other than His. The eyes cannot see Him because the eyes are created.."

Source 'Divine Governance of the Human Kingdom', by Ibn Arabi (Fons Vitae, 1997). 

"AND WHEREVER AND IN WHATEVER CONDITION YOU ARE, ALLAH IS WITH YOU" (57:4)

This ayat/verse of the Holy Qur'an makes us realize that Allah, Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala, our Creator, is always with us and He is observing what we are doing and is aware of what is in our heart. 

As this realization gains strength, you find that one's capacity for obedience and adherence to the Shari'a enhances correpindingly, and one obeys with complete sincerity and devotion. Then all fear, of other than Allah, is expelled and all hopes in ghair-Allah (any one other than Allah) are severed. 

  "Maraja'l-Bahrayn yaltaqiyan, baynahuma barzakh-ul la yabghiyaan.. He has let free

  the two bodies of flowing water, meeting together: Between them is a barrier which

 they do not transgress''. (Rahman, 55: 19-20)

 Here, Allah Ta'ala sends 2 seas/bodies of water to crash together [ one salty and the other wholesome and sweet ], but between them is a barzakh  they do not breach. This is one of the many favours of Allah...sea water is a sanitating agent, while fresh water is sweet and palatable to drink.

 And allegorically, the 2 seas here are traditionally understood to be this world ( dunya) and the other world (akhirah). We enter into the other world through the barzakh at death and during the dream.

We might try to be conscious and aware during the dream, or as we approach sleep, until we are actually dreaming, or we wake up hours later back into consciousness. The idea of ''the limit''....''barzakh'' in the ayat takes us into the question of consciousness, and the fact that the other world is not far away. The 2 worlds are separated by the thinnest of membranes, a bounded null surface.