When the Youth Opposed (1)

The Hawks stomping while cheering,

If there were a thousand Mujahids
I were the one, amongst them
If there were a hundred Mujahids
I were the one, amongst them
If there were ten Mujahids
I were the one, amongst them
If there was one Mujahid
I was the one, adhere to it
Insha Allah, Insha Allah, Allahu Akbar *)

Then Canary said, "O Almond, tell us the story from the surah Al-Kahf. You have mentioned three of the stories, i.e. the story of Moses and al-Khidr, may Allah be pleased upon them, the story of Dhul-Qarnayn the just, and the story of two men. So, what the about the story of the young fellows in the cave?" Almond said, "I know the story, but it would be better you hear it from my friend!" Canary said, "Call out your friend, and let him tell us the story!" Almond said, "Ok! O my brother, come forward please!" And one of Allah's creature came forward. Myna scream, "Be carefull my brothers and sisters! He would jump on us!" The creature said, "Don't worry my btothers and sisters, I will only get angry to those who do injustice." Almond said, "Introduce yourself, my brother!"
The creature said, "Verily all praises are due to Allah. We praise and glorify him, we seek help from Him, we ask of His forgiveness and we turn to Him. We seek refuge in Him from the evil within us and from our evil deeds. Whomsoever Allah guides there is no one to mislead him and whomsoever Allah misguides; there is no one to guide him. O my brothers and sisters, thank you for letting me standing here to tell you what I have heard from my father, that he heard from his father, his father heard it from his father's father, his father's father hear it from my great-great grandfathers.
My name is Jack Russel. I am a dog of terrier breeds. Yes, I am a very loyal creature and it takes very little to satisfy me. Yes, I am the loyal of loyalty! I am content with the minimum of loyalty if offered to me. I thank Allah, your Lord and my Lord, for creating me. It is a matter of destiny for Allah chooses to create us dogs while choosing others to be humans. If He wants, He could turn a dog into a human being and vice versa and no one could, in that case, question His Wisdom and Choice. Many people also think that a dog is something impure; a curse or an insult or something of the sort, to the extent that the human whom Allah has created and honored says to his fellow brother, "You son of ...!" with the intention of despising and insulting him. As long as you do not desecrate Dien from my Rabb, we dogs, do not consider this as an insult, because if a creature is a dog, this does not mean that he has committed an act of disbelief. Why then do people treat us badly and mention our name in insults? I will bark in objection to what is happening. My bark will say, "This is unjust."

But, anyway, I'm glad, because our beloved, the Prophet (ﷺ), ordered that I should be treated fairly. He said, 'The price of a dog, the fees of a fortuneteller and the gift of a female fornicator are not permissible.' And he also said, "'If anyone owns a dog except a sheepdog, a hunting dog, or a farm dog, a carat of his reward will be deducted daily." I think, this is justice, why? Because how could you to trade the dogs, while out there, there are still lots of puppies dying, out of starvation? And do you know? We, the dogs, were created by Allah with the nature to hunt and guard. So, our true friends are hunters. We look after their garden and livestock. We are also allowed to catch the hunt with our mouth, provided the hunter has recite the name of Allah to the dog he has ordered. Indeed, caring for me properly is a commendable act. And it would be nice if you put me on my duty. Keeping your garden and livestock, that's my duty, that's where I belong. Did not humans say, "Put the right man, in the right place"? If you do it, you have done justice for me.
Myna scolded, "So, where's the story?" Seeing the behavior of Myna, the birds whispered to each other, "Look at his behavior, having no manners at all." Onother birds whispered, "Yes, that's how he is. Always feeling smarter than others. Ever in a discussion, he rebuked his friend for discussion, saying "You fool ". He didn't care about other people's feelings, he was more concerned about how to win the debate. In fact, if he was speaking, we didn't understand what he was talking about." Another bird said, "He fits in pairs with miss Ducan, the duck and Toad, the tadpole, who have the same behavior as him." Another bird said, "Also with Cuca, the cockroach, the one pecked by Raven because of his bad breath. But, beware, they are Parrot's men!"

With a polite and gentle manner, Jack Russell said, "Forgive me if I didn't become myself. I was complaining about injustice that was happening." He paused, stood upright, wagged his tail, then said, "O my brothers and sisters, hear the story. My great-grandfather said,"The story of people of Kahf, is a story about the trials of Eemaan. The Mufassireen are agreed that the story, took place after Prophet 'Isa, peace be upon him, close to the time of our beloved Prophet (ﷺ). At that time there was a king named Decius, an idol-worshiper. Ibn Katheer said that his name was Diqyanus. In Surah Al-Kahf[18]:9, Allah said, "Or have you thought that the companions of Al-Kahf and ar-Raqeem were, among Our signs, a wonder?" Kahf means a cave in a mountain, but as for the meaning of the word " Raqeem", about it the Mufassireen have a difference of opinion. Some of them said, It is in the land of Aylah or Eilat or Aqabah, that it is a name of a town which used to be the capital for the people of Banu Nabit bin Ismail whose era was from 700 B.C. to 106 B.C. It is said it lies north of the gulf of Aqaba or Eelat, where two parallel ranges of mountains meet. This tribe used to live on one of those mountainous regions and used to be called al-Raqeem. Others said, it is in al-Gharnatah, al-Andalus. And others said, it is Ephesus or Tarsus, this city was located on the western coast of Asia Minor is a fact accepted by historians. There is no proof to declare any one of these as true and the rest as false. As for probability, all three are probable. In fact, no one can deny the very probability that the events relating to these caves, despite being true, may not be relevant to the Cave of the People of Kahf that has been mentioned in the Quran. May be, it is somewhere else. And it is also not necessary that Raqim at this place may exclusively be the name of some city or building. In fact, no one can reject even the probability that Raqim denotes the inscription engraved with the names of the People of Kahf on a tablet and placed on the entrance to the cave by some king. And Allah knows best.

The king was a tyrant. He used to force his people to worship idols. At the gate of the city, there was an idol, nobody could enter unless he prostrated himself before the idol. Every year, in the city, there was some religious festival, they met every year, worshipped their idols and sacrificed animals to please them.
These young men, were sons of some nobles. That year, when everyone had gathered together in this festival, these young men, reached there and saw their people taking rocks carved with their own hands as gods, worshipping them and sacrificing for them. They met on a feast day and together, saw the rituals, their people were performing in worship of the idols. At this very moment, Allah removed the veils from their hearts and they realized that their people were wrong-doers. At that time, Allah blessed them with the good sense to shun this absurd practice of their people. Thus, when they used their reason, they arrived at the conclusion that this worship belongs to none but that supreme Power who has created the heavens and the earth and everything therein. This thought crossed the minds of those few young men simultaneously and they started moving away from there to avoid the absurd practice of their people in the fair name of worship.
They asked one another about their affair and hence, they agreed on deserting and abandoning their people and fleeing with their true religion.Consequently, they resorted to the worship of Allah Alone. Each one of them when guided by Allah to the True Religion, abandoned his people and they coincidentally gathered in one place.

Imam Muslim transmitted in his Sahih, "Abu Hurairah, radhiyallahu 'anhu, reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying, 'Souls are troops collected together and those who familiarised with each other (in the heaven from where these come) would have affinity, with one another (in the world); and those amongst them who opposed each other (in the Heaven) would also be divergent (in the world)." A good person, longs for people who are like him. Likewise, people who are bad, would also like people who are like themselves. So, getting to know each other among the souls occurs according to their character, both good and bad souls. So if these souls, came from the same form, would become intimate each other. However, if they were not similar, they would contradict each other. Goodness will seek goodness and be pursued by the way of goodness as well. We cannot obtain goodness from the path of evil, because there will be sacrifices. If in a glass of water, we collect tea powder and sugar to the appropriate level, it will get a delicious taste. But, can we imagine if in a glass of water, we mix it with oil?
This situation was experienced by these young men, even though the eyes had never been looking at each other, the tongue had never been speaking to each other, the body had never been touching each other, they had found similar souls and felt secure when they met each other, then rejected the souls that contradicted to their characteristics, they felt anxiety, because the nature of the soul, subject to obedience to his Rabb.

Verilly, the birds will perch with birds in the same shape, so that each of them will love the uniform with them. The first young man who withdrew went far from the crowd and sat down under a tree. After that, came another and he sat there as well. Similarly, came the third, and the fourth, and each one of them kept taking a seat under the tree. But, none of them were familiar with each other, nor did they know as to why they had come there. The truth of the matter is that they were brought together on that spot by the Power that lit the light of faith in their hearts.
In Ibn Katheer view, people tend to take nationalism and common race as the cause of cohesion and union in social life. But, the reality, that unity or disunity first germinates in souls, then it affects the bodies in this world. Souls that have experienced congruity and unity among them in 'azal (eternity) go on to become mutually connected and get molded into the form of a confraternity. As for those that did not have the experience of this mutual congruity and unity - in fact, remained separated there - they will remain separated here too. Take this very event as an example and see how the same thought crossed everyone's mind separately and it was this thought that brought everyone unconsciously together.

In short, these young men, got together at one place all right, but everyone was concealing his belief from the other lest this person reports him to the king and he gets arrested. After having remained there all together in silence, one of them spoke out, "O my brothers, there must be some reason why all of us have broken away from our people and reached here. It seems appropriate that we all should get to know each other's thoughts."
Thereupon, one person declared, "The truth is, that the faith and worship in which I found my people involved, gave me the certitude that this whole thing is false. Ibadah or worship should be for One Allah who is most exalted in His majesty and who has no partner or associate in the act of the creation of this universe." This broke the ice. Others were prompted to speak out and they all declared that this was the thought, the belief that separated them from their people and brought them there.


Now they were an ideologically unified group enjoying mutual fellowship and friendship. They set up a separate House of Worship for themselves where they would assemble and worship Allah who is One and who has no partner in His divinity. But, by and by they became the talk of the town. Backbiters told on them before the king who ordered that they all should be brought to him. When they came into the royal court, the king asked them about their belief and its mores. Allah gave them the courage to state their belief in the Oneness of Allah.
And Allah made firm their hearts when they stood up and said, "Our Rabb is the Rabb of the heavens and the earth. Never will we invoke besides Him any deity. We would have certainly spoken, then, an excessive transgression. These, our people, have taken besides Him deities. Why do they not bring for [worship of] them a clear authority? And who is more unjust than one who invents about Allah a lie?" In fact, they invited the king himself to believe as they did. Allah made the hearts of these young men firm when the king who was cruel and worshipped idols summoned them in his court and questioned them. This was a matter of life and death. But, despite their apprehension for the worst, Allah made His love, awe and grandeur prevail over their hearts which empowered them to face any eventuality of death or distress. The outcome was that they proclaimed their belief clearly and courageously saying that they did not worship anyone or anything other than Allah and would not do that in future as well. People who firmly resolve to do something for the sake of Allah, this is how they receive help from Allah.

When these young men acted bold before the king and invited him to believe, he turned the call down and threatened them with drastic action. He had the princely robes they donned on their bodies taken off in reprisal so that they may think and change their behavior. The king warned them that they will be killed if they kept adhering to their present faith. A renegade in their faith used to be punished by being stoned to death. In order that they actually do so, he gave them respite for a few days saying that they were young, therefore, he did not wish to kill them right away. In fact, he wanted them to have the time to think over it. Then, if they reverted to the faith of their people, they will be allowed to live as usual, otherwise they would be killed. It must have been the mercy of Allah Ta'ala on His believing servants that this respite given to them opened an escape door for them. The young men said to one another, "And when you have withdrawn from them and that which they worship other than Allah, retreat to the cave. Your Rabb will spread out for you of His mercy and will prepare for you from your affair facility." Then they ran from there and took refuge in a cave. They left the city in which it was not possible to worship Allah and took refuge in the Cave. This is the Sunnah, the way of all prophets. They migrate from such places and opt for a place where 'Ibadah could be done.
The cave was quite big and there was provision for air to flow in from one side and exit on the other. Moreover the cave was situated from a northerly direction towards a southemly direction with the result that the sun’s rays did not penetrate into the centre of the cave. However light used to enter daily. So it was not dark in the cave, neither did it feel the full blast of the sun. And so they lay in the cave while their dog lay with his legs out-stretched at the mouth of the cave.

Then they overtaken by a long, long sleep. This is indeed, one of the signs of Allah. When they were be overtaken by continuous sleep for a long time and to stay alive in that state without eating and drinking, is by itself a matter of wonder, and certainly contra-habitual and extraordinary. Allah the Allmighty had arranged for their protection in the Cave in a way that the Sun would pass by them morning and evening but would not shine over their bodies inside the Cave. The advantages of the sunshine passing by them were things like the stabilization of the traces of life, moderation and balancing of the effects of wind, chill and heat, etc. And then, the Sun not hitting their bodies directly, may have also been a factor in keeping their bodies and dress protected. This arrangement of keeping them shielded from direct sunlight could also be conceived if the cave lies situated in a particular structural position and the opening of its entrance happens to face South or North in a way that sunlight does not get in there naturally.
This is not a theory, it was obviously there to prove that this arrangement of protection from the Sun was not the outcome of any particular formation or location of the Cave. Instead, it was a sign of the perfect power of Allah. To put it candidly, Allah had it all arranged for them that sunlight will not reach their bodies. It may have been caused through its particular formation or location, or through the barrier of a cloud or something similar when the Sun would start shining, or the very rays of the Sun would be moved away from them in an extraordinary manner. There is no need to insist upon fixing any of these as the absolute reality.

Shama suddenly said, "Break! It's time for break. The discussion will be continued after lunch and salaah! O Jack Russel, my brother, please take a rest!"

[Part 2]

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