The Four Tests mentioned in Surat al Kahf
Surat al-Kahf is one of most well-known and frequently recited surahs in the Quran. The sunnah is to recite it every Friday or Thursday evening, and the first 10 ayahs also give you protection from Dajjal.
Whoever recites Surat al-Kahf on Friday, a light will shine for him between this Friday and the next. [Bayhaqi]
If anyone memorises ten verses from the beginning of Surat al-Kahf, he will be protected from the trial of Dajjal (Antichrist). [Abu Dawud]
Revelation of Surat al-Kahf
Most long surahs in the Quran were divided into several sections which were revealed at different times. Surat al-Kahf is one of the few that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ received all in one go.
It was revealed in Makkah, most likely in the fifth year after revelation, which was a time when the persecution and torture of the Muslims by the Quraysh was becoming extremely severe. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ felt he could no longer protect his followers, and this surah inspired him to send his companions to try and find another option. He sent twelve people to Abyssinia to try and find a new start there, as he knew that the king, an-Najashi, was a practicing Christian and a just ruler.
We do not know how he knew about an-Najashi. It could have been through revelation, or it could have been general awareness of the political situations in the surrounding kingdoms and nations. He wasn’t just focused on dawah to the exclusion of everything else, but also kept up to date with the news that was coming in from outside.
Four tests described in Surat al-Kahf
Surat al-Kahf contains four stories, which each describe a major test that people could face:
1) Belief – the people of the cave
This is also a test that we are facing right now, as the ummah is shaking. This story is about a group of youngsters who were tested in their faith, and the whole surah is named after them, making them the first thing to come to mind when you think about this surah.
2) Wealth – the people of the two gardens
This is a story about what you do with your wealth, whether it brings you closer to Allah or takes you away from Him. Will you fulfil your obligations towards Him, or will you be arrogant and think you don’t need to follow what He tells you to do?
3) Knowledge – Musa and al-Khidr
Allah asked Musa who the most knowledgeable one was, and he replied it was himself. Allah had wanted him to say that Allah was the most knowledgeable, so for his wrong answer He sent Musa on a training course to learn from someone more knowledgeable than him.
Al-Khidr was not a Messenger, so Musa’s status was much higher than his, but Musa was fully obedient to Allah and not arrogant about learning from someone ‘lower’ than him. In fact, he begged Khidr to take him on as a student, and it was Khidr who was reluctant and made Musa agree to terms and conditions before he would let him come along with him.
4) Power – Dhul Qarnayn
This story asks, what do you do when Allah gives you power? Do you use it for good, or oppress people? Today and for the last few decades we have seen many examples of power being misused, in a similar way to what Allah describes in the Quran about Firaun etc.
This is why Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said we should recite this surah every Friday. These four things are things that we will also be tested with, so this surah is a reminder to us of how to behave and react when we are faced with anything similar.
We ask Allah to enable us to pass these tests and be successful in the dunya and akhirah. Ameen.
Based on the Ramadan Reflection Night 13 by Shaykh Haytham Tamim. Transcribed by Hana Khan.