About the Author | Dr. Yasir Qadhi, PhD, is one of the few people who has combined a traditional Eastern Islamic seminary education with a Western academic training of the study of Islam. Dr. Yasir graduated with a B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Houston, after which he was accepted as a student at the Islamic University of Madinah. After completing a diploma in Arabic, he graduated with a B.A. from the College of Hadith and Islamic Sciences, and then completed a M.A. in Islamic Theology from the College of Dawah. He then returned to America, and completed a PhD in Religious Studies from Yale University. He has authored several books, published academic articles, and appeared on numerous satellite and TV stations around the globe. His online videos are of the most popular and highly-watched Islamic videos in English. Dr. Yasir Qadhi is a resident Scholar of the Memphis Islamic Center. He is also a professor at Rhodes College, in the Department of Religious Studies. Excerpt. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. The Virtues of Surah al-KahfSurah al-Kahf is among the earliest revelations received by our Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam). In a hadith narrated by Abdullah ibn Masud, the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) states: Surah Bani Israil, al-Kahf, Maryam, Ta Ha and al-Anbiya are amongst my first earnings and my old property, and (in fact) they are my old property.The surah summarizes for us the gist of Islam; its main theme is that Allah (subhanahu wa taala) will protect us from all trials. Told through a series of stories that illustrate specific trials, it teaches that Allah (subhanahu wa taala) will protect the believer at times of severity. Here we will focus on four stories detailed in al-Kahf that represent the crux of the surah:The People of the CaveThe first of the stories is that of the young men who sought refuge in the cave, and it is from this story that Surah al-Kahf derives its name. The trial illustrated in this surah is that of the fitnah (trial or testing) of religion; when people persecute others because of their belief in Allah (subhanahu wa taala). The people of the cave were one such group of young men who believed in Allah (subhanahu wa taala), for which the king of the land wanted to kill them. As a result, they fled and sought protection in a cave and Allah (subhanahu wa taala) protected them.The Man with Two GardensThis second story illustrates the fitnah of money and the consequences of being mentally consumed by it. The story explores what happens when money causes one to become arrogant, and the solution presented for this trial is to realize that the dunya is temporary, that Allah (subhanahu wa taala) gives and we do not give, and that all we have will eventually be taken away.Musa and KhidrThe third story is the famous account of Musa (alayhi s-salam) and Khidr (alayhi s-salam). The main fitnah here is that of false knowledge. If knowledge does not lead to humility, then it too can become a fitnah. Knowledge can lead to arrogance if it is misused or abused. Of course, Musa (alayhi s-salam) overcomes this fitnah and, in his humility and humbleness, he learns from somebody other than himself and rises because of it. Dhu al-QarnaynThe final story is that of Dhu al-Qarnayn, and in this story is illustrated the fitnah of power, including the fitnah of kingship and the control of people. Allah (subhanahu wa taala) mentions that He tested Dhu al-Qarnayn with this fitnah, who overcame it by being aware that Allah (subhanahu wa taala) is Malik al-Mulk; the One who is the ultimate king.It is these four major fitnahs, detailed through the four major stories in Surah al-Kahf, that we will study and learn from. |