The Holy Quran 18:18 — Surah Al-Kahf

Arabic text

وَتَحْسَبُهُمْ أَيْقَاظًا وَهُمْ رُقُودٌ ۚ وَنُقَلِّبُهُمْ ذَاتَ ٱلْيَمِينِ وَذَاتَ ٱلشِّمَالِ ۖ وَكَلْبُهُم بَـٰسِطٌ ذِرَاعَيْهِ بِٱلْوَصِيدِ ۚ لَوِ ٱطَّلَعْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ لَوَلَّيْتَ مِنْهُمْ فِرَارًا وَلَمُلِئْتَ مِنْهُمْ رُعْبًا

Translation

(Had you seen them,) You would have thought that they were awake though they were asleep. (Allaah made them appear as if they were awake. Had they appeared asleep, a passer-by would take advantage of their helpless situation and harm them in some way). And (so that their bodies would not decompose or become stiff,) We used to turn them over on their right and left sides, while their dog stretched out his paws (and lay) at the threshold (at the entrance of the cave to protect them). If you were to observe them closely, you would surely have turned away and fled from them, and you would have been filled with (terror) awe (because the scene was a frightening one, Allaah made it appear frightening to discourage anyone from disturbing them).

Tafsir (excerpt) — التفسير الميسر

وتظن -أيها الناظر- أهل الكهف أيقاظًا، وهم في الواقع نيام، ونتعهدهم بالرعاية، فنُقَلِّبهم حال نومهم مرة للجنب الأيمن ومرة للجنب الأيسر؛ لئلا تأكلهم الأرض، وكلبهم الذي صاحَبهم مادٌّ ذراعيه بفناء الكهف، لو عاينتهم لأدبرت عنهم هاربًا، ولَمُلِئَتْ نفسك منهم فزعًا.

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