Shaikh Omar Suleiman’s misinterpretation of V.18:22 Al Kahf

[Ruhi_Rose]

Shaikh Omar Suleiman has tried to mislead people on the interpretation of Verse 18:22 of Surah Al Kahf.

In one of his public appearances he asked the audience about the number of people in the Cave.  Most of the audience were apparently ignorant about the Quran including Surah Kahf, Chapter 18.  They said "three" or "five."  The theatrical shaikh replied “all of you are right.”  Then he quoted Verse 18:22 in Arabic without translating it in English nor explaining it, taking advantage of the fact that hardly anyone in that crowd spoke nor understood Arabic.  The naïve audience assumed his recitation to be a confirmation from Allah that there were three or five or seven people in the Cave.  But in reality Allah does NOT confirm that in Verse 18:22.  In fact the opposite. 

Read Verse 18:22 as follows in Arabic (transliteration) and English translation:

“sayaqūlūna thalāthatun rābiʿuhum kalbuhum wayaqūlūna khamsatun sādisuhum kalbuhum rajman bil-ghaybi;  wayaqūlūna  sabʿatun kalbuhum  qul  rabbī  aʿlamu biʿiddatihim.  mā  yaʿlamuhum  illā  qalīlun.  Falā  tumāri fīhim  illā mirāan ẓāhiran  walā  tastafti  fīhim min'hum  aḥadan.”   18:22 Al Kahf.

“They will say there were three, the fourth of them being their dog; and they will say there were five, the sixth of them being their dog - guessing at the unseen; and they will say there were seven, and the eighth of them was their dog. Say, (O Muhammad), "My Rabb is most knowing of their number. None knows them except a few. So do not argue about them except on a matter that is clear and do not inquire about them among (the speculators) from anyone."  18:22  Al Kahf.

Allah makes it ample clear in V.18:22 that the number of the people being three, five or seven is guesswork of the people, NOT a confirmation.  Only Allah knows how many there actually were.  Some people who were the contemporaries of the people of the Cave may have known their number but people of later time don't. Therefore we must not argue or jump to conclusions other than issues that Allah has made clear.  With the same logic, we must also not be asking about the unseen from anyone, be it “shaikh” or “mufti” or whoever because whatever they say is bound to be speculation. 

Omar Suleiman explained NOTHING of this, just quoted the Arabic after saying the guesswork of “three, five and seven” all to be “correct” taking advantage that the audience didn’t know Arabic .. and even if they knew the shaikh was wrong, traditionally they are not supposed to remind a lying shaikh about his fallacious talk.  Such intellectual cheating by our clerical circles is totally beyond the pale.  Discerning people need to step forward and stop them.   No one is above the laws of ethics.

[N. Truth Seeker]

Very useful read.  Thank you Sister Ruhi.    The expression "honest shaikh" is almost non-existent.  They are all up to mischief, one way or another.  Their lectures must be heavily filtered otherwise they are gonna mislead you  astray.

[Heba E. Husseyn]

That’s why I will always say, if you want to learn the Quran correctly, never approach the shaikhs and muftis.  They’re either a bundle of lies or a bundle of ignorance .. often both. 

There is also much guesswork on the length of time those people were in the Cave.  The aspect of 300 years and adding nine, that is 309 years in the Cave reference V.18:25 Surah Al Kahf.  There is a conflict of perception among readers on its interpretation.  Was it really 300 / 309 years OR is Allah reflecting the opinion of the guessing humans?

[N. Truth Seeker]

Very correctly pointed out Sister Heba.  Most traditionalist Hadithists claim 300 + 9 years is confirmed by Allah.  But this is not correct.  This presumption comes from the altered bibles, NOT from the Quran.  In the Quran, Allah is highlighting the opinion of the guessing people, not Allah’s confirmation.   Let us first quote all Verses pertaining to the duration spent by the believers in the Cave who fled persecution.

“Then We sealed up their hearing in the Cave for a number of years.”  18:11 Al Kahf.

“And afterward We raised them up that We might know which of the two parties would best calculate the time that they had tarried.”  18:12 Al Kahf.

“And in like manner We awakened them that they might question one another. A speaker from among them said: How long have ye tarried ? They said: We have tarried a day or some part of a day, (Others) said: Your Lord best knoweth what ye have tarried.”   18:19 Al Kahf.

“And (it is said) they tarried in their Cave three hundred years and add nine.” 18:25 Al Kahf.

“Say: Allah is Best Aware how long they tarried. His is the Invisible of the heavens and the earth. How clear of sight is He and keen of hearing! They have no protecting friend beside Him, and He maketh none to share in His government.” 18:26 Al Kahf.


Now referring to V.18:25 quoting again “And (it is said) they tarried in their Cave three hundred years and add nine.” 18:25 Al Kahf.

It is important to note that several circles of traditionalists have misinterpreted this Verse too by seeing it as a confirmation of 300 or 309 years by Allah.  But actually in this Verse Allah is quoting the opinion or the speculations of the people.  The flow of this Verse 18:25 goes in the same style as Verse 18:22 "Some people will say, `They were three and the fourth was their dog” .. similarly Verse 18:25 reflects the articulation that  some people will say they remained in the Cave for 300 years and some others would add nine more years.   It is obvious that the number of years "300 and 309" are cited by Allah quoting the guesses from the people. This is based on the succeeding Verse 18:26 “Say: Allah is Best Aware how long they tarried.” 18:26 Al Kahf.   If the number of years 300 and 309 given in v. !8:25 was a confirmation  from Allah, then the succeeding Verse 18:26 would be needless to reveal.

To conclude, Allah has not mentioned how much time the people of the Cave spent there. Only Allah knows it and He has decided not to share it with us.  The shaikhs and muftis need to strictly keep their mouths shut.

[Heba E. Husseyn]

Thoroughly appreciate this elucidation!  MashAllah.   All praise be to Allah.

[Ruhi_Rose]

The other day a Hadither sister was asking how can you know the people who fled to the Cave were believers?  She mentioned this because as a Hadither and Abu Huraira lover she is anti dogs.  So she wanted to downplay that those who had a dog in Surah Kahf were believers.   I explained everything. There is so much evidence in the Quran that the ones in the Cave were believers, how can any sensible reader of the Quran who reads with focus and attention have two opinions?  We do know for sure they were believers and thus Allah helped them.

Check following Verses:

“When the young men fled for refuge to the Cave and said: Our Rabb! Give us mercy from Your presence, and shape for us right conduct in our plight.” (Sura al Kahf 18:10).

This Verse is significant to highlight that those people who took refuge in the Cave were believers in One God – Allah.

More evidence from Allah that they were believers 👇


حْنُ نَقُصُّ عَلَيْكَ نَبَأَهُم بِالْحَقِّ ۚ إِنَّهُمْ فِتْيَةٌ آمَنُوا بِرَبِّهِمْ وَزِدْنَاهُمْ هُدًى
We will tell you their story in truth. They were young men who believed in their Lord, and We increased them in guidance. (Sura al Kahf 18:13).

وَرَبَطْنَا عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ إِذْ قَامُوا فَقَالُوا رَبُّنَا رَبُّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ لَن نَّدْعُوَ مِن دُونِهِ إِلَـٰهًا ۖ لَّقَدْ قُلْنَا إِذًا شَطَطًا
We made firm their hearts when they stood forth and said: “Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. We call unto no god beside Him, for then should we utter an enormity.” (Sura al Kahf 18:14).

هَـٰؤُلَاءِ قَوْمُنَا اتَّخَذُوا مِن دُونِهِ آلِهَةً ۖ لَّوْلَا يَأْتُونَ عَلَيْهِم بِسُلْطَانٍ بَيِّنٍ ۖ فَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ افْتَرَىٰ عَلَى اللَّـهِ كَذِبًا
Our people have chosen gods besides Him though they bring no clear proof. And who does greater wrong than one who invents a lie concerning Allah? (Sura al Kahf 18:15).

[Heba E. Husseyn]

Thanks again Sister Ruhi. 

It is an old Hadithist trait to try hiding the facts of Quranic contents in order to sustain and ratify the Hadith.

[Ruhi_Rose]

Exactly ..

[N. Truth Seeker]

The other day a Hadither sister was asking how can you know the people who fled to the Cave were believers?  She mentioned this because as a Hadither and Abu Huraira lover she is anti dogs.  ............

Only a person who hasn't even touched the Quran would ask such a question.

[N. Truth Seeker]

Furthermore, there are also stories about the historical background of this event of the Cave.

Of course the Quran does not say that and only Allah knows best. 

Any historical indicators or hints about its era and location?

[Heba E. Husseyn]

What is confirmed by Allah in the Quran is that they were Monotheistic believers. Other than that, whatever comes from the people are a load of speculations. 

About the location some have guessed Greece, some Turkiye and some Al-Andalusia (Islamic Spain).  All these 3 guesses could be wrong.  Only Allah knows best.  Then again, according to some Hadith traditionalists, the Hadith narrator Ibn Abbas supposedly said the Ommayad Caliph Muawiyah bin Abu Sufian, in one of his campaigns, “went north” and found a cave which was supposed to be the place of the People of the Cave.  Muawiyah and his descendants had their seat in Damascus, Syria.  So, “went north” in this case could only mean northern Syria or northern Palestine or northern Iraq. Muwiyah never went anywhere beyond these places.

Christian sources claim this incident happened around 200 CE.  By that time Christianity had not fully spread in Europe.  The story goes further claiming the Roman emperor of the time followed the people up to the cave but something prevented him from entering.  Consequently he ordered that the cave be sealed.  It remained ‘sealed’ for 309 years and was finally ‘opened’ by a shepherd looking for shelter for his sheep and himself.  No one said how the cave was sealed, and how the shepherd opened it.  Needless to say, these are unwarranted tales with NO bearing on the Quran.   Thus, these must be ignored.

[N. Truth Seeker]

JazekAllah and thanks Sister Heba.