Key to al-Kahf

Dipl. Ing. Khurram Murad (1932-1996), from 1978-1986 Director of the Islamic Foundation (at the time in Leicester), was a leading, still much regretted Muslim thinker focusing on the Islamic Movement, (peaceful) da[wah, and Muslim Education.

His little book is based on a seminar text from the 1980s only now completed by A.R. Siddiqui as editor. The latter believes that Murad had postponed its publication because of the prominence of al-Dajjal, the Anti-Christ, in al-Kahf. To be sure, al-Dajjal does not appear in this surah. But the figure of the one-eyed Dajjal largely figures in supporting atiadith (which expect Jesus to destroy him at the end of times). According to this tradition, the recitation of al-Kahf serves as an antidote against al-Dajjal who is expected to create a new pseudo-religion,

i.e. belief in his own godhood.

The Makkan Surah al-Kahf, equal-sized twin Surah of al-Isra’, was revealed during the 615-619 period of intense persecution of the Prophet Muhammad. Aside from the Men of the Cave, it mainly deals with the stories of the (unnamed) Khidr and Prophet Musa, Dhu’l-Qarnayn, Adam and Satan, and the Rich Man and Pauper parable.