Al-Kahf, “the Cave”, is the 18th surah of the Quran. Many Muslims read it every Friday. Here is why, what it tells, and how to fit it into your day.
Why on Friday?
According to narrations in al-Hakim and al-Bayhaqi, whoever reads Surah Al-Kahf on Friday will have a light shining for them between the two Fridays. Scholars have discussed the chains of these narrations; a number of them, including al-Albani, graded them authentic. Reading it on Friday is therefore a widely practised Sunnah, not an obligation.
More Sunnah of Friday is in the article on Jumu’ah, the Friday prayer.
The first ten verses and the Dajjal
According to a narration in Sahih Muslim, whoever memorises the first ten verses of Surah Al-Kahf is protected from the Dajjal; in another version in Muslim it is the last ten. That is why many people learn the opening of the surah by heart.
The four stories
Al-Kahf tells four stories. They are often read as four trials: of faith, of wealth, of knowledge and of power.
The people of the cave. Young believers flee from a people who will not let them keep their faith and take refuge in a cave. There they pray:
[Mention] when the youths retreated to the cave and said, “Our Lord, grant us from Yourself mercy and prepare for us from our affair right guidance.” (18:10)
Allah lets them sleep for many years, and they wake up in a changed world.
The owner of the two gardens. A man is so proud of his gardens that he believes they will never perish. His companion reminds him of Allah, in vain. The gardens are destroyed, and his regret comes too late. Shortly afterwards the surah says:
Wealth and children are [but] adornment of the worldly life. But the enduring good deeds are better to your Lord for reward and better for [one’s] hope. (18:46)
Musa and al-Khidr. Musa (peace be upon him) travels to a servant of Allah who was given special knowledge, wanting to learn from him. He witnesses three things that seem wrong to him: a damaged boat, the death of a boy, and a wall rebuilt without payment. Only at the end does he learn the wisdom behind them. The story teaches humility: our knowledge has limits.
Dhul-Qarnayn. A powerful ruler, to whom Allah gave the means, travels to the west and the east of the earth. For a people under threat he builds a barrier against Yajuj and Majuj and calls it a mercy from his Lord. His power does not make him arrogant.
Translation: Sahih International. More verses from Al-Kahf are under Quran verses about the Quran.
When does Friday begin?
In the Islamic calendar the day begins at sunset, not at midnight (more in the Islamic calendar). According to the common view, you can therefore read Al-Kahf from Maghrib on Thursday evening until Maghrib on Friday. The Maghrib time for your city is on the city pages, for example London or Birmingham.
Making it work
- Plan the time. The surah has 110 verses, around twelve pages in the common mushaf. Depending on your pace, it takes about 45 to 60 minutes.
- Split it up. One part on Thursday evening after Maghrib, one after Fajr, the rest after the Friday prayer.
- Read with a translation. The stories move you more when you understand them: the Arabic first, then the meaning, passage by passage.
- Listen to a recitation. Reading along with a recitation helps with pronunciation and pace. Scholars differ on whether listening alone counts the same as reading; as a companion it certainly helps.
- Start where you are. If the whole surah is too much for now, begin with the first ten verses and add more week by week.
In the Nur app
On Fridays the verse tab in Nur shows a card from Al-Kahf, a different one each week, with recitation and translation. The habit “Surat al-Kahf” appears only on Fridays: attach it to a prayer and tick it off once you have finished. Get Nur for free.
