In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
The End of the World
Inevitably, we will wipe out everything on it, leaving it completely barren.*
*18:8 As it turns out, the history of these Christian believers, the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus, is directly connected with the end of the world as stated in 18:9 & 21. The role of these believers in unveiling the end of the world is detailed in Appendix 25.
The Dwellers of the Cave
The Seven Sleepers of Ephesus
"Since you wish to avoid them, and their worshiping of other than GOD,* let us take refuge in the cave. May your Lord shower you with His mercy and direct you to the right decision."
*18:16 Ephesus is located about 200 miles south of ancient Nicene, and 30 miles south of today's Izmir in Turkey. The dwellers of the cave were young Christians who wanted to follow the teachings of Jesus, and worship God alone. They were fleeing the persecution of neo-Christians who proclaimed a corrupted Christianity three centuries after Jesus, following the Nicene Conferences, when the Trinity doctrine was announced. In 1928, Franz Miltner, an Austrian archeologist discovered the tomb of the seven sleepers of Ephesus. Their history is well documented in several encyclopedias.
A Guiding Teacher is a Prerequisite
You could see the sun when it rose coming from the right side of their cave, and when it set, it shone on them from the left, as they slept in the hollow thereof. This is one of GOD's portents.* Whomever GOD guides is the truly guided one, and whomever He sends astray, you will not find for him a guiding teacher.
*18:17 This sign, or hint, tells us that the cave was facing north.
When we resurrected them, they asked each other, "How long have you been here?" "We have been here one day or part of the day," they answered. "Your Lord knows best how long we stayed here, so let us send one of us with this money to the city. Let him fetch the cleanest food, and buy some for us. Let him keep a low profile, and attract no attention.
Connection With the End of the World
We caused them to be discovered, to let everyone know that GOD's promise is true, and to remove all doubt concerning the end of the world.* The people then disputed among themselves regarding them. Some said, "Let us build a building around them." Their Lord is the best knower about them. Those who prevailed said, "We will build a place of worship around them."
*18:21 As detailed in Appendix 25, this story helped pinpoint the end of the world.
Some would say, "They were three; their dog being the fourth," while others would say, "Five; the sixth being their dog," as they guessed. Others said, "Seven," and the eighth was their dog. Say, "My Lord is the best knower of their number." Only a few knew the correct number. Therefore, do not argue with them; just go along with them. You need not consult anyone about this.
Remembering God Every Chance We Get
[300 + 9]
They stayed in their cave three hundred years, increased by nine.*
*18:25 The difference between 300 solar years and 300 lunar years is nine years. Thus, discovering the end of the world was predetermined by the Almighty to take place in 1980 AD (1400 AH), 300 years (309 lunar years) before the end of the world (see 72:27 & Appendix 25).
Quranic Study Groups
You shall force yourself to be with those who worship their Lord day and night, seeking Him alone. Do not turn your eyes away from them, seeking the vanities of this world. Nor shall you obey one whose heart we rendered oblivious to our message; one who pursues his own desires, and whose priorities are confused.
Absolute Freedom of Religion
Proclaim: "This is the truth from your Lord," then whoever wills let him believe, and whoever wills let him disbelieve. We have prepared for the transgressors a fire that will completely surround them. When they scream for help, they will be given a liquid like concentrated acid that scalds the faces. What a miserable drink! What a miserable destiny!
Property as an Idol
Cite for them the example of two men: we gave one of them two gardens of grapes, surrounded by date palms, and placed other crops between them.
*18:32 The Quran cites many examples of the different gods that people worship beside God; they include children (7:190), religious leaders and scholars (9:31), property (18:42), dead saints and prophets (16:20-21, 35:14, & 46:5-6), and the ego (25:43, 45:23).
Important Commandment
Rearranging Our Priorities
Classification of God's Creatures
We said to the angels, "Fall prostrate before Adam." They fell prostrate, except Satan. He became a jinn, for he disobeyed the order of His Lord.* Will you choose him and his descendants as lords instead of Me, even though they are your enemies? What a miserable substitute!
*18:50 When the great feud in the heavenly society took place (38:69), all creatures became classified into angels, jinns, and humans (Appendix 7).
I never permitted them to witness the creation of the heavens and the earth, nor the creation of themselves. Nor do I permit the wicked to work in My kingdom.*
*18:51 God knew that Satan and his supporters (jinns and humans) were going to make the wrong decision. Hence their exclusion from witnessing the creation process.
Disbelievers Refuse to Accept the Completeness of the Quran
Divine Intervention
Who are more evil than those who are reminded of their Lord's proofs, then disregard them, without realizing what they are doing. Consequently, we place shields on their hearts to prevent them from understanding it (the Quran), and deafness in their ears. Thus, no matter what you do to guide them, they can never ever be guided.
Valuable Lessons from Moses and His Teacher
There is a Good Reason for Everything
"As for the boy, his parents were good believers, and we saw that he was going to burden them with his transgression and disbelief.*
*18:80 Adolf Hitler was a cute and seemingly innocent child. Had he died as a child, many would have grieved, and many would have even questioned God's wisdom. We learn from these profound lessons that there is a good reason behind everything.
"As for the wall, it belonged to two orphan boys in the city. Under it, there was a treasure that belonged to them. Because their father was a righteous man, your Lord wanted them to grow up and attain full strength, then extract their treasure. Such is mercy from your Lord. I did none of that of my own volition. This is the explanation of the things you could not stand."
Zul-Qarnain: The One With the Two Horns or Two Generations
Gog and Magog
They said, "O Zul-Qarnain, Gog and Magog are corruptors of the earth. Can we pay you to create a barrier between us and them?"
*18:94 One of my duties as God's Messenger of the Covenant is to state that Gog and Magog, the final sign before the end of the world, will reappear in 2270 AD (1700 AH), just 10 years before the end. Note that Gog and Magog occur in Suras 18 and 21, precisely 17 verses before the end of each sura, representing 17 lunar centuries (see 72:27 and Appendix 25).