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Surah Al-Kahf, Verse 19

سورة الكهف، الآية ١٩

18:19 Juz 15 Hizb 30 Page 295 of the mushaf Meccan surah

Text of verse 18:19

وَكَذَٰلِكَ بَعَثْنَٰهُمْ لِيَتَسَآءَلُوا۟ بَيْنَهُمْ قَالَ قَآئِلٌ مِّنْهُمْ كَمْ لَبِثْتُمْ قَالُوا۟ لَبِثْنَا يَوْمًا أَوْ بَعْضَ يَوْمٍ قَالُوا۟ رَبُّكُمْ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا لَبِثْتُمْ فَٱبْعَثُوٓا۟ أَحَدَكُم بِوَرِقِكُمْ هَٰذِهِۦٓ إِلَى ٱلْمَدِينَةِ فَلْيَنظُرْ أَيُّهَآ أَزْكَىٰ طَعَامًا فَلْيَأْتِكُم بِرِزْقٍ مِّنْهُ وَلْيَتَلَطَّفْ وَلَا يُشْعِرَنَّ بِكُمْ أَحَدًا ۝١٩

Transliteration

wakadhālika baʿathnāhum liyatasāalū baynahum qāla qāilun min'hum kam labith'tum qālū labith'nā yawman aw baʿḍa yawmin qālū rabbukum aʿlamu bimā labith'tum fa-ib'ʿathū aḥadakum biwariqikum hādhihi ilā l-madīnati falyanẓur ayyuhā azkā ṭaʿāman falyatikum biriz'qin min'hu walyatalaṭṭaf walā yush'ʿiranna bikum aḥadan

Translation

And similarly,782 We awakened them that they might question one another. Said a speaker from among them, "How long have you remained [here]?" They said, "We have remained a day or part of a day." They said, "Your Lord is most knowing of how long you remained. So send one of you with this silver coin of yours to the city and let him look to which is the best of food and bring you provision from it and let him be cautious. And let no one be aware of you.

Notes

[782] By the will of Allāh.

Translation in another language
Mahmoud Khalil Al-Hussary Read in the surah

Verse 19 of Surah Al-Kahf (18:19), a Meccan surah, is in juz 15, on page 295 of the mushaf. Read it in Arabic with its transliteration, translations and tafsir, and listen to it recited by 73 reciters.

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Tafsir of verse 19

Al-Mukhtasar

Just as I did to them the wondrous acts that I have mentioned, I awakened them after a long period of time and they began to ask one another about the period that they had spent asleep. One of them responded: I remained asleep for one day or part of one day. One of them, to whom it was not clear how long they had spent asleep, responded: Your Lord knows best about the period you had remained asleep, so entrust the knowledge of that to Him and get busy with what concerns you. Send one of you with these silver coins to the city we know and let him see which of the inhabitants of that city are most pure in their food and earnings. He should proceed with caution when entering and leaving and when dealing. He must also be tactful and not let anyone find out where you are, because that will result in great harm.

Tafsir of the whole Surah Al-Kahf

Other translations of verse 19

Similarly, We awakened them so that they might question one another. One of them said, “How long have you been here?” They said, “We have been here for a day or part of a day.” They said, “Your Lord knows best how long have you been here. Send one of you with these silver coins of yours to the city, and let him see who has the most pure food and bring some provision from it. And be cautious and let no one know about you.

Likewise, We awakened them (from their long deep sleep) that they might question one another. A speaker from among them said: "How long have you stayed (here)?" They said: "We have stayed (perhaps) a day or part of a day." They said: "Your Lord (Alone) knows best how long you have stayed (here). So send one of you with this silver coin of yours to the town, and let him find out which is the good lawful food, and bring some of that to you. And let him be careful and let no man know of you.

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. Now send one of you with this your silver coin unto the city, and let him see what food is purest there and bring you a supply thereof. Let him be courteous and let no man know of you.

Such (being their state), we raised them up (from sleep), that they might question each other. Said one of them, "How long have ye stayed (here)?" They said, "We have stayed (perhaps) a day, or part of a day." (At length) they (all) said, "Allah (alone) knows best how long ye have stayed here.... Now send ye then one of you with this money of yours to the town: let him find out which is the best food (to be had) and bring some to you, that (ye may) satisfy your hunger therewith: And let him behave with care and courtesy, and let him not inform any one about you.

And thus did We rouse them that they might question each other. A speaker among them said: How long have you tarried? They said: We have tarried for a day or a part of a day. (Others) said: Your Lord knows best how long you have tarried. Now send one of you with this silver (coin) of yours to the city, then let him see which of them has purest food, so let him bring you provision from it, and let him behave with gentleness, and by no means make your case known to any one:

And thus We made them rise again that they might ask one another (Literally: among themselves). A speaker from among them said, "How long have you lingered?" They said, "We have lingered a day, or part (Literally: some "part" of a day) of a day." (Others) said, "Your Lord knows best how long you have lingered. So send one of you forth with this money to the city, then let him look for whichever of them has the purest (Literally: most cleansed) food, so let him come up to you with a provision thereof, and let him be courteous, and definitely let no man be aware of your (presence).

Verse 19 word by word

  1. وَكَذَٰلِكَ wakadhālika And similarly
  2. بَعَثْنَٰهُمْ baʿathnāhum We raised them ب ع ث
  3. لِيَتَسَآءَلُوا۟ liyatasāalū that they might question س أ ل
  4. بَيْنَهُمْ baynahum among them ب ي ن
  5. قَالَ qāla Said ق و ل
  6. قَآئِلٌ qāilun a speaker ق و ل
  7. مِّنْهُمْ min'hum among them
  8. كَمْ kam How long
  9. لَبِثْتُمْ labith'tum have you remained ل ب ث
  10. قَالُوا۟ qālū They said ق و ل
  11. لَبِثْنَا labith'nā We have remained ل ب ث
  12. يَوْمًا yawman a day ي و م
  13. أَوْ aw or
  14. بَعْضَ baʿḍa a part ب ع ض
  15. يَوْمٍ yawmin (of) a day ي و م
  16. قَالُوا۟ qālū They said ق و ل
  17. رَبُّكُمْ rabbukum Your Lord ر ب ب
  18. أَعْلَمُ aʿlamu knows best ع ل م
  19. بِمَا bimā how long
  20. لَبِثْتُمْ labith'tum you have remained ل ب ث
  21. فَٱبْعَثُوٓا۟ fa-ib'ʿathū So send ب ع ث
  22. أَحَدَكُم aḥadakum one of you أ ح د
  23. بِوَرِقِكُمْ biwariqikum with this silver coin of yours و ر ق
  24. هَٰذِهِۦٓ hādhihi with this silver coin of yours
  25. إِلَى ilā to
  26. ٱلْمَدِينَةِ l-madīnati the city م د ن
  27. فَلْيَنظُرْ falyanẓur and let him see ن ظ ر
  28. أَيُّهَآ ayyuhā which is أ ي ي
  29. أَزْكَىٰ azkā the purest ز ك و
  30. طَعَامًا ṭaʿāman food ط ع م
  31. فَلْيَأْتِكُم falyatikum and let him bring to you أ ت ي
  32. بِرِزْقٍ biriz'qin provision ر ز ق
  33. مِّنْهُ min'hu from it
  34. وَلْيَتَلَطَّفْ walyatalaṭṭaf and let him be cautious ل ط ف
  35. وَلَا walā And let not be aware
  36. يُشْعِرَنَّ yush'ʿiranna And let not be aware ش ع ر
  37. بِكُمْ bikum about you
  38. أَحَدًا aḥadan anyone أ ح د

Verses related to verse 19

Cited by Ibn Kathir in his explanation of this verse

  • An-Nur 24:21

    يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تَتَّبِعُوا۟ خُطُوَٰتِ ٱلشَّيْطَٰنِ وَمَن يَتَّبِعْ خُطُوَٰتِ ٱلشَّيْطَٰنِ فَإِنَّهُۥ يَأْمُرُ بِٱلْفَحْشَآءِ وَٱلْمُنكَرِ وَلَوْلَا فَضْلُ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُۥ مَا زَكَىٰ مِنكُم مِّنْ أَحَدٍ أَبَدًا وَلَٰكِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُزَكِّى مَن يَشَآءُ وَٱللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ

    O you who have believed, do not follow the footsteps of Satan. And whoever follows the footsteps of Satan - indeed, he enjoins immorality and wrongdoing. And if not for the favor of Allāh upon you and His mercy, not one of you would have been pure, ever, but Allāh purifies whom He wills, and Allāh is Hearing and Knowing.

  • Al-A’la 87:14

    قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن تَزَكَّىٰ

    He has certainly succeeded who purifies himself

Verses with similar wording

They share a sequence of words with this verse: useful for telling them apart when memorising.

  • Al-Mu’minun 23:113

    قَالُوا۟ لَبِثْنَا يَوْمًا أَوْ بَعْضَ يَوْمٍ فَسْـَٔلِ ٱلْعَآدِّينَ

    They will say, "We remained a day or part of a day; ask those who enumerate."

  • Al-Baqarah 2:259

    أَوْ كَٱلَّذِى مَرَّ عَلَىٰ قَرْيَةٍ وَهِىَ خَاوِيَةٌ عَلَىٰ عُرُوشِهَا قَالَ أَنَّىٰ يُحْىِۦ هَٰذِهِ ٱللَّهُ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا فَأَمَاتَهُ ٱللَّهُ مِا۟ئَةَ عَامٍ ثُمَّ بَعَثَهُۥ قَالَ كَمْ لَبِثْتَ قَالَ لَبِثْتُ يَوْمًا أَوْ بَعْضَ يَوْمٍ قَالَ بَل لَّبِثْتَ مِا۟ئَةَ عَامٍ فَٱنظُرْ إِلَىٰ طَعَامِكَ وَشَرَابِكَ لَمْ يَتَسَنَّهْ وَٱنظُرْ إِلَىٰ حِمَارِكَ وَلِنَجْعَلَكَ ءَايَةً لِّلنَّاسِ وَٱنظُرْ إِلَى ٱلْعِظَامِ كَيْفَ نُنشِزُهَا ثُمَّ نَكْسُوهَا لَحْمًا فَلَمَّا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُۥ قَالَ أَعْلَمُ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

    Or [consider such an example] as the one who passed by a township which had fallen into ruin. He said, "How will Allāh bring this to life after its death?" So Allāh caused him to die for a hundred years; then He revived him. He said, "How long have you remained?" He [the man] said, "I have remained a day or part of a day." He said, "Rather, you have remained one hundred years. Look at your food and your drink; it has not changed with time. And look at your donkey; and We will make you a sign for the people. And look at the bones [of this donkey] - how We raise them and then We cover them with flesh." And when it became clear to him, he said, "I know that Allāh is over all things competent."

All similar verses of Surah Al-Kahf

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