Lessons from Surah Al-Kahf - Shaykh Mustafa Abu Rayyan

Khutbah: Lessons from Surah Al-Kahf

إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ لِلَّهِ نَحْمَدُهُ وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُهُ وَنَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ شُرُورِ أَنْفُسِنَا وَمِنْ سَيِّئَاتِ أَعْمَالِنَا مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللَّهُ فَلَا مُضِلَّ لَهُ وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْهُ فَلَا هَادِيَ لَهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَصَفِيُّهُ مِنْ خَلْقِهِ وَخَلِيلُهُ أَرْسَلَهُ اللَّهُ إِلَى النَّاسِ كَافَّةً بَشِيرًا وَنَذِيرًا فَبَلَّغَ الرِّسَالَةَ وَأَدَّى الْأَمَانَةَ وَنَصَحَ الْأُمَّةَ وَتَرَكَنَا عَلَى الْمَحَجَّةِ الْبَيْضَاءِ لَيْلُهَا كَنَهَارِهَا لَا يَزِيغُ عَنْهَا إِلَّا هَالِكٌ فَصَلَوَاتُ اللَّهِ وَسَلَامُهُ عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَأَصْحَابِهِ وَمَنِ اتَّدَى بِهَدْيِهِ وَاسْتَنَّ بِسُنَّتِهِ وَدَعَا بِدَعْوَتِهِ إِلَى يَوْمِ الدِّينِ

My beloved brothers and sisters, I start by praising Allah as Allah has deserved to be praised constantly, and I start by expressing gratitude towards Allah first and foremost, and sending blessings and salutations upon our beloved Messenger Muhammad, salawatullahi wa salamuhu alayh.

The Quran as a Living Guide

Inshallah ta'ala, my beloved brothers and sisters, today I'd like to highlight the importance of the Quran in our lives — that the Quran is that which will enrich our life, that which will heal our hearts, that which will guide us to that which is upright.

Allah says in the Quran: indeed this Quran, it guides to that which is upright, that which is better. So the book of Allah was revealed to our Messenger Muhammad, salawatullahi wa salam, for it to guide us, teach us right from wrong, good from bad, to tell us how to worship Allah, when to worship Allah, who to worship — which is of course Allah alone — and everything and anything in between.

So the Quran should have an important place in not just your heart — because I know all of us love the Quran — but it should have an important place in your life practically and day to day. How often you recite it, how often you benefit from it, how often you try and extract values and lessons from it. It is so important.

I have no doubt that many of you came here early today and you were doing the sunnah of reciting Surah Al-Kahf, and this is a beautiful practice that many Muslims engage in as they come to the masjid and they're trying to read this surah. Now, as you were reading the surah today, how much of your recitation was about "let me get the barakah, let me get the ajar," and how much of it was "let me learn from this, let me see what Allah is teaching me here, why is Allah telling me to read this surah — or the Messenger telling me to read the surah — every Friday?"

Ikhwani wa akhwati fi Allah, the Quran first and foremost is always going to be a message towards you. There is a hikmah. Allah is Al-Hakim, the Most Wise. It is not an accident that the only surah we repeat in every single salah is Surah Al-Fatihah. That's not an accident. There's a reason for it, because Surah Al-Fatihah carries meanings that you require to remind yourself of every single day, many many times over — including a beautiful prayer where we ask Allah to guide us to the straight path.

Now similarly, Surah Al-Kahf carries meanings, it carries lessons, it carries morals, it carries values that you need on a week-to-week basis. That's why you should be reciting it. And if every single one of us, as we're reading the surah, would stop and think: what is Allah teaching me here?

Opening Verses: The Greatness of the Quran

In the very first verse, Allah starts by praising — alhamdulillah — all praise belongs to Allah that has sent down upon His servant Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, the book. Immediately, Surah Al-Kahf is telling you the importance of the Quran. You read Surah Al-Kahf, the first ayah is: remember this book that you're holding — not just Surah Al-Kahf but the whole Quran — this is a great blessing from Allah. All praise belongs to Allah who revealed the book upon His servants, and in it there is not one bit of crookedness, one error, one mistake. In other words, read this book and everything in it is upright, everything in it is beautiful, everything in it you require.

First Lesson: This Life is a Test

The surah continues. And inshallah ta'ala, I want to highlight just a few ayat to give you a glimpse of what you're missing out on if you're just reading the surah and for you it's "let me get to the end." If your whole relationship with this surah and the other surahs in the Quran is just let me recite it, let me tell you what you're missing out on.

The first story Allah tells us in this surah is about a group of young men. I know you are familiar with the story, but before Allah even tells us about this — it's the seventh ayah in the surah — Allah tells us that the reason He has made this earth and beautified it is to test you. So as you're reading Surah Al-Kahf, Allah reminds you: just so you know, your life is always going to be a test. I will test you. I will test you with good things, I will test you with bad, I will test you with calamities, I will test you with blessings. I will see how you react. Which one among you will do the best? Will you be grateful? Will you have patience? Will you seek Allah's forgiveness when you make mistakes? This is it. And Allah is reminding you in this surah: remember, your life is a test.

Now, you could argue you already know that — but the whole point is for the Quran to recalibrate and remind you.

Second Lesson: Protecting Your Deen

Then Allah tells us about a story about young men — youth — who stood up for their deen and their faith, to remind you every single week that your greatest and biggest priority, that which you should protect the most, is not your health, is not your wealth, is not your family. Yes, they are important, yes you should safeguard them, yes you should protect them — but the single one that you have to always keep an eye on is your deen.

And Allah tells us about these young men who were in a community and a society where they were the outcasts, where they were the minority, where their deen was being looked at as something that is wrong. So many people experience it. I want you to imagine someone who goes to work and people look at him odd because he is asking for a prayer room, or he needs a break for Jumu'ah, or because of the beard, or the hijab. And then comes Jumu'ah and they go to Al-Kahf and they are reminded that this dunya is a test and they are reminded that you are not the only one — this life of being persecuted, or looked down upon, or seen as an outcast due to your faith, this happens to everyone who says la ilaha illallah throughout history.

Imagine the Sahaba when they were in Mecca and they were a minority, hiding in the house of Arqam ibn Abi Al-Arqam, hiding their faith and making sure that when they were praying no one would see them because they could be hurt. Then Allah reveals Surah Al-Kahf — because Surah Al-Kahf is a Makki surah — and then imagine them hearing: we are not the only ones, this happened to the people that came before us.

And what does Allah say about these young men?

Allah says: وَرَبَطْنَا عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ — we tied down their hearts. That means Allah ensured that their faith would never waver, Allah strengthened their faith. Rabatna 'ala qulubihim — when? إِذْ قَامُوا فَقَالُوا رَبُّنَا رَبُّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ — when they stood up and declared: our Lord, our Creator, is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. Allah is the one that we obey and we hear. Allah is the one that we worship and single out in all ibadah. Allah is the one that sets our morals and laws and values.

Allah is telling us: when they declared that, when they said that, then I tied down their hearts even more. Here you learn something very valuable, and that is that for Allah to strengthen your faith, you need to make the first steps. You need to make the first steps.

Those that were guided or sought guidance or practiced — Allah said: we increased them in guidance, وَآتَاهُمْ تَقْوَاهُمْ. So if you want Allah to increase your iman, you need to do the work. And Allah is telling us: I have made the hearts of these young men firm when they stood up. And also the word قَامُوا teaches you that they were willing to defy society for their deen. They were willing to stand up for their deen.

And they declared — of course the whole story is about Tawheed — only Allah is worthy of my worship.

Third Lesson: True Refuge is with Allah

The story continues, my brothers and sisters. As Allah teaches us about these young men, Allah tells us that they sought refuge in a cave. The surah is called Al-Kahf — a cave.

Seek refuge in this cave. There is a deeper meaning than just a cave, because just a cave is not what protected them — it was Allah that protected them: by putting them to sleep for 300 years, by ensuring that the stray dog that went with them sat outside, by putting measures in place to protect them. It is Allah that protects.

And also it is a reminder for you. Think about it — what is one of the greatest fitna that mankind will face? Dajjal. The Prophet told us: if you want Allah to protect you from Dajjal, read Surah Al-Kahf. Some say the first ten ayat, some say the last ten ayat. The point is: the actual cave, the actual kahf, the actual source of protection is Allah — is the Quran. And that's what you're being reminded of every Friday as you're reading Surah Al-Kahf.

Fourth Lesson: The Promise of Allah and Yawm Al-Qiyamah

The surah continues, and there's a powerful lesson that's reminded. You could say the moral of the story in Surah Al-Kahf is: holding on to your faith, being together as people of the same faith, making hijrah from a place that doesn't allow you to practice as they did, and that Allah at the end of the day will protect those who believe and follow.

But Allah mentions:

Allah mentions that among the many benefits of putting them to sleep for 300 years and then having them wake up is to remind everybody that the promise of Allah is true. What promise is that? أَنَّ السَّاعَةَ لَا رَيْبَ فِيهَا — that the Hour, that Yawm Al-Qiyamah, Judgment Day, there is no doubt in it.

Surah Al-Kahf is a reminder of Yawm Al-Qiyamah, and it's a strong reminder of Yawm Al-Qiyamah. So every week as you come and as you return to Al-Kahf, it should instill in you a reminder: this life is temporary, Yawm Al-Qiyamah is coming, let me prepare for it. And that theme comes over and over again. وَأَنَّ السَّاعَةَ لَا رَيْبَ فِيهَا — there is no doubt in the Hour. Allah will resurrect you just like He resurrected those young men from that cave after they slept.

And what will the people say when they come out of their graves?

Who woke us up from our slumber and our sleep? May Allah protect us.

This reminds me actually that true sleep is heedlessness. One of the salaf used to say:

(A well-known saying attributed to Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib, reported in various sources of Islamic wisdom literature)

People are asleep. What does that mean? As you go to work, as you come back home, as you plan your finances, as you think of your investments, buy land, do this, raise kids — people are asleep. And when they die, that's when they wake up. May Allah allow me and you, my brother and sister, to be among those that wake up before they die.

Fifth Lesson: The Meaning of Inshallah

The surah continues, my brothers and sisters, and Allah tells us about something that we all say:

And do not say "I'm going to do something tomorrow" except if you say what? If Allah wills — Inshallah. We always say this. Inshallah, Inshallah. In fact sometimes we use it the wrong way. When you don't plan on doing something, your child says, "Abu, daddy, can I do this?" — "Inshallah." Some kids will say Inshallah means no! Inshallah means if Allah wills.

The point of it is that you understand that this life of yours is in the hands of Allah and you will do nothing unless Allah allows it. You will not make an appointment, you will not have a child, you will not get married unless Allah allows it. You will not go to Hajj unless Allah allows it. And this is an important aqidah belief that we have to have. Inshallah is a declaration that you understand that this life that you have and everything in it is in the hands of Allah — He is the one that decides. So the next time you say Inshallah, it carries a lot more meaning than you think, my brother and my sister.

Sixth Lesson: The Importance of Good Company

The surah continues — I can't really do every ayah, I wish I could, and this is the point, this is what you're meant to be doing as you're reading it, reflecting over it.

Allah said: وَاصْبِرْ نَفْسَكَ مَعَ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ رَبَّهُم بِالْغَدَاةِ وَالْعَشِيِّ يُرِيدُونَ وَجْهَهُ. This was a command that initially came to the Prophet, peace be upon him, and the Sahaba as they were a minority in Mecca, as they were outnumbered, as they were the strangers, the ghuraba', practicing their faith. Allah says: you need to have sabr. You should have patience and you should hold yourself, and be with — مَعَ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ رَبَّهُم — in other words, don't walk this path alone.

Find yourself good company. When you have good company everything becomes easy. I promise you, if 5 or 6 of your friends are planning and saying for Hajj, guess what you're doing — you're also planning and saying for Hajj. If 4 or 5 of your friends or close friends or family are thinking about going to Umrah this Ramadan, guess what you're doing — you're probably thinking about it as well. If 4 or 5 of your friends are regularly going to classes and lectures, guess what you're going to be doing — the same thing.

Because we need company. The Prophet, peace be upon him, always commanded us to find good company. Find good company, because that will make it easy for you to practice, it will make it easy for you to go through the trials of faith that are in this dunya. This is another lesson that you learn from Surah Al-Kahf. And guess what — were those young men alone? No, they were together. They were together, and that's another lesson that you learn. And this goes for young and old — everybody: surround yourself with people that will make it easier for you to practice, that will make it easier for you to become better worshippers.

I say this saying and I ask Allah to forgive me and you and the repentant from all sins — so forgive him, He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.

Second Part of the Khutbah

All praise is due to Allah and peace be upon His Messenger. My beloved brothers and sisters, I cannot — again, the point I'm trying to make here, the main point I'm trying to share with you is: number one, the Quran is meant to be a source of guidance for us and every ayah, when you reflect upon it, you learn something from it.

And also the chapters and the surahs and the ayat that we are told to repeat often — such as the four quls:

We are told to repeat them often on different occasions throughout the day. Ask yourself why these four? Because in them there are meanings and lessons and reminders that benefit you on a daily basis — you need that. We are told about the significance and importance of Ayatul Kursi — same thing. Surah Al-Fatihah we read in every salah — same thing. There are certain chapters you are told to read before you go to bed — Surah Al-Mulk and others — same thing. Surah Al-Kahf — same thing.

At the very least, if you're not going to go through the whole Quran — which you should, by the way, start thinking about — ask yourself: what is the significance of these chapters? What are they trying to teach me? What is my Lord, my Creator, trying to teach me?

Seventh Lesson: The Fitna of the Dunya

Let me go with a few more examples of Surah Al-Kahf and then we conclude the khutbah. The surah continues and then Allah, among the great lessons, speaks about one very great fitna that we all face — and this is the fitna of the dunya, the fitna of this world, the fitna of accumulating wealth and money, the fitna that distracted all of us.

Allah talks about what the dunya really is and He gives us a parable — an example. Imagine rain came down. Rain — it's a good thing — and then it started to create vegetation, plants and flowers and fruits, things that we all need. But Allah tells us: do they last? Do these things last? Right now we see all the leaves falling — they don't last. And let that be a reminder. In fact, every time you go past a tree whose leaves are falling, Allah is telling us in the Quran: that's the dunya. The dunya, for a moment, is beautiful — you're young, you're strong, you have money, you have children — but it goes. It goes. You grow older. Your money — you lose it. It doesn't last. It doesn't last.

The Baqiyat Al-Salihat — That Which Truly Lasts

So then the question is: why is Allah telling us? By reminding us of the dunya and reminding us that despite its beauty, despite its zina that was mentioned in the beginning of the surah — despite that, my brothers and sisters, it will not last. You will die, you will move on.

Allah says: wealth and children are the beauty of this worldly life. As for the baqiyat al-salihat — the everlasting righteous deeds — they are better to your Lord in reward and better to hope in.

What are the baqiyat al-salihat? What is the contrast here? Allah is telling us that despite the wealth that you are busy accumulating, there are things that are going to last. They are not going to be like that tree that grew, was beautiful, but then the seasons changed and it withered away. What is it? What is الْبَاقِيَاتُ الصَّالِحَاتُ?

The salaf said that al-baqiyat al-salihat — that which lasts — is dhikr. It is subhanAllah, it is alhamdulillah, it is Allahu Akbar, it is la ilaha illallah, it is la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah. The adhkar that you say are much, much more important than the money in your bank account. The adhkar that you say — these are the baqiyat al-salihat. This is what will ensure you go to Jannah. These statements are more beloved to Allah than anything else that you engage in throughout your day.

Think about it for a second — of the many things that you do in your day, the most beloved to Allah are these statements of dhikr. And it is a reminder again: do not let the dunya distract you. Surah Al-Kahf is meant to remind you — do not let the dunya distract you. Do not let the dunya distract you. Because you will be resurrected and you will stand in front of Allah, and when you do stand in front of Allah, what will save you and what you will need is righteous actions.

Final Verse: Meeting Your Lord

The last ayah in the surah — Allah mentions:

Whoever hopes to meet his Lord — and this teaches us something: we ought to hope to meet our Lord. Our relationship with Allah is not just one of fear but also one of yearning and love. Whoever hopes to meet their Lord, فَلْيَعْمَلْ عَمَلًا صَالِحًا — let him do righteous actions. وَلَا يُشْرِكْ بِعِبَادَةِ رَبِّهِ أَحَدًا — and let him not commit any shirk to his Lord, ever. The same shirk that the young men of Al-Kahf ran away from and went into that cave is what Allah is warning you of towards the end of the surah.

There are so many more lessons that I couldn't cover because I only have a short time here. But my lesson to all of you is: learn the surah, and learn the Quran.

Closing Du'a

And be pleased, O Allah, with the four khulafa' — and upon all the companions of the Prophet, peace be upon him — and be pleased with those who follow them in righteousness until the Day of Judgment. O Allah, heal their sick, grant them well-being, and protect them, O Lord of all the worlds.

And the end of our call is: Alhamdulillahi Rabbil 'Alamin.