Page 158 - The Glad Tidings of the Messiah

Awakening the "Companions of the Cave"

after many years

Another example is the narrative of the "Companions of the
Cave." Allah relates the story of a group of young people who
sought refuge in the cave from their anti-religious ruler's despo-
tism. Their awakening is described in the following terms:
When the young men took refuge in the cave and said:
"Our Lord, give us mercy directly from You and open the
way for us to right guidance in our situation." So We
sealed their ears with sleep in the cave for a number of
years. … You would have supposed them to be awake,
whereas in fact they were asleep. We moved them to the
right and to the left, and at the entrance, their dog
stretched out its paws. If you had looked down and seen
them, you would have turned from them and run and have
been filled with terror at the sight of them. That was the
situation when we woke them up so they could question
one another. One of them asked: "How long have you been
here?" They replied: "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 your number into the city with