Page 159 - The Glad Tidings of the Messiah

this silver you have, so he can see which food is purest and
bring you some of it to eat. But he should go about with
caution, so that no one is aware of you." (Surat al-Kahf, 10-
11, 18-19)
Allah does not reveal in the Qur'an how long they remained
in the cave. Instead, the duration of this period is implied by the
words "for a number of years." People guessed that they stayed
there for 309 years, for:
They stayed in their cave for three hundred years and
added nine. Say: "Allah knows best how long they stayed.
The Unseen of the heavens and Earth belongs to Him.
How perfectly He sees, how well He hears! They have no
protector apart from Him. Nor does He share His rule with
anyone." (Surat al-Kahf, 25-26)
What this narrative reveals is that Allah took some people
back from this life, either by making them sleep or by taking their
lives, and then restored them to life, just as people wake up from
sleep. the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) is one such person. When the ap-
pointed time comes, he will live on Earth once again, fulfill the
honorable responsibility given to him by Allah, and then die
onEarth in the normal manner, for
He said: "On it you will live and on it you will die, and
from it you will be brought forth." (Surat al-A'raf, 25)