Do you think that the people of Al-Kahf and Ar-Raqim were a wonder among Our signs (9)When the young men fled for refuge to Al-Kahf. They said: "Our Lord! Bestow on us mercy from Yourself, and facilitate for us our affair in the right way! (10)Therefore, We covered up their hearing in Al-Kahf for a number of years (11)Then We raised them up, that We might test which of the two parties was best at calculating the time period they tarried (12)

Here Allah tells us about the story of the people of Al-Kahf in brief and general terms,then He explains it in more detail. He Says:

أَمْ حَسِبْتَ

(Do you think) – O Muhammad –

أَنَّ أَصْحَابَ الْكَهْفِ وَالرَّقِيمِ كَانُوا مِنْ آيَاتِنَا عَجَبًا

(that the people of Al-Kahf and Ar-Raqim were a wonder among Our signs?) meaning, their case was not something amazing compared to Our power and ability, for the creation of the heavens and earth, the alternation of night and day and the subjugation of the sun, moon and heavenly bodies, and other mighty signs indicate the great power of Allah and show that He is able to do whatever He wills. He is not incapable of doing more amazing things than the story of the people of the Cave. Similarly, Ibn Jurayj reported Mujahid saying about,

أَمْ حَسِبْتَ أَنَّ أَصْحَابَ الْكَهْفِ وَالرَّقِيمِ كَانُوا مِنْ آيَاتِنَا عَجَبًا

(Do you think that the people of Al-Kahf and Ar-Raqim were a wonder among Our signs?)

Among Our signs are things that are more amazing than this. Al-'Awfi reported that Ibn 'Abbas said:

أَمْ حَسِبْتَ أَنَّ أَصْحَابَ الْكَهْفِ وَالرَّقِيمِ كَانُوا مِنْ آيَاتِنَا عَجَبًا

(Do you think that the people of Al-Kahf and Ar-Raqim were a wonder among Our signs?)

What I have given to you of knowledge, the Sunnah and the Book is far better than the story of the people of Al-Kahf and Ar-Raqim. Muhammad bin Ishaq said: "(It means) I have not shown My creatures a proof more amazing than the story of the people of the Al-Kahf and Ar-Raqim."

Al-Kahf refers to a cave in a mountain, which is where the young men sought refuge. With regard to the word Ar-Raqim, Al-'Awfi reported from Ibn 'Abbas that it is a valley near Aylah. This was also said [in another narration] by 'Atiyah Al-'Awfi and Qatadah. Ad-Dahhak said: "As for Al-Kahf, it is a cave in the valley, and Ar-Raqim is the name of the valley." Mujahid said, "Ar-Raqim refers to their buildings." Others said it refers to the valley in which their cave was.

Abdur-Razzaq recorded that Ibn 'Abbas said about Ar-Raqim: "Ka'b used to say that it was the town." Ibn Jurayj reported that Ibn 'Abbas said, "Ar-Raqim is the mountain in which the cave was." Sa'id bin Jubayr said, "Ar-Raqim is a tablet of stone on which they wrote the story of the people of the Cave, then they placed it at the entrance to the Cave."

إِذْ أَوَى الْفِتْيَةُ إِلَى الْكَهْفِ فَقَالُوا رَبَّنَا آتِنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً وَهَيِّئْ لَنَا مِنْ أَمْرِنَا رَشَدًا

((Remember) when the young men fled for refuge to Al-Kahf. They said: "Our Lord! Bestow on us mercy from Yourself, and facilitate for us our affair in the right way!")

Here Allah tells us about those young men who fled from their people for the sake of their religion, fearing persecution. So they fled taking refuge in the cave of a mountain, where they hid from their people. When they entered the cave, they asked Allah to show mercy and kindness towards them,

رَبَّنَا آتِنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً 

(Our Lord! Bestow on us mercy from Yourself,) meaning, 'give us Your mercy and conceal us from our people.'

وَهَيِّئْ لَنَا مِنْ أَمْرِنَا رَشَدًا

(and facilitate for us our affair in the right way.) means, direct our matter well, i.e., grant us a good end. As was reported in the Hadith:

وَمَا قَضَيْتَ لَنَا مِنْ قَضَاءٍ فَاجْعَلْ عَاقِبَتَهُ رَشَدًا

(Whatever You have decreed for us, make its consequences good).

فَضَرَبْنَا عَلَىٰ آذَانِهِمْ فِي الْكَهْفِ سِنِينَ عَدَدًا

(Therefore, We covered up their hearing in the cave for a number of years.) meaning, 'We caused them to sleep when they entered the cave, and they slept for many years.'

ثُمَّ بَعَثْنَاهُمْ

(Then We raised them up) from that slumber, and one of them went out with his Dirhams (silver coins) to buy them some food, as it will be discussed in more detail below. Allah says:

ثُمَّ بَعَثْنَاهُمْ لِنَعْلَمَ أَيُّ الْحِزْبَيْنِ

(Then We raised them up, that We might test which of the two parties) meaning, the two parties who disputed about them,

أَحْصَىٰ لِمَا لَبِثُوا أَمَدًا

(was best at calculating the time period that they tarried.) It was said that this refers to how long they stayed in the cave.