Quran Universe
18:22

سَيَقُولُونَ ثَلَٰثَةٞ رَّابِعُهُمۡ كَلۡبُهُمۡ وَيَقُولُونَ خَمۡسَةٞ سَادِسُهُمۡ كَلۡبُهُمۡ رَجۡمَۢا بِٱلۡغَيۡبِۖ وَيَقُولُونَ سَبۡعَةٞ وَثَامِنُهُمۡ كَلۡبُهُمۡۚ قُل رَّبِّيٓ أَعۡلَمُ بِعِدَّتِهِم مَّا يَعۡلَمُهُمۡ إِلَّا قَلِيلٞۗ فَلَا تُمَارِ فِيهِمۡ إِلَّا مِرَآءٗ ظَٰهِرٗا وَلَا تَسۡتَفۡتِ فِيهِم مِّنۡهُمۡ أَحَدٗا

Sayaqooloona thalathatun rabiAAuhum kalbuhum wayaqooloona khamsatun sadisuhum kalbuhum rajman bialghaybi wayaqooloona sabAAatun wathaminuhum kalbuhum qul rabbee aAAlamu biAAiddatihim ma yaAAlamuhum illa qaleelun fala tumari feehim illa miraan thahiran wala tastafti feehim minhum ahadan

They will say there were three, the fourth of them being their dog; and they will say there were five, the sixth of them being their dog - guessing at the unseen; and they will say there were seven, and the eighth of them was their dog. Say, [O Muhammad], "My Lord is most knowing of their number. None knows them except a few. So do not argue about them except with an obvious argument and do not inquire about them among [the speculators] from anyone."

Word by word
  1. سَيَقُولُونَThey say
  2. ثَلَٰثَةٞ(they were) three
  3. رَّابِعُهُمۡthe forth of them
  4. كَلۡبُهُمۡtheir dog
  5. وَيَقُولُونَand they say
  6. خَمۡسَةٞ(they were) five
  7. سَادِسُهُمۡthe sixth of them
  8. كَلۡبُهُمۡtheir dog
  9. رَجۡمَۢاguessing
  10. بِٱلۡغَيۡبِۖabout the unseen
  11. وَيَقُولُونَand they say
  12. سَبۡعَةٞ(they were) seven
  13. وَثَامِنُهُمۡand the eight of them
  14. كَلۡبُهُمۡۚtheir dog
  15. قُلSay
  16. رَّبِّيٓMy Lord
  17. أَعۡلَمُknows best
  18. بِعِدَّتِهِمtheir number
  19. مَّاNone
  20. يَعۡلَمُهُمۡknows them
  21. إِلَّاexcept
  22. قَلِيلٞۗa few
  23. فَلَاSo (do) not
  24. تُمَارِargue
  25. فِيهِمۡabout them
  26. إِلَّاexcept
  27. مِرَآءٗ(with) an argument
  28. ظَٰهِرٗاobvious
  29. وَلَاand (do) not
  30. تَسۡتَفۡتِinquire
  31. فِيهِمabout them
  32. مِّنۡهُمۡamong them
  33. أَحَدٗا(from) anyone
Al-Kahf · 18:22Makkah

Three, five, or seven: leave the count to Allah.

Guessing at the unseen

The guesses
3the dog the fourth
5the dog the sixth
7the dog the eighth
How to handle it
argue without knowledgeaiming at an unknown target
my Lord knows bestspeak gently, briefly

People disputed the number. Allah calls the first two views guessing at the unseen, like shooting at a target you cannot see, and leaves the third uncorrected. Ibn Abbas said they were seven. Ibn Kathir draws the lesson: the best thing is to refer knowledge to Allah, and debate gently if at all.

A heated thread online about a detail nobody can prove. You have your fingers ready to type a long reply. Say what you know, say Allah knows best, and close the app.

If I have an opinion, I should defend it to the end.

Where knowledge ends, I say Allah knows best and stop.

Try this

Skip one argument today about something nobody can really know.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

They say they were three, the dog being the fourth among them; and they say they were five, the dog being the sixth, guessing at the unseen; and they say they were seven, and the dog being the eighth. Say: "My Lord knows best their number; none knows them but a few." So debate not except with the clear proof. And consult not any of them (about the people of the Cave)(22)

Their Number

Allah tells us that people disputed over the number of the people of the Cave. The Ayah mentions three views, proving that there was no fourth suggestion. Allah indicates that the first two opinions are invalid, by saying,

رَجْمًا بِالْغَيْبِ

(guessing at the unseen), meaning that they spoke without knowledge, like a person who aims at an unknown target – he is hardly likely to hit it, and if he does, it was not on purpose.

Then Allah mentions the third opinion, and does not comment on it, or He affirms it by saying,

وَثَامِنُهُمْ كَلْبُهُمْ

(and the dog being the eighth.) indicating that this is correct and this is what happened.

قُل رَّبِّي أَعْلَمُ بِعِدَّتِهِم

(Say: "My Lord knows best their number...") indicating that the best thing to do in matters like this is to refer knowledge to Allah, because there is no need to indulge in discussing such matters without knowledge. If we are given knowledge of a matter, then we may talk about it, otherwise we should refrain.

مَّا يَعْلَمُهُمْ إِلَّا قَلِيلٌ

(none knows them but a few.) of mankind. Qatadah said that Ibn 'Abbas said: "I am one of the few mentioned in this Ayah; they were seven. " Ibn Jurayj also narrated that 'Ata' Al-Khurasani narrated from him, "I am one of those referred to in this Ayah," and he would say: "Their number was seven." Ibn Jarir recorded that Ibn 'Abbas said:

مَّا يَعْلَمُهُمْ إِلَّا قَلِيلٌ

(none knows them but a few.) "I am one of the few, and they were seven." The chains of these reports narrated from Ibn 'Abbas, which say that they were seven, are Sahih, and this is in accordance with what we have stated above.

فَلَا تُمَارِ فِيهِمْ إِلَّا مِرَاءً ظَاهِرًا

(So debate not except with the clear proof.) meaning, gently and politely, for there is not a great deal to be gained from knowing about that.

وَلَا تَسْتَفْتِ فِيهِم مِّنْهُمْ أَحَدًا

(And consult not any of them (about the people of the Cave).) meaning, 'They do not have any knowledge about it except what they make up, guessing at the unseen; they have no evidence from an infallible source. But Allah has sent you, O Muhammad, with the truth in which there is no doubt or confusion, which is to be given priority over all previous books and sayings.'