بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

What would happen to you and me if all the masaajid got shut down, all the Islamic universities and websites were forcibly closed, and all Islamic books got burnt? Would we adopt a secular lifestyle and abandon our faith?

The trial of faith is indeed the greatest test a believer could ever face, and one such incident is captured in Surah Al-Kahf — about the Ashabul-Kahfi, the companions of the cave.

🌸 The Book, The Da’wah, And The Companionship

The Ashabul-Kahfi were young men, and some scholars said that they were the sons of the leaders of Byzantium. During that era, a tyrannical king ruled over them, commanding the people to gather and worship idols as part of their yearly festivity. But Allah ta’ala guided these youths. They knew that worship should only be dedicated to and for Allah. So they began to withdraw from their people, and together as brothers in faith who supported each other, adopted a location to worship Allah secretly.

Allah says: “Do you think that the Ashabul-Kahfi and {Ar-Raqeem | the Inscription} were a wonder among Our Signs?” [Surah Al-Kahf 18 : 9]

Scholars said that Ar-Raqeem was the book that had some of the Deen’s knowledge on it. The Ashabul-Kahfi had engraved their ‘aqidah (core belief) on a stone, from where they would read, learn, and hold onto its teachings. But eventually, the king found out, ordered them to appear before him, and questioned their beliefs.

Allah says: “And We made their hearts firm and strong when they stood up and said: Our Rabb is the Rabb of the heavens and the earth, never shall we call upon any god other than Him; if we did, we should indeed have uttered an enormity in disbelief.” [Surah Al-Kahf 18 : 14]

Not only were they patient in leaving behind their life of luxury as sons of the leaders, but the Ashabul-Kahfi were also courageous in giving da’wah and speaking the truth in front of everyone. When the king threatened, Allah enabled them to escape and flee from persecution, and continued to protect them until they departed the dunya as Muslims.

One of the amazing parts about the Ashabul-Kahfi was that they existed during the time when there were no Prophets, no scholars, no Islamic books, schools, or libraries — and yet they remained firm upon the path of Allah.

And this is the question that we want to answer today: How does one remain committed on the path of Allah if he is being rigorously tested in his Deen? When we carefully study the Ashabul-Kahfi’s story, we’ll notice that they did 3 major things that helped them overcome their trial of faith:

(1) They held onto Ar-Raqeem, the book containing the teachings of their Deen

(2) They surrounded themselves with good companionships

(3) They gave da’wah

These 3 things were so important, that Allah ta’ala has actually given us the same exact 3 prescriptions in the 3 ayaat at the end of their story:

🌸 Prescription #1 : Hold on to the Qur’an

“And recite what has been revealed to you of the Book of your Rabb…” [Surah Al-Kahf 18 : 27]

The very first prescription Allah gives us is to hold on to the Qur’an — and by extension, the sunnah of Rasulullah salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. Let’s not wait for Ramadan to open the Book of Allah, rather discipline ourselves to allocate some time daily reading it, learning it, understanding it, and then applying it in our lives. The more we distance ourselves from the Qur’an, the easier it is for the enemies of Allah to remove us from the Deen.

🌸 Prescription #2 : Hold on to good companionship

“And keep yourself patiently with those who call on their Rabb morning and afternoon, seeking His Face, and let not your eyes overlook them, desiring the pomp and glitter of the life of the world; and obey not him whose heart We have made heedless of Our Remembrance, and who follows his own lusts and whose affair (deeds) has been lost.” [Surah Al-Kahf 18 : 28]

The second prescription is to keep close with those who are akhirah-oriented. Notice that Allah says: “Keep yourself patiently with those who call on their Rabb”. Why is there an emphasis to be patient here?

Because keeping ourselves attached to pious companionships can be difficult for the nafs, especially if we had a misguided life before returning to the Deen. Our akhirah-oriented friends won’t have the same lifestyle as our other friends — there’s no unnecessary and haraam entertainment, no inappropriate jokes, no free mixing, no partying until Fajr. It can be tough. So Allah tells us to be patient with the excellent friends we have.

Check out also the end of the ayah, where Allah ta’ala warns us from obeying bad friends:

When Allah talks about good companionship, He uses the plural: ‘Be patient with THOSE who call on their Rabb…” 

But when Allah warns us regarding bad companionship, He uses the singular: “Obey not HIM whose heart We have made heedless of Our Remembrance…” 

Why?

Because just one bad friend is enough to turn us away from Allah’s Path. Choosing our circle of friends is super crucial, for they will inevitably have an influence upon us. Rasulullah ﷺ said: “A man is upon the religion of his best friend, so let one of you look at whom he befriends.” [At-Tirmidhi 2378 | Graded Hasan by Darussalam] 

🌸 Prescription #3 : Enjoin the good, and forbid the evil

“And say: ‘The truth is from your Rabb.’…” [Surah Al-Kahf 18 : 29]

The third prescription is to do da’wah for the sake of Allah — and this is what makes us the best Ummah! 

Allah says: “You are the best of people ever raised up for mankind; you enjoin al-ma'ruf (good) and forbid al-munkar (evil)...” [Surah Ali Imran 3 : 110]

And da’wah is not restricted to only khutbahs or lectures — anybody can do da’wah within their capacity. I remember a story shared by Sheikh Majed Mahmoud about a German boxer, who travelled to Riyadh to accept a prize for his accomplishments. He was not yet a Muslim at that time, so an unknown sister handed him a German-translated copy of the Qur’an during the event. This, by the will of Allah, caused an amazing domino effect! 

Not only did he become a Muslim, but he even started doing da’wah in his country. A lot of people would come up to him, asking for autographs because he used to be a famous boxer. He would entertain their requests, but at the same time, offered pamphlets, booklets, and information about the Deen. In just one year, more than a hundred people accepted Islam through him with the help of Allah.

But remember the sister who gave that copy of the Qur’an? Rasulullah ﷺ said: “Whoever guides someone to goodness will have a reward like the one who did it.” [Sahih Muslim 1893a]  The sister too earned hasanah (rewards) as the man, in shaa Allah, because she was the one who called him to Islam. Imagine how one simple, unassuming da’wah can produce numerous benefits! 

These are the 3 prescriptions that Allah has given us, and if we were to hold on to them, we will find ourselves firm and steadfast upon the Deen as well, bi idznillah.

We ask Allah to grant us love for this Deen, righteous friends, and enable us to do da’wah with wisdom and beautiful akhlaaq. O Allah, do not test us more than what we can bear.

Your sister in Deen,

Aida Msr