Which Surah and Juz is Quran 18:18 from?

This ayah is from Surah Al-Kahf (The Cave), the 18th surah of the Quran. It appears in Juz 15.

Are there hadiths related to Quran 18:18?

Yes — there are 5 hadiths related to this ayah from Sahih Muslim, Sunan Abu Dawud.

What tafsir is available for Quran 18:18?

Commentary on this ayah is available from Ibn Kathir, Ibn Kathir, Ibn Abbas, Al-Jalalayn — classical scholars of Quranic exegesis.

What topics does Quran 18:18 relate to?

This ayah connects to these Quranic topics: Divine Intervention.

Ayah 17

۞ وَتَرَى ٱلشَّمْسَ إِذَا طَلَعَت تَّزَٰوَرُ عَن ك...

18:18Al-Kahf

Q: What does Quran 18:18 mean?

Quran 18:18 (Surah Al-Kahf, Ayah 18) translates to: "And you would think them awake, while they were asleep. And We turned them to the right and to the left, while their dog stretched his forelegs at the entrance. If you had looked at them, you would have turned from them in flight and been filled by them with terror."

Ayah 19

وَكَذَٰلِكَ بَعَثْنَٰهُمْ لِيَتَسَآءَلُوا۟ بَيْنَه...

وَتَحْسَبُهُمْ أَيْقَاظًۭا وَهُمْ رُقُودٌۭ ۚ وَنُقَلِّبُهُمْ ذَاتَ ٱلْيَمِينِ وَذَاتَ ٱلشِّمَالِ ۖ وَكَلْبُهُم بَٰسِطٌۭ ذِرَاعَيْهِ بِٱلْوَصِيدِ ۚ لَوِ ٱطَّلَعْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ لَوَلَّيْتَ مِنْهُمْ فِرَارًۭا وَلَمُلِئْتَ مِنْهُمْ رُعْبًۭا

Wa tahsabuhum ayqaazanw wa hum ruqood; wa nuqallibuhum zaatal yameeni wa zaatash shimaali wa kalbuhum baasitun ziraa'ayhi bilwaseed; lawit tala'ta 'alaihim la wallaita minhum firaaranw wa lamuli'ta minhum rubaa

And you would think them awake, while they were asleep. And We turned them to the right and to the left, while their dog stretched his forelegs at the entrance. If you had looked at them, you would have turned from them in flight and been filled by them with terror.

Themes in this ayah

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Lessons from past peoples91

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Lessons from past peoples

18:18Ayah 1110

29 ayahs in Al-Kahf are strongly about lessons from past peoples. This is one of them.

← Previous on Lessons from past peoples18:17And [had you been present], you would see the sun when it rose, inclining away from their cave on the right, and when it set,Next on Lessons from past peoples →18:19And similarly, We awakened them that they might question one another. Said a speaker from among them, "How long have you remained [here]?" They said,

Tafsir

Scholars largely agree on this ayah

View Full Tafsir: Al-Jalalayn on 18:18→

And you would have supposed them — had you seen them — awake that is conscious because their eyes were open ayqāz ‘awake’ is the plural of yaqiz though they were asleep ruqūd is the plural of rāqid. And We caused them to turn over to the right and to the left lest the earth consume their flesh and their dog lay stretching its forelegs his paws on the threshold at the opening of the cave whenever they turned over it would turn over just like them both during sleep and consciousness. If you had observed them you would have turned away from them in flight and you would have been filled read la-mulli’ta or la-muli’ta with awe because of them read ru‘ban or ru‘uban ‘awe’ it was through this awe that God protected them from anyone entering upon them.

You have made us equal to the dogs and the asses, whereas I lay on the bedstead and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came there and stood in the middle of the bedstead and said prayer. I did not like to take off the quilt from me (in that state), so I moved away quietly from the front legs of the bedstead and thus came out of the quilt.

Sunan Abu Dawud #5105Narrated Jabir ibn Abdullah:Sahih in chain

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: When you hear the barking of dogs and the braying of asses at night, seek refuge in Allah, for they see which you do not see.

Sunan Abu Dawud #4159Narrated AbuHurayrah:Sahih

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Gabriel (ﷺ) came to me and said: I came to you last night and was prevented from entering simply because there were images at the door, for there was a decorated curtain with images on it in the house, and there was a dog in the house. So order the head of the image which is in the house to be cut off so that it resembles the form of a tree; order the curtain to be cut up and made into two cushions spread out on which people may tread; and order the dog to be turned out. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) then did so. The dog belonged to al-Hasan or al-Husayn and was under their couch. So he ordered it to be turned out. Abu Dawud said: Al-Nadd means a thing on which clothes are placed like a couch.

Sahih Muslim #1047'A'isha reported:Sahih

I was sleeping in front of the Mcsseinger ef Allah (ﷺ) with my legs between him and the Qibla. When he prostrated himself he pinched me and I drew up my legs, and when be stood up, I stretched them out. She said: At that time there were no lamps in the houses.

Sunan Abu Dawud #713It was reported from Abu An-Nadr, from Abu Salama bin 'Abdur Rahman, from 'Aishah, that she said:Sahih

"I used to be asleep while my legs would be in the front of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) while he was praying during the night. When he wanted to prostrate, he would prod my feet, so I would pull them up, and he would prostrate.