Which Surah and Juz is Quran 18:21 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 18:21?

Yes — there are 5 hadiths related to this ayah from Jami` at-Tirmidhi, Sunan an-Nasa'i, Sahih al-Bukhari.

What tafsir is available for Quran 18:21?

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

What topics does Quran 18:21 relate to?

This ayah connects to these Quranic topics: Allah, Divine Promise, Day of Judgment, Resurrection, Historical Events.

Ayah 20

إِنَّهُمْ إِن يَظْهَرُوا۟ عَلَيْكُمْ يَرْجُمُوكُمْ...

18:21Al-Kahf

Q: What does Quran 18:21 mean?

Quran 18:21 (Surah Al-Kahf, Ayah 21) translates to: "And similarly, We caused them to be found that they [who found them] would know that the promise of Allah is truth and that of the Hour there is no doubt. [That was] when they disputed among themselves about their affair and [then] said, "Construct over them a structure. Their Lord is most knowing about them." Said those who prevailed in the matter, "We will surely take [for ourselves] over them a masjid.""

Ayah 22

سَيَقُولُونَ ثَلَٰثَةٌۭ رَّابِعُهُمْ كَلْبُهُمْ وَ...

وَكَذَٰلِكَ أَعْثَرْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ لِيَعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّ وَعْدَ ٱللَّهِ حَقٌّۭ وَأَنَّ ٱلسَّاعَةَ لَا رَيْبَ فِيهَآ إِذْ يَتَنَٰزَعُونَ بَيْنَهُمْ أَمْرَهُمْ ۖ فَقَالُوا۟ ٱبْنُوا۟ عَلَيْهِم بُنْيَٰنًۭا ۖ رَّبُّهُمْ أَعْلَمُ بِهِمْ ۚ قَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ غَلَبُوا۟ عَلَىٰٓ أَمْرِهِمْ لَنَتَّخِذَنَّ عَلَيْهِم مَّسْجِدًۭا

Wa kazaalika a'sarnaa 'alaihim liya'lamooo anna wa'dal laahi haqqunw wa annas Saa'ata laa raiba feehaa iz yatanaaza'oona bainahum amrahum faqaalub noo 'alaihim bunyaanaa; Rabbuhum a'lamu bihim; qaalal lazeena ghalaboo 'alaaa amrihim lanat takhizanna 'alaihim masjidaa

And similarly, We caused them to be found that they [who found them] would know that the promise of Allah is truth and that of the Hour there is no doubt. [That was] when they disputed among themselves about their affair and [then] said, "Construct over them a structure. Their Lord is most knowing about them." Said those who prevailed in the matter, "We will surely take [for ourselves] over them a masjid."

Themes in this ayah

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Lessons from past peoples91

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Lessons from past peoples

18:21Ayah 1110

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

← Previous on Lessons from past peoples18:19And similarly, We awakened them that they might question one another. Said a speaker from among them, "How long have you remained [here]?" They said,Next on Lessons from past peoples →18:22They 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

Tafsir

Scholars largely agree on this ayah

View Full Tafsir: Al-Jalalayn on 18:21→

And so just as We aroused them it was that We disclosed them to their people and the believers that they that is their people might know that God’s promise of resurrection is true by virtue of the fact that One Who has the power to make them sleep for such a long period of time or sustain them in that state without nourishment also has the power to resurrect the dead; and that as for the Hour there is no doubt no uncertainty concerning it. Behold idh adverbially qualifies a‘tharnā ‘We disclosed’ they were disputing that is the believers and the disbelievers among themselves their affair the affair of the youths with regard to building something around them as a monument; so they the disbelievers said ‘Build over them that is around them a building to cover them up; their Lord knows them best.’ Those who prevailed regarding their affair the affair of the youths namely the believers ‘We will verily set up over them around them a place of worship’ for prayers to be performed therein. And this indeed took place at the entrance of the cave.

"A man from Banu Khudrah and a man from Banu Amr bin Awf were disputing about the Masjid that was founded upon Taqwa. The man from Banu Khudrah said: 'It is the Masjid of Allah's Messenger.' The other one said that it was Masjid Qub. So they went to ask Allah's Messenger about that. He said: 'It is this - meaning his Masjid - 'and in that one (Masjid Quba) there is much good.'"

Sunan an-Nasa'i #691It was narrated from Anas that the Prophet (ﷺ) said:Sahih

"One of the portents of the Hour will be that people will show off in building Masjids."

Sahih al-Bukhari #443Narrated 'Ubaidullah Al-Khaulani:Sahih

I heard `Uthman bin `Affan saying, when people argued too much about his intention to reconstruct the mosque of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), "You have talked too much. I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) saying, 'Whoever built a mosque, (Bukair thought that `Asim, another sub-narrator, added, "Intending Allah's Pleasure"), Allah would build for him a similar place in Paradise.' "

Sahih Muslim #3120'A'isha, the wife of Allah's Apostle (ﷺ), reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as having said this:Sahih

Didn't you see that when your people built the Ka'ba, they reduced (its area with the result that it no longer remains) on the foundations (laid) by Ibrahim. I said: Messenger of Allah, why don't you rebuild it on the foundations (laid by) Ibrahim? Thereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: Had your people not been new converts to Islam, I would have done that. 'Abdullah b. 'Umar (Allah be pleased with them) said: If 'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) had heard it from Allah's Messenger (may peace be up (vn him), I would not have seen Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) abandoning the touching of the two corners situated near al-Hijr, but (for the fact) that it was not completed on the foundations (laid) by Ibrihim.

Sahih Muslim #1092Mahmud b. Labid reported:Sahih

When 'Uthman b. 'Affan intended to build the mosque (of the Prophet) the people did not approve of it. They liked that it should be kept in the same state. Thereupon he said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: He who built a mosque for Allah, Allah would build a house for him like it in Paradise.