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Al-Kahf (The Cave)

Verse 18of 110

وَتَحْسَبُهُمْ أَيْقَاظًۭا وَهُمْ رُقُودٌۭ ۚ وَنُقَلِّبُهُمْ ذَاتَ ٱلْيَمِينِ وَذَاتَ ٱلشِّمَالِ ۖ وَكَلْبُهُم بَٰسِطٌۭ ذِرَاعَيْهِ بِٱلْوَصِيدِ ۚ لَوِ ٱطَّلَعْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ لَوَلَّيْتَ مِنْهُمْ فِرَارًۭا وَلَمُلِئْتَ مِنْهُمْ رُعْبًۭا﴿١٨

Translation (Sahih International)

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.

Word-by-word meaning

وَتَحْسَبُهُمْwataḥsabuhumAnd you (would) think them
أَيْقَاظًۭاayqāẓanawake
وَهُمْwahumwhile they
رُقُودٌۭ ۚruqūdun(were) asleep
وَنُقَلِّبُهُمْwanuqallibuhumAnd We turned them
ذَاتَdhātato
ٱلْيَمِينِl-yamīnithe right
وَذَاتَwadhātaand to
ٱلشِّمَالِ ۖl-shimālithe left
وَكَلْبُهُمwakalbuhumwhile their dog
بَـٰسِطٌۭbāsiṭunstretched
ذِرَاعَيْهِdhirāʿayhihis two forelegs
بِٱلْوَصِيدِ ۚbil-waṣīdiat the entrance
لَوِlawiIf
ٱطَّلَعْتَiṭṭalaʿtayou had looked
عَلَيْهِمْʿalayhimat them
لَوَلَّيْتَlawallaytayou (would) have surely turned back
مِنْهُمْmin'humfrom them
فِرَارًۭاfirāran(in) flight
وَلَمُلِئْتَwalamuli'taand surely you would have been filled
مِنْهُمْmin'humby them
رُعْبًۭاruʿ'ban(with) terror

Commentary (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Their Sleep in the CaveSome of the scholars mentioned that when Allah caused them to sleep, their eyelids did not close, lest disintegration took hold of them. If their eyes remained open to the air, this would be better for the sake of preservation. Allah says:وَتَحْسَبُهُمْ أَيْقَاظًا وَهُمْ رُقُودٌ(And you would have thought them awake, whereas they were asleep.) It was mentioned that when the wolf sleeps, it closes one eye and keeps one eye open, then it switches eyes while asleep.

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir — abridged excerpt

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