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Al-Kahf (The Cave)

Verse 21of 110

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﴿٢١

Translation (Sahih International)

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."

Word-by-word meaning

وَكَذَٰلِكَwakadhālikaAnd similarly
أَعْثَرْنَاaʿtharnāWe made known
عَلَيْهِمْʿalayhimabout them
لِيَعْلَمُوٓا۟liyaʿlamūthat they might know
أَنَّannathat
وَعْدَwaʿda(the) Promise
ٱللَّهِl-lahi(of) Allah
حَقٌّۭḥaqqun(is) true
وَأَنَّwa-annaand that
ٱلسَّاعَةَl-sāʿata(about) the Hour
لَا(there is) no
رَيْبَraybadoubt
فِيهَآfīhāin it
إِذْidhWhen
يَتَنَـٰزَعُونَyatanāzaʿūnathey disputed
بَيْنَهُمْbaynahumamong themselves
أَمْرَهُمْ ۖamrahumabout their affair
فَقَالُوا۟faqālūand they said
ٱبْنُوا۟ib'nūConstruct
عَلَيْهِمʿalayhimover them
بُنْيَـٰنًۭا ۖbun'yānana structure
رَّبُّهُمْrabbuhumTheir Lord
أَعْلَمُaʿlamuknows best
بِهِمْ ۚbihimabout them
قَالَqālaSaid
ٱلَّذِينَalladhīnathose who
غَلَبُوا۟ghalabūprevailed
عَلَىٰٓʿalāin
أَمْرِهِمْamrihimtheir matter
لَنَتَّخِذَنَّlanattakhidhannaSurely we will take
عَلَيْهِمʿalayhimover them
مَّسْجِدًۭاmasjidana place of worship

Commentary (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

How the People of the City came to know about Them; building a Memorial over the Caveوَكَذلِكَ أَعْثَرْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ(And thus We made their case known,) means, `We caused the people to find them.'لِيَعْلَمُواْ أَنَّ وَعْدَ اللَّهِ حَقٌّ وَأَنَّ السَّاعَةَ لاَ رَيْبَ فِيهَا(that they might know that the promise of Allah is true, and that there can be no doubt about the Hour.) Several scholars of the Salaf mentioned that the people of that time were skeptical about the Resurrection.

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir — abridged excerpt

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