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Al-Kahf (The Cave)

Verse 82of 110

وَأَمَّا ٱلْجِدَارُ فَكَانَ لِغُلَٰمَيْنِ يَتِيمَيْنِ فِى ٱلْمَدِينَةِ وَكَانَ تَحْتَهُۥ كَنزٌۭ لَّهُمَا وَكَانَ أَبُوهُمَا صَٰلِحًۭا فَأَرَادَ رَبُّكَ أَن يَبْلُغَآ أَشُدَّهُمَا وَيَسْتَخْرِجَا كَنزَهُمَا رَحْمَةًۭ مِّن رَّبِّكَ ۚ وَمَا فَعَلْتُهُۥ عَنْ أَمْرِى ۚ ذَٰلِكَ تَأْوِيلُ مَا لَمْ تَسْطِع عَّلَيْهِ صَبْرًۭا﴿٨٢

Translation (Sahih International)

And as for the wall, it belonged to two orphan boys in the city, and there was beneath it a treasure for them, and their father had been righteous. So your Lord intended that they reach maturity and extract their treasure, as a mercy from your Lord. And I did it not of my own accord. That is the interpretation of that about which you could not have patience."

Word-by-word meaning

وَأَمَّاwa-ammāAnd as for
ٱلْجِدَارُl-jidāruthe wall
فَكَانَfakānait was
لِغُلَـٰمَيْنِlighulāmaynifor two orphan boys
يَتِيمَيْنِyatīmaynifor two orphan boys
فِىin
ٱلْمَدِينَةِl-madīnatithe town
وَكَانَwakānaand was
تَحْتَهُۥtaḥtahuunderneath it
كَنزٌۭkanzuna treasure
لَّهُمَاlahumāfor them
وَكَانَwakānaand was
أَبُوهُمَاabūhumātheir father
صَـٰلِحًۭاṣāliḥanrighteous
فَأَرَادَfa-arādaSo intended
رَبُّكَrabbukayour Lord
أَنanthat
يَبْلُغَآyablughāthey reach
أَشُدَّهُمَاashuddahumātheir maturity
وَيَسْتَخْرِجَاwayastakhrijāand bring forth
كَنزَهُمَاkanzahumātheir treasure
رَحْمَةًۭraḥmatan(as) a mercy
مِّنminfrom
رَّبِّكَ ۚrabbikayour Lord
وَمَاwamāAnd not
فَعَلْتُهُۥfaʿaltuhuI did it
عَنْʿanon
أَمْرِى ۚamrīmy (own) accord
ذَٰلِكَdhālikaThat
تَأْوِيلُtawīlu(is the) interpretation
مَا(of) what
لَمْlamnot
تَسْطِعtasṭiʿyou were able
عَّلَيْهِʿalayhion it
صَبْرًۭاṣabran(to have) patience

Commentary (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Interpretation of why the Wall was repaired for no ChargeIn this Ayah there is a proof that the word Qaryah (village) may be used to refer to a city (Madinah), because Allah first says,حَتَّى إِذَآ أَتَيَآ أَهْلَ قَرْيَةٍ(till when they came to the people of a town (Qaryah)) 18:77, but here He says:فَكَانَ لِغُلَـمَيْنِ يَتِيمَيْنِ فِى الْمَدِينَةِ(it belonged to two orphan boys in the town (Al-Madinah);) This is like the Ayat:وَكَأَيِّن مِّن قَرْيَةٍ هِىَ أَشَدُّ قُوَّةً مِّن قَرْيَتِكَ الَّتِى...

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir — abridged excerpt

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