Tafsir of Al-Kahf 18:11

(Meaning: We placed a veil over their ears that prevents hearing. The object is omitted, as in the expression, "He built over his wife" [a metaphor for consummation]. The intent is that We caused them to sleep a heavy sleep, such that sounds would not awaken them, by making the "striking of the ears" a metonymy for heavy sleep. It is suitable as a metonymy because sound and stimulus are among the ways to terminate sleep; thus, blocking that pathway indicates the firmness and depth of the sleep. As for "striking the eyes"—even though sleep’s connection to them is stronger—it is not suitable as a metonymy, because visual stimuli are not among the primary ways to remove sleep, such that blocking the sight would signify it. Even if it were suitable, it would signify the onset of sleep, not a heavy slumber.)

Al-Qutb objected to making it a metonymy for what was mentioned, but his rebuttal is clearly refuted. The verse has been interpreted as a metaphorical substitution (isti'arah makniyyah), in that it is said: "Heavy sleep was likened to placing a veil over the ears," then "We struck" was mentioned, while the intended meaning is "We caused them to sleep." This is one perspective on it. It has also been permitted that it is a case of representational metaphor (isti'arah tamthiliyyah), which some scholars of verification have chosen.

Some people have interpreted "striking upon the ears" as disabling them, as in their saying, "The commander struck upon the hand of the subjects," meaning he prevented them from acting. This has been critiqued by noting that, aside from its lack of compatibility with the [theme of] resurrection that will follow—God willing—it does not indicate the intent of sleep, even though sleep is definitively the intended meaning. It was answered that it is possible for the person who interprets it this way to be arriving at the intent of sleep through that [disabling]. Understand this.

"Striking" is either derived from "I struck the lock upon the door" or from "I struck the tent over its inhabitant." The fa (particle) here is like the one in His saying, the Almighty: {So We answered him} after His saying: {When he called out}. For the mentioned "striking," and what follows it of turning [them] to the right and left, the resurrection, and other things, are effects of answering their previous supplication.

{In the cave} is an adverbial phrase for "We struck," as is His saying, the Almighty: {for years}. There is no obstacle to that, especially since they differ in being spatial and temporal.

{Number}—that is, possessing a number. This is either an infinitive used as an adjective through common interpretation, or it is said to be an adjective meaning "counted." It is also said that it is an infinitive of an implied verb, meaning: "They are counted, a counting." "Number" (al-'adad), as Al-Raghib and others have stated, may be intended to signify "abundance," because a small amount often does not require counting. It may also be mentioned to signify "scarcity" in contrast to that which is beyond calculation, as when it is said, "without account." Here, it bears both possibilities. The first is more appropriate for manifesting the perfection of [Divine] power; the second is more appropriate for the context of denying that the story is a marvel among other marvelous signs, for the duration of their stay, even if it were great in itself, is like a portion of a day in the sight of God, the Almighty.

In Al-Kashf, it is stated that "abundance" is appropriate with regard to those being addressed, and "scarcity" is appropriate with regard to the Addresser. This is the end of it. The matter of this descriptor was hidden from Al-Izz ibn Abd al-Salam, who thought that it could not be for abundance and that scarcity was impossible here—which is strange considering the greatness of his status. He has similar [opinions] in his Amali. The scholar Ibn Hajar has a discussion regarding this, which he mentioned in Al-Fatawa al-Hadithiyyah, though I do not consider it to be of any weight.