Al-Kashshaf on Al-Kahf 18:22

Surah Al-Kahf 18:22

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ﱥ ﱦ ﱧ ﱨ ﱩ ﱪ ﱫ ﱬ ﱭ ﱮ ﱯ ﱰ ﱱ ﱲ ﱳ ﱴ ﱵ ﱶ ﱷ ﱸ ﱹ ﱺ ﱻ ﱼ ﱽ ﱾ ﱿ ﲀ ﲁ ﲂ ﲃ ﲄ ﲅ ﲆ ﲇ ﲈ

They 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 - guessing at the unseen; and they will say there were seven, and the eighth of them was their dog. Say, [O Muhammad], "My Lord is most knowing of their number. None knows them except a few. So do not argue about them except with an obvious argument and do not inquire about them among [the speculators] from anyone."

{سيقولون} The pronoun refers to those among the People of the Book and the believers who discussed their story during the time of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). They asked the Messenger (ﷺ) about them, and he delayed the answer until it was revealed to him. The verse was sent down to inform of the disagreement that would occur among them regarding their number, and that those who are correct are those who say: "Seven, and the eighth of them is their dog."

Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I am among that few." It is narrated that the Sayyid and the ‘Aqib, along with their companions from the people of Najran, were with the Prophet (ﷺ) when the Companions of the Cave were mentioned. The Sayyid, who was a Jacobite, said: "They were three, the fourth of them being their dog." The ‘Aqib, who was a Nestorian, said: "They were five, the sixth of them being their dog." The Muslims said: "They were seven, the eighth of them being their dog." Allah confirmed the statement of the Muslims, and they only knew this through the revelation of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) from the tongue of Gabriel (peace be upon him).

Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: They were seven men. Their names were: Yamlikha, Makshilitiya, and Mashliniya—these were the companions to the right of the king. To his left were: Marnush, Dabarnush, and Shadanush. He used to consult these six in his affairs. The seventh was the shepherd who joined them when they fled from their king, Decius. The name of their city was Ephesus, and the name of their dog was Qitmir.

{رجما بالغيب} Meaning: throwing out hidden information and bringing it forth, like His saying: "And they cast [theories] about the unseen" (Saba: 53), meaning they bring it forth. Or, "rajm" (stoning/throwing) is used in place of "zann" (conjecture), as if it were said: "conjecturing about the unseen." This is because they frequently used "rajm" to mean "zann" until there was no difference between the two expressions for them. Do you not see the saying of Zuhayr: "And it is not about her a 'rajm' (conjectured) speech," meaning: conjectured.

{ثلاثة} It is the predicate of an omitted subject, i.e., "They are three." Likewise for "five" and "seven." "The fourth of them is their dog" is a nominal sentence acting as an adjective for "three," and likewise for the others.

The "Waw" (and) If you ask: Why does this "waw" enter the third sentence and not the first two? I say: It is the "waw" that enters a sentence acting as an adjective for an indefinite noun, just as it enters a sentence acting as a state (hal) for a definite noun, like your saying: "A man came to me, and with him was another." Its benefit is to emphasize the attachment of the adjective to the described, indicating that the description is a fixed and established matter. This "waw" is what signaled that those who said "seven, and the eighth of them is their dog" said it based on firm knowledge and peace of mind, not by conjecture like the others. The proof is that Allah followed the first two statements with "conjecturing about the unseen," and followed the third with "none knows them except a few."

Ibn Abbas said: When the "waw" occurred, the counting ceased—meaning no further counting remains to be considered. It is established that they were seven, and the eighth of them was their dog, with certainty and finality.

{فلا تمار فيهم} Do not dispute with the People of the Book regarding the Companions of the Cave except for a superficial dispute, not delving deep into it. That is, simply relate to them what Allah has revealed to you and nothing more, without declaring them ignorant or being harsh in refuting them, as He said: "And argue with them in a way that is best" (An-Nahl: 125).

{ولا تستفت} Do not ask any of them about their story with the questioning of one who is challenged, such that they say something and you refute it or falsify what they have, for that contradicts the courtesy and politeness you were commanded to observe. Nor should it be the questioning of one seeking guidance, for Allah has already guided you by revealing their story to you.

Tafsir of Al-Kahf 18:22

Al-Kashshaf

{ثلاثة} It is the predicate of an omitted subject, i.e., "They are three." Likewise for "five" and "seven." "The fourth of them is their dog" is a nominal sentence acting as an adjective for "three," and likewise for the others.