Surah Al-Kahf 18:13
سُورَةُ الكَهۡفِ · Meccan · Verse 13 of 110
نَّحْنُ نَقُصُّ عَلَيْكَ نَبَأَهُم بِٱلْحَقِّ ۚ إِنَّهُمْ فِتْيَةٌ ءَامَنُوا۟ بِرَبِّهِمْ وَزِدْنَٰهُمْ هُدًۭى
Translation
[Prophet], We shall tell you their story as it really was. They were young men who believed in their Lord, and We gave them more and more guidance.
English translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem.
Meaning and reflection
'We relate to you their story in truth. They were youths who believed in their Lord, and We increased them in guidance.' Ibn Ashur and al-Saadi note the detail 'fitya', they were young, and it was the young who broke from an entire idolatrous society for God, and were rewarded with more guidance for the guidance they acted on. Ask yourself: I often excuse spiritual seriousness as something for later life, for the old and settled. Yet here the heroes of faith are the young, willing to stand alone against everyone. And notice the law: 'We increased them in guidance', guidance acted upon is met with more. Guidance is not a fixed sum but a growing gift for those who use it. Am I waiting for some later season to take faith seriously, while these youths show that the courage to stand is often the young's, and the reward of acting on light is more light?
Grounded in classical tafsir: Ibn Ashur, al-Saadi, al-Biqa'i.
Topics that discuss this verse
Surah Al-Kahf 18:13 is discussed in 6 study guides on Maani. Each guide gathers the key verses, Arabic words and lessons of one Quranic topic.
Reflect on this verse
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