Surah Al-Kahf 18:15
سُورَةُ الكَهۡفِ · Meccan · Verse 15 of 110
هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ قَوْمُنَا ٱتَّخَذُوا۟ مِن دُونِهِۦٓ ءَالِهَةًۭ ۖ لَّوْلَا يَأْتُونَ عَلَيْهِم بِسُلْطَٰنٍۭ بَيِّنٍۢ ۖ فَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ ٱفْتَرَىٰ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ كَذِبًۭا
Translation
These people of ours have taken gods other than Him. Why do they not produce clear evidence about them? Who could be more unjust than someone who makes up lies about God?
English translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem.
Meaning and reflection
'These, our people, have taken gods besides Him. Why do they not bring a clear authority for them?' Ibn Ashur and al-Saadi note the youths' reasoning: the burden of proof lies on those making the extraordinary claim (that these idols are gods), and they can bring 'sultan bayyin', no clear evidence, only inheritance and social pressure. Ask yourself: the young believers refused to accept a whole society's consensus simply because it was the consensus. They asked the piercing question, where is the actual evidence?, of the beliefs everyone around them took for granted. It is a model of examined faith against inherited assumption. Which of my own beliefs and loyalties do I hold merely because 'everyone does', that could not survive the youths' simple challenge: bring a clear proof, or admit it was only ever the crowd?
Grounded in classical tafsir: Ibn Ashur, al-Saadi, al-Biqa'i.
Topics that discuss this verse
Surah Al-Kahf 18:15 is discussed in 3 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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