The Companions of the Cave have been described in the Holy Qur’an with the kānū min āyātinā ‘ajaban, meaning they were indeed a remarkable sign among the signs of Allah. Allah Almighty cast them into a state of sleep for approximately two hundred years and then awakened them to present them before the people. This incident is detailed in Surah Al-Kahf, verses 9 to 25. An introductory summary of the event is provided, followed by detailed descriptions. The introductory verses are as follows:
اَمْ حَسِبْتَ اَنَّ اَصْحٰبَ الْكَهْفِ وَالرَّقِيْمِ كَانُوْا مِنْ اٰيٰتِنَا عَجَبًا. اِذْ اَوَي الْفِتْيَةُ اِلَي الْكَهْفِ فَقَالُوْا رَبَّنَا٘ اٰتِنَا مِنْ لَّدُ نْكَ رَحْمَةً وَّهَيِّئْ لَنَا مِنْ اَمْرِنَا رَشَدًا. فَضَرَبْنَا عَلٰ٘ي اٰذَانِهِمْ فِي الْكَهْفِ سِنِيْنَ عَدَدًا. ثُمَّ بَعَثْنٰهُمْ لِنَعْلَمَ اَيُّ الْحِزْبَيْنِ اَحْصٰي لِمَا لَبِثُوْ٘ا اَمَدًا.
Do you think that the people of the cave and raqīm were among a very strange sign from among Our signs. At the time when those youth took refuge in the cave; then prayed [to their Lord:] “Our Lord! Bless us with mercy specially from Yourself and in this matter of Ours provide us with guidance.” At this, We lulled them to sleep for many years in the cave. Then We woke them up to see which of the two groups has correctly counted the period of their stay. (18:9-12)
The prevailing belief about the Companions of the Cave is that these are the same individuals referred to in Christian history as the Seven Sleepers. They were affiliated with the city of Ephesus, a renowned city located on the western coast of what is now Turkey. Ephesus was a significant center of idolatry. From 249 to 251 AD, the Roman Emperor Decius ruled this area. During this period, followers of Jesus (PBUH) arrived here with their message. The Companions of the Cave were young men from prominent families of this city. They wholeheartedly embraced the message of Jesus’s followers and began to preach it with fervor and zeal. As a result, the entire society turned against them, and the threat of them being stoned to death arose. To escape this threat, they sought refuge in a large cave outside the city. God protected them and placed them in a deep sleep for an extended period. Angels continued to turn them to different sides. Their dog was made to sit at the entrance of the cave as if it were keeping watch. By God’s command and under the supervision of His angels, these individuals slept for approximately 196 years. Eventually, in the thirty-eighth year of the reign of Emperor Theodosius II, in 444 or 447 AD, they awoke. During this time, due to the preaching of Christian missionaries, the Roman emperor Constantine (272-337 AD) had embraced Christianity, leading to the spread of the religion of Christ throughout the Roman Empire. Thus, when these individuals awoke, Christianity was dominant everywhere. Unaware of the changes outside, they sent one among them to the city to buy food. When he presented a coin from Emperor Decius’s time to purchase food, the shopkeeper suspected he might have found an ancient treasure. An argument ensued, attracting a crowd. The matter escalated to the authorities. When the man was brought before them, he realized that Emperor Decius had been dead for many years. Upon learning this, he narrated his entire story to them. The authorities were astonished and proceeded to the cave with him for verification. A large crowd accompanied them. Upon reaching the cave, it was confirmed that they were indeed from the time of Emperor Decius. The new Roman ruler, Emperor Theodosius, was informed of this extraordinary news. Out of respect, he traveled on foot to see them and sought their blessings. After this, the seven young men returned to the cave, lay down, and unexpectedly passed away.
The Qur’an has described this event as a sign. Undoubtedly, it is an extraordinary sign of Allah, but the question is, what was the reason for manifesting it? Javed Ahmed Ghamidi, while expressing his inclination about it, has written:
The need for this sensory evidence likely arose because, at that time, the Christian mission was engaged in a struggle against Greek philosophy and the tradition of Roman polytheism and idolatry. Hence, Allah presented this sign so that, along with rational arguments, this sensory evidence could also be presented in the matter of life after death. The purpose was to ensure that this fundamental belief of the religion did not become merely a subject of philosophical speculation for those thousands who were newly converted to Christianity. Both the Bible and the Qur’an indicate that similar sensory evidence had previously appeared from time to time during the period of prophethood. (Al-Bayan 3/131)