Transliteration:( Wa izi'tazal tumoohum wa maa ya'budoona illal laaha faawooo ilal kahfi yanshur lakum Rabbukum mir rahmatihee wa yuhaiyi' lakum min amrikum mirfaqa )
23. This means do not stay with these infidels. Let us go away and take shelter at some place where we can hide from them and engage ourselves in the worship of Allah Almighty. We have full hope that Allah Almighty will certainly provide for us a safe haven. From this we learn that during times of mischief, separation from people is a means of safety.Â
24. From this we learn that it is forbidden. to stay with the infidels under false pretences. One should go away from there at the earliest opportunity. Says Allah Almighty: "Is the earth of Allah not wide?" Observe, the Companions of the Cave did not adopt this pretentious behaviour.
25. This means Allah Almighty is going to solve all your problems because you remained firm in your religion.
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The tafsir of Surah Kahf verse 16 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Kahf ayat 13 which provides the complete commentary from verse 13 through 17.
(18:16) And now that you have dissociated yourselves from them and from whatever they worship beside Allah, go and seek refuge in the Cave.[11] Your Lord will extend His mercy to you and will provide for you the means for the disposal of your affairs.”
11. When these God worshiping youths fled the habitations to take refuge in the hills, the city of Ephesus was the principal center of idol worship and sorcery in Asia Minor. There was a great temple dedicated to the goddess Diana, which was well known in the whole world and attracted devotees from far places. The sorcerers, workers of magic and occult arts, soothsayers and amulet writers of Ephesus were well known and their black business had spread throughout Syria and Palestine, even as far as Egypt. The Jews also had a big share in it, who attributed this art to Prophet Solomon. (Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature under Ephesus). The predicament in which the righteous people living in an environment of idolatry and superstition were involved can well be imagined from the remark of the companions of the cave that occurs in (Surah Al-Kahf, Ayat 20): If they succeed in over powering us, they will surely stone us to death or force us back into their faith.
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