Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Kahf Verse 18

Mufti Taqi Usmani

And you would think they were awake while they were asleep. We turned them on their sides, right and left. And their dog had its forelegs stretched out to the doorstep. If you had a look at them, you would have fled away from them and would have been filled with awe of them.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

And you would have thought they were awake,[[ This is because, during their long sleep, their eyes were open, their hair grew long, and their bodies rolled over to the right and left to prevent bedsores.]] though they were asleep. We turned them over, to the right and left, while their dog stretched his forelegs at the entrance. Had you looked at them, you would have certainly fled away from them, filled with horror.

Ruwwad Translation Center

You would have thought they were awake, although they were asleep. We turned them over on their right and left sides, while their dog stretching its forelegs at the entrance. If you had seen them, you would have fled away from them, filled with horror.

A. J. Arberry

Thou wouldst have thought them awake, as they lay sleeping, while We turned them now to the right, now to the left,' and their dog 'stretching its paws on the threshold. Hadst thou observed them surely thou wouldst have turned thy back on them in flight, and been filled with terror of them.

Abdul Haleem

You would have thought they were awake, though they lay asleep. We turned them over, to the right and the left, with their dog stretching out its forelegs at the entrance. If you had seen them, you would have turned and run away, filled with fear of them.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And thou wouldst have deemed them awakes whereas they were asleep and We turned them over on the right side and on the left side, while their dog stretched forth his two forelegs on the threshold. If thou hadst observed them, thou wouldst have surely turned away from them in fright, and wouldst have surely been filled with awe of them.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Thou wouldst have deemed them awake, whilst they were asleep, and We turned them on their right and on their left sides; their dog stretching forth his two fore-legs on the threshold; if thou hadst come up on to them, thou wouldst have certainly turned back from them in flight, and wouldst certainly have been filled with terror of them.

Abul Ala Maududi

On seeing them you would fancy them to be awake though they were asleep; and We caused them to turn their sides to their right and to their left, and their dog sat stretching out its forelegs on the threshold of the Cave. Had you looked upon them you would have certainly fled away from them, their sight filling you with terror.

Ahmed Ali

You may have thought that they were awake, yet they were asleep. We made them turn right and left, while their dog lay with his forelegs stretched across the threshold. If you had looked at them you would have surely turned away and fled with horror at the sight.

Ahmed Raza Khan

And you may think they are awake, whereas they are asleep; and We turn them over to the right and the left – and their dog is on the threshold of the cave, with its paws outstretched; O listener, were you to look at them closely, you would turn back running away from them, and be filled with their dread.

Ali Quli Qarai

You will suppose them to be awake, although they are asleep. We turn them to the right and to the left, and their dog [lies] stretching its forelegs at the threshold. If you come upon them, you will surely turn to flee from them, and you will surely be filled with a terror of them.

Ali Ünal

You would have thought them awake though they were asleep. We caused them to turn over to the right and the left, and their dog lay outstretching its two forelegs on the threshold. Had you come upon them unprepared, you would certainly have turned away from them in flight, and would certainly have been filled with awe of them.

Amatul Rahman Omar

You might think them wary while they are dormant and asleep. We shall make them turn over (now) to the right and (then) to the left while their dog is (present with them) stretching its paws forward on the threshold in the courtyard. If you had become aware of their (true) state you would have turned back from them in fright and you would have surely been filled with great awe of them.

English Literal

And you think/suppose them (to be) awake/alert, and they are asleep/lying down, and We turn them/turn them around that of the right (side), and that of the left (side), and their dog (is) spreading/extending its two arms (paws) at the cave/doorstep/mountain , if you saw/looked on/over them you would have turned away from them escaping/fleeing/running away, and you would have been filled (by) terror/fright from them.

Faridul Haque

And you may think they are awake, whereas they are asleep; and We turn them over to the right and the left - and their dog is on the threshold of the cave, with its paws outstretched; O listener, were you to look at them closely, you would turn back running away from them, and be filled with their dread.

Hamid S. Aziz

You would have deemed them waking though they were asleep, as We turned them towards the right and towards the left; and their dog spreading out his fore-paws on the threshold.

Hilali & Khan

And you would have thought them awake, while they were asleep. And We turned them on their right and on their left sides, and their dog stretching forth his two forelegs at the entrance [of the Cave or in the space near to the entrance of the Cave (as a guard at the gate)]. Had you looked at them, you would certainly have turned back from them in flight, and would certainly have been filled with awe of them.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And thou mightest see the sun, when it rose, decline from their Cave to the right, and when it set leave them behind on the left, while they were in a wide space thereof. This is the signs of Allah. He whom Allah guides, he is on the right way; and whom He leaves in error, thou wilt not find for him a friend to guide aright.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And you might think them awake while they were asleep and We turned them about to the right and to the left, while their dog (lay) outstretching its paws at the entrance; if you looked at them you would certainly turn back from them in flight, and you would certainly be filled with awe because of them.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

And thou wouldst have deemed them waking though they were asleep, and We caused them to turn over to the right and the left, and their dog stretching out his paws on the threshold. If thou hadst observed them closely thou hadst assuredly turned away from them in flight, and hadst been filled with awe of them.

Muhammad Sarwar

One would think them (the youths) awake while, in fact, they were sleeping. We turned their bodies from right to left and their dog stretched its front legs on the ground. Had one looked them over, he would have run away from them in terror.

Qaribullah & Darwish

You might have thought them awake, though they were sleeping. We turned them about to the right and to the left, while their dog stretched its paws at the entrance. Had you seen them you would surely have become filled with terror and turned your back on them in flight.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And you would have thought them awake, whereas they were asleep. And We turned them on their right and on their left sides, and their dog stretching forth his two forelegs at the Wasid. Had you happened upon them, you would certainly have turned back from them in flight, and would certainly have been filled with awe of them.

Wahiduddin Khan

You would have thought they were awake, though they lay asleep. We turned them over, to the right and the left, while their dog lay at the cave's entrance with legs outstretched. Had you looked down and seen them, you would have surely turned your back and fled in terror.

Talal Itani

You would think them awake, although they were asleep. And We turned them over to the right, and to the left, with their dog stretching its paws across the threshold. Had you looked at them, you would have turned away from them in flight, and been filled with fear of them.

Tafsir jalalayn

And you would have supposed them -- had you seen them -- awake, that is, conscious, because their eyes were open (ayqz, `awake', is the plural of yaqiz), though they were asleep (ruqd is the plural of rqid). And We caused them to turn over to the right and to the left, lest the earth consume their flesh, and their dog [lay] stretching its forelegs, his paws, on the threshold, at the opening of the cave; whenever they turned over it would turn over just like them, both during sleep and consciousness. If you had observed them you would have turned away from them in flight and you would have been filled (read la-mulli'ta or la- muli'ta) with awe because of them (read ru`ban or ru`uban, `awe'); [it was] through this awe that God protected them from anyone entering upon them.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

Their Sleep in the Cave

Some of the scholars mentioned that when Allah caused them to sleep, their eyelids did not close, lest disintegration took hold of them. If their eyes remained open to the air, this would be better for the sake of preservation.

Allah says;

وَتَحْسَبُهُمْ أَيْقَاظًا وَهُمْ رُقُودٌ

And you would have thought them awake, whereas they were asleep.

It was mentioned that when the wolf sleeps, it closes one eye and keeps one eye open, then it switches eyes while asleep.

وَنُقَلِّبُهُمْ ذَاتَ الْيَمِينِ وَذَاتَ الشِّمَالِ

And We turned them on their right and on their left sides,

Ibn Abbas said;

"If they did not turn over, the earth would have consumed them."

وَكَلْبُهُم بَاسِطٌ ذِرَاعَيْهِ بِالْوَصِيدِ

and their dog stretching forth his two forelegs at the Wasid,

Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, Sa`id bin Jubayr and Qatadah said;

"The Wasid means the threshold."

Ibn Abbas said;

"By the door."

It was said;

"On the ground."

The correct view is that it means on the threshold, i.e., at the door.

إِنَّهَا عَلَيْهِم مُّوْصَدَةٌ

Verily, it shall be closed upon them. (104;8)

Their dog lay down at the door, as is the habit of dogs.

Ibn Jurayj said,

"He was guarding the door for them."

It was his nature and habit to lie down at their door as if guarding them. He was sitting outside the door, because the angels do not enter a house in which there is a dog, as was reported in As-Sahih, nor do they enter a house in which there is an image, a person in a state of ritual impurity or a disbeliever, as was narrated in the Hasan Hadith.

The blessing they enjoyed extended to their dog, so the sleep that overtook them overtook him too. This is the benefit of accompanying good people, and so this dog attained fame and stature.

It was said that he was the hunting dog of one of the people which is the more appropriate view, or that he was the dog of the king's cook, who shared their religious views, and brought his dog with him.

And Allah knows best.

Allah says;

لَوِ اطَّلَعْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ لَوَلَّيْتَ مِنْهُمْ فِرَارًا وَلَمُلِيْتَ مِنْهُمْ رُعْبًا



Had you happened upon them, you would certainly have turned back from them in flight, and would certainly have been filled with awe of them.

meaning that Allah made them appear dreadful, so that no one could look at them without being filled with terror, because of the frightening appearance they had been given. This was so that no one would come near them or touch them until the appointed time when their sleep would come to an end as Allah willed, because of the wisdom, clear proof and great mercy involved in that.