18. SURAH AL-KAFH (THE CAVE)
"Whoever reads Surah Al-Kahf on Friday, will have a light that will shine from him from one Friday to the next." (related in Al-Hakim)
Al-Kahf (Arabic: الكهف‎, "The Cave") is the 18th chapter (sūrah) of the Quran with 110 verses (āyāt). It is a chronologically earlier "Meccan surah".
Thousands of years ago, several young men of faith fled persecution and took shelter in a cave. In its darkness, they found illumination, and Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala, immortalized their faith for generations to come in the Qur'an with a Surah of such wisdom that the Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu alayhi wa alihi wa sallam, recommended it be read on at least a weekly basis.
A means of protection from the darkness of Dajjal himself, Surah al-Kahf alerts its readers of the very weaknesses within themselves that contribute to the chaotic world that heralds his arrival. Throughout its parables, from the companions of the Cave, to the story of Musa and al-Khidr, to the expeditions of Dhul-Qarnain, it portrays the many realities of life through the lens of belief in the oneness of Allah. It is an examination of the human condition, contrasting between opposites such as powerlessness and strength, arrogance and humility, and ingratitude and thankfulness, while linking all these states to the presence of the Creator in one's hearts and actions.
In our current times, where the presence of evil in the world makes some question religion itself, Surah Al-Kahf answers the questions of the skeptics with the clarity of faith and demonstration of the Measure of Allah in the world. Outlining both the importance of the external dimension of the Sacred Law and the internal dimension of Tawheed in our lives, it presents its readers with a compelling look into the relationship between our worldly life, the Unseen and the Hereafter.