English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (1951/2002)

18:1 Praise be to Allah! Who revealed the Book to His servant, and allowed not therein any crookedness,^a

1a (Commentary on 18:1) In connection with this chapter, the Holy Prophet is reported to have said: He who remembers the first ten verses of the chapter entitled the “Cave” is protected from the tribulation of Dajjāl (Antichrist) (Ms. 6:42). Shi‘bah mentions the last ten verses of The Cave instead of the first ten (AD. 36:12).

Now in the first and the last sections of this chapter the Christian doctrine of the divinity of Jesus is condemned. In the first section a warning is given to those who say Allah has taken to Himself a son (v. 4), in the last two to those who take My servants to be friends besides Me (v. 102), and this doctrine, the doctrine of sonship and of the divinity of a servant of God, is the basic doctrine of the Christian religion. Moreover, in the concluding ten verses, a true description of the occupation of Christian nations is given in the words whose effort goes astray in this world’s life (v. 104). The Holy Quran does not speak of the appearance of Dajjāl, or Antichrist, anywhere but the Prophet’s saying quoted above plainly shows that the Dajjāl of the Ḥadīth is the same as the upholders of the erroneous Christian doctrine of the sonship and divinity of Jesus Christ. Christianity, in its present form, being opposed to the true teachings of Christ, is thus the only Antichrist known to the Quran. It may be added that Dajjāl signifies one who conceals the truth with falsehood, or a liar or a great deceiver (LL).

18:2 Rightly directing,^a to give warning of severe punishment from Him and to give good news to the believers who do good that theirs is a goodly reward,

2a (Commentary on 18:2) The Quran is here described as possessing two qualifications. The first refers to its own perfection, there is no crookedness in it; and the second speaks of it as a book suited to make others perfect, for it is called qayyim, as meaning one that rightly directs others. Or, it is called qayyim, meaning maintainer, as regulating the affairs of men or as maintaining the spiritual truth, which indeed would have been entirely lost to the world but for its being guarded by the Holy Quran.

18:3 Staying in it forever;

18:4 And to warn those who say: Allah has taken to Himself a son.

18:5 They have no knowledge of it, nor had their fathers. Grievous is the word that comes out of their mouths. They speak nothing but a lie.

18:6 Then maybe thou wilt kill thyself with grief, sorrowing after them, if they believe not in this announcement.^a

6a (Commentary on 18:6) This verse gives us an insight into the anxiety which the Holy Prophet had on account of a fallen humanity, an anxiety so great that he is spoken of here as almost killing himself with grief. His was a life of absolute devotion to the cause of humanity, his only concern being that man should rise to the true dignity for which God had made him. This anxiety was not only for those who were directly addressed by him, but, as the context shows, it was as deep for another people, who attributed a son to the Divine Being, and whom outward finery was to mislead to such an extent as to make them strangers to spiritual truth. Reading the next verse along with this, no doubt is left that the Prophet was shown the earthly embellishments which are so great a trial for Christendom today.

The word ḥadīth means new or recent, and hence is applied to a narration or announcement which is new or which gives some new information. It here refers to the Quran.

18:7 Surely We have made whatever is on the earth an embellishment for it, so that We may try which of them is best in works.

18:8 And We shall surely make what is on it dust, without herbage.^a

8a (Commentary on 18:8) vv. 7 and 8 direct man’s attention to the fact that the finery of this life does not last forever. A dweller in the desert of Arabia, with no sight before his eyes but that of the sands of the desert and bare, rugged hills, could not imagine the earth being embellished. The picture drawn here is evidently of the beautiful cities of the modern age, with all their attractions and luxuries, which so engross men that they neither pay attention to the preaching of truth nor to the pursuit of righteousness. Yet where there is growth there is decay, and those who indulge in luxuries do not escape ruin; it is their ruin that is indicated in the words dust, without herbage. We have already seen how clearly the Quran states that a severe punishment would overtake the world and destroy populous towns: There is not a town but We will destroy it before the day of Resurrection or chastise it with a severe chastisement (17:58); see 17:58a. The earth will be first beautified to its utmost, we are told here, and then laid waste, by man’s own hands, lofty buildings being reduced to dust and beautiful gardens being turned into bare earth without any herbage on it. All prophecies made known through the righteous servants of God, the prophets of the Old Testament and Jesus Christ, and then through the Quran and the Ḥadīth, point to world-wide conflicts in the latter days, of nation rising against nation, of great calamities, of destruction of cities on a vast scale. All these things this generation has seen with its own eyes. Science first embellished the earth and science is now turning it into a waste, by its atom bombs and other diabolic inventions. The powerful hand of God is thus seen clearly working in the history of the world.

18:9 Or, thinkest thou that the companions of the Cave and the Inscription were of Our wonderful signs?^a

9a (Commentary on 18:9) Kahf signifies a cave as well as a place of refuge, and raqīm means an inscription or a tablet with a writing upon it. Now The Cave, as I have already stated, stands for that peculiar aspect of the Christian religion which finds manifestation in its institution of monkery, this being the distinctive characteristic which it assumed soon after its birth. But what about the Inscription? This word contains a prophetical reference to another aspect of the Christian religion, quite opposed to its first aspect of growth in the Cave. Inscription (or Advertisement) is, in fact, as prominent a feature of the business activities of the Christian nations of today as the Cave was a feature of their religious activities in the early days. The Holy Quran seems to have chosen the epithets to designate the Christian nations by thus indicating their most prominent characteristics in their early and their latter days. The first and the last conditions of Christianity thus seem to be hinted at in the Cave and the Inscription respectively, a religion of monkery turned into a religion of business. As for the story of the dwellers in the Cave, see 13a.

18:10 When the youths sought refuge in the Cave, they said: Our Lord, grant us mercy from Thyself, and provide for us a right course in our affair.

18:11 So We prevented them from hearing in the Cave for a number of years,^a

11a (Commentary on 18:11) The words ḍarabnā ‘alā ādhān-i-him are explained as mana‘nā hum al-sam‘a, i.e., we prevented them from hearing. This is Dk’s explanation, and it is nearest the original sense of the words, for one significance of ḍaraba is ṣadda, i.e., he prevented (T, LL). The preventing from hearing is then understood to be equivalent to causing to sleep, but the original meaning is favoured by the context, the significance being that these people remained cut off from the rest of the world for a number of years. Thus the Holy Quran neither supports the story of these men remaining in the cave for hundreds of years, nor of their being actually in a condition of continuous sleep all this while.

18:12 Then We raised them up that We might know which of the two parties was best able to calculate the time for which they remained.^a

12a (Commentary on 18:12) The raising them up might signify raising them up from sleep, as also raising them up into a condition of activity, after their remaining cut off from the world, as stated in the previous verse. What it means with reference to the story itself, or with reference to the history of Christianity, is explained in the second and the third sections.

18:13 We relate to thee their story with truth. Surely they were youths who believed in their Lord and We increased them in guidance.^a

13a (Commentary on 18:13) The memorable story of the “seven sleepers”, with whom the companions of the Cave and the Inscription are identified, is a story of the reign of the Emperor Decius. Seven noble youths of Ephesus, it is said, took refuge in a cave to escape Decius’ persecution. But the Emperor, eventually learning this, ordered the entrance to the cave to be firmly secured with a pile of large stones. It is stated that the youths fell asleep as soon as they were shut up in the cave, and awoke 187 years after this in the reign of Theodosius, when the stones were removed by the slaves of one Adollius to supply building material for some edifice. They then sent one of their number, Jamblicus, to bring food for them from the city, but he was taken to the judge on presenting a coin of the reign of Decius, and thus the youths were discovered. It is related that the Emperor himself saw their radiant faces. This is the account given by Gibbon. But some state that these youths remained in that condition for 375 years.

That there may be a modicum of truth underlying this story is not only most probable, but almost certain, for the story could not otherwise have found such wide prevalence. The story as narrated in the Quran does not credit the unnatural incidents of the above account. It only speaks of some men having taken refuge in a dark cave on account of a religious persecution; where and when it does not state. That is all that is stated in this section of the story, and apparently it seems to be continued in the third, while, according to another view, the third section may be a prophetic description of the later growth of Christianity itself. Taking, however, the first view, what is related in the third section is that, after they had rested for a part of a day, they made arrangements to get their food from outside, and remained in this condition for “a number of years” (v. 11), but were subsequently discovered, and an edifice being built at the mouth of the cave caused their death. It mentions conjectures as to their number and the number of years they remained in the cave, but does not go beyond saying that there were some men who remained in the cave for some years.

There is another very plausible suggestion that the persons referred to here were Joseph of Arimathaea and some other early Christians, their place of refuge being Glastonbury in England, which on account of its northern position well answers the description of the Cave as given in the Quran. According to William of Malmesbury, Joseph of Arimathaea “was sent to Britain by St. Philip, and having received a small island in Somersetshire, there constructed with twisted twigs the first Christian church in Britain, afterwards to become the abbey of Glastonbury. The legend says that his staff planted in the ground became a thorn, flowering twice a year” (En. Br., Art. “Joseph of Arimathaea”). In the tenth edition of En. Br. Joseph of Arimathaea is said to have “wandered into Britain in the year 63”. “The Glastonbury thorn, which is said to be a distinct variety, was regularly visited by pilgrims until it was destroyed about the Reformation times.” Again we find in the En. Br. under Glastonbury: “According to the legends which grew up under the care of the monks, the first church of Glastonbury was a little wattled building erected by Joseph of Arimathaea as the leader of the twelve apostles sent over to Britain from Gaul by St. Philip”. The legends of the “Holy Grail” again connect the name of Joseph of Arimathaea with Britain. According to one of these the Grail, which was the dish of the last supper, was confined to the care of Joseph, while according to another, “the Grail is said to have followed Joseph to Britain” (En. Br., Art. “Grail”). All these may be legends, but they are certainly not without an undercurrent of truth. The connection of the name of Joseph of Arimathaea with Britain is the strong central fact underlying them all. What makes it still more significant is the fact that Joseph of Arimathaea, who appears very prominently in the closing scenes of the Gospels, so much so that one Gospel looks upon him as a disciple of Jesus, altogether disappears from the history of Christianity as imaged in the propagandic efforts of the apostles. Does this not show that he had changed the scene of his exertions? May then Joseph of Arimathaea and his companions be taken as being referred to in the story of the Companions of the Cave and the Inscription? If an answer could be found in the affirmative, then England could definitely be said to be the Cave referred to in the Holy Quran, and the description of the Cave given in v. 17 well applies to it; see 17a. But even if our answer to that question is in the negative, the story itself is not without a deeper meaning, and more statements than one show that there is a reference to the history of Christianity itself in the story.

18:14 And We strengthened their hearts when they stood up and said: Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth; we call upon no god beside Him, for then indeed we should utter an enormity.^a

14a (Commentary on 18:14) This is to show that the early followers of Christianity were Unitarians.

18:15 These our people have taken gods beside Him. Why do they not bring clear authority for them? Who is then more unjust than he who forges a lie against Allah?

18:16 And when you withdraw from them and what they worship save Allah, take refuge in the Cave; your Lord will spread forth for you of His mercy, and provide for you a profitable course in your affair.

18:17 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 of 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.^a

17a (Commentary on 18:17) The verse does not speak of any miraculous change in the sun’s course; it does not speak of any change at all. It simply describes the position of the cave, which was so situated that it did not admit sunshine. This could easily happen in a cave with its mouth to the north, situated in the northern hemisphere and above the tropic of cancer. In fact, the description applies to any country in the northern hemisphere north of the tropic of cancer. The whole of Europe thus, in one sense, answers the description of the cave. It is a fact that Christianity spread first in Europe.

18:18 And thou mightest think them awake while they were asleep, and We turned them about to the right and to the left, with their dog outstretching its paws at the entrance. If thou didst look at them, thou wouldst turn back from them in flight, and thou wouldst be filled with awe because of them.^a

18a (Commentary on 18:18) What is related in this section is clearly applicable to the story of the seven sleepers, as also to the later history of Christianity. Taking the first view, the meaning is that the youths, who fled for fear of persecution and betook themselves to a cave, slept for some time with a dog at the door of the cave. The whole scene was rather awe-inspiring; a dark cave, in some distant and uninhabited part of the country, with some men sleeping in it and a dog at the door, would have inspired awe into the heart of a casual looker-on. Applied to the history of Christianity the statement is equally true. In this case it should be borne in mind that ruqūd (“asleep”) also means inactive, or stagnant. Thus raqada means qa‘ada, ta’akhkhara, i.e., he abstained or held back from the affair (T, LL). Raqadati-l-sūqu is equivalent to kasadat, i.e., the market became stagnant or dull with respect to traffic (LL), and ruqūd is the infinitive noun of raqada. Similarly aiqāẓ (“awake”) is plural of yaqiẓ, which means a man vigilant, wary, in a state of caution, or a man having his attention much roused (LL). Tayaqqaẓa-li l-amr means tanabbaha, i.e., he had his attention roused to the affair (T). The turning about to the right and to the left, which signifies an uneasy condition while sleeping, may be used as expressing the activities of a man or a nation. Thus there may be a reference here to the lethargy in which the Christian nations remained for a long time, and to their subsequent going about in the world to the right and to the left, i.e., spreading in all directions. It may also be noted that Europeans are generally fond of dogs.

18:19 And thus did We rouse them that they might question each other. A speaker from among them said: How long have you tarried? They said: We have tarried for a day or a part of a day. (Others) said: Your Lord knows best how long you have tarried.^a Now send one of you with this silver (coin) of yours to the city, then let him see what food is purest, and bring you provision from it, and let him behave with gentleness, and not make your case known to anyone.^b

19a (Commentary on 18:19) The question and the answer may refer either to the time for which the youths slept or to the centuries of inactivity or tardiness of the Christian nations. A day of a thousand years is spoken of in the Holy Quran on more occasions than one (see 22:47, etc.), and therefore the word day, applied to the history of a nation, may signify a thousand years.

19b (Commentary on 18:19) After having been refreshed with sleep, which might have been brought on by the fatigue of the journey, they thought of procuring food for themselves in that solitary cave and sent one of them to the city, and impressed on him that he should be gentle and should not give an inkling of their whereabouts to anyone. In reference to the history of Christianity, the passage may be said to speak of the commercial activities of the Christian nations.

18:20 For if they prevail against you, they would stone you to death or force you back to their religion, and then you would never succeed.

18:21 And thus did We make (men) to get knowledge of them,^a that they might know that Allah’s promise is true and that the Hour — there is no doubt about it.^b When they disputed among themselves about their affair and said: Erect an edifice over them.^c Their Lord knows best about them. Those who prevailed in their affair said: We shall certainly build a place of worship over them.^d

21a (Commentary on 18:21) That is, they would have remained hidden had it not been for the necessities of life, which they had still to procure from the city. It was their going out to purchase food that brought them to the knowledge of the outside world. It is not stated how long they continued in this state: they may have passed some days or months or years, but their daily going out at last made their hiding-place known to others. Comparing this with v. 11, however, we may say that they passed several years in this condition.

21b (Commentary on 18:21) The result of their becoming known is described in words which show that they were put to death, because the promise of Allah as to a future state of life is fully realized only after death.

21c (Commentary on 18:21) These words show how their death was brought about: it was by closing the mouth of the cave. This is what is meant by the erection of an edifice over them. The words may also signify the erection of a monument.

21d (Commentary on 18:21) The masjid, or the mosque, is the house of worship of the Muslims in particular, but it may mean any house of worship. The people spoken of here are those who prevailed in their affair. This is a later incident, when Christianity became the dominant religion of the Roman Empire, and the reference here seems to be to the saint-worship which prevailed in Christianity.

18:22 (Some) say: (They were) three, the fourth of them their dog; and (others) say: Five, the sixth of them their dog, making conjectures about the unseen. And (others) say: Seven, and the eighth of them their dog. Say: My Lord best knows their number — none knows them but a few. So contend not in their matter but with an outward contention, and question not any of them concerning them.^a

22a (Commentary on 18:22) This verse and v. 25, coming as they do after the story is finished, show that these are only conjectures of the people with regard to them. Their number and the number of years during which they remained in the cave are both matters which are said to be only known to Allah. I‘Ab is, however, of opinion that the words condemning the first two as conjectures show that the last-mentioned number, i.e., seven, is correct.

Who are the people referred to in the concluding words, any of them? According to IJ, the people of the Book, or the Christians, are referred to here, though they are not expressly mentioned in what has gone before. It is clear from this that it is really the history of Christianity that is dealt with in the story of the Companions of the Cave. V. 25, which again speaks of the same people who are spoken of here, makes it clear that it is the history of Christianity that is really aimed at.

18:23 And say not of anything: I will do that tomorrow,^a

23a (Commentary on 18:23) Though the words are general, there seems to be a special prophetic reference to the Prophet’s Flight and his taking refuge in a cave. He had entirely to trust in Allah, Who was to bring it about as He thought best for him.

18:24 Unless Allah please. And remember thy Lord when thou forgettest and say: Maybe my Lord will guide me to a nearer course to the right than this.^a

24a (Commentary on 18:24) The meaning is that the difficulties which had to be experienced by the dwellers in the cave would be removed from the Prophet’s way. He had to pass only three days in the cave, and though a powerful enemy exerted itself to its utmost, his hiding-place at only a distance of three miles from the city, whither food was conveyed to him, could not be discovered. Or, in the nearer course there is a reference to the unprecedented triumph of Islam, which spread over the whole of Arabia within twenty- three years, and spread from Spain in the west to China in the east within a century, whereas Christianity remained in a state of subjection in its birth-place for three hundred years, as stated in the verse that follows.

18:25 And they remained in their cave three hundred years, and they add nine.^a

25a (Commentary on 18:25) Commentators consider this verse as being conjoined to v. 22 with the words they say as being understood. But as shown in 22a, the history of Christianity, which runs like an undercurrent in the story of the Companions of the Cave, finds a clear expression now. There is no tradition that the Companions of the Cave remained in the Cave for three hundred years, but Christianity itself remained in a Cave for full three hundred years. It is a fact that Christianity rose to power with the conversion of Constantine, and at the same time it lost its purity with the formulation of the doctrine of the Trinity, which was promulgated in 325 A.D. It is, moreover, now almost agreed that Jesus Christ was born five or six years before the reputed date of his birth. Bishop Barnes says in The Rise of Christianity that he may have been born in 6–5 B.C. So if he began his ministry at the age of thirty, the Christian religion may be said to have been born at about 25 A.D., and thus exactly after three hundred years it lost its purity by the promulgation of the Trinitarian doctrine, emerging at the same time as a State religion. Thus it remained in the Cave for three hundred years.

But what does this, the addition of nine years, mean? To reduce solar years to lunar years, three years have to be added to every hundred years, and to the three centuries another nine years are thus added. It is due to this computation that nine years are spoken of as being added.

18:26 Say: Allah knows best how long they remained. His is the unseen of the heavens and the earth. How clear His sight and His hearing! There is no guardian for them beside Him, and He associates none in His judgment.^a

26a (Commentary on 18:26) Abṣir bi-hī wa asmi‘ means mā abṣara wa asma‘a, or what a sight He has and what a hearing! The reference here is to the prophecies of the ultimate triumph of the Prophet and Islam.

18:27 And recite that which has been revealed to thee of the Book of thy Lord. There is none who can alter His words.^a And thou wilt find no refuge beside Him.

27a (Commentary on 18:27) By kalimāt (“words”) are meant here prophecies, because it is the prophecy of the Prophet’s Flight and his final triumph over his enemies that is referred to here. These prophecies, it is claimed, cannot be altered by men, and they must come to pass, however great the opposing forces.

18:28 And keep thyself with those who call on their Lord morning and evening desiring His goodwill, and let not thine eyes pass from them, desiring the beauties of this world’s life. And follow not him whose heart We have made unmindful of Our remembrance, and he follows his low desires and his case exceeds due bounds.

18:29 And say: The Truth is from your Lord; so let him who please believe, and let him who please disbelieve. Surely We have prepared for the iniquitous a Fire, an enclosure of which will encompass them. And if they cry for water, they are given water like molten brass, scalding their faces.^a Evil the drink! And ill the resting-place!

29a (Commentary on 18:29) They refused the water of spiritual life in this life, and so they will have no water to quench their thirst in the life after death.

18:30 As for those who believe and do good, We waste not the reward of him who does a good work.

18:31 These it is for whom are Gardens of perpetuity wherein flow rivers; they are adorned therein with bracelets of gold, and they wear green robes of fine silk and thick brocade, reclining therein on raised couches.^a Excellent the recompense! And goodly the resting-place!

31a (Commentary on 18:31) It is after these things that men hanker in this life, but the ornaments and robes of this life are transitory. The righteous, who in this life desire and struggle for only spiritual ornaments and moral beauty, find these visible in the after-life. It should, however, be borne in mind that these prophecies were in one sense brought to fulfilment in this very life. The Arabs, whose only wealth consisted of their camels and horses, and whose clothes were made of skins or cloth of rough textures, found the treasures of Rome and Persia laid at their feet, and the bracelets of gold and the silk brocade interwoven with gold, which they had never seen before, were now brought to them in abundance, while the gardens of Mesopotamia and Persia were given to them for a permanent heritage.

18:32 And set forth to them the parable of two men — for one of them We made two gardens of grapevines, and We surrounded them with date-palms, and between them We made corn-fields.^a

32a (Commentary on 18:32) The parable — it is clearly called a parable and is not at all a story — set forth here is undoubtedly a parable to illustrate the condition of the Christian and the Muslim nations. The former received an abundance of the wealth of this life, as is indicated by the gardens of the parable, while the latter, though poorer in worldly possessions, were richer in the heavenly blessings of Allah. The former reject the message of Truth, of which the latter are the bearers, and their vaunt is the same as that of the wealthy man in the parable: I have greater wealth than thou, and am mightier in followers (v. 34).

18:33 Both these gardens yielded their fruits, and failed not in aught thereof, and We caused a river to gush forth in their midst,

18:34 And he had fruit. So he said to his companion, while he argued with him: I have greater wealth than thou, and am mightier in followers.

18:35 And he went into his garden, while he was unjust to himself. He said: I think not that this will ever perish,

18:36 And I think not the Hour will come; and even if I am returned to my Lord, I will certainly find a returning-place better than this.^a

36a (Commentary on 18:36) By the “Hour” is meant the hour of doom which must overtake every people who reject the Truth.

18:37 His companion said to him, while arguing with him: Disbelievest thou in Him Who created thee of dust, then of a small life-germ, then He made thee a perfect man?

18:38 But as for me, He, Allah, is my Lord, and I associate none with my Lord.

18:39 And wherefore didst thou not say, when thou enteredst thy garden: It is as Allah has pleased — there is no power save in Allah? If thou consider me as less than thee in wealth and children —

18:40 Then maybe my Lord will give me better than thy garden, and will send on (thine) a reckoning from heaven so that it is dust without plant:

18:41 Or its water will sink down into the ground, so that thou art unable to find it.

18:42 And his fruit was destroyed; so he began to wring his hands for what he had spent on it, while it lay waste, its roofs fallen down,^a and he said: Ah me! would that I had ascribed no partners to my Lord!

42a (Commentary on 18:42) Here we have an exact description of the havoc that is being wrought in the world before our eyes.

18:43 And he had no host to help him against Allah, nor could he defend himself.

18:44 Thus protection is only Allah’s, the True One. He is Best to reward and Best in requiting.

18:45 And set forth to them the parable of the life of this world as water which We send down from the cloud, so the herbage of the earth becomes luxuriant thereby, then it becomes dry, broken into pieces which the winds scatter. And Allah is the Holder of power over all things.

18:46 Wealth and children are an adornment of the life of this world; but the ever-abiding, the good works, are better with thy Lord in reward and better in hope.

18:47 And the day when We cause the mountains to pass away, and thou seest the earth a levelled plain and We gather them together and leave none of them behind.^a

47a (Commentary on 18:47) Making the earth a levelled plain indicates the removal of all those mighty obstacles which stood in the way of the advancement of Truth, and these are the mountains which are made to pass away; see 20:105a.

18:48 And they are brought before thy Lord in ranks. Now certainly you have come to Us as We created you at first. Nay, you thought that We had not made an appointment for you.

18:49 And the book is placed, and thou seest the guilty fearing for what is in it, and they say: O woe to us! what a book is this! It leaves out neither a small thing nor a great one, but numbers them (all), and they find what they did confronting them. And thy Lord wrongs not anyone.^a

49a (Commentary on 18:49) This comprehensive book is the same as is spoken of in 17:13, 14: “And We have made every man’s actions to cling to his neck, and We shall bring forth to him on the day of Resurrection a book which he will find wide open. Read thy book. Thine own soul is sufficient as a reckoner against thee this day”. There is not the slightest action, good or bad, which does not leave its effect behind.

18:50 And when We said to the angels: Make submission to Adam, they submitted except Iblīs. He was of the jinn, so he transgressed the commandment of his Lord.^a Will you then take him and his offspring for friends rather than Me, and they are your enemies? Evil is the exchange for the unjust.

50a (Commentary on 18:50) Iblīs is one of the jinn or the evil spirits, so it is an error to take him for an angel or a good spirit. The spirit of evil is always rebellious, and it is against this that man is warned, so that he should resist every evil tendency.

18:51 I made them not to witness the creation of the heavens and the earth, nor their own creation. Nor could I take those who mislead for aiders.

18:52 And one day He will say: Call on those whom you considered to be My partners. So they will call on them, but they will not answer them, and We shall cause a separation between them.^a

52a (Commentary on 18:52) Bain has three significances, viz., disunion, union, and between (LL), and maubiq means perdition or separation, or fatal enmity (T).

18:53 And the guilty will see the Fire, and know that they are about to fall into it, and they will find no escape from it.

18:54 And certainly We have made distinct in this Quran for mankind every kind of description; and man is in most things contentious.

18:55 And nothing prevents men from believing when the guidance comes to them, and from asking forgiveness of their Lord, but that (they wait) for the way of the ancients to overtake them, or that the chastisement should confront them.

18:56 And We send not messengers but as givers of good news and warning, and those who disbelieve contend with falsehood to weaken thereby the Truth, and they take My messages and the warning for a mockery.

18:57 And who is more unjust than he who is reminded of the messages of his Lord, then he turns away from them and forgets what his hands have sent before? Surely We have placed veils over their hearts, lest they understand it, and a deafness in their ears.^a And if thou call them to the guidance, they will even then never follow the right course.

57a (Commentary on 18:57) It is when man becomes so iniquitous as to turn away from the truth and so callous as not to care for the evil that he does that a veil is placed over his heart.

18:58 And thy Lord is Forgiving, Full of mercy. Were He to punish them for what they earn, He would certainly hasten the chastisement for them. But for them there is an appointed time from which they will find no refuge.^a

58a (Commentary on 18:58) According to Kf, the appointed time referred to is the battle of Badr. But Truth is one and the same for all ages, and we see signs of the doom of the latter-day opposition to Islam clearly approaching.

18:59 And these towns — We destroyed them when they did wrong. And We have appointed a time for their destruction.^a

59a (Commentary on 18:59) The personal pronoun their refers to the opponents of Truth, earlier as well as later.

18:60 And when Moses said to his servant:^a I will not cease until I reach the junction of the two rivers,^b otherwise I will go on for years.^c

60a (Commentary on 18:60) Some reports give his name as Joshua, the son of Nūn, the man who afterwards appears so prominently in the history of Israel.

The incidents narrated in the ninth and the tenth sections may be the actual experience of Moses or this journey may simply be an Ascension of Moses, like the Ascension of the Holy Prophet, referred to in the last chapter. What is stated in the next section makes the latter view more probable.

60b (Commentary on 18:60) The words Majma‘ al-Baḥrain have been misunderstood generally. It should be borne in mind that Moses lived in Egypt for forty years, and the junction of the two rivers is no other than the junction of the two great branches of the Nile at Khartoum. That the story of this journey of Moses is not found in the Bible or even in Rabbinical literature is no argument against it. Rabbinical literature relates things about Moses which give us strong reason to believe that such a journey was very probably undertaken by him. South of Egypt was the Kingdom of Ethiopia, whose southern boundary reached Khartoum, or the junction of the two Niles, and various accounts met with both in Rabbinical and Hellenistic literature (see Jewish Encyclopaedia) agree that Moses went to Ethiopia. According to one of these accounts, he became king of Ethiopia by reason of his great prowess in having defeated an enemy, and married the king’s widow. This is corroborated to some extent by the statement in the Bible that “Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married” (Num. 12:1). Hence a journey to Khartoum, which was near the southern boundary of Ethiopia, made in search of knowledge, is most probable. The person to whom Moses went was Khaḍir (B. 3:44). Some commentators, however, do not take the words Majma‘ al-Baḥrain literally, taking the meaning to be the union of the rivers of human and Divine knowledge. I would, however, suggest that if we accept this journey in the light of an Ascension, it would be an indication of the limitation of the Mosaic dispensation. Moses’ going on for years until he reached the Majma‘ al-Baḥrain would mean that the Mosaic dispensation would see its termination after a time, the new dispensation taking its place being one which was to be guided by a prophet who is described here as being the Majma‘ al-Baḥrain, i.e., the union of the two seas of human and Divine knowledge, or one in whom the temporal and the spiritual would find their highest manifestation, such being the Holy Prophet Muhammad.

60c (Commentary on 18:60) Ḥuqub signifies a long time, or a year or seventy years or eighty years (LL).

18:61 So when they reached the junction of the two (rivers), they forgot their fish, and it took its way into the river, being free.^a

61a (Commentary on 18:61) The loss of the fish was, according to a report, to serve as a sign that the goal had been attained (B. 3:44). There is nothing either in the Holy Quran or in the Ḥadīth to show, however, that this was a roasted fish.

18:62 But when they had gone further, he said to his servant: Bring to us our morning meal, certainly we have found fatigue in this our journey.

18:63 He said: Sawest thou when we took refuge on the rock, I forgot the fish, and none but the devil made me forget to speak of it, and it took its way into the river; what a wonder!^a

63a (Commentary on 18:63) The taking refuge on the rock shows that they were staying at a place which was flooded by the river, and Moses’ companion, when hastening for refuge, forgot to take the fish along with him. The wonder is not expressed at the fish having gone down into the river, but because he had forgotten to mention the loss to Moses.

18:64 He said: This is what we sought for. So they returned retracing their footsteps.

18:65 Then they found one of Our servants whom We had granted mercy from Us and whom We had taught knowledge from Ourselves.

18:66 Moses said to him: May I follow thee that thou mayest teach me of the good thou hast been taught?

18:67 He said: Thou canst not have patience with me.

18:68 And how canst thou have patience in that whereof thou hast not a comprehensive knowledge?

18:69 He said: If Allah please, thou wilt find me patient, nor shall I disobey thee in aught.

18:70 He said: If thou wouldst follow me, question me not about aught until I myself speak to thee about it.

18:71 So they set out until, when they embarked in a boat, he made a hole in it. (Moses) said: Hast thou made a hole in it to drown its occupants? Thou hast surely done a grievous thing.

18:72 He said: Did I not say that thou couldst not have patience with me?

18:73 He said: Blame me not for what I forgot, and be not hard upon me for what I did.

18:74 So they went on, until, when they met a boy, he slew him. (Moses) said: Hast thou slain an innocent person, not guilty of slaying another? Thou hast indeed done a horrible thing.

18:75 He said: Did I not say to thee that thou couldst not have patience with me?

18:76 He said: If I ask thee about anything after this, keep not company with me. Thou wilt then indeed have found an excuse in my case.

18:77 So they went on, until, when they came to the people of a town, they asked its people for food, but they refused to entertain them as guests. Then they found in it a wall which was on the point of falling, so he put it into a right state. (Moses) said: If thou hadst wished, thou couldst have taken a recompense for it.

18:78 He said: This is the parting between me and thee. Now I will inform thee of the significance of that with which thou couldst not have patience.^a

78a (Commentary on 18:78) The interpretation of the three incidents shows a manifestation of Divine wisdom in what takes place in the everyday life of man. Divine laws, as manifested in nature, are really working towards ultimate good, though sometimes they may appear to the outward eye to be working to the detriment of somebody. The beneficent hand of Allah that works in nature is always directing humanity to the goal of great good, though that goal must necessarily be reached with apparent loss. Sometimes the loss is only apparent, as in the case of making a hole in the boat; there was no real loss, but the apparent loss served a great purpose and brought much benefit to the owner. The second instance is that in which there is real loss to a person, but it is for the good of humanity at large, for life must be sacrificed for the ultimate good of humanity. The third instance shows that, for the good of humanity, deeds must be done which bring no immediate reward, and that good done by one generation is not devoid of benefit to the next.

Moses himself had, in fact, to undergo the experience of his teacher, and the incidents seem no more than prophetic allegories of Moses’ own life-work. Just as the scuttling of a boat causes apprehension to the safety of its occupants, Moses had to lead his people to a place where they thought they had only been brought to be drowned; but their safe passage through the sea showed that it was for their good. Then he had to order his men to fight against an iniquitous people and to put them to death, but he was not shedding human blood to no purpose, for it was really a step towards the evolution of a better race. And finally, his devoting his own life to the Israelites, descendants of a righteous man, corresponded to his teacher’s building the wall for the orphans without claiming recompense. Read in this light, the narration is clearly an Ascension of Moses, foreshadowing the great events which were to befall him.

18:79 As for the boat, it belonged to poor people working on the river, and I intended to damage it, for there was behind them a king who seized every boat by force.

18:80 And as for the boy, his parents were believers and we feared lest he should involve them in wrongdoing and disbelief.^a

80a (Commentary on 18:80) That the youth himself deserved death is abundantly clear. His inordinacy had now reached an extreme — the circumstances seem to have been known to Khaḍir, though not to Moses — when it was feared that his innocent parents would be involved in the trouble which must befall him as a result of his wrongdoing. Note that the word used to indicate the youth’s wrongdoing is ṭughyān, which means exceeding all limits in wrongdoing.

18:81 So we intended that their Lord might give them in his place one better in purity and nearer to mercy.

18:82 And as for the wall, it belonged to two orphan boys in the city, and there was beneath it a treasure belonging to them, and their father had been a righteous man. So thy Lord intended that they should attain their maturity and take out their treasure — a mercy from thy Lord — and I did not do it of my own accord. This is the significance of that with which thou couldst not have patience.

18:83 And they ask thee about Dhu-l-qarnain.^a Say: I will recite to you an account of him.

83a (Commentary on 18:83) The word qarn means a horn, as also a generation or a century, and Dhu-l-qarnain therefore literally means the two-horned one, or one belonging to two generations or two centuries. The reference here seems to be to the two-horned ram of Daniel’s vision (Dan. 8:3), which he interpreted as the Kingdoms of Media and Persia, which were combined into a single kingdom under one ruler, Cyrus, who is erroneously called Darius in the Bible (En. Bib. and Jewish En., Art. “Darius”). The reference in Daniel’s vision is, however, not to Cyrus but to Darius I Hystaspes (521–485 B.C.), “who allowed the Jews to rebuild their temple, and is referred to in Ezra 4:5, 24; 5:5; 6:1; Hag. 1:1; 2:10; Zech. 1:7, and probably in Neh. 12:22. His liberality towards the Jews is in complete accord with what we know otherwise of his general policy in religious matters towards the subject nations” (En. Bib. “Darius”).

That “the two-horned ram” of Daniel’s vision is the king of Media and Persia is made plain in Daniel’s book, where the interpretation of the dream is given in the following words: “The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the Kings of Media and Persia” (Dan. 8:20). The reference in the Quran in the history of Dhu-l-qarnain is to Darius I: “Darius was the organizer of the Persian Empire. His conquests served to round off the boundaries of his realm in Armenia, the Caucasus, and India, and along the Turanian steppes and the highlands of Central Asia” (Jewish En., “Darius I”). The following remarks in the En. Br. strengthen this view: “Darius in his inscriptions appears as a fervent believer in the true religion of Zoroaster. But he was also a great statesman and organizer. The time of conquests had come to an end; the wars which Darius undertook, like those of Augustus, only served the purpose of gaining strong natural frontiers for the empire and keeping down the barbarous tribes on its borders. Thus Darius subjugated the wild nations of the Pontic and Armenian mountains, and extended the Persian dominion to the Caucasus; for the same reason he fought against the Sacae and other Turanian tribes”. The references in this quotation to Darius being a fervent believer in the true religion of Zoroaster, to his subduing the barbarous tribes on the borders, to his gaining strong natural frontiers for the empire, and to his fighting against the Sacae clearly point him out as the Dhu-l-qarnain of the Quran.

18:84 Truly We established him in the land and granted him means of access to everything;

18:85 So he followed a course.

18:86 Until, when he reached the setting-place of the sun,^a he found it going down into a black sea,^b and found by it a people. We said: O Dhu-l-qarnain, either punish them or do them a benefit.

86a (Commentary on 18:86) Maghrib al-shams, or the setting-place of the sun, signifies the western-most point of his empire, because going towards the west he could not go beyond it.

86b (Commentary on 18:86) The words in Arabic are ‘ain-in ḥami’at-in, which literally mean a black sea, ‘ain meaning an abundance of water, or a place in which water remains and collects, and ḥamiat means black mud (T, LL). The place referred to is no other than the Black Sea, as, Armenia being within the Kingdom of Persia, the Black Sea formed the northwestern boundary of the empire.

18:87 He said: As for him who is unjust, we shall chastise him, then he will be returned to his Lord, and He will chastise him with an exemplary chastisement.

18:88 And as for him who believes and does good, for him is a good reward, and We shall speak to him an easy word of Our command.^a

88a (Commentary on 18:88) Being a true follower of Zoroaster, the well-known Persian prophet, Darius seems to have invited these tribes to his religion.

18:89 Then he followed a course.

18:90 Until, when he reached (the land of) the rising sun, he found it rising on a people to whom We had given no shelter from it^a —

90a (Commentary on 18:90) The three journeys alluded to seem to have been undertaken with the object of strengthening the frontiers of the empire, the most important of these being that spoken of in v. 93, the part of the frontier between the Caspian and the Black Seas, where the Caucasus afforded a natural protection against the attacks of the Scythians. Darius goes first westward to the Black Sea (vv. 85, 86). Then he undertakes an eastward journey — the land of the rising sun. The description of the people found here, a people who had no shelter from the sun, is a description of the barbarous aboriginal tribes on the shores of the Caspian. The En. Br. says in the article on Media: “The names in the Assyrian inscriptions prove that the tribes in the Zagros and the northern parts of Media were not Iranians nor Indo-Europeans, but an aboriginal population, like the early inhabitants of Armenia, perhaps connected with the numerous tribes of the Caucasus. We can see how the Iranian element gradually became dominant: princes with Iranian names occasionally occur as the rulers of these tribes. But the Galae, Tapuri, Cadusii, Amardi, Utii, and other tribes in Northern Media and on the shores of the Caspian, were not Iranians”.

18:91 So it was. And We had full knowledge of what he had.

18:92 Then he followed a course.

18:93 Until, when he reached (a place) between the two mountains, he found on that side of them a people who could hardly understand a word.^a

93a (Commentary on 18:93) The two mountains are the mountains of Armenia and Azarbaijan. The people settling there spoke a different language and could not understand the Iranian language.

18:94 They said: O Dhu-l-qarnain, Gog and Magog do mischief in the land. May we then pay thee tribute on condition that thou raise a barrier between us and them?^a

94a (Commentary on 18:94) This verse brings us face to face with an all-important subject, viz., the identity of Gog and Magog. The Bible references to Gog and Magog are somewhat loose. In Gen. 10:2 and 1 Chron. 1:5, “Magog is mentioned as the second son of Japheth, between Gomer and Madai, Gomer representing the Cimmerians and Madai the Medes. Magog must be a people located east of the Cimmerians and west of the Medes. But in the list of nations, Gen. 10, the term connotes rather the complex of barbarian peoples dwelling at the extreme north and north-east of the geographical survey covered by that chapter. … In Ezek. 38:2 Magog occurs as the name of a country; in Ezek. 39:6 as that of a northern people, the leader of whom is Gog” (Jewish En., Art. “Gog and Magog”). “Josephus identifies them with the Scythians, a name which among the classical writers stands for a number of unknown ferocious tribes. According to Jerome, Magog was situated beyond the Caucasus near the Caspian Sea” (Jewish En.). The En. Br. considers the traditional identification of Gog and Magog with the Scythians to be “plausible”, and then adds: “This plausible opinion has been generally followed”, with this reservation, that the word may be applied to “any or all of the numerous but partially known tribes of the north; and any attempt to assign a more definite locality to Magog can only be very hesitatingly made”.

All these writers have, however, not paid sufficient attention to the words of Ezek. 38:2: “Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal”. Tubal and Meshech are almost always mentioned together, and their identification has been a task of great difficulty, so much so that a renowned Biblical critic suggests the names of certain nations in South Palestine. But this contradicts the views of ancient writers like Josephus, who settle the Magog north of the Caucasus. If we go, however, to the north of the Caucasus, we find still two rivers bearing the names of Tobal and Moskoa, on the latter of which is situated the ancient city of Moscow, and on the former the more recent town of Tobolsk. It seems almost certain that these two rivers received their names from the two tribes of Ezek. 38:2, the Tubal and Meshech, and then gave their names to the two above-mentioned cities, thus keeping the names of these tribes. This view is in accordance with the opinion of Josephus, who identifies Magog with the Scythians, for “throughout classical literature Scythia generally meant all regions to the north and north-east of the Black Sea, and a Scythian any barbarian coming from these parts”.

It is clear from the above that the name Magog stands for tribes which occupied territories to the north and north-east of the Black Sea, tribes which gave their names directly or indirectly to the towns of Tobolsk and Moscow.

There is, however, another point worth considering, and that is the gigantic effigies of Gog and Magog in Guildhall, London. “It is known,” says the En. Br., “that effigies similar to the present existed in London as early as the time of Henry V”. An explanation of this remarkable circumstance is given by Geoffrey of Monmouth: “Gaemot or Gaemagot (probably a corrupted form of Gog and Magog) was a giant who, along with his brother Gorineous, tyrannized in the western horn of England until slain by foreign invaders” (En. Br., Art. “Gog and Magog”). It is very difficult to speak with anything bordering on accuracy about the early connections of different races, but the preservation of the effigies of Gog and Magog in England, which can be traced to a very early period in English history, makes it probable that the Angles or the Saxons had in very ancient times some connection with the Scythians or other tribes living north of the Caucasus or the Black Sea. The relations of the different nations in early history are very complicated, and it is out of place to enter into any such discussion here. But it may be noted that the Goths, who are considered to be the easternmost of the Teutonic races, are said to have migrated into Scythia (En. Br., “Goths”), which shows the existence of connection between the two races. And again, “the Batharnae also, who in the third century B.C. invaded and settled in the regions between the Carpathians and the Black Sea, are said by several ancient writers to have been Teutonic by origin, though they had largely intermarried with the native inhabitants” (En. Br., “Teutonic Peoples”).

It is thus clear that the ancestors of the present Teutonic and Slav races are the Gog and Magog spoken of in the Holy Quran. The effigies of Gog and Magog in London and the names of Tobal and Moskoa, occuring in the Bible, are clear indications of this fact.

Next we come to the statement that the tribes found by Darius between Azerbaijan and the Armenian mountains were constantly harassed by their northern neighbours, the Scythians. History bears evidence to the truth of this statement. The Scythians, or, according to some writers, the Sacae, constantly troubled Asia. According to Herodotus the Scyths ruled Media for twenty-eight years (En. Br., Art. “Scythia”). “About 512 Darius undertook a war against the Scythians … The purpose of this war can only have been to attack the nomadic Turanian tribes in the rear, and thus to secure peace on the northern frontier of the empire” (En. Br., Art. “Darius”). The portion which I give in italics shows that Darius exerted himself to his utmost in securing peace on the northern frontier of his empire, where the Caucasus, bounded on both sides by the Black and Caspian Seas, afforded a natural protection.

The barrier referred to in this verse, and described in the verses that follow, is the famous wall at Derbent (Ar. Darband). An account of this wall is given by Muslim geographers and historians, for instance, in Maraṣid al-Iṭṭilā‘ and Ibn al-Faqīh. The following account, however, taken from the Encyclopaedia Britannica, should be more convincing: “Derbent or Darband, a town of Caucasia, in the province of Daghestan, on the western shore of the Caspian … It occupies a narrow strip of land beside the sea, from which it climbs up the steep heights inland … And to the south lies the seaward extremity of the Caucasian wall (50 miles long), otherwise known as Alexander’s Wall, blocking up the narrow pass of the Iron Gate or Caspian Gate (Portae Albanae, or Portae Caspae). This, when enitre, had a height of 29 feet and a thickness of about 10 feet, and with its iron gates and numerous watch-towers formed a valuable defence of the Persian frontier.” (Italics in the last sentence are mine, for which see the next footnote.) The misnomer Alexander’s Wall seems to have been due to the mistake made by Muslim historians in supposing Dhu-l-qarnain to be Alexander.

18:95 He said: That wherein my Lord has established me is better, so if only you help me with strength (of men), I will make a fortified barrier between you and them:

18:96 Bring me blocks of iron.^a At length, when he had filled up the space between the two mountain sides, he said, Blow. Till, when he had made it (as) fire, he said: Bring me molten brass to pour over it.

96a (Commentary on 18:96) The blocks of iron were needed for the iron gates in the wall, for which see the concluding lines of the last note.

18:97 So they were not able to scale it, nor could they make a hole in it.

18:98 He said: This is a mercy from my Lord, but when the promise of my Lord comes to pass He will crumble it, and the promise of my Lord is ever true.^a

98a (Commentary on 18:98) From the historical narration of the past, the subject is now changed to the future. Gog and Magog are described as two nations, and after describing the history of these nations, whose depredations on peaceful nations were brought to an end by Darius, we are now told that Gog and Magog will again be let loose in the latter days. In fact, this is clearly foretold in another chapter of the same period: “when Gog and Magog are let loose, and they sally forth from every elevated place” (21:96). This is the only other occasion on which Gog and Magog are spoken of in the Holy Quran. The crumbling of the wall which withheld Gog and Magog for a time is thus explained by the Quran itself, as the letting loose of Gog and Magog. Just as the building of the wall indicated the confinement of Gog and Magog to their own territorial bounds, the crumbling of the wall means that they will at some future time be let loose and they will then dominate the whole world. This domination is spoken of in the Ḥadīth in various ways. According to one ḥadīth, “No one will have the power to fight against them” (Ms. 52:20). According to another, “they will drink the water of the whole world” (KU, vol. 7, p. 2157). According to a third, God said: “I have created some of My servants whom no one can destroy but Myself ” (KU, p. 3021). As shown in 94a, the ancestors of Gog and Magog are the Slav and Teutonic races, and in the world-domination of Gog and Magog is thus clearly hinted the domination of the European nations over the whole world, and the prophecy has thus found fulfilment in our days.

18:99 And on that day We shall let some of them surge against others and the trumpet will be blown, then We shall gather them all together,^a

99a (Commentary on 18:99) A mighty conflict of the nations is clearly spoken of here, and the words no doubt refer to some catastrophe like that which is predicted in the Gospels in the words: “For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows” (Matt. 2:213). And actually Islam is the only religion in the world which has been successful in uniting different nations into one whole and in obliterating distinctions of race and colour.

18:100 And We shall bring forth hell, exposed to view, on that day before the disbelievers,^a

100a (Commentary on 18:100) These words complete the picture of the great conflict spoken of in the previous verse. It in fact describes the severity of the conflict, it will reduce the world to a veritable hell. We have seen hell raging on this earth in World-War II. What World-War III may bring, no one can say.

18:101 Whose eyes were under a cover from My Reminder, and they could not bear to hear.^a

101a (Commentary on 18:101) The reason is given in these words why these disasters will be brought on man: These are people whose eyes are under a cover from My Reminder. Nay, they are so estranged from God that they cannot even bear to hear His Reminder. So thoroughly have lust and greed engrossed the civilized world!

18:102 Do those who disbelieve think that they can take My servants to be friends besides Me?^a Surely We have prepared hell as an entertainment for the disbelievers.

18:103 Say: Shall We inform you who are the greatest losers in respect of deeds?

102a (Commentary on 18:102) The Christians are meant here, because theirs is the most prominent example of having taken a servant of Allah, a prophet, for God. In fact, Jesus Christ is the only person whom the Quran recognizes as a righteous servant of God and who has been taken for God by nearly half the world.

18:104 Those whose effort goes astray in this world’s life, and they think that they are making good manufactures.^a

18:105 Those are they who disbelieve in the messages of their Lord and meeting with Him, so their works are vain. Nor shall We set up a balance for them on the day of Resurrection.^a

104a (Commentary on 18:104) This is a clear description of the present attitude of the civilized nations to their moral and spiritual needs — their effort is entirely wasted in this world’s life, and they cannot give a moment’s consideration to the life after death. The portrait of the material civilization, to which Christianity has led, as drawn in this section, attains to its most vivid clearness in these words. Manufacture is the one speciality and pride of the West. But they are so engrossed in the contest of manufactures that they have no thought of God left in their minds. Production and more production, that is the be-all and end-all of life with them.

18:106 That is their reward — hell, because they disbelieved and held My messages and My messengers in mockery.

105a (Commentary on 18:105) Their works are vain because what they do relates to the vanities of life. They have no vision for the higher values of life, for the ultimate end, which is here spoken of as the meeting with the Lord. Hence we are told that no balance will be set up for them on the day of Resurrection, because all their deeds relate to this life, and end where this life ends.

18:107 As for those who believe and do good deeds, for them are Gardens of Paradise, an entertainment,

18:108 To abide therein; they will not desire removal therefrom.

18:109 Say: If the sea were ink for the words of my Lord, the sea would surely be exhausted before the words of my Lord were exhausted, though We brought the like of it to add (thereto).^a

109a (Commentary on 18:109) In these words there is a refutation of the Christian doctrine that “the word was with God”, or that “the word was God” (John 1:1). The words of God are so numerous, we are here told, that the sea would be exhausted, if it were to serve as ink for writing them. In fact, everything created is a word of God according to the Holy Quran, and things created know no end.

18:110 Say: I am only a mortal like you — it is revealed to me that your God is one God. So whoever hopes to meet his Lord, he should do good deeds, and join no one in the service of his Lord.