The Cave and Corona

Today is Jumuah and many of us are feeling the loss of attending our Friday congregational prayer as we accustom ourselves to a new normal that separates us from our community. It is no wonder, however, that in every time and place, the Qur’an is a source of guidance, light, and comfort to us. As many of us sit and read Surat al-Kahf (The Cave) today, it is hard not to draw the parallel that like the youth of the cave, we also are retreating inward, both physically and spiritually.

The youth of the cave sought refuge from a despotic ruler who had ordered their execution due to their belief in Allah. They gave up their homes, families, and wealth in order to preserve their faith. As they retreated, they were in a constant state of dua. They prayed to their Lord:

رَبَّنَا آتِنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً وَهَيِّئْ لَنَا مِنْ أَمْرِنَا رَشَدًا

"Our Lord, grant us from Yourself mercy and prepare for us from our affair right guidance."

While we don’t actually know how dire our circumstances can become, we do know that these young men didn’t have a huge supply of food with them, they didn’t know if they were going to meet their death searching for a place to hide, and they certainly weren’t laying low in the comforts of their own home. And yet, they were enriched and driven by their belief that the One who guides will guide them. 

What is even more profound is that the dua can be understood in two ways. The youth were asking for guidance- “Where do we go?” in a physical sense while also asking for spiritual guidance. The surah continues by saying:

إِنَّهُمْ فِتْيَةٌ آمَنُوا بِرَبِّهِمْ وَزِدْنَاهُمْ هُدًى

“Indeed, they were youths who believed in their Lord, and We increased them in guidance.”

This is the generosity of Allah. He only asks that we believe. On our path and journey towards Allah, however, we may stumble. We may hit major troughs and face what we perceive to be insurmountable obstacles. And yet, Allah assures us- believe, and I will increase you in guidance. I will guide your heart, your steps, your decision making. “I will be the ears in which you hear, the eyes in which you see, the hand in which you strike, and the foot in which you walk.”

As we focus on establishing a new routine, let’s find ways to incorporate the sunnah prayers, the extra fasts, and gear up towards Ramadan. Let us strive to be considered a faithful servant of Allah so that we may eventually experience this Hadith Qudsi:

“Were my faithful servant to ask [something] of Me, I would surely give it to him, and were he to ask Me for refuge, I would surely grant him it. I do not hesitate about anything as much as I hesitate about [seizing] the soul of My faithful servant: he hates death and I hate hurting him.”