Tafseer of The Cave · Al-Kahf · 18:26
Say, "Allah is most knowing of how long they remained. He has [knowledge of] the unseen [aspects] of the heavens and the earth. How Seeing is He and how Hearing! They have not besides Him any protector, and He shares not His legislation with anyone."
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The exposition of the explanation of the words of the Exalted: لَهُ غَيْبُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأرْضِ (18:26)
Allah, exalted be His praise, says: To Allah belongs the knowledge of the unseen of the heavens and the earth; nothing of that knowledge escapes Him, and nothing is hidden from Him. That is to say: Entrust to Him the knowledge of how long the young men tarried in the cave up to this day of yours, for this no one knows except the One who knows the unseen of the heavens and the earth, and that is none but Allah, the One, the Almighty.
His words: أَبْصِرْ بِهِ وَأَسْمِعْ (How well He sees! And how well He hears!) — that is to say: See by Allah and hear by Him. This is an expression of great praise and admiration, as though it were said: How excellent is His sight and how keen is His hearing.
The meaning of the text is: How perfectly does Allah see all that exists, and how completely does He hear all that is audible — nothing of all that is hidden from Him.
As has been related to us by Bishr, who said: Yazīd related to us, who said: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning the words أَبْصِرْ بِهِ وَأَسْمِعْ : There is none who sees better than Allah, and none who hears better — blessed and exalted is He.
Yūnus related to me, who said: Ibn Wahb informed us, who said: Ibn Zayd said concerning His words أَبْصِرْ بِهِ وَأَسْمِعْ مَا لَهُمْ مِنْ دُونِهِ مِنْ وَلِيٍّ : He sees their deeds and hears that from them, seeing and hearing.
His words: مَا لَهُمْ مِنْ دُونِهِ مِنْ وَلِيٍّ — Allah, exalted be His praise, says: His creatures have, apart from their Lord who created them, no protector (walī) who manages their affair and their governance and leads them in that wherein they are led.
وَلا يُشْرِكُ فِي حُكْمِهِ أَحَدًا — He says: Allah associates none other as a partner in His judgement and His decree over His creation; rather, He is the One alone in the judgement and the decree over them, in their governance and their guidance according to His will and His good pleasure.
