The Kahf (Cave) Surah has already been mentioned before. It tells the essence of many stories, but does not details the narratives of the stories. These can be read from other books and classic explanations. Allow me to post the following verses as an introduction before writing my thoughts of today. Explanations of the verses will be necessary in order to carry on the thought:

Or dost thou reflect that the Companions of the Cave and of the Inscription were wonders among Our Sign? (Quran 18:9)

A wonderful story or allegory is now referred to. Its lessons are: - the relativity of Time, - the unreality of the position of oppressor and oppressed, persecutor and persecuted, on this earth, - the truth of the final Resurrection, when true values will be restored, and - the potency of Faith and Prayer to lead to the Right. The unbelieving Quraish were in the habit of putting posers to the holy Prophet-questions which they got from Christians and Jews, which they thought the Prophet would be unable to answer. In this way they hoped to discredit him. One of these questions was about the floating Christian story of the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus. The Prophet not only told them the main story but pointed out the variations that were current, and rebuked men for disputing about such details (18:22). Most important of all, he treated the story (under inspiration) as a parable, pointing to lessons of the highest value. This is Revelation in the highest sense of the term.

Behold, the youths betook themselves to the Cave: they said, "Our Lord! bestow on us Mercy from Thyself, and dispose of our affair for us in the right way!" (Quran 18:10)

The bare Christian story (without the spiritual lessons taught in the Quran) is told in Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (end of chapter 33). In the reign of a Roman Emperor who persecuted the Christians, seven Christian youths of Ephesus left the town and hid themselves in a cave in a mountain nearby. They fell asleep, and remained asleep for some generations or centuries. When the wall which sealed up the cave was being demolished, the youths awoke. They still thought of the world in which they had previously lived. They had no idea of the duration of time. But when one of them went to the town to purchase provisions, he found that the whole world had changed. The Christian religion, instead of being persecuted was fashionable: in fact it was now the State religion. His dress and speech, and the money which he brought, seemed to belong to another world. This attracted attention. The great ones of the land visited the Cave, and verified the tale by questioning the man's Companions. When the story became very popular and circulated throughout the Roman Empire, we may well suppose that an Inscription was put up at the mouth of the Cave. See verse 9. This inscription was probably to be seen for many years afterwards, as Ephesus was a famous city on the west coast of Asia Minor, about forty to fifty miles south of Smyrna. Later on, the Khalifah Wathiq (842-846 A.C.) sent an expedition to examine and identify the locality, as he did about the Dhul al Qarnayn barrier in Central Asia (Appendix at the end of this Surah). A popular story circulating from mouth to mouth would necessarily be vague as to dates and vary very much in details. Somewhere about the 6th century A.C. a Syriac writer reduced it to writing. He suggested that the youths were seven in number; that they went to sleep in the reign of the Emperor Decius (who reigned from 249 to 251 A.D., and who was a violent persecutor of Christianity); and that they awoke in the reign of Theodosius 11, who reigned from 408 to 450 A.D. In our literature Decius is known as Daqyanus (from the adjectival Latin from Decianus), and the name stands as a symbol of injustice and oppression. The youths hid in the cave, but they trusted in Allah, and made over their whole case to Him in prayer. Then they apparently fell asleep, and knew nothing of what was happening in the world outside.

As we read the above verses, we must realize that history repeats itself. We live in polytheism too! In a sort of polytheism from which the youth fled to the cave. God has become a despicable, ridiculous concept. God has been replaced by the dollar, euro, force, weapon and we need to bow before those. He who has faith in God cannot live according to the commandments. Attitude and the judgment on values has changed. No one believes in you today! People believe only in your bank account! That became your measure of value. If your deposit runs out of it, you're no longer a human being. Your lover and your family leaves, you can't pay your taxes and your checks, then bailiff puts you on the street and it's over. Your human existence comes to end. And what deposit means? The deposit today is God, whatever it may be called. We all are subordinated to this new God! We cannot run away from them, for there are in our pockets the blank pieces of papers embodied by these false deities and their standard relies on lies and violence. The blood of your brothers gives value to a blank piece of paper. Every time you pay, you put a knife into your fellow man! This is one of the wildest periods of polytheism. Its priests are hanging over you, watching how they will execute the laws passed by the false deities of the materialized world. This is the rule of money over man and not the rule of Allah over money. The youth also fled into the cave from the polytheism and the tyrant that served it. They prayed like this: "Our Lord! bestow on us Mercy from Thyself, and dispose of our affair for us in the right way!". This is how we pray too, and search for our cave. What to look for? A cave! A state in which the youth have lived for some three centuries and woke up at a time when there was no more polytheism. So, don’t give up! This age is coming! Until then, find your cave and don't lose faith! Have they found refuge in a temple, mosque or "sacred" place? No! In a simple cave! Where did Mohammed (peace be upon him) find shelter twice? In Ghar al-Hyra, a cave and fleeing from Mecca to Medina in another cave. He found spiritual and physical refuge in caves. Not in the mosque! In whom did Mohammed (peace be upon him) seek refuge? In a sheikh? In a scholar? In anyone in this world? No! In Allah (SWT)! Nobody else! And when he built the first mosque in Medina, it was also a very humble place. As a cave. A cave can be a sacred place where you are inspired by Allah, but in a mosque, you may be inspired by the greatness of the builder and you fell on your ass! Where is the noble simplicity where Allah appears to you? Why do I have to remember after looking at so many golds, ornaments, that peoples were exterminated for these? And should I bow down there? The cave is in you, too. We are currently co-offenders in an international crime, but at least be aware of this and do not forget the teachings of Allah. Let us ensure the survival of the teachings even when the teachers who are closest to our souls put obscurity on our eyes. Do not choose them, but the cave and say the prayer of the youth: "Our Lord! bestow on us Mercy from Thyself, and dispose of our affair for us in the right way!" Let's see what happened to the youth after they woke up?

(Some) say they were three, the dog being the fourth among them; (others) say they were five, the dog being the sixth,- doubtfully guessing at the unknown; (yet others) say they were seven, the dog being the eighth. Say thou: "My Lord knoweth best their number; It is but few that know their (real case)." Enter not, therefore, into controversies concerning them, except on a matter that is clear, nor consult any of them about (the affair of) the Sleepers. (Quran 18:22)

The true significance of the story is known only to a few. Most men discuss futile' details, which are not in their knowledge.

Have you realized what this is all about? About the fact that young people in vain woke up in a time when they did not have to fear of the vicissitudes of polytheism. Allah has been worshiped by the peoples alone! But how was He worshiped and by whom? Just like we do it today! They didn't pay attention to the point, but were lost in the details. It was not important for anyone to comprehend the miracle, and the boundless love and power of Allah, but they were disputing on the number of the youths and color of their dog. Was it in Ephesus or in today's Syria, Egypt? This is only important for those who can put a slab somewhere and get money from visitors. Is this important from the aspect of faith? They're lost in the nonsensical details, as we do the same today. The perception of the essence is over! Even today the most important is how we hold our hands during prayer, where we look, whether we are shaking our fingers, how long the stems of our pants are, and to what extent we expose our body for people's eyes. I ignore the Sunna if it hides the real contexts of the world at such a level of primitivity! I make it unmistakable: I ignore the Sunna that was applicable 1400 years ago, and in that form, keeping its prescriptions literally is causing for its follower to lose in the details and prevents seeing the truths of the Quran in the 21st century. Because the Quran overrides everything! This is how I see and it is not obligatory for anyone else to see like me. Come on! Make circles with your fingers on the air, pool your hands, prostrate and accumulate money on your bank account which is covered by lies and mass murders. You are a sinner my friend, a cooffender of a great sin! But it's alright! Just shorten your pants, trim your beard and put on a white or black turban, whatever! You bring back polytheism by waving the flag of Allah! You die, but Allah and His truth once comes into effect! Till then, welcome everyone in the cave who have the same experience!