ثُمَّ بَعَثْنَـٰهُمْ لِنَعْلَمَ أَىُّ ٱلْحِزْبَيْنِ أَحْصَىٰ لِمَا لَبِثُوٓا۟ أَمَدًا 12
Translations
Then We awakened them that We might show which of the two factions was most precise in calculating what [extent] they had remained in time.
Transliteration
Thumma ba'athnāhum li-na'lama ayyu al-hizbayn ahsā lima labhithū amadan
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes how Allah caused the People of the Cave to awaken after their long sleep, in order to test which of the two groups (those who believed and those who disbelieved) could better determine the exact duration of their stay in the cave. According to classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, Allah awakened them to demonstrate that their resurrection and knowledge of the unseen realm's secrets were part of His divine wisdom, while the actual duration of their sleep remained a matter of differing opinions among the people.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of the narrative of Ashaab al-Kahf (the People of the Cave) within Surah Al-Kahf, which addresses the Quraysh's challenge to the Prophet Muhammad regarding mysterious stories. The context reflects the broader Meccan theme of resurrection, divine knowledge, and testing believers' faith through miraculous accounts.
Related Hadiths
While no specific hadith directly addresses this verse, Sahih Bukhari contains hadiths about the People of the Cave narrative. Additionally, hadiths regarding Allah's knowledge of the unseen (al-ghayb) are relevant, such as those found in Muslim's Sahih concerning matters only Allah knows with certainty.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that some matters of the unseen remain beyond human certainty by divine design, and that awakening or revival—whether spiritual or literal—serves as a test to distinguish between those who truly believe and those who merely dispute. It reminds believers that ultimate knowledge belongs to Allah alone, encouraging intellectual humility when facing disagreements over unknowable details.