In the name of God, the Merciful, the Beneficent
Contain yourself in patience with those who call on their Lord morning and evening, seeking His countenance. Let not your eyes pass beyond them in quest of the beauties of the life of this world. Pay no heed to any whose heart We have left to be negligent of all remembrance of Us because he had always followed his own desires, and whose case has gone beyond all bounds.
Say: "The truth (has now come) from your Lord. Let him who wills, believe in it, and let him who wills, reject it." For the wrongdoers We have prepared a fire whose billowing folds will encompass them from all sides. If they beg for water, they will be given water (hot) like molten lead, which will scald their faces. Dreadful is the drink, and evil is the place to seek rest.
(The Cave, "Al-Kahf," 18: 28-29)
The present passage starts with a directive to the Prophet to remain steadfast with those who turn to God for guidance and grace. He should abandon those who are oblivious of their Lord. An example is given of the two parties. This is given in a story involving two men, one boasts about his wealth and position, while the other maintains pure faith in God, hoping to receive from Him what is better than all material riches. This is followed with an analogy showing the whole of life on Earth. It appears to us short, fleeting, and having no real substance. It is just like ashes blown by the winds in all directions.
The first verse is reported to have been revealed when some of the noblemen of the Quraysh demanded that the Prophet should expel his poor companions if he were to hope that the chiefs of the Quraysh clan would ever come to believe in his message. Thus people like Bilal, Ammar, Suhaib, Khabbab and Abdullah ibn Masood would have to be expelled from his companionship. Or at least the Prophet should have special arrangements, whereby he would meet the masters of the Quraysh on their own, in a place where none of the poor and the deprived would be admitted. The rich, they argued, would be irritated if they were to sit with them in the same place, because they wore robes and other clothes that smelled of their perspiration.
It is reported that the Prophet dearly hoped that those elders of the Quraysh would really embrace Islam. He contemplated the possibility of making the arrangements they suggested, but before taking any steps in that direction God revealed to him the verse which starts with His command: "Contain yourself in patience with those who call on their Lord morning and evening, seeking His countenance." Thus He has set the true values clearly and permanently.
These establish a standard that never fails. When this has been accomplished and the true criterion has been put in place, then "let him who wills, believe in (the truth), and let him who wills, reject it." Islam will never seek to bend its values in order to please anyone and gratify his wishes.
It does not borrow any value from any society implementing the standards of ignorance. It has its own values and it will continue to implement these only.
The Prophet is thus to remain patient, and not to precipitate matters. He is to content himself with those who "call on their Lord morning and evening, seeking His countenance." Their aim is to win His pleasure. Hence to Him only they appeal at all times, and in all situations. They never change their purpose. Indeed they determinedly seek their goal which is more honorable and far superior in every way to any goal sought by people who are content with this life and seek nothing beyond its confines.
Being content and patient means that the Prophet should have for his true companions those very people the chiefs of the Quraysh wanted to be expelled. He is to sit with them and instruct them in their faith and its requirements. They are indeed the better set of people. It is their type that gives the best type of support to new messages.
A new faith or message does not rely on those who believe in them because it appears victorious, or it gives them a position of leadership or achieve other types of material gain.
A new message is truly supported and firmly consolidated when it has adherents of sincere hearts who turn to God seeking nothing other than to win His pleasure. No position of honor, pursuit of pleasure or achievement of any material gain discolors their sincerity.
"Let not your eyes pass beyond them in quest of the beauties of the life of this world." Do not let your attention pass them by in order to contemplate the superficial comforts of this world, in which people compete. All this is no more than an outward beauty which remains much inferior to the high horizon to which those who "call on their Lord morning and evening" do aspire, because they seek only to please Him and win acceptance from Him.
The Prophet is further instructed: "Pay no heed to any whose heart We have left to be negligent of all remembrance of Us because he had always followed his own desires, and whose case has gone beyond all bounds." He must not pay any attention to them when they demand that they must be separated from the poor. Had they remembered God, they would have banished from their minds any thoughts of conceit and arrogance. They would have recognized their position in front of God, who looks at all mankind in the same way and places them in the same rank. They would have felt that in faith all people are brothers.
But they continue to implement the standard of ignorance, allowing their own caprice to dictate their attitudes. Hence, both they and their views are worth no attention, because they themselves have not paid attention to God and His commandments.
Islam places all human beings at the same level in front of God. They do not claim position on the basis of their wealth, lineage or social standing. All these are transient standards. The real criterion to distinguish people is their standing with their Lord, which is determined by their sincerity in seeking His pleasure and dedication to His cause.
"Pay no heed to any whose heart We have left to be negligent of all remembrance of Us." We have left his heart alone because he directed all his attention and all his efforts to his selfish pursuits, wealth, family, pleasures and desires. Such preoccupations leave no time and no room for the remembrance of God. Indeed when any person places them at the top of his goals, He will not have time for God, and in consequence, God lets him pursue these goals further and become even further removed from His remembrance. His days pass rapidly and he comes to his end in order to face what God has in store for those who wrong themselves.
"Say: The truth (has now come) from your Lord. Let him who wills, believe in it, and let him who wills, reject it." That is what the Prophet should proclaim in all clarity and firmness. The truth does not bend for the sake of anyone. It follows its own straight way, clear, solid, strong, free of all crookedness and manipulation. It is, then, people’s decision whether to take it up or leave it: "Let him who wills believe in it, and let him who wills reject it." Whoever does not like the truth may banish himself from it. Anyone who does not wish to make his desires fall in line with the truth should know that no privileges are given at the expense of faith. A person who does not lower his head to God and His majesty has no place in the service of God’s message.
Faith does not belong to anyone who may make concessions in it. It belongs to God who is in no need of anyone in the universe. Faith does not get any strength if it is supported by people who do not seek it for its own sake, or do not accept it as it is.
A person who does not wish to sit with people dedicated to God’s cause because he feels himself above them will have nothing to contribute to the Muslim community. He is better left out.
