Relevance of Surah Al-Kahf in the Search of Knowledge

Abstract

An attempt is made, in this paper, to draw a line of relevance of the Surah to the contemporary Muslims with particular reference to knowledge. This would enable us to have a look at the encouragements it offers to the people in the contemporary time to have firm resolve, humility, patience and good intention as a bed rock in the search for knowledge. It is on the basis of this that Almighty Allah, at the end of the Surah, confirmed that He is All-Knowing and has all knowledge as stated in the following verse:

[i]Say: If the ocean were ink (wherewith to write out) the words of my Lord sooner would the ocean be exhausted than would the words of my Lord even if we added another ocean like it for its aid[1].

This debunks the claim that our knowledge is abundant hence, in comparison, the divine knowledge of Allah is absolute and our knowledge is very less or rather minimal or limited to that of His. Muslims must have full faith in the wisdom of divine knowledge. This is because, many hidden things had happened between Musa and Al-Khidr (AS) that prompted Musa to ask Al-Khidr certain questions not clear or rather hidden to him.

[1] Qur’an 18:109