In their attempts to discredit the Holy Prophet Muhammad (S), the Quraish of Mecca sent three men to the Jewish scholars in Najran. They were sent to learn some difficult problems from the ancient scriptures of the Jews and bring them back to test the Holy Prophet (S). The Jews gave the Quraish some questions about the Seven Sleepers of the Cave, whose account was known to only a few special scholars. The men returned to Mecca and posed these questions to the Holy Prophet (S) and the whole story was revealed to him in Sura-e- Kahf.

The Holy Qur'an says:

["Do you not think that the people of the Cave and of the Inscription (Raqeem) were of Our wonderful signs? When the youths sought refuge in the cave they prayed, "Lord grant us mercy and help us to get out of this trouble in a righteous way." We sealed their ears for a number of years. Then We roused them to see which of the party had the correct account of the duration of their sleep. We tell you this story for a genuine purpose. They were young people who believed in their Lord and We gave them further guidance. We strengthened their hearts when they stood up (against the idol-worshippers) and said, "Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. We shall never worship anyone other than Him, lest we commit blasphemy."                                                                                                Kahf, 18: 9 - 14]

Afsoos was a famous city that once flourished on the West Coast of Asia Minor. It was part of the Roman Empire and the king was a kind and just ruler. During his reign, there was peace and prosperity. When he died, there was a division amongst the people as to who should rule. While they had no leader, Decius, a neighbouring king, invaded their land and annexed it to his kingdom. He ruled them from 249 A.D. to 251 A.D. Decius was a heathen and a violent persecutor of the faithful Christians who lived at the time.

Six (or seven) young men stood up for their beliefs and had to leave the town to escape the cruel king. On their way, they met a shepherd who gave them some water to drink.

When they told him about their intention of finding a secluded place to worship Allah in peace, he joined them with his dog, Qitmir.

The shepherd led them to a fertile valley, through which they came upon a mountain and entered a cave called Kahf.

Meanwhile, Decius followed the fugitives, determined to make an example of them. When they heard the sounds of pursuit get closer, the men prayed to Allah to rescue them from the merciless king.

Soon afterwards the young men were overcome with a deep sleep and the dog sat outside the cave. The king reached the spot and sent in his minister to bring the men out. The minister was a faithful believer in Prophet Isa (A). When he saw the young men sleeping, he came out and reported that they had all died of fright. This news pleased the king, who ordered that the cave be shut.

A stone tablet, with the name of the men and the date of the event inscribed on it, was put at the entrance of the cave.

This is why these people have been referred to as those of the Cave and the Inscription in the Holy Qur'an, which says:

["They will say, "They were three, the fourth of them was their dog", and (others) say, "Five, the sixth of them was their dog", guessing about the unknown; and (others) say, "Seven and the eighth of them was their dog." Say (O Muhammad), "My Lord knows best their number..."                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Kahf, 18: 22(Part)]

Allah caused the young men to sleep for about 180 years before they woke up. When they consulted one another it seemed to them that they had slept for a day or even less. They were all starving so they decided that one of them would go into town and secretly purchase some food and bring it back. They prayed to Allah to first open the entrance to the cave. This prayer was granted and they emerged from the cave. The sight that greeted them amazed them. The entire landscape had changed. Little did they know that Decius was long dead and this was the time of the reign of the kind Christian king Theodosius I, who ruled from 408 A.D. to 450 A.D.

The man who went to the town to get food saw that everything was different. The houses did not look right and people were dressed in strange clothes. He looked about in amazement, wondering if he was dreaming. At length, he approached a baker and asked for some bread. The baker was surprised to see the oddly dressed young man who spoke an ancient dialect and was offering him outdated money.

He asked him whether he had discovered the coins in some treasure. The young man replied, "No, this is the money I made after selling my dates the day before yesterday."

The baker did not believe this tale and took the man to the king. When the young man told his story, the king informed him that Decius was long dead and he then asked to be shown the cave and its inhabitants. Just before they reached the mountain, the young men told the king and his courtiers, "Let me inform my comrades of the situation so that they are not alarmed by your presence."

When he entered the cave and told the rest about his experiences, they were worried that it might be a trick and that they would be arrested. Therefore, they prayed to Allah to restore them to their original condition. Their prayer was granted and they were again overcome with a deep sleep. After a while the king approached the cave and found the men and their dog asleep. The sight made him believe their story and he decided to build a mosque at the spot in respect of the miracle that had occurred at this place.

The Holy Qur'an says:
["And they stayed in the Cave three hundred years and add nine (more)".                                                    Kahf, 18: 25]