OCCASION OF THE REVELATION (VERSE NO. 9 - 12)

      Commentators have narrated; a group of the chief and officials of Mecca went to Medina, and paid a visit to the Jewish elders, rabbis, and learned men. They asked the Jews questions about Mohammad and his claim of being the Messenger of God or prophet. They asked to know, if at all there could be something as a prophet or the Messenger of God. and if yes; What signs and symptom, the claimant should have?

      In answer to the Meccan, the Jews said:ِ

      ``You should ask Mohammad of three questions. If he did answer you correctly, know him to be the truthful Messenger of God, as he claims; but if he failed to answer, you must consider him as liar.'' The questions were as follows:ِ

1ِ Who were the youth of the ancient who departed from their people?

2ِ Who was the Man who went all round the world and who reached the East and the West of the earth?

3ِWhat is the truth about Man's spirit?

      The Meccan returned home and asked the prophet to answer them the above questions. The prophet said to the questioners that, he would give them the answer next day, while he had forgotten to add, ``IF GOD SPEED'' For this mistake he was not inspired for a couple of weeks; and this made the prophet very anxious! He waited for some 15 days, when at last he was forgiven and GABRIEL appeared again, and brought down the answers. The one concerning the spirit was inserted among the verses of the chapter of ASRÄِS 17:84. The next two questions were answered in the chapter of CAVE=18

THE SEVEN SLEEPERS OF EPHESUS

      Now the wonderful story of the seven sleepers has been narrated, in which some knowledge of the Relativity of Time; and Resurrection Day, can be obtained. Of course the story might be wonderful in our sight, but not in the sight of God; who is All-mighty, and Omnipotent:ِ

      ``Have you thought that the event of the Companions of the Cave and Al-Raghim was something wonderful among our signs?''

      Qurän narrates the story of the seven sleepers in brief, through the above four verses; and then gives more detail about the incident, in the verses that follow. Here the sleepers are called the Companions of the Cave and also Al-Raghim, which might be the name of the mountain in which the cave was, or their written name which was inscribed on a monument.

      Their story in brief is as follows:ِ

      When the Roman Emperors were persecuting the Christians for their belief, some young Christian believers, of the townsfolk of Ephesus, left their home and hearth, and took refuge in a cave in the near by mountains. The youths put their trusts entirely on God, and there in the cave, in a fervent prayer gave over their whole affair to God to dispose, saying:ِ

      ``Our Lord! Have of Your Mercy on us, and guide us in our affair.''

      Allah answered them and sealed their ear, so that they sunk in a deep long sleep, not knowing what was going on outside the cave! After a few centuries, Allah raised them up from their long sleep while they thought to have slept a few hours!:ِ

      ``We then raised them up to make known which one of the two group would better calculate the period of their stay.''

EPHESUS

      (In this commentary HAZRAT AYATULLAH-AL-OZMA MAKÄRIM'S VIEW is that the sleepers were the citizens of Ephesus. Hence the following is some information about the said city, which I have quoted from the International Encyclopedia:ِ

      Ephesus was the ancient Greek city on the West cost of Asia Minor, the richest in IONIA. It was founded by Androcles, son of Codrus, king of Athens. In the 550 B.C. the Temple of Artemis was built in the Ephesus which was one of the seven wonders of the world. Ephesus became subject in turn to Lydia, Persia, and Athens, from which it revolted in 415 B.C. In the 4th century once again it became subject to Persia, governed by a local Oligarchy. Alexander liberated Ephesus in 334. In the night of Alexander's birth in 356 B.C. the Artemis Temple was burnt by a mad and lunatic man. Then a new Ionic Temple was built to replace it. In the 3rd century the city became flooded through the silting of the Cayster mouth, and was moved to a higher ground. Then the site of the original town remained unknown. The city is said to have had 200,000 population. St. PAUL visited Ephesus (55ِ58 A.D.) when the Artemis cult still flourished and the church founded there prospered.

      Ephesus was traditionally the last home of the Virgin Mary. City and the Temple were destroyed by the goths in 262 A.D. and the town declined thereafter.

TRANSLATOR'S NOTE)