The Seven Sleepers Of Ephesus — A Trip Into History

I vividly remember that early winter morning commencing our tour of Ephesus, starting with the said Ancient Gardens of Babylon — one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. There was hardly anything left except a few remnants of foundation stone jutting out of the earth. Nevertheless, the opportunity to walk around the grounds where this great monument once is said to have existed enchanted us. A pepper tree existed in the surroundings and the guide plucked a branch offering it to me with a bunch of berries. It was the first time I had ever tasted green fresh pepper, a flavour I quite relished.

The ancient Roman City of Ephesus holds several ancient marvels and we set off to visit another great wonder — The temple of Artemis. As the coach winded through the quiet peaceful road, the guide pointed out to a rocky structure with a grilled iron locked gate saying it was the site of an ancient Christian legend — “ the site of the Seven Sleepers”! I was jolted alert from my half sleepy self and thrilled to know that we were actually at this great and revered monument! It happened to be a Friday and every Friday I read this particular chapter in the Qur’an called “The Cave”. What a wonderful opportunity to actually see the Cave of the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus!

In the reign of a Roman Emperor who persecuted the Christians, seven Christian youths of Ephesus left the town and hid in a cave in a mountain nearby. They fell asleep and remained asleep for some generations or centuries. When the wall which sealed up the cave was being demolished, the youths awoke. They still thought of the world in which they had previously lived. They had no idea of the duration of time. But when one of them went to the town to purchase provisions, he found that the whole world had changed. The Christian religion, instead of being persecuted, was fashionable; in fact, it was now the State religion. His dress and speech, and the money which he brought, seemed to belong to another world. This attracted attention. The great ones of the land visited the Cave and verified the tale by questioning the man’s Companions. When the story became very popular and circulated throughout the Roman Empire, we may well suppose that an Inscription was put up at the mouth of the Cave(Qur’an commentary Yusuf Ali: XVIII 2337).

According to a Syriac writer, the youths went to sleep during the reign of Emperor Decius who reigned from 249 to 151 AD. He was a violent persecutor of Christianity. The youths awoke during the reign of Theodosius II, who reigned from 408 to 450 A.D.

The contents of this 18th chapter of The Qur’an known as “The Cave” or “Al-Kahf” in Arabic are unrivaled when it comes to doctrine, spirituality, guidance, and even storytelling. This chapter is so rich in content that the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) himself commanded his followers to read it every Friday (Studioarabiya.com).

Here are a few relevant verses from The Cave (Al-Kahf):

In the name of God the Most Compassionate the Most Merciful

9. Or dost thou reflect that the Companions of the Cave and the Inscription were wonders among Our Sign?

10. Behold, the youths betook themselves to the Cave: they said, “Our Lord! bestow on us Mercy from Thyself, and dispose of our affair for us in the right way!”

11. Then We draw (a veil) over their ears, for several years, in the Cave, (so that they heard not):

12. Then We roused them, to test which of the two parties was best at calculating the term of years they had tarried!

13. We relate to thee their story in truth: they were youths who believed in their Lord, and We advanced them in guidance:

14. We gave strength to their hearts: Behold, they stood up and said: “Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth: never shall we call upon any god other than Him: if we did, we should indeed have uttered an enormity!

15. “These our people have taken for worship gods other than Him: why do they not bring forward an authority clear (and convincing) for what they do? Who doth more wrong than such as invent a falsehood against Allah (God)?

16. “When ye turn away from them and the things they worship other than Allah (God), betake yourselves to the Cave: Your Lord will shower His mercies on you and dispose of your affair towards comfort and ease.”

17. Thou wouldst have seen the sun, when it rose, declining to the right from their Cave, and when it set, turning away from them to the left, while they lay in the open space amid the Cave. Such are among the Signs of Allah (God): He whom Allah, guides is rightly guided; but he whom Allah leaves to stray,- for him wilt thou find no protector to lead him to the Right Way.

18. Thou wouldst have deemed them awake, whilst they were asleep, and We turned them on their right and their left sides: their dog stretching forth his two fore-legs on the threshold: if thou hadst come up on to them, thou wouldst have certainly turned back from them in flight, and wouldst certainly have been filled with terror of them.

19. Such (being their state), we raised them (from sleep), that they might question each other. Said one of them, “How long have ye stayed (here)?” They said, “We have stayed (perhaps) a day, or part of a day.” (At length) they (all) said, “Allah (God alone) knows best how long ye have stayed here… Now send ye then one of you with this money of yours to the town: let him find out which is the best food (to be had) and bring some to you, that (ye may) satisfy your hunger therewith: And let him behave with care and courtesy, and let him not inform anyone about you.

20. “For if they should come upon you, they would stone you or force you to return to their cult, and in that case, ye would never attain prosperity.”

21. Thus did We make their case known to the people, that they might know that the promise of Allah (God) is true and that there can be no doubt about the Hour of Judgment. Behold, they dispute among themselves as to their affair. (Some) said, “Construct a building over them”: Their Lord knows best about them: those who prevailed over their affair said, “Let us surely build a place of worship over them.”

22. (Some) say they were three, the dog being the fourth among them; (others) say they were five, the dog being the sixth,- doubtfully guessing at the unknown; (yet others) say they were seven, the dog being the eighth. Say thou: “My Lord knoweth best their number; It is but few that know their (real case).” Enter not, therefore, into controversies concerning them, except on a clear matter, nor consult any of them about (the affair of) the Sleepers.

23. Nor say of anything, “I shall be sure to do so and so tomorrow”-

24. Without adding, “So please Allah (God)!” and call thy Lord to mind when thou forgettest, and say, “I hope that my Lord will guide me ever closer (even) than this to the right road.”

25. So they stayed in their Cave three hundred years, and (some) add nine (more).

26. Say: “Allah (God) knows best how long they stayed: with Him is (the knowledge of) the secrets of the heavens and the earth: how clearly He sees, how finely He hears (everything)! They have no protector other than Him; nor does He share His Command with any person whatsoever.

27. And recite (and teach) what has been revealed to thee of the Book of thy Lord: none can change His Words, and none wilt thou find as a refuge other than Him (Translation Qur’an Yusuf Ali Searchtruth.com)

Ephesus is an ancient city very well preserved. For those interested in history it is rich in not only Greek and Roman architecture, but the stories that go behind each of the monuments are extremely interesting and compelling. I hope to soon write about the Church of the Virgin Mary which is amazing.