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سُورَةُ الكَهۡفِ · 18:6
MeccanRevelation order ٦٩Juzʾ ١٥Page ٢٩٤

فَلَعَلَّكَ بَٰخِعٌۭ نَّفْسَكَ عَلَىٰٓ ءَاثَٰرِهِمْ إِن لَّمْ يُؤْمِنُوا۟ بِهَٰذَا ٱلْحَدِيثِ أَسَفًا

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Saheeh International · EN

Then perhaps you would kill yourself through grief over them, [O Muhammad], if they do not believe in this message, [and] out of sorrow.

IntroductionRevelationTafsirTransmissionDebate
Bio

Introduction

This is āyah 6 of Sūrat Al-Kahf (The Cave), the 69th sūrah in the traditional order of revelation. It was revealed in the Meccan period and sits within Juzʾ 15. Meccan verses tend to address faith, the oneness of God, and the hereafter.

This introduction is a starting point — the community and Bilal will enrich it over time.

Bio

Revelation & occasion

Asbāb al-Nuzūl
Period
Meccan
Order revealed
69 of 114
Surah
Al-Kahf (18)
Occasion of revelation · Al-Wahidi

Perhaps thou art consuming thyself with grief in their tracks that they do not have faith in this talk. “O MuḤammad! Do not busy your secret core with their opposition. It is only for you to deliver the message; guidance comes from Us to whomsoever We will.”

Commentary

Tafsir

4 works

Hafiz Ibn Kathir

Perhaps, you would kill yourself in grief, over their footsteps, because they believe not in this narration (6)Verily, we have made that which is on earth an adornment for it, in order that We may test which of them are best in deeds (7)And verily, We shall make all that is on it bare, dry soil (8) Do not feel sorry because the Idolators do not believe Allah consoles His Messenger ﷺ for his sorrow over the idoltors because they would not believe and keep away from him. He also said: فَلَا تَذْهَبْ نَفْسُكَ عَلَيْهِمْ حَسَرَاتٍ (So destroy not yourself in sorrow for them.)[35:8] وَلَا تَحْزَنْ عَلَيْهِمْ (And grieve not over them.)[16:127] لَعَلَّكَ بَاخِعٌ نَّفْسَكَ أَلَّا يَكُونُوا مُؤْمِنِينَ (It may be that you are going to kill yourself with grief, that they do not become believers.)[26:3] meaning, maybe you will destroy yourself with your grief over them. Allah says: فَلَعَ…
Provenance

Chains of transmission

Oral — isnād

  1. ~610–632 CERevelation & memorisation

    Received by the Prophet ﷺ and preserved by the ḥuffāẓ (memorisers) among the Companions.

  2. 1st century AHMutawātir transmissionawaiting curation

    Carried by mass-transmission through the generations of qurrāʾ.

  3. TodayLiving chainsawaiting curation

    Continuous ijāzah chains link reciters today back to the Prophet ﷺ.

Verified isnād chains for this āyah will be added by curators.

Written — the manuscript record

  1. ~650 CEʿUthmānic codicesawaiting curation

    The standardised muṣḥaf sent to the great cities (e.g. the Topkapı and Samarqand codices).

  2. 8th–10th c.Early Ḥijāzī & Kūfic foliosawaiting curation

    Surviving leaves in Birmingham, Sanaa, Paris (BnF) and beyond.

  3. Modern printModern printawaiting curation

    The 1924 Cairo edition → today: the standard printed muṣḥaf used worldwide.

A curated chain of manuscript images for this exact āyah — roughly one per century — is coming. Help us source and verify them.

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And now — what do you think?

The text, its history and the classical commentary are laid out above. Share your own understanding, ask a question, or reason with others.

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Provenance

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