Surah Al Kahf Tafseer

The Rebellion of the Disbelievers

Allah tells:

وَمَا مَنَعَ النَّاسَ أَن يُوْمِنُوا إِذْ جَاءهُمُ الْهُدَى وَيَسْتَغْفِرُوا رَبَّهُمْ

And nothing prevents men from believing, while the guidance has come to them, and from asking forgiveness of their Lord,

Allah tells us about the rebellion of the disbelievers in ancient times and in more recent times, and how they rejected the obvious truth even when they witnessed clear signs and proofs. Nothing stopped them from following the truth except their demand to witness with their own eyes the punishment which they were being warned about. As some of them said to their Prophet:

فَأَسْقِطْ عَلَيْنَا كِسَفاً مِّنَ السَّمَأءِ إِن كُنتَ مِنَ الصَّـدِقِينَ

So cause a piece of the heaven to fall on us, if you are of the truthful! (26:187)

Others said:

ايْتِنَا بِعَذَابِ اللَّهِ إِن كُنتَ مِنَ الصَّـدِقِينَ

Bring Allah's torment upon us if you are one of the truthful. (29:29)

The Quraysh said:

اللَّهُمَّ إِن كَانَ هَـذَا هُوَ الْحَقَّ مِنْ عِندِكَ فَأَمْطِرْ عَلَيْنَا حِجَارَةً مِّنَ السَّمَأءِ أَوِ ايْتِنَا بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ

O Allah! If this is indeed the truth from You, then rain down stones on us from the sky or bring upon us a painful torment. (8:32)

وَقَالُواْ يأَيُّهَا الَّذِى نُزِّلَ عَلَيْهِ الذِّكْرُ إِنَّكَ لَمَجْنُونٌ

لَّوْ مَا تَأْتِينَا بِالْمَلَـيِكَةِ إِن كُنتَ مِنَ الصَّـدِقِينَ

And they say:"O you to whom the Reminder has been sent down! Verily, you are a mad man! Why do you not bring angels to us if you are of the truthful!" (15:6-7)

There are other Ayat referring to the same thing.

Then Allah says:

إِلاَّ أَن تَأْتِيَهُمْ سُنَّةُ الاَْوَّلِينَ

except that the ways of the ancients be repeated with them,

meaning, their overwhelming punishment, destroying every last one of them.

أَوْ يَأْتِيَهُمُ الْعَذَابُ قُبُلً

or the torment be brought to them face to face.

they see it with their own eyes, being directly confronted with it.

Then Allah says