A New Theory on Aṣḥāb al-kahf
(“The Sleepers of the Cave”)
Based on Evidence from the Dead Sea Scrolls (DSS)
By Rashid Iqbal Malik
اصحاب الکہف کے موضوع پر کی گئی جدید ترین تحقیق
نبی کریم ﷺ پر لگائے گئے علمی الزامات کا 250 سال بعد علمی جواب
محقق: راشد اقبال ملک
In 2017, An Islamic Dead Sea Scrolls scholar, Rashid Iqbal, Pakistan, published a research paper in European Research Journal. This research for the first time, employed “Five-Pronged Juxtaposing” approach, i.e. references from Dead Sea Scrolls (DSS), Second Temple Judaism, early Christian history, the history of the Roman Empire and astounding connections found in the Qurʾān. The researcher challenged existing Christian tradition while closing on two objectives, Rashid wrote, “The motive for this study was twofold. First, to provide a succinct reply to the view of Gibbon about the Qurʾān and Muḥammad, as Gibbon wrote, “Nor has their [Aṣḥāb al-kahf] reputation been confined to the Christian world. This popular tale, which Mahomet might learn when he drove his camels to the fairs of Syria, is introduced, as a divine revelation, into the Qurʾān”. Secondly, to show that there is historical evidence, in the light of the recent discovery of DSS, that this story was exploited to help Christianity expand into pagan Europe at the time”. With this approach, the entwined interests of power players of early Christianity are deeply studied and analyzed to find out facts of this tradition. Therefore, this latest research totally negates existing Christian tradition. As per the latest findings, this youth were Essenes follower of Jesus who ran from fear of Pharisees and Sadducees from 34-70 CE instead of 251 CE. Rashid Iqbal says, “Once (Seven Sleepers of the Cave) Aṣḥāb al-kahf woke up, based on the Qurʾānic timeline of 309 years, it should have been probably between 339-400 CE, just after Trinitarianism had been accepted as the Roman state religion in 381 CE. That was the time when the Pauline Christian Roman Empire required evidence of resurrection that could give them theological ascendency and convince the pagan masses who must had been perplexed in choosing this new faith. This opportunity they found with this youth miracle happening in front of them somewhere between 339 and 400 CE. Probably, Christian clergy could not mess with the cave-youths’ resurrection date but once they saw the resurrection of the Essene youth they, being empowered, linked it with Decius’ persecution of 250 CE to dominate and own it. It would have been easy for the Roman hierarchy to fit the sleeping time of this youth with Decius’ persecution of 250CE in order to fully adopt this tradition and authenticate Christianity. It is probable that because of this resurrection, the whole of the pagan Roman Empire gradually turned to Christianity. It is the application of “Five-Pronged Juxtaposing” that reveals this and takes the timeline back to where it belongs, i.e. the Essenes. This is probably the reason that Christianity got involved with Aṣḥāb al-kahf as they made St Stephen the first martyr and James the Just a saint, making them martyrs of Christianity whereas there was no gossip of Christianity (as a religion) once they sacrificed their lives. This precisely fits the fabricated desire and supplications of Theodosius I who ruled from 347–95 CE instead of Theodosius II who ruled from 401–50 CE.”
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