Does the saying of Allah Almighty, "And they remained in their cave three hundred years and added nine," refer to what those who differed about the people of the cave said, rather than to the truth, as in His saying, "They will say there were three, their dog being the fourth, and they will say there were five, their dog being the sixth — guessing at the unseen; and they will say there were seven, their dog being the eighth. Say, 'My Lord is most knowing of their number; none knows them except a few.' So do not argue about them except with an obvious argumentation, and do not inquire about them among [the people of the Book] from anyone"?
Source: FtawySummarized from the full answer at Ftawy · imported Sep 2, 2026
The questioner mentioned a possibility that it is a saying of the people of knowledge, but the preponderant opinion is that it is from the words of Allah Almighty, and that the period the People of the Cave remained was 300 lunar years, with an increase of 9 years, meaning 309 years, which is 300 solar years. As for the claim that it is a saying of the People of the Book, Allah refuted it by saying: "Say, 'Allah is most knowing of how long they remained.'"
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · imported
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