“Do you think that the People of the Cave and the Inscription were one of Our wondrous signs? When those youths sought refuge in the Cave and said: ‘Our Lord! Grant us mercy from Yourself and provide for us rectitude in our affairs’. We lulled them to sleep in that cave for a number of years and then awakened them so that We might see which of the two parties could best tell the length of their stay. We narrate to you their story. They were a party of young men who had faith in their Lord, and We increased them in guidance.”
(Al-Qur’ān – 18:9-13)
These ayahs refer to the story of the People of the Cave. While the disciples of Jesus Christ were persecuted during the rule of Decius, the seven youths of Ephesus retired to the cave and finally woke up in the 38th year of the Emperor Theodosius, at a time when the entire Roman Empire had already embraced Christianity. God made them sleep there in the cave for a number of years. Opinions differ on the period of their stay in the cave.
In a later ayah, the Qur’ān refers to the varying opinions that they remained in the cave for 300 or 309 years. And in the very next ayahAllah’s Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) was asked to say that God knows best how long they actually remained in the cave.
When these youths became sincere men of faith, God enhanced their guidance and enabled them to adhere to the truth.