18.1
ʿAbd al-Razzāq, on the authority of Maʿmar, who said: Ismāʿīl ibn Sharūs related to me on the authority of Wahb ibn Munabbih, who said:
18.2
One of the Apostles of Jesus, the son of Mary, came to the city of the Companions of the Cave. He desired to enter the city, but was told that an idol stood at its gate and that none could enter without prostrating before it. Wishing, therefore, not to enter the city gate, he traveled to a bathhouse nearby. He worked there and earned his living from the owner of the bathhouse. When the owner of the bathhouse saw the blessing and profit in his bathhouse, he handed its management over to the Apostle and entrusted its affairs to him. A number of the youths had become devoted to the Apostle, and he began teaching them about all that the heavens and the earth contained and about the world to come. With time, they came to have faith and believed his message so that, like the Apostle, they became beautiful to behold. The Apostle would also stipulate to the owner of the bathhouse, “The evening belongs to me, so do not come between me and my prayers when the time for prayer approaches.”
18.3
Things continued thus until the prince brought a woman to take with him inside the bathhouse. The Apostle rebuked him, saying, “You are the king’s son, and and you dare take this sort of girl inside with you?” The two were ashamed, and the prince went on his way. Then the prince returned another time, but even though the Apostle spoke to him as before, cursing him and trying to chase him off, the prince paid no heed and entered the bathhouse, and the woman entered with him. They spent the night in the bathhouse and died there. The king came and someone said, “The owner of the bathhouse has killed your son!” They searched but could not find him, for he had fled. The king asked, “Who were his companions?” and they named the youths. Now, the youths had left the city and come across one of their companions at a field he owned, and he was a man of faith like them. They told him that they were being pursued by the king, so he set out with them along with his dog, and eventually they took shelter in a cave for the evening. They entered the cave and said, “We’ll pass the night until morning comes, God willing. Then we’ll discuss what to do.” God then caused their ears to be sealed. The king set out with his aides to pursue them, and eventually he found them. They entered the cave, but whenever one of their men wanted to go farther in he would be filled with terror, so that none could bear to enter.
Someone then said to the king, “Didn’t you say, ‘If I can capture them, I’ll kill them’?”
“Yes,” he replied.
“Then block the mouth of the cave and leave them,” said the man, “and they’ll die of hunger and thirst.”
Thus did the king act, and the eras passed.
18.4
One day, a shepherd with his flock was caught out in the rain and came to the cave. “If only I could open this cave and shelter my sheep from the rain!” he exclaimed. The shepherd fumbled about at the mouth of cave, and he eventually opened it up for his sheep and sheltered them in it. The next day, God restored the souls of the youths to their bodies. When they awoke that morning, they sent one of their number with some silver coins to buy some food for them. When he came to the city gate, no one to whom he offered the silver pieces would accept them, until eventually he approached a man and said, “Sell me this food for these silver pieces.”
“Where did you get these silvers?” the man replied.
“My companions and I left the city only yesterday,” he answered, “and found shelter for the night, and when we woke up this morning, they sent me here.”
“But these silvers are from the reign of King So-and-so! How did you ever come to possess these silvers?” the man replied.
He then took the matter to the king, a righteous man, who said, “Where did you obtain these silver pieces?”
“My companions and I left the city just yesterday,” he answered, “and eventually we reached such-and-such cave in the evening. After that, my companions told me to buy some food for them.”
“Where are these companions of yours?” the king inquired.
“In the cave!” he answered.
So the king set out with him and eventually came to the mouth of the cave. The youth said, “Allow me to go in after my companions before you do.” When his companions saw him and he had drawn near, God caused their ears to be sealed with sleep. Though the king and his men wanted to enter to see them, whenever a man would enter he would be overcome with fear, so they were unable to follow after them. Thus, they built a church where they rested and built a mosque to pray there.