Surah Al-Kahf 18:9

أَمْ حَسِبْتَ أَنَّ أَصْحَابَ الْكَهْفِ وَالرَّقِيمِ كَانُوا مِنْ آيَاتِنَا عَجَبًا

18:9 Kahf کھفliterally indicates the end of the land or at the border of the land (Lisân). The English word “cape” is likely derived from it. Verse 18:17 suggests that this particular place was in the north. Raqîm الرَّقِيمِ is an inscription or something that is written. Some fantastic stories and legends have been woven around the People of Refuge (Ashâb al-Kahf أَصْحَابَ الْكَهْفِ) and the People of Inscription (Ashâb al-Raqîmأَصْحَابَ الرَّقِيم). This verse however does not depict these people as strange individuals. The early Christians were the true believers in Allâh and for that reason suffered persecution and had to hide themselves from their persecutors. The “People of the Place of Refuge” (Ashâb al-Kahf) and the “People of the Inscription” (Ashâb al-Raqîm) represent the two most prominent aspects of the Christian religion. It began as a persecuted faith and in years of hardship and will end by becoming a religion of engrossment in worldly affairs, a religion of business and trade in a world of writings, inscriptions and propaganda. The word Ba‘athnâبَعَثْنَاهُمْ in verse 18:12 indicates their rising to another state, the state as the People of Inscription (Ashâb al-Raqîm).Am Hasibatأَمْ حَسِبْتَ means, “Do you think?”, “Do you wonder?”, “Do you imagine?”, “Do you reckon?”, or “Do you calculate?” The expression of wonder in form of a question tells us that these people were not the only signs and wonders of Allâh, there were countless others.