First and Last 10 Verses of Surah Al-Kahf: Meaning and the Dajjal
The first ten (18:1–10) and last ten (18:101–110) verses of Surah Al-Kahf in Arabic with English meaning, what they say, and the hadith in Sahih Muslim about protection from the Dajjal.
Last updated: 2026-10-09
Surah Al-Kahf (18) has 110 ayahs and is read by many Muslims every Friday. Two parts of it carry a special mention in hadith: its first ten verses and its last ten. This page shows both passages from the verified text with their English meaning, explains what they say, and sets out what the hadith actually report.
What the hadith say
Abu ad-Darda reported that the Prophet said that whoever memorises ten verses from the beginning of Surah Al-Kahf will be protected from the Dajjal (the false messiah, or Antichrist) — Sahih Muslim. Sahih Muslim also records a narration of the same hadith that says “from the end of Surah Al-Kahf”. In the long hadith of an-Nawwas ibn Sam’an, also in Sahih Muslim, the Prophet told anyone who meets the Dajjal to recite the opening verses of Al-Kahf over him. Because both the beginning and the end are mentioned, many people memorise both passages.
The first 10 verses (18:1–10)
ٱلۡحَمۡدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِيٓ أَنزَلَ عَلَىٰ عَبۡدِهِ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ وَلَمۡ يَجۡعَل لَّهُۥ عِوَجَاۜ ١ قَيِّمࣰا لِّيُنذِرَ بَأۡسࣰا شَدِيدࣰا مِّن لَّدُنۡهُ وَيُبَشِّرَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَعۡمَلُونَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَٰتِ أَنَّ لَهُمۡ أَجۡرًا حَسَنࣰا ٢ مَّـٰكِثِينَ فِيهِ أَبَدࣰا ٣ وَيُنذِرَ ٱلَّذِينَ قَالُواْ ٱتَّخَذَ ٱللَّهُ وَلَدࣰا ٤ مَّا لَهُم بِهِۦ مِنۡ عِلۡمࣲ وَلَا لِأٓبَآئِهِمۡۚ كَبُرَتۡ كَلِمَةࣰ تَخۡرُجُ مِنۡ أَفۡوَٰهِهِمۡۚ إِن يَقُولُونَ إِلَّا كَذِبࣰا ٥ فَلَعَلَّكَ بَٰخِعࣱ نَّفۡسَكَ عَلَىٰٓ ءَاثَٰرِهِمۡ إِن لَّمۡ يُؤۡمِنُواْ بِهَٰذَا ٱلۡحَدِيثِ أَسَفًا ٦ إِنَّا جَعَلۡنَا مَا عَلَى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ زِينَةࣰ لَّهَا لِنَبۡلُوَهُمۡ أَيُّهُمۡ أَحۡسَنُ عَمَلࣰا ٧ وَإِنَّا لَجَٰعِلُونَ مَا عَلَيۡهَا صَعِيدࣰا جُرُزًا ٨ أَمۡ حَسِبۡتَ أَنَّ أَصۡحَٰبَ ٱلۡكَهۡفِ وَٱلرَّقِيمِ كَانُواْ مِنۡ ءَايَٰتِنَا عَجَبًا ٩ إِذۡ أَوَى ٱلۡفِتۡيَةُ إِلَى ٱلۡكَهۡفِ فَقَالُواْ رَبَّنَآ ءَاتِنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحۡمَةࣰ وَهَيِّئۡ لَنَا مِنۡ أَمۡرِنَا رَشَدࣰا ١٠ 18:1[All] praise is [due] to Allah, who has sent down upon His Servant the Book and has not made therein any deviance
18:2[He has made it] straight, to warn of severe punishment from Him and to give good tidings to the believers who do righteous deeds that they will have a good reward
18:3In which they will remain forever
18:4And to warn those who say, "Allah has taken a son
18:5They have no knowledge of it, nor had their fathers. Grave is the word that comes out of their mouths; they speak not except a lie
18:6Then perhaps you would kill yourself through grief over them, [O Muhammad], if they do not believe in this message, [and] out of sorrow
18:7Indeed, We have made that which is on the earth adornment for it that We may test them [as to] which of them is best in deed
18:8And indeed, We will make that which is upon it [into] a barren ground
18:9Or have you thought that the companions of the cave and the inscription were, among Our signs, a wonder
18:10[Mention] when the youths retreated to the cave and said, "Our Lord, grant us from Yourself mercy and prepare for us from our affair right guidance
The surah opens by praising God for sending down the Book without any crookedness, as a warning of severe punishment and good news for those who believe and do good. It then warns those who claim that God has taken a son, consoles the Prophet in his grief over people who turn away, and reminds that what is on earth is an adornment by which people are tested — and will one day be bare ground. The tenth ayah introduces the first story: the young men who took refuge in the cave and prayed for mercy and right guidance.
Scholars have linked these themes to the Dajjal’s trial: a false claim to divinity, a world full of attractions, and a small group of young believers who hold on to their faith and seek God’s protection.
The last 10 verses (18:101–110)
ٱلَّذِينَ كَانَتۡ أَعۡيُنُهُمۡ فِي غِطَآءٍ عَن ذِكۡرِي وَكَانُواْ لَا يَسۡتَطِيعُونَ سَمۡعًا ١٠١ أَفَحَسِبَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓاْ أَن يَتَّخِذُواْ عِبَادِي مِن دُونِيٓ أَوۡلِيَآءَۚ إِنَّآ أَعۡتَدۡنَا جَهَنَّمَ لِلۡكَٰفِرِينَ نُزُلࣰا ١٠٢ قُلۡ هَلۡ نُنَبِّئُكُم بِٱلۡأَخۡسَرِينَ أَعۡمَٰلًا ١٠٣ ٱلَّذِينَ ضَلَّ سَعۡيُهُمۡ فِي ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَا وَهُمۡ يَحۡسَبُونَ أَنَّهُمۡ يُحۡسِنُونَ صُنۡعًا ١٠٤ أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ بِـَٔايَٰتِ رَبِّهِمۡ وَلِقَآئِهِۦ فَحَبِطَتۡ أَعۡمَٰلُهُمۡ فَلَا نُقِيمُ لَهُمۡ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ وَزۡنࣰا ١٠٥ ذَٰلِكَ جَزَآؤُهُمۡ جَهَنَّمُ بِمَا كَفَرُواْ وَٱتَّخَذُوٓاْ ءَايَٰتِي وَرُسُلِي هُزُوًا ١٠٦ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَٰتِ كَانَتۡ لَهُمۡ جَنَّـٰتُ ٱلۡفِرۡدَوۡسِ نُزُلًا ١٠٧ خَٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا لَا يَبۡغُونَ عَنۡهَا حِوَلࣰا ١٠٨ قُل لَّوۡ كَانَ ٱلۡبَحۡرُ مِدَادࣰا لِّكَلِمَٰتِ رَبِّي لَنَفِدَ ٱلۡبَحۡرُ قَبۡلَ أَن تَنفَدَ كَلِمَٰتُ رَبِّي وَلَوۡ جِئۡنَا بِمِثۡلِهِۦ مَدَدࣰا ١٠٩ قُلۡ إِنَّمَآ أَنَا۠ بَشَرࣱ مِّثۡلُكُمۡ يُوحَىٰٓ إِلَيَّ أَنَّمَآ إِلَٰهُكُمۡ إِلَٰهࣱ وَٰحِدࣱۖ فَمَن كَانَ يَرۡجُواْ لِقَآءَ رَبِّهِۦ فَلۡيَعۡمَلۡ عَمَلࣰا صَٰلِحࣰا وَلَا يُشۡرِكۡ بِعِبَادَةِ رَبِّهِۦٓ أَحَدَۢا ١١٠ 18:101Those whose eyes had been within a cover [removed] from My remembrance, and they were not able to hear
18:102Then do those who disbelieve think that they can take My servants instead of Me as allies? Indeed, We have prepared Hell for the disbelievers as a lodging
18:103Say, [O Muhammad], "Shall we [believers] inform you of the greatest losers as to [their] deeds
18:104[They are] those whose effort is lost in worldly life, while they think that they are doing well in work
18:105Those are the ones who disbelieve in the verses of their Lord and in [their] meeting Him, so their deeds have become worthless; and We will not assign to them on the Day of Resurrection any importance
18:106That is their recompense - Hell - for what they denied and [because] they took My signs and My messengers in ridicule
18:107Indeed, those who have believed and done righteous deeds - they will have the Gardens of Paradise as a lodging
18:108Wherein they abide eternally. They will not desire from it any transfer
18:109Say, "If the sea were ink for [writing] the words of my Lord, the sea would be exhausted before the words of my Lord were exhausted, even if We brought the like of it as a supplement
18:110Say, "I am only a man like you, to whom has been revealed that your god is one God. So whoever would hope for the meeting with his Lord - let him do righteous work and not associate in the worship of his Lord anyone
The ending describes those whose eyes were veiled from God’s remembrance and whose efforts were lost in this life while they thought they were doing well. It contrasts them with the believers who do righteous deeds, promised the gardens of Paradise. Then come two of the best-known ayahs of the Quran: if the sea were ink for the words of God, it would run dry before His words were exhausted (18:109), and the final ayah — the Prophet is a human being to whom revelation comes, and whoever hopes to meet his Lord should do righteous work and associate no one with Him in worship (18:110).
How to memorise them
- Start with the first ten. Learn two or three ayahs a day, listening to one reciter so the rhythm stays the same.
- Recite what you know in your prayers — repetition in prayer fixes memorisation better than reading alone.
- Once the first ten are solid, add the last ten the same way.
- Review both passages every Friday when you read the whole surah.
More tips: how to memorise the Quran. For the four stories of the surah, see the Surah Al-Kahf summary. You can also make a video of these ayahs to help you listen and repeat.
Frequently asked questions
- Which are the first 10 verses of Surah Al-Kahf?
- Ayahs 1 to 10 of Surah Al-Kahf (surah 18): from the opening praise of God for revealing the Book to the prayer of the young men in the cave.
- Which are the last 10 verses of Surah Al-Kahf?
- Ayahs 101 to 110, the end of the surah. Al-Kahf has 110 ayahs.
- Why memorise the first ten verses of Al-Kahf?
- Sahih Muslim reports that whoever memorises ten verses from the beginning of Surah Al-Kahf will be protected from the Dajjal. Another narration in the same collection says from the end of the surah.
This article explains common understanding and history for general readers; it is not a religious ruling. For questions of practice, consult a qualified scholar. See the disclaimer.
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