The Story of the People of Al-Kahf Here Allah tells us about the story of the people of Al-Kahf in brief and general terms, then Heexplains it in more detail. He says

أَمْ حَسِبْتَ

(Do you think) -- O Muhammad --

Lexical Explanation

Kahf is a large mountainous cave or cavern. If not large, it will be a ghar. The word: الرَّ‌قِيمِ (al-Raqim) literally denotes: اَلمَرقُوم (al-marqum) that is, something written. What does it mean at this place? The sayings of commentators differ about it. Dahhak, Sudiyy and Ibn Jubayr following the authority of Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn ` Abbas ؓ declare it to mean a written tablet on which the ruler of the time had inscribed the names of the People of Kahf and had it fixed on the entrance to the Cave. For this reason, the People of Kahf are also called the People of al-Raqim (the inscribed ones). Qatadah, ` Atiyyah, ` Awfi and Mujhid have said that Raqim is the name of the valley adjoining the mountain in which the hollow cavern of the People of Kahf was located. Some others have identified this mountain itself as the Raqim. ` Ikrimah says, "I have heard Sayyidna ibn ` Abbas رضی اللہ تعالیٰ عنہما saying - I do not know whether Raqim is the name of some inscribed tablet or some town." Ka'b al-Alahbar and Wahb ibn Munabbih report from Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ that Raqim is the name of a town near Ailah, that is, 'Aqabah, situated in the kingdom of the Romans.