إِنَّهُم إِن يَظهَروا عَلَيكُم يَرجُموكُم أَو يُعيدوكُم في مِلَّتِهِم وَلَن تُفلِحوا إِذًا أَبَدًا

Indeed should they prevail over you, they will [either] stone you [to death], or force you back into their creed, and then you will never be saved.’

EXEGESIS

Yaẓharū ʿalaykum: the original meaning of ẓahr is said to be the surface of the earth. Since that is usually something which is easily seen, it is then used for coming upon something and becoming aware of it.^{‎[1]Alusi, 8/220.} Hence, it should mean that they come to know who you are and where you are hiding.^{‎[2]Tabrisi, 6/706; Razi, 21/446; Muhit, 7/157; Mizan, 13/261.} It can also have the meaning of overcoming, like in the verse, and they became the dominant ones (ẓāhirīn) (61:14),^{‎[3]Razi, 21/446.} perhaps intending that if they were caught, they would be overcome by their enemies.

Yarjumūkum (they will stone you) literally means to be pelted with stones.^{‎[4]Raghib, p. 345.} As for what it means in this context, the scholars are somewhat divided. Some have said it means to be killed by stoning,^{‎[5]Tibyan, 7/24; Tabrisi, 6/706; Zamakhshari, 2/711; Qurtubi, 10/375; Mizan, 13/261.} or killed in general,^{‎[6]Razi, 21/446.} others that they will ‘pelt you with their tongues and words’, that is, disparage and denigrate you.^{‎[7]Tibyan, 7/24; Tabrisi, 6/706; Tabari, 15/149; Thalabi, 6/162.}

Millah means religion, referring to everything it includes as a whole,^{‎[8]Lisan, 11/631.} such as the creed (millah) of Abraham (3:95). Being forced back into the creed of their people is to be forced to return to idol worship.^{‎[9]Tibyan, 7/24.}

Tufliḥū (saved) is from falāḥ, which means to reach one’s objectives, or succeed. It can mean both worldly success and success in the hereafter.^{‎[10]Raghib, p. 644.} It could here mean that you will never enter paradise,^{‎[11]Tabari, 15/149.} or in a more general sense will not reach any kind of good.^{‎[12]Tibyan, 7/24; Tabrisi, 6/706; Razi, 21/446.}

EXPOSITION

In this verse the speaker from amongst the People of the Cave explains why he is urging the one going to the city that he should be careful and deliberate in his movements, so as not to be discovered.

Indeed should they prevail over you: that is, should they come to know who he truly is, or alternatively should they capture them and overcome them.

They will [either] stone you [to death]: he would in that case face a terrible punishment and meet a grisly end. They feared that they would be killed, apparently by stoning, which is why they had fled the city in the first place,^{‎[13]Qurtubi, 10/375.} as they knew that when they refused the imperial edict of sacrificing to the idols and revealing their faith they would be condemned to torture and gruesome execution, if they would not recant their faith.

It seems that in the city in which they lived such persecution based on faith was something that involved more than just the authorities. Stoning is one such form of capital punishment, which involves the general public too. Relating this worry of theirs conveys to the reader how the society as a whole was involved in this persecution.^{‎[14]Mizan, 13/261.}

Or force you back into their creed: at face value this insinuates that they were idolaters before. Some have argued that ʿawd (going back) can also have the meaning of starting to do something for the first time,^{‎[15]Zamakhshari, 2/711; Muhit, 7/157; Mizan, 13/262. Tabatabai argues that this is why the preposition fī is used instead of ilā. This is not beyond dispute though, see for example the verse, Then He makes you return to it (yuʿīdukum fīhā) (71:18).} but this is a less obvious usage of the term. It should be kept in mind that the People of the Cave were by all accounts young, and it is only reasonable to deduce that they were raised as idolaters and should have participated in those rituals. When they came to maturity and were capable of thinking for themselves, they rejected polytheism and idol worship and dedicated themselves to worshiping one God and the teachings of Prophet Jesus (a). Hence, them fearing being forced back into that lifestyle is a perfectly reasonable statement.

The other option is that by this they mean they would have been forcefully returned to dissimulation (taqiyyah), something which they hated very much, as they greatly desired to engage in their worship and not to have to pretend to be idolaters.

And then you will never be saved: if they break under the torture or are convinced by the pressure from society and decide to abandon their faith, then they will never find success in this world or the next. Seeing as they had stood up and announced their faith in front of the people and authorities, and criticised the faith of the polytheists, declaring it to be an atrocious lie (verse 14), we cannot imagine that their people would let them simply claim that they had recanted their faith and leave the matter at that. They would certainly punish them and watch them extremely closely, forcing them to participate in every single ritual of the idolaters and carefully analysing their actions and statements.^{‎[16]Mizan, 13/261-262.}

However, even all of this would of course be allowed under taqiyyah (dissimulation),^{‎[17]See the commentary on verses 16:106 and 3:28.} which was apparently not an option in their minds. Perhaps it was the exuberance of youth, but it seems that when earlier they were faced with the choice of sacrificing to the idols or declaring their faith, they decided to declare their faith and wished no longer to ever hide it again. Perhaps leading up to that event or after it they had made a pact among themselves or decided together that they would never again hide their faith and submit to idolatry. In any case, the apparent meaning of their statement is that a return to taqiyyah was not an option that they were willing to consider. They had decided to declare their faith and refused to recant it or hide it anymore.

Most likely though, they feared that under pain of torture they would be forced to publicly recant their faith, to disavow God, and declare fealty in front of all to the idols and the emperor. If they did so this would nullify the effect that they wished their public declaration of faith to have. Their plan would not succeed and reach falāḥ in that case, and they would not succeed themselves in the way that they wished. Although we know God had a different plan for them.  

INSIGHTS FROM HADITH

1. From Hishām ibn Sālim, that Imam al-Ṣādiq (a) said: ‘The example of Abū Ṭālib is like the example of the People of the Cave; they hid their faith and displayed idolatry. Because of that God gave them double the reward.’^{‎[18]Kafi, 1/448.}
2. From Durust al-Wāsiṭī, that Imam al-Ṣādiq (a) said: ‘None of you has done taqiyyah like the People of the Cave did; they took part in the celebrations and wore the emblems of idolatry (zanānīr),^{‎[19]This was what people of other faiths usually wore which distinguished them from Muslims. Here it is used as a sign of idolatry.} because of that God gave them double the reward.’^{‎[20]Kafi, 2/218; Ayyashi, 2/323.}
3. From ʿUbayd-Allāh ibn Yaḥyā, that Imam al-Ṣādiq (a) said regarding the People of the Cave: ‘If your people imposed on you what their people imposed on them …’ He was then asked: ‘What did their people impose on them?’ ‘They imposed on them ascribing partners to God, the most great. And so they displayed shirk to them and hid their faith, until help came to them.’^{‎[21]Ayyashi, 2/323.}

These reports clarify that the People of the Cave were indeed doing taqiyyah and because of that they were rewarded twice: one reward for believing, and another for doing taqiyyah. The narrations remind the Shias living at the time of the Imam of the purpose and importance of taqiyyah. It is meant to preserve the faith and religion so that the purpose of religion may be better served at an opportune time. The People of the Cave hid their faith, yet when they saw an opportune moment to reveal it and shake the emperor and his court they did so. The comparison to Abū Ṭālib is apt, as he too hid his faith to serve the purpose of protecting the Holy Prophet.

REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE

There has been some discussion amongst the scholars regarding the apparent contradiction of this verse with the concept of taqiyyah (dissimulation, or hiding one’s faith). They will force you back into their creed, and then you will never be saved implies that if they recant their faith – even based on taqiyyah – they will have committed a grave sin. However, we know through reason and revelation that taqiyyah is allowed and there are many historical examples of it in the Quran. Several solutions have thus been proposed:

1. Taqiyyah was not allowed in that time. However, there is no evidence for that, and it is in fact contrary to the evidence at hand.
2. They would slowly be returned to disbelief, because while they pretended to be idolaters, the Devil would whisper to them and they would listen.^{‎[22]Alusi, 8/220, subscribes to this understanding.} Alternatively, the idolaters would, through friendship and kindness, bring them back. This latter is contradictory to the context of the verses.
3. They had already escaped the clutches of the idolaters and thus if they by their own actions once again put themselves in harm’s way, they would have been blameworthy for it. It is like a person jumping out of a plane. Yes, once he has jumped, he no longer has a choice about falling down, however he is to blame for putting himself in that situation. The youths were already in the safety of the cave, when going back they should not let others know who they are and where they are hiding, as that would be deliberately putting themselves in harm’s way.^{‎[23]Mizan, 13/262-263. Tabatabai prefers this option.}
4. They are saying they have two options: either be killed or return to pretending the faith of the idolaters. In other words, either choose death (and the path of guidance), or life (and the path of idolatry).^{‎[24]Fadlallah, 14/296.} In this sense the issue of taqiyyah is not being considered, but rather they were looking at the paths available: death or a lifestyle of idolatry.

According to what has been discussed, a better answer is that doing taqiyyah is not always allowed, for example in situations where it endangers the lives of others. In their case, going back to idolatry would have nullified all their efforts and would have endangered the faith of other people who were inspired by them.

[1] Alusi, 8/220.
[2] Tabrisi, 6/706; Razi, 21/446; Muhit, 7/157; Mizan, 13/261.
[3] Razi, 21/446.
[4] Raghib, p. 345.
[5] Tibyan, 7/24; Tabrisi, 6/706; Zamakhshari, 2/711; Qurtubi, 10/375; Mizan, 13/261.
[6] Razi, 21/446.
[7] Tibyan, 7/24; Tabrisi, 6/706; Tabari, 15/149; Thalabi, 6/162.
[8] Lisan, 11/631.
[9] Tibyan, 7/24.
[10] Raghib, p. 644.
[11] Tabari, 15/149.
[12] Tibyan, 7/24; Tabrisi, 6/706; Razi, 21/446.
[13] Qurtubi, 10/375.
[14] Mizan, 13/261.
[15] Zamakhshari, 2/711; Muhit, 7/157; Mizan, 13/262. Tabatabai argues that this is why the preposition fī is used instead of ilā. This is not beyond dispute though, see for example the verse, Then He makes you return to it (yuʿīdukum fīhā) (71:18).
[16] Mizan, 13/261-262.
[17] See the commentary on verses 16:106 and 3:28.
[18] Kafi, 1/448.
[19] This was what people of other faiths usually wore which distinguished them from Muslims. Here it is used as a sign of idolatry.
[20] Kafi, 2/218; Ayyashi, 2/323.
[21] Ayyashi, 2/323.
[22] Alusi, 8/220, subscribes to this understanding.
[23] Mizan, 13/262-263. Tabatabai prefers this option.
[24] Fadlallah, 14/296.