rāqid (one who is asleep), just as qāʿid (one who sits) has the plural quʿūd (those who sit). Their state seemed ambiguous only because their eyes were open (1): they were breathing, yet they did not speak.

“And We turned them over to the right and to the left”: at one time onto their right side and at another onto their left. Ibn ‘Abbas said: They were turned once a year from one side to the other, so that the earth would not consume their flesh. It was also said that they were turned over on the Day of ‘Ashura’. Abu Hurayrah said: They were turned twice every year.

“And their dog lay with its forelegs stretched out at the entrance”: Most Quran commentators held that it was an actual dog.

It was related from Ibn Jurayj that it was a lion, and that a lion may be called a dog. For the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, supplicated against ‘Utbah ibn Abi Lahab, saying: “O Allah, set one of Your dogs upon him,” and a lion devoured him. (2)

The first view is more correct. (3)

Ibn ‘Abbas said: It was a dog with a white blaze. Another report from him states that it was larger than a Qalati dog (4) but smaller than a Kurdish dog [and a Qalati is a Chinese dog]. (5)

Muqatil said: It was yellow. Al-Qurazi said: Its yellow coloring was so intense that it tended toward red. Al-Kalbi said: Its color was like that of the khulanj plant; and it was also said: the color of stone.

Ibn ‘Abbas said: Its name was Qitmir. It is reported from ‘Ali that its name was Rayyan. Al-Awza‘i said: Bitur. Al-Suddi said: Taur. Ka‘b said: Suhaylah. (7)

Khalid ibn Ma‘dan said: There will be no animal in Paradise except the dog of the Companions of the Cave and Balaam’s donkey.

Regarding His saying, “at the entrance”: Mujahid and Al-Dahhak said: “The entrance” means the courtyard of the cave. ‘Ata’ said: “The entrance” means the threshold of the door. Al-Suddi said: “The entrance” means the door; this is also the narration of ‘Ikrimah from Ibn ‘Abbas.

If it is asked: The cave had neither a door nor a threshold, so how can this be understood?

The answer is that it means the place where the door and threshold would have been. The dog had stretched out its forelegs and was facing them.

Al-Suddi said: Whenever the Companions of the Cave turned over, the dog turned with them. When they turned to the right, the dog folded its right ear and lay upon it; and when they turned to the left, it folded its left ear and lay upon it.