Three men trapped in cave: the hadith account

Who were the three men?

The narration calls them "three men from among those who were before you." It gives no names, no town and no era beyond that phrase. The cousin, the first man's parents and the worker are not named either.

This is a different account from the People of the Cave in Al-Kahf 18:9 to 26. The men here are unnamed figures in a hadith, and the Quranic passage is about young believers. See the People of the Cave for that account. 1

The story in four pictures

What does the narration say?

The narration is reported by 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, who heard the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, tell it. In the translation on sunnah.com, the men say to one another: "Nothing could save you from this rock but to invoke Allah by giving reference to the righteous deed which you have done" (English: sunnah.com, USC-MSA translation). 1

1. The rock closes the cave. The Prophet said that three men set out together, reached a cave at night and entered it. A big rock rolled down the mountain and closed the mouth of the cave. They said that nothing could save them except calling on Allah by a righteous deed each had done. 1
2. The first man. He had elderly parents, and he never gave milk to his household or his property before them. One day he was delayed, and came back after they had gone to sleep. He milked for them, but found them asleep. He disliked giving the milk to anyone before them, so he stood waiting with the bowl in his hand until dawn, when they woke and drank it. He asked Allah to relieve them, saying he had done this for Allah's sake. The rock shifted a little, but they still could not get out. 1
3. The second man. He desired a cousin whom he loved more than anyone, but she refused him. In a year of famine she came to him in need, and he gave her 120 dinars on condition that she yield to him. When he was about to, she said it was illegal for him to outrage her chastity except by legitimate marriage. He drew back and left her, and left the gold. He asked Allah to relieve them, saying he had done this for Allah's sake. The rock shifted a little more, but they still could not get out. 1
4. The third man. He had hired workers and paid each of them, except one who left without taking his wage. He invested that wage until it grew into much property. When the man returned and asked for his wages, he was shown the camels, cattle, sheep and slaves, which were all his. The man said not to mock him. The third man said he was not mocking him, and the worker took the whole herd and left nothing. The third man asked Allah to relieve them, saying he had done this for Allah's sake. The rock shifted completely, and they walked out. 1

Not stated in the narration: the men's names, their town, their era beyond "those who were before you," the cousin's name, and what kind of wage the worker was owed. This page does not supply them.

Where does it come from?

1AuthenticSahih al-Bukhari 2272

The record is Sahih al-Bukhari 2272 (sunnah.com/bukhari:2272), Book 37, Hadith 12. Sahih Muslim 2743a was compared with 2272 on sunnah.com (details below). Sahih al-Bukhari 2215, 2333, 3465 and 5974 have not been compared with 2272. The record gives the grade sahih for both Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim. The stored English and Arabic were read on sunnah.com on 19 October 2026. 1

Do the versions differ?

Yes, in details. Sahih Muslim 2743a differs in these ways: rain drives the men to shelter; the first man's small children cry near his feet; the second man pays 100 dinars, and the report describes the effort of collecting them; the third man plants a measure of rice, and its yield becomes cattle and herders, which he gives to the worker. The short Arabic for 100 dinars is «بِمِائَةِ دِينَارٍ» and for the rice measure «بِفَرَقِ أَرُزٍّ». This page follows Sahih al-Bukhari 2272 only, and does not mix the versions. Where you read a retelling that gives other details, check which collection and number it follows. 1

What does it teach?

• That a person can call on Allah by a righteous deed done for His sake.
• Honouring parents, shown in the first man's care for them.
• Leaving a sin he could have committed, because he thought it a sin, shown in the second man.
• Honesty about what is owed to others, shown in the third man.

Each man names the same condition: that the deed was done for Allah's sake alone. 1

What does it not mean?

• It does not name the men, the place or the era beyond "those who were before you."
• It does not support seeking help through the dead or through another person's status. Each man asks through his own deed.
• It does not praise the second man's earlier intent. The narration reports that he walked away from the sin.

For a personal question about your own situation, ask a scholar you trust.