Jinn Qatmir

Question: May I know what or who is meant by the dog of the people of the cave? And if it was an ordinary dog, why was it mentioned more than once in this story, and sometimes in the plural form (….the fifth of them being their dog)? Please clarify. Alaa Razaq, 8/Rabi 1/1426 H

Answer: In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Intensely Merciful, and praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds.

There was an ordinary dog along with the people of the cave (pbut), but the important thing was not that dog but it’s whoever controls the dog; [who does that] is a Jinn named Qatmir (and jinns have the ability to take over the animals like cats and dogs to drive it), and this jinn, Qatmir wanted to catch their attention through this dog to his presence and his ability to help them after he believed in their call, and Qatmir is one of those jinns who have the ability to fill the hearts with terror and shake the hearts of the brave, Allah (swt) said: {and their dog stretching forth his two forelegs on the threshold: if you had come up on to them, you would have certainly turned back from them in flight, and would certainly have been filled with terror of them} (The Holy Qur’an Surat Al-Kahf (18):18).

And the one who was filling the hearts of whoever approaches them with fear was this Jinn Qatmir who was guarding them. And Qatmir is one of the ansar (followers) of al-Qa’im (pbuh).

The Enlightening Answer across the Ether – volume 1, question 5

Ahmed Alhasan (a.s)