* The story of the Companions of the Cave is also known in the Christian tradition as the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus. This was a group of believing Christian youths who hid inside a cave outside the city of Ephesus around 250 AD. They fled to Allah, protecting their faith and seeking refuge from their king (the Roman emperor) named Daqyanus (Decius). The pious youths slept for 300 solar years, which equates to 309 lunar years. It is one of the most evident examples of non-prophetic miracles (karamat) in the Qur’an.
* It may be 300 years, according to the Gregorian Calendar, which equals 309 years of the Islamic Lunar Calendar.
* In Arabic, the word ‘al-nutfa’ is mentioned, and it refers to a zygote, which is a mixture of male and female gametes. It is the new single cell formed after the union of a sperm and ovum.
* The word ‘al-Walaya’, in common usage, designates a state of friendship, attachment and protection. In contrast, ‘al-Wilaya’ denotes a spiritual or political authority or guardianship, which comes from one’s relationship with a higher authority.
* This spring of murky hot water is possibly a reference to the black sea.