“Guarding the Cave”: Shi‘i Devotion and the Symbolic Legacy of Sūrat al- Kahf in Shi‘a Funerary Inscriptions

ABSTRACT: Biographical accounts of certain Shi‘ite figures have report that out of devotion to the Shi‘ite Imams, some of these figures had requested to be interred in proximity to the shrines of the Imams and have a portion of verse 18 from Sūrat al-Kahf inscribed on their tombstones. This verse references the “Dog of the Companions of the Cave,” who is depicted in Qur’anic and broader Islamic narratives as guarding the entrance to the cave and ultimately becoming part of the sacred group. The inscription of this verse on tombstones appears to signify a symbolic spiritual association between the deceased and the Imams that express a historically meaningful expression of piety. This study seeks to investigate the historical origins and development of reports concerning the inscription of this Qur’anic verse on the tombstones of Shi‘ite figures. It poses the central research question: What is the historical context and narratological background of the use of this verse on Shi‘ite tombstones as conveyed through Islamic historiographical sources? The findings suggest that the narrative in question primarily derives from textual sources composed after the 7th century AH (13th century CE). Furthermore, the analysis proposes the potential influence of non-Shi‘ite traditions, particularly Sufi literature on the emergence and dissemination of this motif.