And when he completed this upbringing during the story and concluded it with the guidance for the most rightly guided, and the knowledge of the duration of their stay was more precise and hidden than the knowledge of their number, he began to complete it, clarifying this hidden aspect. He referred to his saying, "Your Lord knows best what you have stayed" [Al-Kahf: 19] or to "So take refuge in it," which was guided by their saying: "So take refuge in the cave" [Al-Kahf: 16], as previously mentioned. This is concluded with the spreading of mercy and the preparation of provision after His saying, "When the youth took refuge" [Al-Kahf: 10], which is concluded with their saying, "And prepare for us in our affair a right course" [Al-Kahf: 10]. He said, clarifying the ambiguity of "a number of years" [Al-Kahf: 11], affirming His saying, "Say, Allah knows best what they stayed" [Al-Kahf: 26]. "And they stayed in their cave" sleeping for "three" [i.e.,] a duration of three "hundred years" solar years according to the reckoning of the Jews who were asking this question. He expressed it with the term 'year' as a reference to its blame due to the elevation of the people of disbelief and their tyranny, which necessitated the fear of the truthful ones and their migration, even though there was abundance in vegetation and plenty in provision during it. This indicates the overwhelming nature of disbelief during the duration of their sleep.

And since those who directly posed the question were the Arabs, he said: "And they increased by nine" [i.e.,] from the lunar years if all is calculated by the lunar reckoning, because the difference between the solar year and the lunar year is ten days and one hour and five minutes, as previously mentioned in the verse of the Nasi. So, if the increase of the lunar years is calculated over the three hundred solar years considering the reduction of its days, it would be nine years. It seems that the duration of their stay was less than that or more according to the Jews. He said in response to the question of whoever says: 'If someone says otherwise, what is to be said to him?'