462. Is it possible to sleep continuously for several years together?

These verses (18:11to18:18) of the Quran narrate a history of great wonder. Before the days of Prophet Muhammad a few youths belonging to a group, were very steadfast in their ideology of monotheism. They were despised for this reason by the other members of their community who tormented them very often, for their belief. They decided to migrate from their native place to hide in a cave away from their community. Allah made them take rest in the cave for a few hundred years, and woke them after the entire population of that particular generation of community perished.

Non–Muslims may be skeptical about this historical narration, whether it is possible for a person to sleep for years together.          But since they believe in the omnipotence of the great God they do not have issues with the sayings of the Quran.

And they believe whenever the Almighty speaks in the Quran, He does it with full conviction and certainty and with evidence embedded in it.

There is evidence regarding the above incident. 

While talking about making them asleep, the Almighty not only says that ‘He made them sleep’ but also ‘We created a barrier for their ears’

Though this word usage can be found to refer to sleep, this was not so before the days of Prophet Muhammad.

The author of the book At-Tahrir-WA-Tanveer says this phrase (creating a barrier for their ears to make them asleep) was not in vogue before the days of Prophet Muhammad.

Now the question is why should a word or phrase not in vogue be used. 

The eyes of a person stops functioning while asleep, but he wakes up at the slightest sound.

The sound of thunder and that of the wild animals would keep them awake for years, hence for them to remain sleeping for years together there is a need for a barrier for the sound not to reach their senses. Hence for them to remain sleeping for years together there is a need to stop all kinds of sounds reaching the ears of these people, this is what he Quran mentions in a phrase of the Quran, ‘We created a barrier for their ears’ a phrase not in vogue before the days of Prophet Muhammad.

Moreover this verse also says ‘When seen they will appear as they are awake and will be terrified to know they are alive. This cannot be taken as they are sleeping with their eyes wide open, though some people do it, and people seeing them would not take it as them being, as awake and neither will they be terrified at their appearance. 

On the contrary it would appear as they were sleeping with their eyes blinking. 

Why was the special attribute of sleeping with eyes blinking granted to them alone?

When a person keeps his eyes closed for a long period, his optical nerves get affected and contract, finally becoming useless rendering the person blind.

The sclera of the eye (the white of the eye) is kept moisturised by the tear glands, and if not done, the eye becomes dry leading to a condition known as Corneal-xerosis, ultimately resulting in blindness of the person.

In a nut-shell, if a person continuously keeps his eyes shut or open for years together, he becomes blind is a fact discovered by the scientists.

When a person lays flat on his back for several years together, he starts developing sores on his back, leaving him awake. 

This is the reason the Almighty makes them flip from left to right and right to left while sleeping to avoid the consequences. 

The Almighty says in the Quran, He made them sleep in spite of all the scientific discoveries that proves sleeping for years together is not possible. 

Allah through this verse demonstrates, though the consequences of lying down for years have been proved, He still possesses the capacity to make something happen against all odds.