أهل الكهف
Fleeing a tyrannical ruler, three young men — Mishlinia, Marnush, and Yemliha — take refuge in a cave and fall into a sleep that lasts nearly three centuries. When they wake under a new king, Theodosius II, they find themselves legends of a faith now openly practiced, in a world that has no place left for them. Mishlinia's love for the noblewoman Prisca collides with the impossibility of reclaiming a life that time has already closed. A foundational work of modern Arabic theater, retelling the story of the Sleepers of the Cave (Ashab al-Kahf) as a meditation on time, faith, and what it costs to outlive your own era.
This play is a modern interpretation of the ancient Quranic story of the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus, also known as Ashab al-Kahf. Al-Hakim recontextualizes the legend to explore themes of time, identity, and the challenges of returning to a changed world.
Tawfiq Al-Hakim's play has been adapted into a notable Egyptian film. The cinematic version captures the existential dilemmas faced by the characters as they grapple with their displacement in time.
Ahl al-Kahf is considered one of Al-Hakim's foundational works, establishing his reputation for philosophical drama and his innovative use of classical and religious narratives to comment on modern human conditions. It shares his characteristic blend of realism and symbolism.