The Cave (Al-Kahf)
In the name of God, The Most Gracious, The Dispenser of Grace
Praise be to Allah, Who hath sent to His Servant the Book, and hath allowed therein no Crookedness: 1 Immutable, so that it may warn of a severe punishment from Him; and give happy tidings to those who believe and do the right that there is a better reward (of Paradise) for them, 2 [a state of bliss] in which they shall dwell beyond the count of time. 3 and to warn those who say, 'God has taken to Himself a son'; 4 Surely, of this they have no knowledge, neither they nor their fathers; it is a monstrous word that comes from their mouths, they say nothing but a lie. 5 Then perhaps you would kill yourself through grief over them, [O Muhammad], if they do not believe in this message, [and] out of sorrow. 6 We have adorned the earth with attractive things, so that We may test mankind as to which one is best in conduct, 7 And verily We are going to make whatsoever is thereon a soil bare. 8 [AND SINCE the life of this world is but a test, dost thou [really] think that [the parable of] the Men of the Cave and of [their devotion to] the scriptures could be deemed more wondrous than any [other] of Our messages? 9 When those young men took shelter in the cave, and prayed: "O Lord, grant us Your favour and dispose our affair aright," 10 Wherefore We put a covering over their ears in the cave for a number of years. 11 and then We awakened them: [and We did all this] so that We might mark out [to the world] which of the two points of view showed a better comprehension of the time-span during which they had remained in this state. 12