The Cave (Al-Kahf)
In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate
All praise unto Allah who hath sent down unto His bondman the Book, and hath not placed therein any crookedness. 1 Rightly directing, that he might give warning of severe punishment from Him and give good news to the believers who do good that they shall have a goodly reward, 2 They shall abide therein forever. 3 And that it may warn those who say: God hath taken a son. 4 They have no knowledge of it, nor had their fathers; a grievous word it is that comes out of their mouths; they speak nothing but a lie. 5 Yet perchance, if they do not believe in this tiding, you will consume yourself with grief and follow after them. 6 Indeed, We have made that which is on the earth adornment for it that We may test them [as to] which of them is best in deed. 7 and We shall surely make all that is on it barren dust. 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 the youths sought refuge in the cave, they said: Our Lord! grant us mercy from Thee, and provide for us a right course in our affair. 10 We then thumped upon their ears in the Cave for a number of years. (* Put them to sleep.) 11 Afterwards. We raised them up again, that We might know which of the two parties would better calculate the while they had tarried. 12