The Cave (Al-Kahf)
In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
ALL PRAISE is due to God, who has bestowed this divine writ from on high upon His servant, and has not allowed any deviousness to obscure its meaning: 1 and which rightly directs, to give warning of stern punishment from Him, and to proclaim to the believers who do righteous deeds that they shall have an excellent recompense, 2 In which they will abide forever. 3 Further, that He may warn those (also) who say, "Allah hath begotten a son": 4 They have no knowledge of this, as their fathers did not have. How terrible are the words they utter! They speak nothing but lies. 5 (O Muhammad), if they do not believe in this Message, you will perhaps torment yourself to death with grief, sorrowing over them. 6 We have appointed all that is on the earth an adornment for it, in order that We try which of them is finest in works. 7 We will surely reduce all that is on it to barren dust. 8 Do you think that the Men of the Cave and the Inscription were one of Our wondrous signs? 9 When the young men fled for refuge to the Cave and said: Our Lord! Give us mercy from Thy presence, and shape for us right conduct in our plight. 10 We lulled them to sleep in that cave for a number of years 11 Then We raised them up (from their sleep), that We might test which of the two parties was best at calculating the time period that they had tarried. 12