The Cave (Al-Kahf)
In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate
Praise be to Allah Who hath revealed the Scripture unto His slave, and hath not placed therein any crookedness, 1 (He has made it) Straight to give warning (to the disbelievers) of a severe punishment from Him, and to give glad tidings to the believers (in the Oneness of Allah Islamic Monotheism), who work righteous deeds, that they shall have a fair reward (i.e. Paradise). 2 In which they will abide forever. 3 Furthermore, [this divine writ is meant] to warn all those who assert, "God has taken unto 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 (O Muhammad), if they do not believe in this Message, you will perhaps torment yourself to death with grief, sorrowing over them. 6 Surely We have made all that is on the earth an embellishment for it in order to test people as to who of them is better 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 Recall what time the youths betook themselves to the cave, then said: our Lord! vouchsafe unto us mercy from before Thee, and prepare for us in our affair a right course. 10 We sealed their ears in the cave for a number of years. 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