The Cave (Al-Kahf)
In the name of God, The Most Gracious, The Dispenser of Grace
ALL PRAISE BE to God who has revealed to His votary the Book which is free of all obliquity, 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 Where they will abide for ever; 3 And warn those who say: Allah has taken a son. 4 they have no knowledge of it, they nor their fathers; a monstrous word it is, issuing out of their mouths; they say nothing but a lie. 5 Then maybe you will kill yourself with grief, sorrowing after them, if they do not believe in this announcement. 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 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 those youths took refuge in the cave, they prayed: "O our Sustainer! Bestow on us grace from Thyself, and endow us, whatever our [outward] condition, with consciousness of what is right!" 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