We tell you this story for a genuine purpose. They were young people who believed in their Lord and We gave them further guidance. 13 We strengthened their hearts, when they rose up and declared, "Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. Never shall we call upon any deity other than Him: for that would be an outrageous thing to do. 14 These, our nation have taken to themselves gods, other than Allah. Why do they not bring some clear authority regarding them! Who does greater evil than he who forges a lie against Allah' 15 [The youths said to one another], "And when you have withdrawn from them and that which they worship other than Allah, retreat to the cave. Your Lord will spread out for you of His mercy and will prepare for you from your affair facility." 16 ۞ And [had you been present], you would see the sun when it rose, inclining away from their cave on the right, and when it set, passing away from them on the left, while they were [laying] within an open space thereof. That was from the signs of Allah. He whom Allah guides is the [rightly] guided, but he whom He leaves astray - never will you find for him a protecting guide. 17