The Cave (Al-Kahf)
In the Name of Allah, the Merciful, the Most Merciful
Praise be to God who has sent down to His servant -- the Book, which is free from any ambiguity 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 remain forever 3 and also to warn those who say: "Allah has taken to Himself a son," 4 No knowledge have they of such a thing, nor had their fathers. It is a grievous thing that issues from their mouths as a saying what they say is nothing but falsehood! 5 Yet perchance, if they do not believe in this tiding, you will consume yourself with grief and follow after them. 6 Behold, We have willed that all beauty on earth be a means by which We put men to a test, [showing] which of them are best in conduct; 7 In the ultimate, We shall reduce all that is on the earth to a barren plain. 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 Therefore We covered up their (sense of) hearing (causing them, to go in deep sleep) in the Cave for a number of years. 11 and thereafter We revived them to find out which of the two parties could best calculate the length of their stay. 12