The Cave (Al-Kahf)
In the Name of Allah, the Merciful, the Most Merciful
Praise be to God. He has sent the Book to His servant and has made it a flawless guide (for human beings) 1 (But hath made it) straight, to give warning of stern punishment from Him, and to bring unto the believers who do good works the news that theirs will be a fair reward, 2 Wherein they shall remain for ever: 3 Furthermore, [this divine writ is meant] to warn all those who assert, "God has taken unto Himself a son." 4 No knowledge thereof have they, nor had their fathers. Odious is the word that cometh out of their mouths; they say not but a lie. 5 Yet perchance, if they do not believe in this tiding, you will consume yourself with grief and follow after them. 6 We have adorned the earth with attractive things, so that We may test mankind as to which one is best in conduct, 7 And most surely We will make what is on it bare ground without herbage. 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 young men took shelter in the cave, and prayed: "O Lord, grant us Your favour and dispose our affair aright," 10 For many years We sealed up their hearing in the Cave, 11 and thereafter We revived them to find out which of the two parties could best calculate the length of their stay. 12