The Cave (Al-Kahf)
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
ALL PRAISE is due to God, who has bestowed this divine writ from on high upon His servant, and has not allowed any deviousness to obscure its meaning: 1 Straightforward, that it may warn of a severe violence from before Him, and bring glad tidings to the believers who work righteous works that theirs shall be a goodly hire. 2 and they will live for ever therein. 3 And that it may warn those who say: "God has begotten 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 Verily We have made whatsoever is on the earth as an adornment thereof, that We may prove them - which of them is best in work. 7 and We shall surely make all that is on it barren dust. 8 Or deemest thou that the People of the Cave and the Inscription are a wonder among Our portents? 9 When those young men took shelter in the cave, and prayed: "O Lord, grant us Your favour and dispose our affair aright," 10 We then thumped upon their ears in the Cave for a number of years. (* Put them to sleep.) 11 Then We raised them up that We might know which of the two parties was best able to compute the time for which they remained. 12