The Cave (Al-Kahf)
In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate
Praise belongs to God who has sent down upon His servant the Book and has not assigned unto it any crookedness; 1 Rightly directing, that he might give warning of severe punishment from Him and give good news to the believers who do good that they shall have a goodly reward, 2 therein to abide for ever, 3 And to warn those who say “Allah has chosen a child.” 4 Surely, of this they have no knowledge, neither they nor their fathers; it is a monstrous word that comes from their mouths, they say nothing but a lie. 5 Thou wouldst only, perchance, fret thyself to death, following after them, in grief, if they believe not in this Message. 6 Indeed, We have made that which is on the earth adornment for it that We may test them [as to] which of them is best in deed. 7 And verily We are going to make whatsoever is thereon a soil bare. 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 [Mention] when the youths retreated to the cave and said, "Our Lord, grant us from Yourself mercy and prepare for us from our affair right guidance." 10 We then thumped upon their ears in the Cave for a number of years. (* Put them to sleep.) 11 Afterwards. We raised them up again, that We might know which of the two parties would better calculate the while they had tarried. 12