The Cave (Al-Kahf)
In the name of God, The Most Gracious, The Dispenser of Grace
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 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 wherein they will remain [in a state of bliss] forever. 3 And warn those who say: Allah has taken a son. 4 They have no knowledge of this, as their fathers did not have. How terrible are the words they utter! They speak nothing but lies. 5 Perhaps you may destroy yourself with grief if they do not believe in this message. 6 Surely We have made all that is on the earth an embellishment for it in order to test people as to who of them is better in conduct. 7 And indeed We shall one day make all that is on it a barren plain. 8 Do you think the men of the cave and Ar-Raqim were so strange among Our signs? 9 (Remember) when the young men fled for refuge (from their disbelieving folk) to the Cave, they said: "Our Lord! Bestow on us mercy from Yourself, and facilitate for us our affair in the right way!" 10 We lulled them to sleep in that cave for a number of years 11 and then We awakened them: [and We did all this] so that We might mark out [to the world] which of the two points of view showed a better comprehension of the time-span during which they had remained in this state. 12