The Cave (Al-Kahf)
In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate
Praise be to Allah, Who hath sent to His Servant the Book, and hath allowed therein no Crookedness: 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 therein to abide for ever, 3 and to warn those who say, 'God has taken to Himself a son'; 4 a thing about which they have no knowledge, neither they nor their ancestors. Dreadful is the word that comes out of their mouths. What they utter is merely a lie. 5 Then perhaps you would kill yourself through grief over them, [O Muhammad], if they do not believe in this message, [and] out of sorrow. 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 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 youths sought refuge in the Cave and said: "Our Lord! Grant us mercy from Yourself and provide for us rectitude in our affairs." 10 So We cast [a cover of sleep] over their ears within the cave for a number of years. 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