The Cave (Al-Kahf)
In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Praise be to Allah, Who hath sent to His Servant the Book, and hath allowed therein no Crookedness: 1 and which rightly directs, to give warning of stern punishment from Him, and to proclaim to the believers who do righteous deeds that they shall have an excellent recompense, 2 Staying in it for ever; 3 And to warn those who say, "God has taken to Himself a son." 4 They do not have any knowledge of it – nor did their forefathers; profound is the word that comes out of their mouths; they only speak a lie. 5 Thou wouldst only, perchance, fret thyself to death, following after them, in grief, if they believe not in this Message. 6 We have indeed placed all that is on the earth as its adornment in order that We may test them, who among them has the best deeds. 7 And indeed We shall one day make all that is on it a barren plain. 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 And thereupon We veiled their ears in the cave for many a year, 11 Thereafter We raised them up that We might know which of the two parties was best at reckoning the time that they had tarried. 12