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 right, to warn of great violence from Him, and to give good tidings unto the believers, who do righteous deeds, that theirs shall be a goodly wage 2 Staying in it for ever; 3 And to warn those who say: Allah hath chosen a son, 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 Perhaps you will destroy yourself out of grief because they disbelieve this Book. 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 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 Recall what time the youths betook themselves to the cave, then said: our Lord! vouchsafe unto us mercy from before Thee, and prepare for us in our affair a right course. 10 For many years We sealed up their hearing in the Cave, 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