The Cave (Al-Kahf)
In the name of God, The Most Gracious, The Dispenser of Grace
Praise be to Allah Who hath revealed the Scripture unto His slave, and hath not placed therein any crookedness, 1 [He has made it] straight, to warn of severe punishment from Him and to give good tidings to the believers who do righteous deeds that they will have a good reward 2 therein to abide 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 That which is on earth we have made but as a glittering show for the earth, in order that We may test them - as to which of them are best in conduct. 7 and, verily, [in time] We shall reduce all that is on it to barren dust! 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 the youths took refuge in the Cave saying, 'Our lord, give us mercy from Thee, and furnish us with rectitude in our affair.' 10 And thereupon We veiled their ears in the cave for many a year, 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