The Cave (Al-Kahf)
In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
[All] praise is [due] to Allah, who has sent down upon His Servant the Book and has not made therein any deviance. 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 They shall abide therein forever. 3 And that it may warn those who say: God hath taken a son. 4 They have no knowledge of it, nor had their fathers; a grievous word it is that comes out of their mouths; they speak nothing but a lie. 5 Then maybe you will kill yourself with grief, sorrowing after them, if they do not believe in this announcement. 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 verily! We shall make all that is on it (the earth) a bare dry soil (without any vegetation or trees, etc.). 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 [Mention] when the youths retreated to the cave and said, "Our Lord, grant us from Yourself mercy and prepare for us from our affair right guidance." 10 Then We sealed up their hearing in the Cave for a number of years. 11 Then We raised them up (from their sleep), that We might test which of the two parties was best at calculating the time period that they had tarried. 12