The Cave (Al-Kahf)
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Praise be to Allah Who hath revealed the Scripture unto His slave, and hath not placed therein any 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 They shall abide therein forever. 3 And that it may warn those who say: "God has begotten a son." 4 They have no knowledge of this, as their fathers did not have. How terrible are the words they utter! They speak nothing but lies. 5 But wouldst thou, perhaps, torment thyself to death with grief over them if they are not willing to believe 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 lo! We shall make all that is thereon a barren mound. 8 Do you think that the people of the Cave and the Inscription were one of Our wondrous signs? 9 When those young men took shelter in the cave, and prayed: "O Lord, grant us Your favour and dispose our affair aright," 10 We then thumped upon their ears in the Cave for a number of years. (* Put them to sleep.) 11 Then We woke them up again so that We might see which of the two groups would better calculate the time they had stayed there. 12