The Cave (Al-Kahf)
In the Name of Allah, the Merciful, the Most Merciful
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 an unerringly Straight Book, meant to warn of a stern punishment from Allah, and to proclaim, to those who believe and work righteous deeds, the tiding that theirs shall be a good reward 2 [a state of bliss] in which they shall dwell beyond the count of time. 3 And to warn those who say, "God has taken to Himself a son." 4 No knowledge have they of such a thing, nor had their fathers. It is a grievous thing that issues from their mouths as a saying what they say is nothing but falsehood! 5 Yet it may be, if they believe not in this statement, that thou (Muhammad) wilt torment thy soul with grief over their footsteps. 6 Indeed, We have made that which is on the earth adornment for it that We may test them [as to] which of them is best in deed. 7 And indeed, We will make that which is upon it [into] a barren ground. 8 Or, do you think that the Fellows of the Cave and the Inscription were of Our wonderful signs? 9 Behold, the youths betook themselves to the Cave: they said, "Our Lord! bestow on us Mercy from Thyself, and dispose of our affair for us in the right way!" 10 For many years We sealed up their hearing in the Cave, 11 and thereafter We revived them to find out which of the two parties could best calculate the length of their stay. 12