You might have thought them awake, though they were sleeping. We turned them about to the right and to the left, while their dog stretched its paws at the entrance. Had you seen them you would surely have become filled with terror and turned your back on them in flight. 18 In the course of time, We raised them up again so that they might question one another. One of them asked, "How long have you stayed [here]?" They said, "We have stayed a day, or part of a day." But others said, "Your Lord knows best how long you have stayed here. Let one of you go then with these silver coins to the town, and let him find out what food is purest there, and bring you back a supply of it. Let him conduct himself with caution and not disclose your whereabouts to anyone: 19 they would certainly stone us to death or force us to follow their religion. Then we shall never be able to have everlasting happiness." 20 Thus We disclosed things to them so that they might know that God's promise was true and there was no doubt about the Hour [Judgement Day]. The people argued about them among themselves. They said, "Build a monument over them. Their Lord knows best concerning them." Those who prevailed in their affair said, "Let us surely build a place of worship over them." 21 (Some) say: (They are) three, the fourth of them being their dog; and (others) say: Five, the sixth of them being their dog, making conjectures at what is unknown; and (others yet) say: Seven, and the eighth of them is their dog. Say: My Lord best knows their number, none knows them but a few; therefore contend not in the matter of them but with an outward contention, and do not question concerning them any of them. 22