The Cave (Al-Kahf)
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
ALL PRAISE BE to God who has revealed to His votary the Book which is free of all obliquity, 1 [a divine writ] unerringly straight, meant to warn [the godless] of a severe punishment from Him, and to give unto the believers who do good works the glad tiding that theirs shall be a goodly reward 2 They will abide therein for ever. 3 and to warn those who say, 'God has taken to Himself 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 But wouldst thou, perhaps, torment thyself to death with grief over them if they are not willing to believe in this message? 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 In the ultimate, We shall reduce all that is on the earth to a barren plain. 8 Or have you thought that the companions of the cave and the inscription were, among Our signs, a wonder? 9 When the young men took refuge in the Cave – then said, “Our Lord! Give us mercy from Yourself, and arrange guidance for us in our affair.” 10 So We cast [a cover of sleep] over their ears within the cave for a number of years. 11 And afterward We raised them up that We might know which of the two parties would best calculate the time that they had tarried. 12