The Cave (Al-Kahf)
In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful
All praise unto Allah who hath sent down unto His bondman the Book, and hath not placed therein any crookedness. 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 Staying in it 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. Grave is the word that comes out of their mouths; they speak not except a lie. 5 Haply thou art going to kill thyself over their footsteps, if they believe not in this discourse, out of sorrow. 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 but We shall reduce all this to barren waste. 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 So We cast [a cover of sleep] over their ears within the cave for a number of years. 11 Then We awakened them that We might show which of the two factions was most precise in calculating what [extent] they had remained in time. 12