The Cave (Al-Kahf)
In the name of God, The Most Gracious, The Dispenser of Grace
Praise be to God who has sent down to His servant -- the Book, which is free from any ambiguity 1 [He has made it] straight, to warn of severe punishment from Him and to give good tidings to the believers who do righteous deeds that they will have a good reward 2 and they will live for ever therein. 3 And it (the Koran) warns those who say: 'Allah has taken 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 Will you kill yourself for grief of them if they do not believe in this presentation? 6 We have adorned the earth with attractive things, so that We may test mankind as to which one is best in conduct, 7 and We shall surely make all that is on it barren dust. 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 When those young men took shelter in the cave, and prayed: "O Lord, grant us Your favour and dispose our affair aright," 10 Wherefore We put a covering over their ears in the cave for a number of years. 11 and then We awakened them: [and We did all this] so that We might mark out [to the world] which of the two points of view showed a better comprehension of the time-span during which they had remained in this state. 12