The Cave (Al-Kahf)
In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Praise be to Allah Who hath revealed the Scripture unto His slave, and hath not placed therein any crookedness, 1 so that he could warn them of His stern retribution, give the glad news of the best and everlasting reward to the righteously striving believers, 2 Wherein they shall remain for ever: 3 And it (the Koran) warns those who say: 'Allah has taken a son' 4 No knowledge thereof have they, nor had their fathers. Odious is the word that cometh out of their mouths; they say not 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 That which is on earth we have made but as a glittering show for the earth, in order that We may test them - as to which of them are best in conduct. 7 and, verily, [in time] We shall reduce all that is on it to 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 the young men fled for refuge to the Cave and said: Our Lord! Give us mercy from Thy presence, and shape for us right conduct in our plight. 10 We then thumped upon their ears in the Cave for a number of years. (* Put them to sleep.) 11 Thereafter We raised them up that We might know which of the two parties was best at reckoning the time that they had tarried. 12