The Cave (Al-Kahf)
In the Name of Allah, the Merciful, the Most Merciful
ALL PRAISE BE to God who has revealed to His votary the Book which is free of all obliquity, 1 right, to warn of great violence from Him, and to give good tidings unto the believers, who do righteous deeds, that theirs shall be a goodly wage 2 [a state of bliss] in which they shall dwell beyond the count of time. 3 And to warn those who say: Allah hath chosen a son, 4 No knowledge have they of such a thing, nor had their fathers. Mighty is the word that comes out of their mouths [i.e. He begot (took) sons and daughters]. They utter 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 We have caused earthly things to seem attractive so that We can see who will excel in good deeds. 7 And verily! We shall make all that is on it (the earth) a bare dry soil (without any vegetation or trees, etc.). 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 youths took refuge in the cave, they prayed: "O our Sustainer! Bestow on us grace from Thyself, and endow us, whatever our [outward] condition, with consciousness of what is right!" 10 Therefore We covered up their (sense of) hearing (causing them, to go in deep sleep) in the Cave for a number of years. 11 and thereafter We revived them to find out which of the two parties could best calculate the length of their stay. 12