The Cave (Al-Kahf)
In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
All praise unto Allah who hath sent down unto His bondman the Book, and hath not placed therein any crookedness. 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 wherein they shall remain forever, 3 And to warn 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 Then maybe you will kill yourself with grief, sorrowing after them, if they do not believe in this announcement. 6 Behold, We have willed that all beauty on earth be a means by which We put men to a test, [showing] which of them are 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 Behold, the youths betook themselves to the Cave: they said, "Our Lord! bestow on us Mercy from Thyself, and dispose of our affair for us in the right way!" 10 Wherefore We put a covering over their ears in the cave for a number of years. 11 Then We raised them up (from their sleep), that We might test which of the two parties was best at calculating the time period that they had tarried. 12