The Cave (Al-Kahf)
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
ALL PRAISE BE to God who has revealed to His votary the Book which is free of all obliquity, 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 therein to abide for ever, 3 And that it may warn those who say: "God has begotten a son." 4 (A thing) whereof they have no knowledge, nor (had) their fathers, Dreadful is the word that cometh out of their mouths. They speak naught but a lie. 5 Yet perchance, if they do not believe in this tiding, you will consume yourself with grief and follow after them. 6 Lo! We have placed all that is on the earth as an ornament thereof that We may try them: which of them 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 the youths sought refuge in the Cave, they said: 'Lord give us from Your Mercy and furnish us with rectitude in our affair' 10 We sealed off their ears in the cave for a number of years, 11 Then We raised them up that We might know which of the two parties was best able to compute the time for which they remained. 12