The Cave (Al-Kahf)
In the name of God, The Most Gracious, The Dispenser of Grace
All praise unto Allah who hath sent down unto His bondman the Book, and hath not placed therein any crookedness. 1 Immutable, so that it may warn of a severe punishment from Him; and give happy tidings to those who believe and do the right that there is a better reward (of Paradise) for them, 2 Wherein they will abide for ever; 3 Furthermore, [this divine writ is meant] to warn all those who assert, "God has taken unto Himself a son." 4 They have no knowledge of this, nor did their forefathers have any either. What they say is monstrous: they are merely uttering falsehoods! 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 made whatever exists on the earth its adornment to test and try them (and) know who acts better; 7 And indeed, We will make that which is upon it [into] a barren ground. 8 Or dost thou reflect that the Companions of the Cave and of the Inscription were wonders among Our Sign? 9 When those young men took shelter in the cave, and prayed: "O Lord, grant us Your favour and dispose our affair aright," 10 So We cast [a cover of sleep] over their ears within 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