The Cave (Al-Kahf)
In the name of God, The Most Gracious, The Dispenser of Grace
Praise be to Allah Who hath revealed the Scripture unto His slave, and hath not placed therein any crookedness, 1 [a divine writ] unerringly straight, meant to warn [the godless] of a severe punishment from Him, and to give unto the believers who do good works the glad tiding that theirs shall be a goodly reward 2 Where they will abide for ever; 3 And warn those who say: Allah has taken a son. 4 They have no knowledge of this, as their fathers did not have. How terrible are the words they utter! They speak nothing but lies. 5 Then perhaps you would kill yourself through grief over them, [O Muhammad], if they do not believe in this message, [and] out of sorrow. 6 We have adorned the earth with attractive things, so that We may test mankind as to which one is best in conduct, 7 In the ultimate, We shall reduce all that is on the earth to a barren plain. 8 Or have you thought that the companions of the cave and the inscription were, among Our signs, a wonder? 9 When the youths sought refuge in the cave, they said: Our Lord! grant us mercy from Thee, and provide for us a right course in our affair. 10 For many years We sealed up their hearing in the Cave, 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