SURAH 18: AL KAHF (The Cave).

In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

¹ Praise be to Allah, who has sent to his servant Al-Kitab, and has allowed therein no crookedness.

² It is straight in order that he may warn of a terrible punishment from him, and that he may give glad tidings to the believers who work righteous deeds, that they shall have a goodly reward,

³ Wherein they shall remain forever:

⁴ Further, that he may warn those who say, Allah has sired a son.

⁵ 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.

⁶ You would only, perhaps, fret yourself to death, following after them, in grief, if they believe not in this message.

⁷ That which is on earth we have made but as a glittering show for the earth, in order that we may test them as to which of them are best in conduct.

⁸ Truly what is on earth we shall make but as dust and dry soil.

⁹ Or do you reflect that the companions of the cave and of the inscription were wonders among our signs?

¹⁰ Behold, the youths betook themselves to the cave: they said, our Lord bestow on us mercy from yourself, and dispose of our affair for us in the right way.

¹¹ Then we sealed over their ears, for a number of years, in the cave.

¹² Then we roused them, in order to test which of the two parties was best at calculating the term of years they had stayed.

¹³ We relate to you their story in truth: they were youths who believed in their Lord, and we advanced them in guidance:

¹⁴ We gave strength to their hearts: behold, they stood up and said; our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and of the earth: never shall we call upon any god other than him: if we did, we should indeed have uttered an enormity.

¹⁵ These our people have taken for worship gods other than him: why do they not bring forward a clear authority for what they do? Who does more wrong than such as invent a falsehood against Allah?

¹⁶ When you turn away from them and the things they worship other than Allah, get yourself to the cave: your Lord will shower his mercies on you and dispose of your affair towards comfort and ease.

¹⁷ you would have seen the sun, when it rose, declining to the right from their cave, and when it set, turning away from them to the left, while they lay in the open space in the midst of the cave. Such are among the signs of Allah: he whom Allah guides is rightly guided; but he whom Allah leaves to stray, for him will you find no protector to lead him to the right way.

¹⁸ You would have deemed them awake, while they were asleep, and we turned them on their right and on their left sides: their dog stretching forth his two fore legs on the threshold: if you had come up on to them, you would have certainly turned back from them in flight, and would certainly have been filled with terror of them.

¹⁹ So we raised them up that they might question each other. One of them said, how long have you stayed? They said, we have stayed a day, or part of a day. They said, Allah knows best how long you have stayed here. Now send then one of you with this money of yours to the town: let him find out which is the best food and bring some to you, that you satisfy your hunger therewith: and let him behave with care and courtesy, and let him not inform anyone about you.

²⁰ For if they should come upon you, they would stone you or force you to return to their cult, and in that case you would never attain prosperity.

²¹ Thus did we make their case known to the people, that they might know that the promise of Allah is true, and that there can be no doubt about the hour of judgment. Behold, they disputed among themselves as to their affair and said, construct a building over them: their Lord knows best about them: those who prevailed over their affair said, let us surely build a place of worship over them.

²² Some say they were three, the dog being the fourth among them. Others say they were five, the dog being the sixth, doubtfully guessing at the unknown. Still others say they were seven, the dog being the eighth. Say: My Lord knows best their number; it is but few that know their real case. Enter not, therefore, into controversies concerning them, except on a matter that is clear, nor consult any of them about the sleepers.

²³ Nor say of anything, I shall be sure to do so and so to morrow.

²⁴ Without adding, Insha Allah, and call your Lord to mind when you forget, and say, I hope that my Lord will guide me ever closer than this to the right road.

²⁵ So they stayed in their cave three hundred years and add nine.

²⁶ Say: Allah knows best how long they stayed: with him is the secrets of the heavens and the earth: how clearly he sees, how finely he hears. They have no protector other than him; nor does he share his command with any person whatsoever.

²⁷ And recite what has been revealed to you of Al-Kitab of your Lord. None can change his words, and none will you find as a refuge other than him.

²⁸ And keep your soul content with those who call on their Lord morning and evening, seeking his face; and let not your eyes pass beyond them, seeking the pomp and glitter of this life; nor obey him whose heart we have permitted to neglect the remembrance of us, one who follows his own desires, whose case has gone beyond all bounds.

²⁹ Say, the truth is from your Lord: let him who will, believe, and let him who will, reject it: for the wrongdoers we have prepared a fire whose smoke and flames, like the walls and roof of a tent, will hem them in: if they implore relief they will be granted water like melted brass, that will scald their faces. How dreadful the drink! How uncomfortable a couch to recline on!

³⁰ As to those who believe and work righteousness, truly we shall not suffer to perish the reward of any who do a righteous deed.

³¹ For them will be gardens of eternity; beneath them rivers will flow: they will be adorned therein with bracelets of gold, and they will wear green garments of fine silk and heavy brocade; they will recline therein on raised thrones. How good the reward! How beautiful a couch to recline on!

³² Set forth to them the parable of two men: for one of them we provided two gardens of grapevines and surrounded them with date palms; in between the two we placed corn fields.

³³ Each of those gardens brought forth its produce, and failed not in the least therein: in the midst of them we caused a river to flow.

³⁴ Abundant was the produce this man had: he said to his companion, in the course of a mutual argument: "More wealth have I than you, and more honour and power in my following of men."

³⁵ He went into his garden in a state of mind unjust to his soul: he said, "I deem not that this will ever perish,

³⁶ "Nor do I deem that the Hour will come: even if I am brought back to my Lord, I shall surely find something better in exchange.

³⁷ His companion said to him, in the course of the argument with him: "Do you deny him who created you out of dust, then out of a sperm-drop, then fashioned you into a man?"

³⁸ "But he is Allah, my Lord, and none shall I associate with my Lord.

³⁹ "Why did you not, as you go into your garden, say: 'Allah's will be done! There is no power but with Allah! If you see me less than you in wealth and sons,

⁴⁰ "It may be that my Lord will give me something better than your garden, and that he will send on your garden thunderbolts from heaven, making it slippery sand!

⁴¹ "Or the water of the garden will run off underground so that you will never be able to find it."

⁴² So his fruits were encompassed, and he remained twisting and turning his hands over what he had spent on his property, which had tumbled to pieces to its very foundations, and he could only say, "Woe is me! Would I had never ascribed partners to my Lord!"

⁴³ Nor had he numbers to help him against Allah, nor was he able to deliver himself.

⁴⁴ Protection comes from Allah, the true one. He is the best to reward, and the best to give success.

⁴⁵ Set forth to them the comparison of the life of this world: it is like the rain which we send down from the skies: the earth's vegetation absorbs it, but soon it becomes dry stubble, which the winds do scatter: it is Allah who prevails over all things.

⁴⁶ Wealth and sons are allurements of the life of this world: but the things that endure, good deeds, are best in the sight of your Lord, as rewards, and best as hopes.

⁴⁷ One day we shall remove the mountains, and you will see the earth as a level stretch, and we shall gather them, all together, nor shall we leave out anyone of them.

⁴⁸ And they will be marshalled before your Lord in ranks. "Now you have come to us as we created you first: yes, you thought we shall not fulfil the appointment made to you to meet us."

⁴⁹ And the book will be placed, and you will see the sinful in great terror because of what is therein; they will say, Ah woe to us! What a book this is! It leaves out nothing small or great, but takes account of it. They will find all that they placed before them: and not one will your Lord treat with injustice.

⁵⁰ Behold we said to the angels, bow down to Adam they bowed down except Iblis. He was one of the Jinns, and he broke the command of his Lord. Will you than take him and his children as protectors rather than me? And they are enemies to you. Evil would be the exchange for the wrongdoers.

⁵¹ I called them not to witness the creation of heavens and the earth, nor their own creation: nor is it for me to make as helpers such as lead astray.

⁵² One day he will say, call on those whom you thought to be my partners, and they will call on them, but they will not listen to them; and we shall make for them a place of common perdition.

⁵³ And the sinful shall see the fire and apprehend that they have to fall therein: no means will they find to turn away therefrom.

⁵⁴ We have explained in detail in this Quran, for the benefit of mankind, every kind of comparison: but man is, in, most things, contentious.

⁵⁵ And what is there to keep men from believing, now that guidance has come to them, nor from praying for forgiveness from their Lord, but that they ask that the ways of the ancients be repeated with them, or the wrath be brought to them face to face?

⁵⁶ We only send the messengers to give glad tidings and to give warnings: but the unbelievers dispute with vain argument, in order therewith to weaken the truth, and they treat my signs as a jest, as also the fact that they are warned!

⁵⁷ And who does more wrong than one who is reminded of the signs of his Lord, but turns away from them, forgetting the deeds which his hands have sent forth? Truly we have set veils over their hearts lest they should understand this, and over their ears, deafness. If you call them to guidance, even then will they never accept guidance.

⁵⁸ But your Lord is most forgiving, full of mercy. If he were to call them to account for what they have earned, then surely he would have hastened their punishment: but they have their appointed time, beyond which they will fined no refuge.

⁵⁹ Such were the populations we destroyed when they committed iniquities; but we fixed an appointed time for their destruction.

⁶⁰ Behold, Musa said to his attendant, I will not give up until I reach the junction of the two seas or until I spend years and years in travel.

⁶¹ But when they reached the junction, they forgot about their fish, which took its course through the sea as in a tunnel.

⁶² When they had passed on, Musa said to his attendant: bring us our early meal; truly we have suffered much fatigue at this stage of our journey.

⁶³ He replied: "Did you see when we took ourselves to the rock? I did indeed forget about the fish: none but Satan made me forget to tell you about it: it took its course through the sea in a marvellous way!"

⁶⁴ Musa said: that was what we were seeking after: so they went back on their footsteps, following the path they had come.

⁶⁵ So they found one of our servants, on whom we had bestowed mercy from ourselves and whom we had taught knowledge from our own.

⁶⁶ Musa said to him: may I follow you, on the footing that you teach me something of the truth which you have been taught?

⁶⁷ The other said: truly you will not be able to have patience with me.

⁶⁸ And how can you have patience about things about which your understanding is not complete?

⁶⁹ Musa said: you will find me, if Allah so will, patient: nor shall I disobey you in anything.

⁷⁰ The other said: if then you would follow me, ask me no questions about anything until I myself speak to you concerning it.

⁷¹ So they both proceeded: until, when they were in the boat, he scuttled it. Said Musa: have you scuttled it in order to drown those in it? Truly a strange thing have you done.

⁷² He answered: did I not tell you that you can have no patience with me?

⁷³ Musa said: rebuke me not for forgetting, nor grieve me by raising difficulties in my case.

⁷⁴ Then they proceeded: until, when they met a young man, he slew him. Musa said: have you slain an innocent person who had slain none? Truly a foul thing have you done.

⁷⁵ He answered: did I not tell you that you can have no patience with me?

⁷⁶ Musa said: if ever I ask you about anything after this, keep me not in your company: then would you have been excused from my side.

⁷⁷ Then they proceeded: until, when they came to the inhabitants of a town, they asked them for food, but they refused them hospitality. They found there a wall on the point of falling down, but he set it up straight. Musa said: if you had wished, surely you could have exacted some reward for it.

⁷⁸ He answered: this is the parting between me and you: now will I tell you the interpretation of those things over which you were unable to hold patience.

⁷⁹ As for the boat, it belonged to certain men in dire want: they plied on the water: I but wished to render it unserviceable, for there was after them a certain king who seized on every boat by force.

⁸⁰ As for the youth, his parents were people of faith, and we feared that he would grieve them by obstinate rebellion and ingratitude.

⁸¹ So we desired that their Lord would give them in exchange a son better in purity and closer in affection.

⁸² As for the wall, it belonged to two youths, orphans, in the town; there was, beneath it, a buried treasure, to which they were entitled; their father had been a righteous man: so your Lord desired that they should attain their age of full strength and get out their treasure a mercy from your Lord. I did it not of my own accord. Such is the interpretation of those things over which you were unable to hold patience.

⁸³ They ask you concerning Zul Qarnain. Say, I will rehearse to you something of his story.

⁸⁴ Truly we established his power on earth, and we gave him the ways and the means to all ends.

⁸⁵ One way he followed,

⁸⁶ Until, when he reached the setting of the sun, he found it set in a spring of murky water: near it he found a people: we said: O Zul Qarnain you have authority, either to punish them, or to treat them with kindness.

⁸⁷ He said: whoever does wrong, him shall we punish; then shall he be sent back to his Lord; and he will punish him with a punishment unheard of before.

⁸⁸ But whoever believes, and works righteousness, he shall have a goodly reward, and easy will be his task as we order it by our command.

⁸⁹ Then followed he another way,

⁹⁰ Until, when he came to the rising of the sun, he found it rising on a people for whom we had provided no covering protection against the sun.

⁹¹ He left them as they were: we completely understood what was before him.

⁹² Then followed he another way,

⁹³ Until, when he reached a tract between two mountains, he found, beneath them, a people who scarcely understood a word.

⁹⁴ They said: O Zul Qarnain, the people of Yajuj and Majuj do great mischief on earth: shall we then render you tribute in order that you might erect a barrier between us and them?

⁹⁵ He said: that in which my Lord has established me is better than tribute: help me therefore with strength of labourers: I will erect a strong barrier between you and them:

⁹⁶ Bring me blocks of iron. At length, when he had filled up the space between the two steep mountain sides, he said, blow with your bellows then, when he had made it red as fire, he said: bring me, that I may pour over it, molten lead.

⁹⁷ Thus were they made powerless to scale it or to dig through it.

⁹⁸ He said: this is a mercy from my Lord: but when the promise of my Lord comes to pass, he will make it into dust; and the promise of my Lord is true.

⁹⁹ On that day we shall leave them to surge like waves on one another: the trumpet will be blown, and we shall collect them all together.

¹⁰⁰ And we shall present hell that day for unbelievers to see, all spread out,

¹⁰¹ Unbelievers whose eyes had been under a veil from remembrance of me, and who had been unable even to hear.

¹⁰² Do the unbelievers think that they can take my servants as protectors besides me? Truly we have prepared hell for the unbelievers for their entertainment.

¹⁰³ Say: Shall we tell you of those who lose most in respect of their deeds?

¹⁰⁴ Those whose efforts have been wasted in this life, while they thought that they were acquiring good by their works?

¹⁰⁵ They are those who deny the signs of their Lord and the fact of their having to meet him in the hereafter: vain will be their works, nor shall we, on the day of judgment, give them any weight.

¹⁰⁶ That is their reward, hell; because they rejected faith, and took my signs and my messengers by way of jest.

¹⁰⁷ As to those who believe and work righteous deeds, they have, for their entertainment, the gardens of paradise,

¹⁰⁸ Wherein they shall dwell: no change will they wish for from them.

¹⁰⁹ Say: If the ocean were ink wherewith to write out the words of my Lord, sooner would the ocean be exhausted than would the words of my Lord, even if we added another ocean like it, for its aid.

¹¹⁰ Say: I am but a man like yourself, but the inspiration has come to me, that your God is one God: whoever expects to meet his Lord, let him work righteousness, and, in the worship of his Lord, admit no one as partner.

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