Surah 18 The Cave - Al-Kahf, 110 verses (Makka)
In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
- Praise be to God, Who hath sent to His Servant the
Book, and hath allowed therein no Crookedness:
- (He hath made it) Straight (and Clear) in order
that He may warn (the godless) 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,
- Wherein they shall remain for ever:
- Further, that He may warn those (also) who say,
"God hath begotten a son":
- 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!
- Thou wouldst only, perchance, fret thyself to
death, following after them, in grief, if they believe
not in this Message.
- 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.
- Verily what is on earth we shall make but as dust
and dry soil (without growth or herbage).
- Or dost thou reflect that the Companions of the
Cave and of the Inscription were wonders among Our
Sign?
- 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!"
- Then We draw (a veil) over their ears, for a number
of years, in the Cave, (so that they heard not):
- Then We roused them, in order to test which of the
two parties was best at calculating the term of years
they had tarried!
- We relate to thee their story in truth: they were
youths who believed in their Lord, and We advanced them
in guidance:
- 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!
- "These our people have taken for worship gods other
than Him: why do they not bring forward an authority
clear (and convincing) for what they do? Who doth more
wrong than such as invent a falsehood against God?
- "When ye turn away from them and the things they
worship other than God, betake yourselves to the Cave:
Your Lord will shower His mercies on you and disposes
of your affair towards comfort and ease."
- Thou wouldst 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 God: He whom God, guides is rightly
guided; but he whom God leaves to stray,- for him wilt
thou find no protector to lead him to the Right Way.
- Thou wouldst have deemed them awake, whilst 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 thou hadst come up on to
them, thou wouldst have certainly turned back from them
in flight, and wouldst certainly have been filled with
terror of them.
- Such (being their state), we raised them up (from
sleep), that they might question each other. Said one
of them, "How long have ye stayed (here)?" They said,
"We have stayed (perhaps) a day, or part of a day." (At
length) they (all) said, "God (alone) knows best how
long ye have stayed here.... Now send ye then one of
you with this money of yours to the town: let him find
out which is the best food (to be had) and bring some
to you, that (ye may) satisfy your hunger therewith:
And let him behave with care and courtesy, and let him
not inform any one about you.
- "For if they should come upon you, they would stone
you or force you to return to their cult, and in that
case ye would never attain prosperity."
- Thus did We make their case known to the people,
that they might know that the promise of God is true,
and that there can be no doubt about the Hour of
Judgment. Behold, they dispute among themselves as to
their affair. (Some) 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."
- (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;
(yet others) say they were seven, the dog being the
eighth. Say thou: "My Lord knoweth 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 affair of) the Sleepers.
- Nor say of anything, "I shall be sure to do so and
so tomorrow"-
- Without adding, "So please God!" and call thy Lord
to mind when thou forgettest, and say, "I hope that my
Lord will guide me ever closer (even) than this to the
right road."
- So they stayed in their Cave three hundred years,
and (some) add nine (more)
- Say: "God knows best how long they stayed: with Him
is (the knowledge of) the secrets of the heavens and
the earth: how clearly He sees, how finely He hears
(everything)! They have no protector other than Him;
nor does He share His Command with any person
whatsoever.
- And recite (and teach) what has been revealed to
thee of the Book of thy Lord: none can change His
Words, and none wilt thou find as a refuge other than
Him.
- And keep thy soul content with those who call on
their Lord morning and evening, seeking His Face; and
let not thine eyes pass beyond them, seeking the pomp
and glitter of this Life; no obey any whose heart We
have permitted to neglect the remembrance of Us, one
who follows his own desires, whose case has gone beyond
all bounds.
- Say, "The truth is from your Lord": Let him who
will believe, and let him who will, reject (it): for
the wrong-doers 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!
- As to those who believe and work righteousness,
verily We shall not suffer to perish the reward of any
who do a (single) righteous deed.
- 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 recompense! How
beautiful a couch to recline on!
- Set forth to them the parable of two men: for one
of them We provided two gardens of grape-vines and
surrounded them with date palms; in between the two We
placed corn-fields.
- 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.
- (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."
- He went into his garden in a state (of mind) unjust
to his soul: He said, "I deem not that this will ever
perish,
- "Nor do I deem that the Hour (of Judgment) will
(ever) come: Even if I am brought back to my Lord, I
shall surely find (there) something better in
exchange."
- His companion said to him, in the course of the
argument with him: "Dost thou deny Him Who created thee
out of dust, then out of a sperm-drop, then fashioned
thee into a man?
- "But (I think) for my part that He is God, My Lord,
and none shall I associate with my Lord.
- "Why didst thou not, as thou wentest into thy
garden, say: 'God's will (be done)! There is no power
but with God!' If thou dost see me less than thee in
wealth and sons,
- "It may be that my Lord will give me something
better than thy garden, and that He will send on thy
garden thunderbolts (by way of reckoning) from heaven,
making it (but) slippery sand!-
- "Or the water of the garden will run off
underground so that thou wilt never be able to find
it."
- So his fruits (and enjoyment) were encompassed
(with ruin), and he remained twisting and turning his
hands over what he had spent on his property, which had
(now) tumbled to pieces to its very foundations, and he
could only say, "Woe is me! Would I had never ascribed
partners to my Lord and Cherisher!"
- Nor had he numbers to help him against God, nor was
he able to deliver himself.
- There, the (only) protection comes from God, the
True One. He is the Best to reward, and the Best to
give success.
- Set forth to them the similitude 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 (only) God who prevails over all things.
- Wealth and sons are allurements of the life of this
world: But the things that endure, good deeds, are best
in the sight of thy Lord, as rewards, and best as (the
foundation for) hopes.
- One Day We shall remove the mountains, and thou
wilt see the earth as a level stretch, and We shall
gather them, all together, nor shall We leave out any
one of them.
- And they will be marshalled before thy Lord in
ranks, (with the announcement), "Now have ye come to Us
(bare) as We created you first: aye, ye thought We
shall not fulfil the appointment made to you to meet
(Us)!":
- And the Book (of Deeds) will be placed (before
you); and thou wilt see the sinful in great terror
because of what is (recorded) therein; they will say,
"Ah! woe to us! what a Book is this! It leaves out
nothing small or great, but takes account thereof!"
They will find all that they did, placed before them:
And not one will thy Lord treat with injustice.
- 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 ye then take
him and his progeny as protectors rather than Me? And
they are enemies to you! Evil would be the exchange for
the wrong-doers!
- I called them not to witness the creation of the
heavens and the earth, nor (even) their own creation:
nor is it for helpers such as Me to take as lead (men)
astray!
- One Day He will say, "Call on those whom ye 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.
- And the Sinful shall see the fire and apprehend
that they have to fall therein: no means will they find
to turn away therefrom.
- We have explained in detail in this Qur'an, for the
benefit of mankind, every kind of similitude: but man
is, in most things, contentious.
- And what is there to keep back 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?
- We only send the apostles 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!
- And who doth 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?
Verily We have set veils over their hearts lest they
should understand this, and over their ears, deafness,
if thou callest them to guidance, even then will they
never accept guidance.
- But your Lord is Most forgiving, full of Mercy. If
He were to call them (at once) to account for what they
have earned, then surely He would have earned, then
surely He would have hastened their punishment: but
they have their appointed time, beyond which they will
find no refuge.
- Such were the populations we destroyed when they
committed iniquities; but we fixed an appointed time
for their destruction.
- Behold, Moses 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."
- But when they reached the Junction, they forgot
(about) their Fish, which took its course through the
sea (straight) as in a tunnel.
- When they had passed on (some distance), Moses said
to his attendant: "Bring us our early meal; truly we
have suffered much fatigue at this (stage of) our
journey."
- He replied: "Sawest thou (what happened) when we
betook 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!"
- Moses said: "That was what we were seeking after:"
So they went back on their footsteps, following (the
path they had come).
- So they found one of Our servants, on whom We had
bestowed Mercy from Ourselves and whom We had taught
knowledge from Our own Presence.
- Moses said to him: "May I follow thee, on the
footing that thou teach me something of the (Higher)
Truth which thou hast been taught?"
- (The other) said: "Verily thou wilt not be able to
have patience with me!"
- "And how canst thou have patience about things
about which thy understanding is not complete?"
- Moses said: "Thou wilt find me, if God so will,
(truly) patient: nor shall I disobey thee in aught."
- The other said: "If then thou wouldst follow me,
ask me no questions about anything until I myself speak
to thee concerning it."
- So they both proceeded: until, when they were in
the boat, he scuttled it. Said Moses: "Hast thou
scuttled it in order to drown those in it? Truly a
strange thing hast thou done!"
- He answered: "Did I not tell thee that thou canst
have no patience with me?"
- Moses said: "Rebuke me not for forgetting, nor
grieve me by raising difficulties in my case."
- Then they proceeded: until, when they met a young
man, he slew him. Moses said: "Hast thou slain an
innocent person who had slain none? Truly a foul
(unheard of) thing hast thou done!"
- He answered: "Did I not tell thee that thou canst
have no patience with me?"
- (Moses) said: "If ever I ask thee about anything
after this, keep me not in thy company: then wouldst
thou have received (full) excuse from my side."
- 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. (Moses) said: "If thou hadst wished, surely
thou couldst have exacted some recompense for it!"
- He answered: "This is the parting between me and
thee: now will I tell thee the interpretation of (those
things) over which thou wast unable to hold patience.
- "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.
- "As for the youth, his parents were people of
Faith, and we feared that he would grieve them by
obstinate rebellion and ingratitude (to God and man).
- "So we desired that their Lord would give them in
exchange (a son) better in purity (of conduct) and
closer in affection.
- "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 thy Lord desired that they
should attain their age of full strength and get out
their treasure - a mercy (and favour) from thy Lord. I
did it not of my own accord. Such is the interpretation
of (those things) over which thou wast unable to hold
patience."
- They ask thee concerning Zul-qarnain. Say, "I will
rehearse to you something of his story."
- Verily We established his power on earth, and We
gave him the ways and the means to all ends.
- One (such) way he followed,
- 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! (thou hast
authority,) either to punish them, or to treat them
with kindness."
- He said: "Whoever doth 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).
- "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."
- Then followed he (another) way,
- 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.
- (He left them) as they were: We completely
understood what was before him.
- Then followed he (another) way,
- Until, when he reached (a tract) between two
mountains, he found, beneath them, a people who
scarcely understood a word.
- They said: "O Zul-qarnain! the Gog and Magog
(People) do great mischief on earth: shall we then
render thee tribute in order that thou mightest erect a
barrier between us and them?
- He said: "(The power) in which my Lord has
established me is better (than tribute): Help me
therefore with strength (and labour): I will erect a
strong barrier between you and them:
- "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."
- Thus were they made powerless to scale it or to dig
through it.
- 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."
- 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.
- And We shall present Hell that day for Unbelievers
to see, all spread out,-
- (Unbelievers) whose eyes had been under a veil from
remembrance of Me, and who had been unable even to
hear.
- Do the Unbelievers think that they can take My
servants as protectors besides Me? Verily We have
prepared Hell for the Unbelievers for (their)
entertainment.
- Say: "Shall we tell you of those who lose most in
respect of their deeds?-
- "Those whose efforts have been wasted in this life,
while they thought that they were acquiring good by
their works?"
- 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.
- That is their reward, Hell, because they rejected
Faith, and took My Signs and My Messengers by way of
jest.
- As to those who believe and work righteous deeds,
they have, for their entertainment, the Gardens of
Paradise,
- Wherein they shall dwell (for aye): no change will
they wish for from them.
- 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."
- Say: "I am but a man like yourselves, (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.
Quran
Surah 17 The Night Journey
Surah 18 The Cave
Surah 19 Mary