THE NOBLE QURAN (A warning and good news for mankind)

18. Surah Al-Kahf (The Cave)

18. Surah Al-Kahf (The Cave) -Translation

1. All the praises and thanks be to Allah, Who has sent down to His slave (Muhammad (peace be upon him)) the Book (the Qur'an), and has not placed therein any crookedness.

2. (He has made it) Straight to give warning (to the disbelievers) of a severe punishment from Him, and to give glad tidings to the believers (in the Oneness of Allah Islamic Monotheism), who work righteous deeds, that they shall have a fair reward (i.e. Paradise).

3. They shall abide therein forever.

4. And to warn those (Jews, Christians, and pagans) who say, "Allah has begotten a son (or offspring or children)."

5. No knowledge have they of such a thing, nor had their fathers. Mighty is the word that comes out of their mouths [i.e. He begot (took) sons and daughters]. They utter nothing but a lie.

6. Perhaps, you, would kill yourself (O Muhammad (peace be upon him)) in grief, over their footsteps (for their turning away from you), because they believe not in this narration (the Qur'an).

7. Verily! We have made that which is on earth as an adornment for it, in order that We may test them (mankind) as to which of them are best in deeds. [i.e.those who do good deeds in the most perfect manner, that means to do them (deeds) totally for Allah's sake and in accordance to the legal ways of the Prophet (peace be upon him) ].

8. And verily! We shall make all that is on it (the earth) a bare dry soil (without any vegetation or trees, etc.).

9. Do you think that the people of the Cave and the Inscription (the news or the names of the people of the Cave) were a wonder among Our Signs?

10. (Remember) when the young men fled for refuge (from their disbelieving folk) to the Cave, they said: "Our Lord! Bestow on us mercy from Yourself, and facilitate for us our affair in the right way!"

11. Therefore We covered up their (sense of) hearing (causing them, to go in deep sleep) in the Cave for a number of years.

12. Then We raised them up (from their sleep), that We might test which of the two parties was best at calculating the time period that they had tarried.

13. We narrate unto you (O Muhammad (peace be upon him)) their story with truth: Truly! They were young men who believed in their Lord (Allah), and We increased them in guidance.

14. And We made their hearts firm and strong (with the light of Faith in Allah and bestowed upon them patience to bear the separation of their kith and kin and dwellings, etc.) when they stood up and said: "Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth, never shall we call upon any ilah (god) other than Him; if we did, we should indeed have uttered an enormity in disbelief.

15. "These our people have taken for worship aliha (gods) other than Him (Allah). Why do they not bring for them a clear authority? And who does more wrong than he who invents a lie against Allah.

16. (The young men said to one another): "And when you withdraw from them, and that which they worship, except Allah, then seek refuge in the Cave, your Lord will open a way for you from His Mercy and will make easy for you your affair (i.e. will give you what you will need of provision, dwelling, etc.)."

17. And you might 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 midst of the Cave. That is (one) of the Ayat (proofs, evidences, signs) of Allah. He whom Allah guides, is rightly guided; but he whom He sends astray, for him you will find no Wali (guiding friend) to lead him (to the right Path).