In the name of Allah, most benevolent, ever-merciful.

ALL PRAISE BE to God who has revealed to His votary the Book which is free of all obliquity,

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,

Where they will abide for ever;

And that it may warn those who say: "God has begotten a son."

They have no knowledge of this, as their fathers did not have. How terrible are the words they utter! They speak nothing but lies.

Will you kill yourself for grief of them if they do not believe in this presentation?

We have made whatever exists on the earth its adornment to test and try them (and) know who acts better;

For We shall certainly turn it to barren dust.

Do you think the men of the cave and Ar-Raqim were so strange among Our signs?

When those young men took shelter in the cave, and prayed: "O Lord, grant us Your favour and dispose our affair aright,"

We sealed off their ears in the cave for a number of years,

Then roused them to ascertain which of the two groups could account for the period they had stayed.

We narrate their story to you in all truth. They were a few young men who believed in their Lord; so We gave them greater guidance.

And strengthened their hearts when they stood up and said: "Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. We shall invoke no god beside Him, for we shall have uttered a blasphemy then.

As for these our people here, they have taken to other gods apart from Him. Then why do they not bring a clear authority for them? Who is more wicked than he who fabricates a lie against God?"

(And they said to each other:) "Now that you have withdrawn from them and what they worship beside God, it is better to take refuge in the cave. Your Lord may bestow of His mercy on you, and facilitate your affair."

You may well have seen when the sun came up it moved away to the right of the cave, and when it went down it turned away to the left, and they stayed in its open space. This was among the signs of God. Whoever is guided by God follows the right path; and whosoever goes astray will not find a guide to show him the way.

You may have thought that they were awake, yet they were asleep. We made them turn right and left, while their dog lay with his forelegs stretched across the threshold. If you had looked at them you would have surely turned away and fled with horror at the sight.

Even so We roused them that they may question one another. One of them asked: "How long have you stayed here?" They said: "A day or less than a day." "Your Lord knows best," they said, "how long you have stayed. So send one of you to the town with this money of yours to look for wholesome food and bring it for you; but he should be careful not to let your presence known.

If they come to know of you they will stone you to death, or force you to go back to their creed; then you will never succeed."

Thus did We inform the people about them that they may know the promise of God is true, and there is no doubt that the Hour will come. As they were arguing among themselves as to what should be done with them, (some) said: "Erect a monument over them. Their Lord is best cognisant of them." Those who prevailed, said: "We shall build a place of worship over their (sepulchre)."

Some will say: "They were three, and their dog was the fourth;" and some will also say: "They were five and their dog was the sixth," -- guessing in the dark. And some will even say: "They were seven, and their dog the eighth." Say: "My Lord alone knows best their number; none but only a few know of them." So do not argue about it with them but lightly, and do not enquire about them from any one of them.

Do not say of any thing: "I will do it tomorrow,"

Without (adding), "if God may please;" and think of your Lord in ease you forget, and say: "Perhaps my Lord will show me a nearer way to rectitude."

(It is said) they stayed in the cave three hundred years and nine.

You say: "God only knows how long they stayed. He alone knows the secrets of the heavens and the earth. How distinctly He sees and hears! They have no other guardian but Him, and He does not share His authority with any one."

Recite what has been revealed to you of the Book of your Lord. There is no one who can change the word of God; and you will not find refuge except in Him.

Persevere with those who call on their Lord morning and evening, seeking His magnificence. Do not turn your eyes away from them, seeking the splendours of this world, and do not follow him whose heart We have made oblivious to Our remembrance, who follows his own lust and exceeds the bound.

Say: "The truth is from your Lord: So believe if you like, or do not believe if you will." We have prepared for the sinners a fire which will envelope them in its tent. If they ask for water they will be helped to liquid like molten brass that would scald their mouths. How evil the drink, and evil the resting-place!

But surely We do not let the reward of those who believe and do the right to go waste.

There will be gardens of Eden for them, with rivers flowing by, where they will be decked in bracelets of gold, with silken robes of green and of brocades to wear, reclining on couches. How excellent the guerdon, and excellent the resting-place!

Tell them the parable of two men. We gave one two gardens of grapes surrounded by date-palm trees, with corn fields in between.

Each of the gardens yielded its fruit and did not withhold the least; and We made a stream flow in between them.

So he became rich. Arguing one day with his friend he said: "I have more wealth than you and more powerful kinsmen."

And he walked into his garden, and, (forgetting) his limit, said: "I cannot imagine that this will ever be ruined,

Nor can I think that the Hour (of Doom) will come, And even if I am brought back to my Lord, I will surely find a better place there than this."

Disputing with him, his companion said: "Do you disbelieve in Him who created you from dust, then a drop of semen, then formed you into a man?

And He is God, my Lord, and I do not associate any one with my Lord.

When you entered your garden, why did you not say: ´As God may please;´ for no one has power except given by God? Though you see me poorer in wealth and children than you,

Yet, my Lord may haply give me a garden better than yours, and He may send a thunder-bolt, from the skies and in the morning it will be a barren plain;