Surah 18. Surah al Kahf (The Cave)
Bismillah ir Rahman ir Raheem
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
- Praise to be Allah,
Who revealed the Book to His servant,
And left no ambiguity in it. - Established, so as to warn of a severe punishment from Him,
And to give glad tidings to those who engage in righteous deeds
That theirs is a beautiful reward. - They shall dwell therein forever.
- And to warn those who say that Allah has taken a son.
- They have no knowledge about it,
Neither did their forefathers.
Odious are the words that come out of their mouths.
Indeed, they utter but a falsehood. - So, perhaps you will allow yourself
To torment yourself to death about this matter
If they do not believe. - Verily, We have made that which is on earth
Dazzling,
So that We can test
Who among them excels in righteous deeds. - And indeed, (on the Day of Judgment) We shall make what is on it
A lifeless flat plain. - Or, do you reckon that the Companions of the Cave
And the Raqim (captions or inscriptions on the Cave)
Were indeed strange (inexplicable) among Our Signs? - When the youths took refuge in the cave,
They said: “Our Rabb! Grant us mercy from Your presence,
And provide for us goodness in what we do.” - And We struck their ears (made them asleep) in the cave for many years.
- Then We woke them up to see which of the two groups
Remembered how long they had stayed (in the cave). - We narrate to you their story in Truth;
Indeed, they were youth who believed in their Rabb with certainty,
And We increased their guidance; - And We reinforced their hearts.
When they stood up, they said:
“O our Rabb! Creator, Sustainer and Cherisher of the heavens and the earth,
We do not call anyone besides You our God;
Had we done so, it would have been outrageous.” - These are our people who have taken deities besides Him—
Why do they not bring manifest authority in support of (their beliefs)?
Aye, who is a greater transgressor than one
Who ascribes a lie to Allah? - And when you have withdrawn yourselves from them,
And from what they worship besides Allah,
Then take refuge in the cave (look deep within your own souls),
Your Rabb will spread His Grace upon you,
And provide you with felicity in what you do.” - And you would have seen the sun as it rose up,
It inclined to the right of the cave,
And as it set,
It inclined away from them to their left,
While they were in an expansive space in the cave.
That was from the Signs of Allah.
He who receives guidance from Allah is guided,
And one who is led astray,
Will find none to be his protector or guide. - And you would reckon they were awake,
While they were asleep.
Lo! We made them turn to their right and to their left,
And their dog with his forelegs stretched out at the entrance,
If you took a peek at them, you would turn your backs and run,
And you would be overcome with their power. - And that is how We awakened them,
So that they might ask of each other.
One of them said: “How long have you stayed (here)?”
They said: “We stayed a day or part of a day,”
(And) they said: “Your Rabb knows how long you stayed here.
Now, dispatch one of you to the city with these coins of yours
So that he can see what wholesome food
He can bring for you from His sustenance,
And let him be circumspect so that no one discovers you.
(Note: This is the halfway mark in the Qur’an) - Indeed, if they discover you,
They will stone you,
Or expel you from their community,
And, thereafter, you will never find security. - And that is how We warned them
So that they knew
That verily the promise of Allah is true,
And verily, there is no doubt about the Hour.
When they (the people) argued among themselves
About this matter,
(Some) said: “(Let us) build a monument in their honor;
Their Rabb knows about them.”
The leaders in this discussion said:
“Let us build a masjid in their honor.” - So, they say:
“There were three of them and the fourth was the dog.”
And they say:
“There were five of them and the sixth was the dog.”
They speculate about what is beyond their perception,
(And they say): “There were seven of them and the eighth was the dog.”
Say: “My Rabb knows how many of them were there—
About this you have but scant knowledge.”
Therefore, do not dispute about them
Except for a passing discussion,
And do not question anyone about them. - And do not ever say about a work:
“I will definitely do it tomorrow,” - Except that (you say): “If Allah wills it!”
And when you forget (to say it),
Then remember Allah and say:
‘There is hope that my Rabb will guide me
To a goodness that is closer (to Him) than this.” - And they stayed in the cave
Three hundred and nine years - Say: “Allah knows how long they stayed;
To Him belong the secrets of the heavens and the earth—
(How comprehensive is) what He sees, and what He hears!
There is no protector for them but He,
And He associates none with His decision.” - And recite what has been revealed to you in the Book from your Rabb,
None can change His Words,
And no refuge will you find except Him. - And, (let) your soul persevere
With those who call on their Rabb,
In the morning and the evening,
Seeking His countenance—
And (let) not your vision veer from them
To crave the attractions of this life;
And do not follow such as one
Whose heart We have made neglectful of Our remembrance,
And who follows his desires,
And who exceeds the limits in his actions. - And say: “The Truth (Justice) is from your Rabb,
Then, whoever so desires it, let him believe,
And whoever so desires it, let him disbelieve.”
Indeed, for the transgressors
We have prepared a Fire
Whose swelling flames shall envelope them;
And if they are thirsty,
They will be given a drink like molten brass—
It will burn their very existence;
Woeful is the drink,
And woeful is the destination! - Indeed, those who have certainty of faith,
And engage in righteous deeds—
For them, We do not overlook
The recompense for their good deeds. - For them are gardens
Beneath which flow streams (of Divine Grace)—
Therein they shall be adorned with bracelets of gold,
And they shall be clothed with green silk,
Resting on thrones with pillows of brocade—
What a beautiful recompense,
And a heavenly abode! - Bring forth for them the similitude of two men—
For one of them, We made two gardens with grapevines,
And surrounded them with date palms,
And grew crops in between. - Both gardens yielded their fruits—
There was no decrease whatsoever in their yield—
And We made a stream to flow in between; - And he had (plenty of) fruit.
And he said to his companion during a conversation:
“I have more wealth than you,
And I have more power (influence) among people.” - And he entered his garden—
And he was a transgressor on his own soul—
He said: “I expect that this will never perish. - “I do not anticipate that the Hour is determined,
And if I am returned to my Rabb,
I will definitely find in it a better place than this.” - Said his companion who was engaged in a conversation with him:
“Do you deny Him who created you from clay,
Then from a sperm,
Then He shaped you into a human in due proportion. - By contrast, I do indeed (say): ‘He is my Rabb,
And I associate none with Him.’ - And when you entered your garden,
Why did you not say: “As Allah wills!”
There is no force except from Allah;
If you see me, I am less than you
In wealth and children. - It may be that soon my Rabb will give me
More than your garden,
And send down upon (your garden) a reckoning (retribution) from the heavens;
And it will become a plain of slippery clay. - Or, its water supply will dry up,
And you will not be able to locate it.” - So his fruit (gardens) were enveloped (in disaster),
Then, he was left wringing his hands for what he had spent on them,
As it fell (dried and lifeless) on its trellises,
And he said: “Woe unto me! I do not associate any (partner) with my Rabb.” - And there was no group to help him besides Allah,
Nor could he help himself. - Thus there is no protection for you except from Allah in Truth;
He is the best to reward and the best to penalize. - Bring forth for them a simile for the life of this world:
It is as if We bring down rain upon it from the heavens,
The vegetation on earth mixes with it (and becomes rich and green);
Then, it becomes husk scattered by the winds,
Lo! Allah is the Owner of Power over all things. - Wealth and children are adornments of this world,
But the righteous deeds that endure
Have a better reward with your Rabb,
And are better for hope (for the pleasure of Allah). - And the Day We shall make the mountains walk,
And you shall see the earth laid out as a flat plain,
And We shall gather them all together,
And not one of them shall We overlook. - And they shall be presented to your Rabb in rows:
(The Divine voice will say) “Behold! You appear before Us
Just as We created you in the first place,
But you thought that We shall not make an appointment for you?” - And the Scroll shall be opened,
And you shall see,
The culpable in fear thereof,
And they will say: “Woe unto us!
What kind of Scroll is it
That it has not overlooked the most minute or the most substantive,
But has it all documented?”
And their deeds shall rise up before them,
And none shall be wronged by your Rabb. - Lo! When We said to the angels: “Prostrate before Adam!”
They prostrated, except Iblis—
He was of the Jinns—
And he broke the command of his Rabb.
Will you then take him and his progeny as your friends in My place,
While he is your enemy?
What a wretched exchange it is for the evil mongers! - I did not make them a witness
To the creation of the heavens and the earth,
And not for their own creation,
And I do not bring close to Me those (beings) that mislead. - And the Day when He will say:
“Call those who you fancied as My associates!”. They shall call them but they shall not answer them,
And between them We shall make an abyss of death. - And the culpable shall see the Fire,
And they shall comprehend that they are about to fall into it,
And that there is no escape from it. - And behold! We have presented in this Qur’an
Every kind of example for humankind,
But humankind is disposed to argumentation in most matters. - And what prevents humankind from belief,
When there has come to them guidance,
And to ask for forgiveness from their Rabb,
Unless they seek (for themselves) the (destructive) experience of the ancients,
Or (they desire) that the punishment be brought to them face to face. - We did not send the Messengers
Except as bearers of glad tidings and as Warners,
But the disbelievers dispute using falsehood,
So they befuddle the Truth,
And they take my Signs
And what they have been warned against
As a jest. - And who is a greater transgressor
Than one who turns away when the Signs of his Rabb
Are related to him,
And forgets what his own hands have sent before him?
Indeed, we have erected veils on their hearts,
So that they do not comprehend them,
And their ears are deaf.
And if you invite them towards guidance,
They will never find the guidance. - And your Rabb is the Forgiver, the Merciful;
If He were to take them to task for what they earn,
Then He would hasten their chastisement;
But there is a time determined for them—
They will not find a refuge except with Him. - Behold! Such were the settlements (civilizations) We destroyed
When they transgressed—
And We established a fixed time for their destruction. - And when Moses said to his youthful disciple:
“I shall not desist until I reach where the two seas meet,
Or else I shall keep walking for a long time.” - At last when they reached the junction between the two seas,
They forgot their fish,
And it made its way into the sea, as if into a tunnel. - Then, as they continued their journey,
He said to his disciple: “Bring us our early meal—
Truly, we are tired from this journey.” - He said: “Do you recall?
When we stopped by the rock,
I did indeed forget the fish—
I did not forget (to mention it)
Except that Satan made me forget it—
And it made its way into the ocean.
Astonishing!” - He (Moses) said: “That was the place we were searching for!
Then they retraced their steps.” - Then they found a servant (Khidr) from among My servants,
Upon whom We had bestowed Our Grace,
And had taught him knowledge from Our knowledge. - Moses said to him: “May I follow you,
So that you may teach me from the inner knowledge you possess.” - He (Khidr) said: “Assuredly, you will not be patient while following me.
- And how can you be patient with what you do not have complete knowledge of?”
- He (Moses) said: “You will, Allah willing, find me patient,
And I shall not disobey you.” - He (Khidr) said: “If you follow me,
Then, do not ask of me any questions
Until I myself mention it and relate it to you.” - So, the two of them embarked on their journey,
Until they got into a boat, and he (Khidr) made a hole in it.
(Moses) said: “You made a hole in it
So that those who ride in it drown.
Indeed, you have done something atrocious!” - (Khidr) said: “Did I not tell you that
You will not be patient while following me?” - (Moses) said: “Do not call me to account for what I forgot,
And do not place any difficulty in my undertaking.” - So, the two of them marched on—
Until they came upon a boy—
And he (khidr) killed him.
He (Moses) said: “Have you taken an innocent soul
Who had not taken another soul?
Assuredly, you have done something forbidden!” - (Khidr) said: “Did I not tell you that
You will not be patient while following me?” - (Moses) said: “If I ask you any other question after this,
Then, do not let me stay with you.
Truly, (enough) excuses have been communicated to you from me.” - So, the two of them marched on—
Until they arrived upon the people of a town.
They asked for food from them,
But they (the people of the town) refused them.
Then they found a wall therein (in the town) which was about to fall down,
And he (Khidr) straightened it up.
(Moses) said: “If you wanted to,
You could have taken some compensation for it.” - (Khidr) said: “This is the point of separation between me and you.
Now I will give you the interpretation about which you had no patience. - As for the boat—
It belonged to poor people who worked at sea,
And pursuing them was a king who took over all boats by force,
So I decided to disable it. - And as for the boy—
His parents were believers,
And we were afraid that he was going to grieve them with his
Rebellion and disbelief; - So we intended
That in his place their Rabb may give them
One better than him,
One without blemish, and more merciful. - And as for the wall—
It belonged to two orphan boys in the town,
And underneath it was a treasure,
And their father was a righteous man;
So your Rabb willed
That they come of age,
And dig up the treasure,
As a Mercy from your Rabb;
Indeed, I did it not on my own reckoning—
That is the interpretation of what you had no patience for.” - And they ask you about Dhul Qarnain.
Say: “I will relate to you something by which he is remembered: - Indeed, We established him firmly on earth,
And granted him the (secret) path to all matters. - So, he followed the path.
- Until he reached the setting place of the sun,
And he discovered that it was drowning
In a muddy river—
And nearby were a people.
We said: ‘O Dhul Qarnain!
(It is up to you) whether to punish them,
Or whether to treat them with kindness.’ - He said: ‘In that case, he who has transgressed
We will soon punish;
Then, he shall be returned to his Rabb,
And He shall punish him with a most severe punishment. - And he who has certainty of faith,
And has engaged in righteous deeds,
For him there is a beautiful recompense,
And soon we will inform him
Of ease in his affairs.’ - Then, he followed the path (further).
- Until he reached the place for the rising of the sun.
He found that it was rising on a people
In front of whom we placed no veils. - That is how it was!
And truly, whatever (knowledge) he had was within Our fold. - Then, he followed the path (further).
- Until he reached a place between two hills,
And found therein a people who, it seemed, did not comprehend any word. - They said: “O Dhul Qarnain!
Indeed Gog and Magog are causing tumult on earth.
So, shall we pay you a tribute
So that you erect a wall between us and them?” - He said: ‘”What my Rabb has endowed me with is better,
So help me with your capabilities—
I will erect a wall between you and them. - Bring me sheets of iron.”
Until he had filled the space between the two hills.
(Then) he said: ‘Blow on it!’
Until there emerged fire from it,
(And) he said: ‘Bring me molten copper to pour over it; - Then, they will not be able to climb on it,
And they will not be able to bore through it.’ - He said: ‘This is the mercy from my Rabb!
Then, when there comes to pass the promise of my Rabb,
He will flatten it (the metallic wall)—
Lo! The promise of my Rabb is true!’” - And We shall let some of them on that Day
Walk over the others,
And the trumpet shall be blown,
Then shall We gather them all together. - And We shall bring Hellfire that Day
Right in front of the disbelievers. - And of those whose eyes were neglectful of My remembrance,
And (who) were not able to hear it. - Do the disbelievers then reckon
That my servants will take as their protectors others beside Me?
Indeed, We have prepared Hell for the reception of disbelievers. - Say: “Shall we tell you
Who is the greatest loser in his deeds? - Those whose efforts were wasted
Pursuing the life of this world,
And they reckoned that they were doing good works.” - They are the ones who denied the Signs of their Rabb
And their meeting with Him,
So their deeds were wasted,
And we shall not attach any weight to them on the Day of Judgment. - That is the recompense of Hell,
Because they denied and took My Signs as a jest. - Indeed, those who have certainty of faith,
And engage in righteous deeds,
Theirs shall be a reception in the gardens of paradise. - They shall dwell therein forever—
They shall have no desire to change their place. - Say: “If the ocean were ink
For (writing) the Words of my Rabb,
Then the ocean will be exhausted before the Words of my Rabb are completed,
Even if we bring another ocean to help it.” - Say: “I am but a human like you
Upon whom has been bestowed the Revelation
That your God is the one God.”
So, whosoever has the hope of meeting Him,
Let him engage in righteous deeds,
And associate none in His worship.