[Prophet], do you find the Companions in the Cave and al-Raqim so wondrous, among all Our other signs?

When the young men sought refuge in the cave and said, ‘Our Lord, grant us Your mercy, and find us a good way out of our ordeal,’

We sealed their ears [with sleep] in the cave for years.

Then We woke them so that We could make clear which of the two parties was better able to work out how long they had been there.

أَمْ حَسِبْتَ أَنَّ أَصْحَٰبَ ٱلْكَهْفِ وَٱلرَّقِيمِ كَانُوا۟ مِنْ ءَايَٰتِنَا عَجَبًا

إِذْ أَوَى ٱلْفِتْيَةُ إِلَى ٱلْكَهْفِ فَقَالُوا۟ رَبَّنَآ ءَاتِنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةࣰ وَهَيِّئْ لَنَا مِنْ أَمْرِنَا رَشَدࣰا

فَضَرَبْنَا عَلَىٰٓ ءَاذَانِهِمْ فِي ٱلْكَهْفِ سِنِينَ عَدَدࣰا

ثُمَّ بَعَثْنَٰهُمْ لِنَعْلَمَ أَيُّ ٱلْحِزْبَيْنِ أَحْصَىٰ لِمَا لَبِثُوٓا۟ أَمَدࣰا

[Prophet], We shall tell you their story as it really was. They were young men who believed in their Lord, and We gave them more and more guidance.

We gave strength to their hearts when they stood up and said, ‘Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and earth. We shall never call upon any god other than Him, for that would be an outrageous thing to do.

These people of ours have taken gods other than Him. Why do they not produce clear evidence about them? Who could be more unjust than someone who makes up lies about God?

Now that you have left such people, and what they worshipped instead of God, take refuge in the cave. God will shower His mercy on you and make you an easy way out of your ordeal.’

نَّحْنُ نَقُصُّ عَلَيْكَ نَبَأَهُم بِٱلْحَقِّۚ إِنَّهُمْ فِتْيَةٌ ءَامَنُوا۟ بِرَبِّهِمْ وَزِدْنَٰهُمْ هُدࣰى

وَرَبَطْنَا عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ إِذْ قَامُوا۟ فَقَالُوا۟ رَبُّنَا رَبُّ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ لَن نَّدْعُوَا۟ مِن دُونِهِۦٓ إِلَٰهࣰاۖ لَّقَدْ قُلْنَآ إِذࣰا شَطَطًا

هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ قَوْمُنَا ٱتَّخَذُوا۟ مِن دُونِهِۦٓ ءَالِهَةࣰۖ لَّوْلَا يَأْتُونَ عَلَيْهِم بِسُلْطَٰنِۭ بَيِّنࣲۖ فَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ ٱفْتَرَىٰ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ كَذِبࣰا

وَإِذِ ٱعْتَزَلْتُمُوهُمْ وَمَا يَعْبُدُونَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهَ فَأْوُۥٓا۟ إِلَى ٱلْكَهْفِ يَنشُرْ لَكُمْ رَبُّكُم مِّن رَّحْمَتِهِۦ وَيُهَيِّئْ لَكُم مِّنْ أَمْرِكُم مِّرْفَقࣰا

You could have seen the [light of the] sun as it rose, moving away to the right of their cave, and when it set, moving away to the left of them, while they lay in the wide space inside the cave. (This is one of God’s signs: those people God guides are rightly guided, but you will find no protector to lead to the right path those He leaves to stray.)

You would have thought they were awake, though they lay asleep. We turned them over, to the right and the left, with their dog stretching out its forelegs at the entrance. If you had seen them, you would have turned and run away, filled with fear of them.

۞ وَتَرَى ٱلشَّمْسَ إِذَا طَلَعَت تَّزَٰوَرُ عَن كَهْفِهِمْ ذَاتَ ٱلْيَمِينِ وَإِذَا غَرَبَت تَّقْرِضُهُمْ ذَاتَ ٱلشِّمَالِ وَهُمْ فِي فَجْوَةࣲ مِّنْهُۚ ذَٰلِكَ مِنْ ءَايَٰتِ ٱللَّهِۗ مَن يَهْدِ ٱللَّهُ فَهُوَ ٱلْمُهْتَدِۖ وَمَن يُضْلِلْ فَلَن تَجِدَ لَهُۥ وَلِيࣰّا مُّرْشِدࣰا

وَتَحْسَبُهُمْ أَيْقَاظࣰا وَهُمْ رُقُودࣱۚ وَنُقَلِّبُهُمْ ذَاتَ ٱلْيَمِينِ وَذَاتَ ٱلشِّمَالِۖ وَكَلْبُهُم بَٰسِطࣱ ذِرَاعَيْهِ بِٱلْوَصِيدِۚ لَوِ ٱطَّلَعْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ لَوَلَّيْتَ مِنْهُمْ فِرَارࣰا وَلَمُلِئْتَ مِنْهُمْ رُعْبࣰا

In time We woke them, and they began to question one another. One of them asked, ‘How long have you been here?’ and [some] answered, ‘A day or part of a day,’ but then [others] said, ‘Your Lord knows best how long you have been here. One of you go to the city with your silver coins, find out where the best food is there, and bring some back. But be careful not to let anyone know about you:

if they found you out, they would stone you or force you to return to their religion, where you would never come to any good.’

وَكَذَٰلِكَ بَعَثْنَٰهُمْ لِيَتَسَآءَلُوا۟ بَيْنَهُمْۚ قَالَ قَآئِلࣱ مِّنْهُمْ كَمْ لَبِثْتُمْۖ قَالُوا۟ لَبِثْنَا يَوْمًا أَوْ بَعْضَ يَوْمࣲۚ قَالُوا۟ رَبُّكُمْ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا لَبِثْتُمْ فَٱبْعَثُوٓا۟ أَحَدَكُم بِوَرِقِكُمْ هَٰذِهِۦٓ إِلَى ٱلْمَدِينَةِ فَلْيَنظُرْ أَيُّهَآ أَزْكَىٰ طَعَامࣰا فَلْيَأْتِكُم بِرِزْقࣲ مِّنْهُ وَلْيَتَلَطَّفْ وَلَا يُشْعِرَنَّ بِكُمْ أَحَدًا

إِنَّهُمْ إِن يَظْهَرُوا۟ عَلَيْكُمْ يَرْجُمُوكُمْ أَوْ يُعِيدُوكُمْ فِي مِلَّتِهِمْ وَلَن تُفْلِحُوٓا۟ إِذًا أَبَدࣰا

In this way We brought them to people’s attention so that they might know that God’s promise [of resurrection] is true and that there is no doubt about the Last Hour, [though] people argue among themselves. [Some] said, ‘Construct a building over them: their Lord knows best about them.’ Those who prevailed said, ‘We shall build a place of worship over them.’

[Some] say, ‘The sleepers were three, and their dog made four,’ others say, ‘They were five, and the dog made six’- guessing in the dark- and some say, ‘They were seven, and their dog made eight.’ Say [Prophet], ‘My Lord knows best how many they were.’ Only a few have real knowledge about them, so do not argue, but stick to what is clear, and do not ask any of these people about them;

وَكَذَٰلِكَ أَعْثَرْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ لِيَعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّ وَعْدَ ٱللَّهِ حَقࣱّ وَأَنَّ ٱلسَّاعَةَ لَا رَيْبَ فِيهَآ إِذْ يَتَنَٰزَعُونَ بَيْنَهُمْ أَمْرَهُمْۖ فَقَالُوا۟ ٱبْنُوا۟ عَلَيْهِم بُنْيَٰنࣰاۖ رَّبُّهُمْ أَعْلَمُ بِهِمْۚ قَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ غَلَبُوا۟ عَلَىٰٓ أَمْرِهِمْ لَنَتَّخِذَنَّ عَلَيْهِم مَّسْجِدࣰا

سَيَقُولُونَ ثَلَٰثَةࣱ رَّابِعُهُمْ كَلْبُهُمْ وَيَقُولُونَ خَمْسَةࣱ سَادِسُهُمْ كَلْبُهُمْ رَجْمَۢا بِٱلْغَيْبِۖ وَيَقُولُونَ سَبْعَةࣱ وَثَامِنُهُمْ كَلْبُهُمْۚ قُل رَّبِّيٓ أَعْلَمُ بِعِدَّتِهِم مَّا يَعْلَمُهُمْ إِلَّا قَلِيلࣱۗ فَلَا تُمَارِ فِيهِمْ إِلَّا مِرَآءࣰ ظَٰهِرࣰا وَلَا تَسْتَفْتِ فِيهِم مِّنْهُمْ أَحَدࣰا

do not say of anything, ‘I will do that tomorrow,’

without adding, ‘God willing,’ and, whenever you forget, remember your Lord and say, ‘May my Lord guide me closer to what is right.’

وَلَا تَقُولَنَّ لِشَا۟يْءٍ إِنِّي فَاعِلࣱ ذَٰلِكَ غَدًا

إِلَّآ أَن يَشَآءَ ٱللَّهُۚ وَٱذْكُر رَّبَّكَ إِذَا نَسِيتَ وَقُلْ عَسَىٰٓ أَن يَهْدِيَنِ رَبِّي لِأَقْرَبَ مِنْ هَٰذَا رَشَدࣰا

[Some say], ‘The sleepers stayed in their cave for three hundred years,’ some added nine more.

Say [Prophet], ‘God knows best how long they stayed.’ His is the knowledge of all that is hidden in the heavens and earth- How well He sees! How well He hears!- and they have no one to protect them other than Him; He does not allow anyone to share His rule.

وَلَبِثُوا۟ فِي كَهْفِهِمْ ثَلَٰثَ مِا۟ئَةࣲ سِنِينَ وَٱزْدَادُوا۟ تِسْعࣰا

قُلِ ٱللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا لَبِثُوا۟ۖ لَهُۥ غَيْبُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِۖ أَبْصِرْ بِهِۦ وَأَسْمِعْۚ مَا لَهُم مِّن دُونِهِۦ مِن وَلِيࣲّ وَلَا يُشْرِكُ فِي حُكْمِهِۦٓ أَحَدࣰا