Al-Kahf (The Cave)
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In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Compassionate.
(18:1) Praise to Allah, who descended the Scripture for His obedient, and made no fault for it,
(18:2) Straightforward; giving warning of the severe punishment from Him; and it gives glad tidings to those who acknowledge and do good works that they will have a fair gratuity.
(18:3) In which they will abide eternally.
(18:4) To warn those who said, "Allah has taken a son."
(18:5) They have no knowledge of this, nor do their fathers. Horrendous indeed is the word coming out of their mouths. They are but saying a lie!
(18:6) Perhaps you will torment yourself in grief over them, because they will not acknowledge this saying at all.
(18:7) We have made what is on earth an adornment for it, so that We will test them as to who is better in deeds.
(18:8) We will then make what is on it a barren wasteland.
(18:9) Or do you think that the (young men) who have comprehended the "(Platonic) Cave," (representing) the "Digital (Age)," are the (most) astonishing of Our omens?
(18:10) When the youths hid in the cave, and they said, "Our Lord, bring us a mercy from Yourself, and prepare for us a right direction in our affair!"
(18:11) So We sealed upon their ears in the cave for a number of years.
(18:12) Then We roused them to know which of the two groups would be best at calculating the duration of their stay.
(18:13) We narrate to you their news with truth. They were youths who acknowledged their Lord, and We increased them in guidance.
(18:14) We made firm their hearts when they stood and said, "Our Lord, the Lord of heavens and earth, we will not call besides Him any Allah. Had We said so then it would be far astray."
(18:15) "Here are our people, they have taken Allahs besides Him, while they do not come with any clear authority. Who then is more wicked than one who invents lies about Allah?"
(18:16) If you shun them, and from what they obey besides Allah, then settle down in a cave, and your Lord will extend Allah's mercy and form for you, in your affairs (harmonious) integration.
(18:17) You see the sun when it rises, visiting their cave from the right, and when it sets, it touches them from the left, while they are in an enclosure from it. That is from Allah's ideas. Whomever Allah guides is the guided one, and whomever He misguides, you will not find for him any guiding friend.
(18:18) You would reckon they are awake while they are asleep. We turn them on the right-side and on the left-side, and their dog has his legs outstretched by the entrance. If you looked upon them you would have run away from them and you would have been filled with fear from them!
(18:19) Thus We roused them so they would ask themselves. A speaker from amongst them said, "How long have you stayed?" They said, "We stayed a day or part of a day." He said, "Your Lord is surely aware how long you stayed, so send one of you with these money of yours to the city, and let him see which is the tastiest food, and let him come with a provision of it. Let him be courteous and let no one take notice of you."
(18:20) "If they discover you, they will stone you or return you to their creed. Then you will never be successful."
(18:21) Thus We let them be discovered so that they would know that Allah's promise is true and that there is no doubt regarding the moment. They argued amongst themselves regarding them, so they said, "Erect a monument for them!" Their Lord is fully aware of them. Those who managed to win the argument said, "We will construct a temple over them."
(18:22) They will say, "Three, the fourth is their dog." They say, "Five, the sixth is their dog," guessing at what they do not know. They say, "Seven, and the eighth is their dog." Say, "My Lord is fully aware of their number, none know them except for a few." So, do not debate in them except with proof, and do not seek information regarding them from anyone.
(18:23) Do not say of anything: "I will do this tomorrow;"
(18:24) Not otherwise, (adding): "If Allah wills!" And remember when forgotten, saying, "Perhaps my Lord will guide me closer to awareness than this.
(18:25) They remained in their cave for three hundred years, and increased nine.
(18:26) Say, "Allah is fully aware how long they remained, to Him is the unseen of heavens and earth, He sees and hears. They do not have besides Him any ally, nor does He share in His judgment with anyone."
(18:27) Recite what has been inspired to you from your Lord's book, there is no changing His words, and you will not find besides Him any refuge.
(18:28) Have patience upon yourself regarding those who call on their Lord at dawn and dusk seeking His presence, and let not your eyes overlook them that you seek the attraction of this worldly life. Do not obey the one whom We have made his heart heedless of Our remembrance and he followed his desire, and his case was lost.
(18:29) Say, "The truth is from your Lord, whoever desires may acknowledge, and whoever desires may reject." We have prepared for the wicked a fire whose walls will be surrounding them. If they cry out, they are given a liquid like boiling oil which burns their faces. What a miserable place!
(18:30) Those who acknowledge and do good works, We do not waste the gratuity of those who have done well.
(18:31) They will have the genetics of Eden with rivers flowing beneath them, and they will be adorned with bracelets of gold and they will wear green garments of fine silk. They will sit in it on raised thrones. Beautiful is the reward, and beautiful is the dwelling place.
(18:32) Give them the example of two men. We made for one of them two genetics of grapes, We surrounded them with palm trees, and We made between them a green field.
(18:33) Both genetics brought forth their fruit, and none failed in the least. We caused a river to pass through them.
(18:34) He had abundant fruit, so he said to his friend while conversing with him: "I am better off than you financially, and of great influence."
(18:35) He went back into his genetic while he had wronged himself. He said, "I do not think that this will ever perish.
(18:36) I do not also think that the moment is coming. If I am indeed returned to my Lord, then I will surely find even better things for me."
(18:37) His friend said to him while conversing with him: "Have you rejected the One who created you from DNA, then from sperm, and then He completed you to a man?"
(18:38) "But He is Allah, my Lord, and I do not place any partners at all with my Lord."
(18:39) "When you entered your genetic, you should have said, "This is what Allah has given, there is no power except by Allah." You may see me as being less than you in wealth and in children."
(18:40) "Yet, perhaps my Lord will give me better than your genetic, and send upon it a reckoning from the sky, so it becomes completely barren."
(18:41) "Or that its water becomes deep underground, so you will not be able to seek it."
(18:42) So his fruits were ruined, and he began turning his hands for what was destroyed upon its foundations though he has spent on it. He said, "I wish I did not make any partner with my Lord!"
(18:43) He had no group which could help against Allah, and he would not have had victory.
(18:44) Such is the true authority of Allah. He is best to reward, and best to punish.
(18:45) Give them the parable of this worldly life, like water which We have sent down from the sky, so that the plants of the earth mix with it and it turns dry twigs scattered by the wind. Allah is capable of all things.
(18:46) Wealth and buildings are the attraction of this life. But the good deeds that remain behind are better at your Lord for a reward, and better for hope.
(18:47) The day We move the mountains, and you see the earth barren, and We gather them, not leaving out anyone of them.
(18:48) They are displayed before your Lord as a column: "You have come to Us as We had created you the first time. No, you claimed We would not make an appointment for you!"
(18:49) The book was displayed, so you see the criminals fearful of what is in it. They say, "Woe to us!, what is wrong with this book that it does not leave out anything small or large except that it has counted it." They found what they had done present. Your Lord does not wrong anyone.
(18:50) When We said to the managers: "Subject to Adam." They all subjected except for Abless, he was of the genius, so he disobeyed the order of his Lord. "Will you take him and his progeny as allies besides Me, while they are your enemy?" Miserable for the wicked is the substitute!
(18:51) I did not make them witness the creation of heavens and earth, nor the creation of themselves. Nor do I take the misleaders as adjutants.
(18:52) The day when He says: "Call on your partners that you had claimed." So they called them, but they did not respond to them. We made between them a place of destruction.
(18:53) The criminals saw the fire; they realized they will be placed in it, and they did not find any way to avert it.
(18:54) And for We have certainly directed in this Quran for People, all sorts of parables. And the nature of Mankind - for the most part - is bickering.
(18:55) When the guidance came to them nothing prevented the people from acknowledging, and seeking forgiveness from their Lord, except they sought to receive the ways of the previous people, or receive the retribution face to face.
(18:56) We do not send the messengers except as bearers of good news and warners. But those who reject will argue using falsehood to overshadow the truth with it. They took My ideas and what they have been warned by as a joke!
(18:57) Who is more wicked than one who is reminded of his Lord's ideas but he turned away from them, and he forgot what his hands had done. We have made veils upon their hearts from understanding them, and deafness in their ears. If you invite them to the guidance, they will never be guided.
(18:58) Your Lord is forgiving, with mercy. If He were to judge the people for what they had already earned, He would hasten for them the retribution. No, they have an appointment, beyond which they will find no escape.
(18:59) Such are the towns which We had destroyed when they transgressed. We made for their destruction an appointed time.
(18:60) So Moses said to his steward: "I will not stop until I reach (the place of) the confluence of the two seas, or I will continue (searching) for many years."
(18:61) As soon as they reached the confluence between the two (seas), they both forgot about their fish, and it moved on its way across the sea, (moving away like) a mirage.
(18:62) When they had passed further on, he said to his youth: "Bring us our lunch; we have found much fatigue in this journey of ours."
(18:63) He said, "Do you remember when we rested upon the rock? I forgot the fish, and it was the devil that made me forget to remember it. It made its way back to the sea amazingly!"
(18:64) He said, "That is what we have been seeking!" So they went back retracing their steps.
(18:65) And so they met an obedient one, of (the number of) Our obedient ones, whom We bestowed with mercy, of (those) We have, and whom We have taught from the knowledge with which We (bestow).
(18:66) Moses said to him: "Can I follow you, so that you will teach me, of what you have been taught (concerning) awareness?"
(18:67) He said, "You will not be able to have patience with me."
(18:68) "How can you be patient about what you have not been given any news?"
(18:69) He said, "You will find me, Allah willing, to be patient. I will not disobey any command of yours."
(18:70) He said, "If you follow me, then do not ask about anything until I relate it to you."
(18:71) So they ventured forth until they rode in a boat and he made a hole in it. He said, "Did you make a hole in it to drown its people? You have done something dreadful!"
(18:72) He said, "Did I not tell you that you will not be able to have patience with me?"
(18:73) He said, "Forgive me for what I forgot, and do not be hard upon my request with you."
(18:74) So they ventured forth until they came upon a youth, and he killed him. He said, "Have you killed an innocent person without justice? You have truly come with something awful!"
(18:75) He said, "Did I not tell you that you will not be able to have patience with me?"
(18:76) He said, "If I ask you about anything after this, then do not keep me in your company. You will then have a reason over me."
(18:77) So they ventured forth until they came to the people of a town. They requested food from its people but they refused to host them. Then they found a wall which was close to collapsing, so he built it. He said, "If you wished, you could have asked a gratuity for it!"
(18:78) He said, "For this, we will now part ways. I will inform you of the meanings of those things that you could not have patience over."
(18:79) "As for the boat, it belonged to some poor people who were working the sea, so I wanted to damage it as there was a king coming who takes every boat by force."
(18:80) "As for the youth, his parents were those who acknowledge, so we feared that he would oppress them by his transgression and denial."
(18:81) "So we wanted their Lord to replace for them with one who is better than him in purity and closer to mercy."
(18:82) "As for the wall, it belonged to two orphaned boys in the city, and underneath it was a treasure for them, and their father was a good man, so your Lord wanted that they would reach their maturity and take out their treasure as a mercy from your Lord. None of what I did was of my own accord. That is the meaning of what you could not have patience for."
(18:83) And they ask you about Zul-Carnayne. Say, "So, I will read to you about the methodological (principle), by his (example)".
(18:84) We had facilitated for him in the land, and We had given him the means of everything.
(18:85) So he followed the means.
(18:86) Until he reached the setting of the sun, and he found it setting at a boiling lake, and he found near it a people. We said, "O Two Eras, either you are to punish, or you are to do them good."
(18:87) He said, "As for he who has transgressed, we will punish him then he will be returned to his Lord and He will punish him an awful punishment."
(18:88) "As for he who acknowledges and does good, then he will have the reward of goodness, and we will speak to him simply of our plan."
(18:89) Then he followed the means.
(18:90) So when he reached the rising of the sun, he found it rising on a people whom We did not make for them any cover except it.
(18:91) So it was, and We knew ahead of time about what he intended.
(18:92) Then he followed the means.
(18:93) Until he reached the area between the two barriers, he found no one beside it except a people who could barely understand anything said.
(18:94) They said, "O Two Eras, Gog and Magog are destroyers of the land, and so shall we make a tribute for you that you will make between us and them a barrier?"
(18:95) He said, "What my Lord has given me is far better. So help me with strength and I will make between you and them a barrier."
(18:96) "Bring me iron ore." Until he leveled between the two walls, he said, "Blow," until he made it a furnace, he said, "Bring me tar so I can pour it over."
(18:97) So they could not come over it, and they could not make a hole in it.
(18:98) He said, “This is by grace from my Lord. And when the promise of my Lord comes, He will turn her to dust. And the promise of my Lord is true."
(18:99) In that day We will allow them to gush upon one another. And they will blow the horn, and We will gather them (the creatures) jamming.
(18:100) We displayed hell openly on that day to those who do not appreciate.
(18:101) Those whose eyes were closed from My remembrance, and they were unable to hear.
(18:102) Do those who deny expect to make My obedient their patrons instead of Me? Indeed, We have prepared an offering for those who deny - Samsara.
(18:103) Say, "Shall we inform you of the greatest losers?
(18:104) Those whose efforts in the worldly life were wasted while they thought they were doing good!"
(18:105) These are the ones who rejected the ideas of their Lord and His meeting. So their works were in vain, and We will not give them any value on the day of Resurrection.
(18:106) That is their recompense, hell; for what they rejected and for taking My ideas and My messengers for mockery!
(18:107) Those who acknowledge and do good works, they will have genetics as a dwelling place.
(18:108) Abiding therein. They will not want to be moved from it.
(18:109) Say, "If the sea were an inkwell for the words of my Lord, then the sea would run out before the words of my Lord run out" even if We were to bring another like it for its aid.
(18:110) Say, " Indeed, I am as human as you are. I have been inspired with the revelation that your Allah is the only Allah. He who hopes to meet his Lord, let him do righteous deeds, and obey no one beside his Lord.
