Translation of the meanings of surah Al-Kahf (1)

(1) (1) [All] praise is [due] to Allāh, who has sent down upon His Servant [Muḥammad (ﷺ)] the Book and has not made therein any deviance.[779]

[779]- From the truth or the straight path.

(2) (2) [He has made it] straight, to warn of severe punishment from Him and to give good tidings to the believers who do righteous deeds that they will have a good reward [i.e., Paradise].

(3) (3) In which they will remain forever

(4) (4) And to warn those who say, "Allāh has taken a son".

(5) (5) They have no knowledge of it,[780] nor had their fathers. Grave is the word that comes out of their mouths; they speak not except a lie.

[780]- i.e., they could not have had knowledge of something which is not true.

(6) (6) Then perhaps you would kill yourself through grief over them, [O Muḥammad], if they do not believe in this message, [and] out of sorrow.

(7) (7) Indeed, We have made that which is on the earth adornment for it that We may test them [as to] which of them is best in deed.

(8) (8) And indeed, We will make that which is upon it [into] a barren ground.

(9) (9) Or have you thought that the companions of the cave and the inscription were, among Our signs, a wonder?[781]

[781]- Rather, it is only one of the many wonders of Allāh.

(10) (10) [Mention] when the youths retreated to the cave and said, "Our Lord, grant us from Yourself mercy and prepare for us from our affair right guidance."

(11) (11) So We cast [a cover of sleep] over their ears within the cave for a number of years.

(12) (12) Then We awakened them that We might show which of the two factions was most precise in calculating what [extent] they had remained in time.

(13) (13) It is We who relate to you, [O Muḥammad], their story in truth. Indeed, they were youths who believed in their Lord, and We increased them in guidance.

(14) (14) And We bound [i.e., made firm] their hearts when they stood up and said, "Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. Never will we invoke besides Him any deity. We would have certainly spoken, then, an excessive transgression.

(15) (15) These, our people, have taken besides Him deities. Why do they not bring for [worship of] them a clear evidence? And who is more unjust than one who invents about Allāh a lie?"

(16) (16) [The youths said to one another], "And when you have withdrawn from them and that which they worship other than Allāh, retreat to the cave. Your Lord will spread out for you of His mercy and will prepare for you from your affair facility."

(17) (17) And [had you been present], you would see the sun when it rose, inclining away from their cave on the right, and when it set, passing away from them on the left, while they were [lying] within an open space thereof. That was from the signs of Allāh. He whom Allāh guides is the [rightly] guided, but he whom He sends astray - never will you find for him a protecting guide.

(18) (18) And you would think them awake, while they were asleep. And We turned them to the right and to the left, while their dog stretched his forelegs at the entrance. If you had looked at them, you would have turned from them in flight and been filled by them with terror.

(19) (19) And similarly,[782] We awakened them that they might question one another. Said a speaker from among them, "How long have you remained [here]?" They said, "We have remained a day or part of a day." They said, "Your Lord is most knowing of how long you remained. So send one of you with this silver coin of yours to the city and let him look to which is the best of food and bring you provision from it and let him be cautious. And let no one be aware of you.

[782]- By the will of Allāh.

(20) (20) Indeed, if they come to know of you, they will stone you or return you to their religion. And never would you succeed, then - ever."

(21) (21) And similarly, We caused them to be found that they [who found them] would know that the promise of Allāh is truth and that of the Hour there is no doubt. [That was] when they[783] disputed among themselves about their affair and [then] said, "Construct over them a structure. Their Lord is most knowing about them." Said those who prevailed in the matter, "We will surely take [for ourselves] over them a masjid."[784]

[783]- The people of the city. [784]- i.e., we will make this site a place of worship.

(22) (22) They [i.e., people] will say there were three, the fourth of them being their dog; and they will say there were five, the sixth of them being their dog - guessing at the unseen; and they will say there were seven, and the eighth of them was their dog. Say, [O Muḥammad], "My Lord is most knowing of their number. None knows them except a few. So do not argue about them except with an obvious argument[785] and do not inquire about them among [the speculators] from anyone."

[785]- i.e., one from the Qur’ān, which is the only sure argument.

(23) (23) And never say of anything, "Indeed, I will do that tomorrow,"

(24) (24) Except [when adding], "If Allāh wills." And remember your Lord when you forget [it] and say, "Perhaps my Lord will guide me to what is nearer than this to right conduct."

(25) (25) And they remained in their cave for three hundred years and exceeded by nine.[786]

[786]- i.e., 309 lunar years.

(26) (26) Say, "Allāh is most knowing of how long they remained. He has [knowledge of] the unseen [aspects] of the heavens and the earth. How Seeing is He and how Hearing! They have not besides Him any protector, and He shares not His legislation with anyone."

(27) (27) And recite, [O Muḥammad], what has been revealed to you of the Book of your Lord. There is no changer of His words, and never will you find in other than Him a refuge.

(28) (28) And keep yourself patient [by being] with those who call upon their Lord in the morning and the evening, seeking His face [i.e., acceptance]. And let not your eyes pass beyond them, desiring adornments of the worldly life, and do not obey one whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance and who follows his desire and whose affair is ever [in] neglect.[787]

[787]- Or "in excess," exceeding the limits of Allāh.

(29) (29) And say, "The truth is from your Lord, so whoever wills - let him believe; and whoever wills - let him disbelieve." Indeed, We have prepared for the wrongdoers a fire whose walls will surround them. And if they call for relief, they will be relieved with water like murky oil, which scalds [their] faces. Wretched is the drink, and evil is the resting place.

(30) (30) Indeed, those who have believed and done righteous deeds - indeed, We will not allow to be lost the reward of any who did well in deeds.

(31) (31) Those will have gardens of perpetual residence; beneath them rivers will flow. They will be adorned therein with bracelets of gold and will wear green garments of fine silk and brocade, reclining therein on adorned couches. Excellent is the reward, and good is the resting place.

(32) (32) And present to them an example of two men: We granted to one of them two gardens of grapevines, and We bordered them with palm trees and placed between them [fields of] crops.

(33) (33) Each of the two gardens produced its fruit and did not fall short thereof in anything. And We caused to gush forth within them a river.

(34) (34) And he had fruit, so he said to his companion while he was conversing with him, "I am greater than you in wealth and mightier in [numbers of] men."

(35) (35) And he entered his garden while he was unjust to himself.[788] He said, "I do not think that this will perish - ever.

[788]- i.e., proud and ungrateful to Allāh.

(36) (36) And I do not think the Hour will occur. And even if I should be brought back to my Lord, I will surely find better than this as a return."

(37) (37) His companion said to him while he was conversing with him, "Have you disbelieved in He who created you from dust and then from a sperm-drop and then proportioned you [as] a man?

(38) (38) But as for me, He is Allāh, my Lord, and I do not associate with my Lord anyone.

(39) (39) And why did you, when you entered your garden, not say, 'What Allāh willed [has occurred]; there is no power except in Allāh'? Although you see me less than you in wealth and children,

(40) (40) It may be that my Lord will give me [something] better than your garden and will send upon it a [disastrous] penalty from the sky, and it will become a smooth, dusty ground,

(41) (41) Or its water will become sunken [into the earth], so you would never be able to seek it."

(42) (42) And his fruits were encompassed [by ruin], so he began to turn his hands about [in dismay] over what he had spent on it, while it had collapsed upon its trellises, and said, "Oh, I wish I had not associated with my Lord anyone."[789]

[789]- He attributed his prosperity to himself rather than to Allāh and disbelieved in the account of the Hereafter.

(43) (43) And there was for him no company to aid him other than Allāh, nor could he defend himself.

(44) (44) There[790] the authority is [completely] for Allāh, the Truth. He is best in reward and best in outcome.

[790]- i.e., at such a time or on the Day of Judgement.

(45) (45) And present to them the example of the life of this world, [its being] like rain which We send down from the sky, and the vegetation of the earth mingles with it[791] and [then] it becomes dry remnants, scattered by the winds. And Allāh is ever, over all things, Perfect in Ability.

[791]- Absorbs it, growing lush and thick.

(46) (46) Wealth and children are [but] adornment of the worldly life. But the enduring good deeds are better to your Lord[792] for reward and better for [one's] hope.

[792]- i.e., in His sight or evaluation.

(47) (47) And [warn of] the Day when We will remove the mountains and you will see the earth exposed,[793] and We will gather them and not leave behind from them anyone.

[793]- i.e., flattened and bare.

(48) (48) And they will be presented before your Lord in rows, [and He will say], "You have certainly come to Us just as We created you the first time. But you claimed that We would never make for you an appointment."

(49) (49) And the record [of deeds] will be placed [open], and you will see the criminals fearful of that within it, and they will say, "Oh, woe to us! What is this book that leaves nothing small or great except that it has enumerated it?" And they will find what they did present [before them]. And your Lord does injustice to no one.

(50) (50) And [mention] when We said to the angels, "Prostrate to Adam," and they prostrated, except for Iblees. He was of the jinn and departed from [i.e., disobeyed] the command of his Lord. Then will you take him and his descendants as allies other than Me while they are enemies to you? Wretched it is for the wrongdoers as an exchange.