Quran chapter: Chapter 18: The Cave (Al-Kahf)

We then sealed their ears in the cave for a predetermined number of years.

فَضَرَبنا عَلىٰ ءاذانِهِم فِى الكَهفِ سِنينَ عَدَدًا

fadarabnaa ‘alaaa aazaanihim fil Kahfi seneena ‘adadaa

Then we resurrected them to see which of the two parties could count the duration of their stay therein.

ثُمَّ بَعَثنٰهُم لِنَعلَمَ أَىُّ الحِزبَينِ أَحصىٰ لِما لَبِثوا أَمَدًا

summa ba’asnaahum lina’lama ayyul hizbaini ahsaa limaa labisooo amadaa

We narrate to you their history, truthfully. They were youths who believed in their Lord, and we increased their guidance.

نَحنُ نَقُصُّ عَلَيكَ نَبَأَهُم بِالحَقِّ إِنَّهُم فِتيَةٌ ءامَنوا بِرَبِّهِم وَزِدنٰهُم هُدًى

nahnu naqussu ‘alaika naba ahum bilhaqq; innahum fityatun aamanoo bi Rabbihim wa zidnaahum hudaa

We strengthened their hearts when they stood up and proclaimed: “Our only Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. We will never worship any other god beside Him. Otherwise, we would be far astray.

وَرَبَطنا عَلىٰ قُلوبِهِم إِذ قاموا فَقالوا رَبُّنا رَبُّ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَالأَرضِ لَن نَدعُوَا۟ مِن دونِهِ إِلٰهًا لَقَد قُلنا إِذًا شَطَطًا

wa rabatnaa ‘alaa quloo bihim iz qaamoo faqaaloo Rabbunaa Rabbus samaawaati wal ardi lan nad’uwa min dooniheee ilaahal laqad qulnaaa izan shatataa

“Here are our people setting up gods beside Him. If only they could provide any proof to support their stand! Who is more evil than the one who fabricates lies and attributes them to God?

هٰؤُلاءِ قَومُنَا اتَّخَذوا مِن دونِهِ ءالِهَةً لَولا يَأتونَ عَلَيهِم بِسُلطٰنٍ بَيِّنٍ فَمَن أَظلَمُ مِمَّنِ افتَرىٰ عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِبًا

haaa’ulaaa’i qawmunat takhazoo min dooniheee aalihatal law laa yaatoona ‘alaihim bisultaanim baiyin; faman azlamu mimmaniftaraa ‘alal laahi kazibaa

(The Seven Sleepers of Ephesus*)

“Since you wish to avoid them, and their worshiping of other than God,* let us take refuge in the cave. May your Lord shower you with His mercy and direct you to the right decision.”

وَإِذِ اعتَزَلتُموهُم وَما يَعبُدونَ إِلَّا اللَّهَ فَأوۥا إِلَى الكَهفِ يَنشُر لَكُم رَبُّكُم مِن رَحمَتِهِ وَيُهَيِّئ لَكُم مِن أَمرِكُم مِرفَقًا

wa izi’tazal tumoohum wa maa ya’budoona illal laaha faawooo ilal kahfi yanshur lakum Rabbukum mir rahmatihee wa yuhaiyi’ lakum min amrikum mirfaqa

*18:16-20 Ephesus is located about 200 miles south of ancient Nicene, and 30 miles south of today’s Izmir in Turkey. The dwellers of the cave were young Christians who wanted to follow the teachings of Jesus, and worship God alone. They were fleeing the persecution of neo-christians who proclaimed a corrupted Christianity three centuries after Jesus, following the Nicene Conferences, when the Trinity doctrine was announced. In 1928, Franz Miltner, an Austrian archeologist discovered the tomb of the seven sleepers of Ephesus. Their history is well documented in several encyclopedias.

(A Guiding Teacher is a Prerequisite)

You could see the sun when it rose coming from the right side of their cave, and when it set, it shone on them from the left, as they slept in the hollow thereof. This is one of God’s portents.* Whomever God guides is the truly guided one, and whomever He sends astray, you will not find for him a guiding teacher.

وَتَرَى الشَّمسَ إِذا طَلَعَت تَزٰوَرُ عَن كَهفِهِم ذاتَ اليَمينِ وَإِذا غَرَبَت تَقرِضُهُم ذاتَ الشِّمالِ وَهُم فى فَجوَةٍ مِنهُ ذٰلِكَ مِن ءايٰتِ اللَّهِ مَن يَهدِ اللَّهُ فَهُوَ المُهتَدِ وَمَن يُضلِل فَلَن تَجِدَ لَهُ وَلِيًّا مُرشِدًا

wa tarash shamsa izaa tala’at tazaawaru ‘an kahfihim zaatal yameeni wa izaa gharabat taqriduhum zaatash shimaali wa hum fee fajwatim minh; zaalika min Aayaatillaah; mai yahdil laahu fahuwal muhtad, wa mai yudlil falan tajida lahoo waliyyam murshidaa

*18:17 This sign, or hint, tells us that the cave was facing north.

You would think that they were awake, when they were in fact asleep. We turned them to the right side and the left side, while their dog stretched his arms in their midst. Had you looked at them, you would have fled from them, stricken with terror.

وَتَحسَبُهُم أَيقاظًا وَهُم رُقودٌ وَنُقَلِّبُهُم ذاتَ اليَمينِ وَذاتَ الشِّمالِ وَكَلبُهُم بٰسِطٌ ذِراعَيهِ بِالوَصيدِ لَوِ اطَّلَعتَ عَلَيهِم لَوَلَّيتَ مِنهُم فِرارًا وَلَمُلِئتَ مِنهُم رُعبًا

wa tahsabuhum ayqaazanw wa hum ruqood; wa nuqallibuhum zaatal yameeni wa zaatash shimaali wa kalbuhum baasitun ziraa’ayhi bilwaseed; lawit tala’ta ‘alaihim la wallaita minhum firaaranw wa lamuli’ta minhum ru’ba

When we resurrected them, they asked each other, “How long have you been here?” “We have been here one day or part of the day,” they answered. “Your Lord knows best how long we stayed here, so let us send one of us with this money to the city. Let him fetch the cleanest food, and buy some for us. Let him keep a low profile, and attract no attention.

وَكَذٰلِكَ بَعَثنٰهُم لِيَتَساءَلوا بَينَهُم قالَ قائِلٌ مِنهُم كَم لَبِثتُم قالوا لَبِثنا يَومًا أَو بَعضَ يَومٍ قالوا رَبُّكُم أَعلَمُ بِما لَبِثتُم فَابعَثوا أَحَدَكُم بِوَرِقِكُم هٰذِهِ إِلَى المَدينَةِ فَليَنظُر أَيُّها أَزكىٰ طَعامًا فَليَأتِكُم بِرِزقٍ مِنهُ وَليَتَلَطَّف وَلا يُشعِرَنَّ بِكُم أَحَدًا

wa kazaalika ba’asnaahum liyatasaaa’aloo bainahum; qaala qaaa’ilum minhum kam labistum qaaloo labisnaa yawman aw ba’da yawm; qaaloo Rabbukum a’lamu bimaa labistum fab’asooo ahadakum biwariqikum haazihee ilal madeenati falyanzur ayyuhaaa azkaa ta’aaman falyaatikum birizqim minhu walyatalattaf wa laa yush’iranna bikum ahadaa

“If they discover you, they will stone you, or force you to revert to their religion, then you can never succeed.”

إِنَّهُم إِن يَظهَروا عَلَيكُم يَرجُموكُم أَو يُعيدوكُم فى مِلَّتِهِم وَلَن تُفلِحوا إِذًا أَبَدًا

innahum iny yazharoo ‘alaikum yarjumookum aw yu’eedookum fee millatihim wa lan tuflihooo izan abadaa