Praise be to Allah, Who hath sent to His Servant the Book, and hath allowed therein no Crookedness:

Wherein they shall remain for ever:

No knowledge have they of such a thing, nor had their fathers. It is a grievous thing that issues from their mouths as a saying what they say is nothing but falsehood!

That which is on earth we have made but as a glittering show for the earth, in order that We may test them - as to which of them are best in conduct.

Or dost thou reflect that the Companions of the Cave and of the Inscription were wonders among Our Sign?

Then We draw (a veil) over their ears, for a number of years, in the Cave, (so that they heard not):

We relate to thee their story in truth: they were youths who believed in their Lord, and We advanced them in guidance:

"These our people have taken for worship gods other than Him: why do they not bring forward an authority clear (and convincing) for what they do? Who doth more wrong than such as invent a falsehood against Allah?

Thou wouldst have seen the sun, when it rose, declining to the right from their Cave, and when it set, turning away from them to the left, while they lay in the open space in the midst of the Cave. Such are among the Signs of Allah: He whom Allah, guides is rightly guided; but he whom Allah leaves to stray,- for him wilt thou find no protector to lead him to the Right Way.

Such (being their state), we raised them up (from sleep), that they might question each other. Said one of them, "How long have ye stayed (here)?" They said, "We have stayed (perhaps) a day, or part of a day." (At length) they (all) said, "Allah (alone) knows best how long ye have stayed here.... Now send ye then one of you with this money of yours to the town: let him find out which is the best food (to be had) and bring some to you, that (ye may) satisfy your hunger therewith: And let him behave with care and courtesy, and let him not inform any one about you.

Thus did We make their case known to the people, that they might know that the promise of Allah is true, and that there can be no doubt about the Hour of Judgment. Behold, they dispute among themselves as to their affair. (Some) said, "Construct a building over them": Their Lord knows best about them: those who prevailed over their affair said, "Let us surely build a place of worship over them."

Nor say of anything, "I shall be sure to do so and so tomorrow"-

So they stayed in their Cave three hundred years, and (some) add nine (more)

And recite (and teach) what has been revealed to thee of the Book of thy Lord: none can change His Words, and none wilt thou find as a refuge other than Him.

Say, "The truth is from your Lord": Let him who will believe, and let him who will, reject (it): for the wrong-doers We have prepared a Fire whose (smoke and flames), like the walls and roof of a tent, will hem them in: if they implore relief they will be granted water like melted brass, that will scald their faces, how dreadful the drink! How uncomfortable a couch to recline on!

For them will be Gardens of Eternity; beneath them rivers will flow; they will be adorned therein with bracelets of gold, and they will wear green garments of fine silk and heavy brocade: They will recline therein on raised thrones. How good the recompense! How beautiful a couch to recline on!

Each of those gardens brought forth its produce, and failed not in the least therein: in the midst of them We caused a river to flow.

He went into his garden in a state (of mind) unjust to his soul: He said, "I deem not that this will ever perish,

His companion said to him, in the course of the argument with him: "Dost thou deny Him Who created thee out of dust, then out of a sperm-drop, then fashioned thee into a man?

"Why didst thou not, as thou wentest into thy garden, say: 'Allah's will (be done)! There is no power but with Allah!' If thou dost see me less than thee in wealth and sons,

"Or the water of the garden will run off underground so that thou wilt never be able to find it."

Nor had he numbers to help him against Allah, nor was he able to deliver himself.

Set forth to them the similitude of the life of this world: It is like the rain which we send down from the skies: the earth's vegetation absorbs it, but soon it becomes dry stubble, which the winds do scatter: it is (only) Allah who prevails over all things.

One Day We shall remove the mountains, and thou wilt see the earth as a level stretch, and We shall gather them, all together, nor shall We leave out any one of them.

And the Book (of Deeds) will be placed (before you); and thou wilt see the sinful in great terror because of what is (recorded) therein; they will say, "Ah! woe to us! what a Book is this! It leaves out nothing small or great, but takes account thereof!" They will find all that they did, placed before them: And not one will thy Lord treat with injustice.

I called them not to witness the creation of the heavens and the earth, nor (even) their own creation: nor is it for helpers such as Me to take as lead (men) astray!

And the Sinful shall see the fire and apprehend that they have to fall therein: no means will they find to turn away therefrom.

And what is there to keep back men from believing, now that Guidance has come to them, nor from praying for forgiveness from their Lord, but that (they ask that) the ways of the ancients be repeated with them, or the Wrath be brought to them face to face?

And who doth more wrong than one who is reminded of the Signs of his Lord, but turns away from them, forgetting the (deeds) which his hands have sent forth? Verily We have set veils over their hearts lest they should understand this, and over their ears, deafness, if thou callest them to guidance, even then will they never accept guidance.

Such were the populations we destroyed when they committed iniquities; but we fixed an appointed time for their destruction.

But when they reached the Junction, they forgot (about) their Fish, which took its course through the sea (straight) as in a tunnel.

He replied: "Sawest thou (what happened) when we betook ourselves to the rock? I did indeed forget (about) the Fish: none but Satan made me forget to tell (you) about it: it took its course through the sea in a marvellous way!"

So they found one of Our servants, on whom We had bestowed Mercy from Ourselves and whom We had taught knowledge from Our own Presence.

(The other) said: "Verily thou wilt not be able to have patience with me!"

Moses said: "Thou wilt find me, if Allah so will, (truly) patient: nor shall I disobey thee in aught."

So they both proceeded: until, when they were in the boat, he scuttled it. Said Moses: "Hast thou scuttled it in order to drown those in it? Truly a strange thing hast thou done!"

Moses said: "Rebuke me not for forgetting, nor grieve me by raising difficulties in my case."

He answered: "Did I not tell thee that thou canst have no patience with me?"

Then they proceeded: until, when they came to the inhabitants of a town, they asked them for food, but they refused them hospitality. They found there a wall on the point of falling down, but he set it up straight. (Moses) said: "If thou hadst wished, surely thou couldst have exacted some recompense for it!"

"As for the boat, it belonged to certain men in dire want: they plied on the water: I but wished to render it unserviceable, for there was after them a certain king who seized on every boat by force.

"So we desired that their Lord would give them in exchange (a son) better in purity (of conduct) and closer in affection.

They ask thee concerning Zul-qarnain. Say, "I will rehearse to you something of his story."

One (such) way he followed,

He said: "Whoever doth wrong, him shall we punish; then shall he be sent back to his Lord; and He will punish him with a punishment unheard-of (before).

Then followed he (another) way,

(He left them) as they were: We completely understood what was before him.

Until, when he reached (a tract) between two mountains, he found, beneath them, a people who scarcely understood a word.

He said: "(The power) in which my Lord has established me is better (than tribute): Help me therefore with strength (and labour): I will erect a strong barrier between you and them:

Thus were they made powerless to scale it or to dig through it.

On that day We shall leave them to surge like waves on one another: the trumpet will be blown, and We shall collect them all together.

(Unbelievers) whose eyes had been under a veil from remembrance of Me, and who had been unable even to hear.

Say: "Shall we tell you of those who lose most in respect of their deeds?-

They are those who deny the Signs of their Lord and the fact of their having to meet Him (in the Hereafter): vain will be their works, nor shall We, on the Day of Judgment, give them any weight.

As to those who believe and work righteous deeds, they have, for their entertainment, the Gardens of Paradise,

Say: "If the ocean were ink (wherewith to write out) the words of my Lord, sooner would the ocean be exhausted than would the words of my Lord, even if we added another ocean like it, for its aid."