Surah 18. Al-Kahf

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Verses [Section]: 1-12[1], 13-17 [2], 18-22 [3], 23-31 [4], 32-44 [5], 45-49 [6], 50-53 [7], 54-59 [8], 60-70 [9], 71-82 [10], 83-101 [11], 102-110 [12]

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Quran Text of Verse 18-22وَ تَحْسَبُهُمْAnd you (would) think themاَیْقَاظًاawakeوَّ هُمْwhile theyرُقُوْدٌ ۖۗ(were) asleepوَّ نُقَلِّبُهُمْAnd We turned themذَاتَtoالْیَمِیْنِthe rightوَ ذَاتَand toالشِّمَالِ ۖۗthe leftوَ كَلْبُهُمْwhile their dogبَاسِطٌstretchedذِرَاعَیْهِhis two forelegsبِالْوَصِیْدِ ؕat the entranceلَوِIfاطَّلَعْتَyou had lookedعَلَیْهِمْat themلَوَلَّیْتَyou (would) have surely turned backمِنْهُمْfrom themفِرَارًا(in) flightوَّ لَمُلِئْتَand surely you would have been filledمِنْهُمْby themرُعْبًا (with) terror وَ كَذٰلِكَAnd similarlyبَعَثْنٰهُمْWe raised themلِیَتَسَآءَلُوْاthat they might questionبَیْنَهُمْ ؕamong themقَالَSaidقَآىِٕلٌa speakerمِّنْهُمْamong themكَمْHow longلَبِثْتُمْ ؕhave you remainedقَالُوْاThey saidلَبِثْنَاWe have remainedیَوْمًاa dayاَوْorبَعْضَa partیَوْمٍ ؕ(of) a dayقَالُوْاThey saidرَبُّكُمْYour Lordاَعْلَمُknows bestبِمَاhow longلَبِثْتُمْ ؕyou have remainedفَابْعَثُوْۤاSo sendاَحَدَكُمْone of youبِوَرِقِكُمْ(with this) silver coin of yoursهٰذِهٖۤwith this (silver coin of yours)اِلَیtoالْمَدِیْنَةِthe cityفَلْیَنْظُرْand let him seeاَیُّهَاۤwhich isاَزْكٰیthe purestطَعَامًاfoodفَلْیَاْتِكُمْand let him bring to youبِرِزْقٍprovisionمِّنْهُfrom itوَ لْیَتَلَطَّفْ ؔand let him be cautiousوَ لَاAnd let notیُشْعِرَنَّbe awareبِكُمْabout youاَحَدًا anyone اِنَّهُمْIndeed [they]اِنْifیَّظْهَرُوْاthey come to knowعَلَیْكُمْabout youیَرْجُمُوْكُمْthey will stone youاَوْorیُعِیْدُوْكُمْreturn youفِیْtoمِلَّتِهِمْtheir religionوَ لَنْAnd neverتُفْلِحُوْۤاwill you succeedاِذًاthenاَبَدًا ever 18. Al-Kahf Page 296وَ كَذٰلِكَAnd similarlyاَعْثَرْنَاWe made knownعَلَیْهِمْabout themلِیَعْلَمُوْۤاthat they might knowاَنَّthatوَعْدَ(the) Promiseاللّٰهِ(of) Allahحَقٌّ(is) trueوَّ اَنَّand thatالسَّاعَةَ(about) the Hourلَا(there is) noرَیْبَdoubtفِیْهَا ۗۚin itاِذْWhenیَتَنَازَعُوْنَthey disputedبَیْنَهُمْamong themselvesاَمْرَهُمْabout their affairفَقَالُواand they saidابْنُوْاConstructعَلَیْهِمْover themبُنْیَانًا ؕa structureرَبُّهُمْTheir Lordاَعْلَمُknows bestبِهِمْ ؕabout themقَالَSaidالَّذِیْنَthose whoغَلَبُوْاprevailedعَلٰۤیinاَمْرِهِمْtheir matterلَنَتَّخِذَنَّSurely we will takeعَلَیْهِمْover themمَّسْجِدًا a place of worship سَیَقُوْلُوْنَThey sayثَلٰثَةٌ(they were) threeرَّابِعُهُمْthe forth of themكَلْبُهُمْ ۚtheir dogوَ یَقُوْلُوْنَand they sayخَمْسَةٌ(they were) fiveسَادِسُهُمْthe sixth of themكَلْبُهُمْtheir dogرَجْمًۢاguessingبِالْغَیْبِ ۚabout the unseenوَ یَقُوْلُوْنَand they sayسَبْعَةٌ(they were) sevenوَّ ثَامِنُهُمْand the eight of themكَلْبُهُمْ ؕtheir dogقُلْSayرَّبِّیْۤMy Lordاَعْلَمُknows bestبِعِدَّتِهِمْtheir numberمَّاNoneیَعْلَمُهُمْknows themاِلَّاexceptقَلِیْلٌ ۫۬a fewفَلَاSo (do) notتُمَارِargueفِیْهِمْabout themاِلَّاexceptمِرَآءً(with) an argumentظَاهِرًا ۪obviousوَّ لَاand (do) notتَسْتَفْتِinquireفِیْهِمْabout themمِّنْهُمْamong themاَحَدًا۠(from) anyone

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Translation of Verse 18-22

18. And you would have thought they were awake, ⁵⁴⁹ though they were asleep. We turned them over, to the right and left, while their dog stretched his forelegs at the entrance. Had you looked at them, you would have certainly fled away from them, filled with horror.

19. And so We awakened them so that they might question one another. One of them exclaimed, "How long have you remained ˹asleep˺?" Some replied, "Perhaps a day, or part of a day." They said ˹to one another˺, "Your Lord knows best how long you have remained. So send one of you with these silver coins of yours to the city, and let him find which food is the purest, and then bring you provisions from it. Let him be ˹exceptionally˺ cautious, and do not let him give you away.

20. For, indeed, if they find out about you, they will stone you ˹to death˺, or force you back into their faith, and then you will never succeed."

21. That is how We caused them to be discovered so that their people might know that Allah's promise ˹of resurrection˺ is true and that there is no doubt about the Hour. ⁵⁵⁰ When the people disputed with each other about the case of the youth ˹after their death˺, ⁵⁵¹ some proposed, "Build a structure around them. Their Lord knows best about them." Those who prevailed in the matter said, "We will surely build a place of worship over them."

22. Some will say, "They were three, their dog was the fourth," while others will say, "They were five, their dog was the sixth," ˹only˺ guessing blindly. And others will say, "They were seven and their dog was the eighth." Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ "My Lord knows best their ˹exact˺ number. Only a few people know as well." So do not argue about them except with sure knowledge, ⁵⁵² nor consult any of those ˹who debate˺ about them.

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Commentary

549. This is because, during their long sleep, their eyes were open, their hair grew long, and their bodies rolled over to the right and left to prevent bedsores.

550. Their antique silver coins gave them away. People rushed to the cave to greet the youths, who finally passed away and were buried in the cave. The King decided to build a place of worship at the cave to commemorate their story.

551. Some pagans suggested that a wall should be built to seal off the cave, whereas the believers decided to build a place of worship at the cave to honour those youths.

552. Based on what has been revealed in the Quran.