Verses 1–11

ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنزَلَ عَلَىٰ عَبْدِهِ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ وَلَمْ يَجْعَل لَّهُۥ عِوَجَا ۜ﴿١﴾

18:1All praise belongs to Allah, who has sent down the Book to His servant and did not let any crookedness be in it,¹

قَيِّمًۭا لِّيُنذِرَ بَأْسًۭا شَدِيدًۭا مِّن لَّدُنْهُ وَيُبَشِّرَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ أَنَّ لَهُمْ أَجْرًا حَسَنًۭا﴿٢﴾

18:2[a Book] upright, to warn of a severe punishment from Him, and to give good news to the faithful who do righteous deeds, that there shall be for them a good reward,

مَّٰكِثِينَ فِيهِ أَبَدًۭا﴿٣﴾

18:3to abide in it forever,

وَيُنذِرَ ٱلَّذِينَ قَالُوا۟ ٱتَّخَذَ ٱللَّهُ وَلَدًۭا﴿٤﴾

18:4and to warn those who say, ‘Allah has taken a son.’

مَّا لَهُم بِهِۦ مِنْ عِلْمٍۢ وَلَا لِءَابَآئِهِمْ ۚ كَبُرَتْ كَلِمَةًۭ تَخْرُجُ مِنْ أَفْوَٰهِهِمْ ۚ إِن يَقُولُونَ إِلَّا كَذِبًۭا﴿٥﴾

18:5They do not have any knowledge of that, nor did their fathers. Monstrous is the utterance that comes out of their mouths, and they say nothing but a lie.²

فَلَعَلَّكَ بَٰخِعٌۭ نَّفْسَكَ عَلَىٰٓ ءَاثَٰرِهِمْ إِن لَّمْ يُؤْمِنُوا۟ بِهَٰذَا ٱلْحَدِيثِ أَسَفًا﴿٦﴾

18:6You are liable to imperil your life out of grief for their sake, if they should not believe this discourse.³

إِنَّا جَعَلْنَا مَا عَلَى ٱلْأَرْضِ زِينَةًۭ لَّهَا لِنَبْلُوَهُمْ أَيُّهُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلًۭا﴿٧﴾

18:7Indeed We have made whatever is on the earth an adornment for it that We may test them [to see] which of them is best in conduct.

وَإِنَّا لَجَٰعِلُونَ مَا عَلَيْهَا صَعِيدًۭا جُرُزًا﴿٨﴾

18:8And indeed We will turn whatever is on it into a barren plain.⁴

أَمْ حَسِبْتَ أَنَّ أَصْحَٰبَ ٱلْكَهْفِ وَٱلرَّقِيمِ كَانُوا۟ مِنْ ءَايَٰتِنَا عَجَبًا﴿٩﴾

18:9Do you suppose that the Companions of the Cave and the Inscription were among Our wonderful signs?

إِذْ أَوَى ٱلْفِتْيَةُ إِلَى ٱلْكَهْفِ فَقَالُوا۟ رَبَّنَآ ءَاتِنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةًۭ وَهَيِّئْ لَنَا مِنْ أَمْرِنَا رَشَدًۭا﴿١٠﴾

18:10When the youths took refuge in the Cave, they said, ‘Our Lord! Grant us a mercy from Yourself, and help us on to rectitude in our affair.’⁵

فَضَرَبْنَا عَلَىٰٓ ءَاذَانِهِمْ فِى ٱلْكَهْفِ سِنِينَ عَدَدًۭا﴿١١﴾

18:11So We put them to sleep in the Cave for several years.