Surah Al-Kahf (The Cave) in English

1. ما لهم به من علم ولا لآبائهم كبرت كلمة تخرج من أفواههم إن يقولون إلا كذبا

   5

   They 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.

   mā lahum bihī min ʿilmin wa-lā li-ʾābāʾihim kaburat kalimatan takhruju min ʾafwāhihim ʾin yaqūlūna ʾillā kadhiban

2. فلعلك باخع نفسك على آثارهم إن لم يؤمنوا بهذا الحديث أسفا

   6

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

   fa-laʿallaka bākhiʿun nafsaka ʿalā ʾāthārihim ʾin lam yuʾminū bi-hādhā l-ḥadīthi ʾasafan

3. إنا جعلنا ما على الأرض زينة لها لنبلوهم أيهم أحسن عملا

   7

   Indeed 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.

   ʾinnā jaʿalnā mā ʿalā l-ʾarḍi zīnatan lahā li-nabluwahum ʾayyuhum ʾaḥsanu ʿamalan

4. وإنا لجاعلون ما عليها صعيدا جرزا

   8

   And indeed We will turn whatever is on it into a barren plain.

   wa-ʾinnā la-jāʿilūna mā ʿalayhā ṣaʿīdan juruzan

5. أم حسبت أن أصحاب الكهف والرقيم كانوا من آياتنا عجبا

   9

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

   ʾam ḥasibta ʾanna ʾaṣḥāba l-kahfi wa-r-raqīmi kānū min ʾāyātinā ʿajaban

6. إذ أوى الفتية إلى الكهف فقالوا ربنا آتنا من لدنك رحمة وهيئ لنا من أمرنا رشدا

   10

   When 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.’

   ʾidh ʾawā l-fityatu ʾilā l-kahfi fa-qālū rabbanā ʾātinā min ladunka raḥmatan wa-hayyiʾ lanā min ʾamrinā rashadan

7. فضربنا على آذانهم في الكهف سنين عددا

   11

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

   fa-ḍarabnā ʿalā ʾādhānihim fī l-kahfi sinīna ʿadadan

8. ثم بعثناهم لنعلم أي الحزبين أحصى لما لبثوا أمدا

   12

   Then We aroused them that We might know which of the two groups better reckoned the period they had stayed.

   thumma baʿathnāhum li-naʿlama ʾayyu l-ḥizbayni ʾaḥṣā li-mā labithū ʾamadan

9. نحن نقص عليك نبأهم بالحق إنهم فتية آمنوا بربهم وزدناهم هدى

   13

   We relate to you their account in truth. They were indeed youths who had faith in their Lord, and We had enhanced them in guidance,

   naḥnu naquṣṣu ʿalayka nabaʾahum bi-l-ḥaqqi ʾinnahum fityatun ʾāmanū bi-rabbihim wa-zidnāhum hudan

10. وربطنا على قلوبهم إذ قاموا فقالوا ربنا رب السماوات والأرض لن ندعو من دونه إلها لقد قلنا إذا شططا

    14

    and fortified their hearts, when they stood up and said, ‘Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. We will never invoke any god besides Him, for then we shall certainly have said an atrocious lie.

    wa-rabaṭnā ʿalā qulūbihim ʾidh qāmū fa-qālū rabbunā rabbu s-samāwāti wa-l-ʾarḍi lan nadʿuwa min dūnihī ʾilāhan la-qad qulnā ʾidhan shaṭaṭan

11. هؤلاء قومنا اتخذوا من دونه آلهة لولا يأتون عليهم بسلطان بين فمن أظلم ممن افترى على الله كذبا

    15

    These—our people—have taken gods besides Him. Why do they not bring any clear authority touching them? So who is a greater wrongdoer than he who fabricates a lie against Allah?

    hāʾulāʾi qawmunā ttakhadhū min dūnihī ʾālihatan law-lā yaʾtūna ʿalayhim bi-sulṭānin bayyinin fa-man ʾaẓlamu mimmani ftarā ʿalā llāhi kadhiban