Surah Al-Kahf (The Cave) in English

1. وإذ اعتزلتموهم وما يعبدون إلا الله فأووا إلى الكهف ينشر لكم ربكم من رحمته ويهيئ لكم من أمركم مرفقا

   16

   When you have dissociated yourselves from them and from what they worship except Allah, then take refuge in the Cave. Your Lord will unfold His mercy for you, and He will help you on to ease in your affair.’

   wa-ʾidhi ʿtazaltumūhum wa-mā yaʿbudūna ʾillā llāha fa-ʾwū ʾilā l-kahfi yanshur lakum rabbukum min raḥmatihī wa-yuhayyiʾ lakum min ʾamrikum mirfaqan

2. وترى الشمس إذا طلعت تزاور عن كهفهم ذات اليمين وإذا غربت تقرضهم ذات الشمال وهم في فجوة منه ذلك من آيات الله من يهد الله فهو المهتد ومن يضلل فلن تجد له وليا مرشدا

   17

   You may see the sun, when it rises, slanting toward the right of their cave, and, when it sets, cut across them towards the left, and they are in a cavern within it. That is one of Allah’s signs. Whomever Allah guides is rightly guided, and whomever He leads astray, you will never find for him any guardian or guide.

   wa-tarā sh-shamsa ʾidhā ṭalaʿat tazāwaru ʿan kahfihim dhāta l-yamīni wa-ʾidhā gharabat taqriḍuhum dhāta sh-shimāli wa-hum fī fajwatin minhu dhālika min ʾāyāti llāhi man yahdi llāhu fa-huwa l-muhtadi wa-man yuḍlil fa-lan tajida lahū waliyyan murshidan

3. وتحسبهم أيقاظا وهم رقود ونقلبهم ذات اليمين وذات الشمال وكلبهم باسط ذراعيه بالوصيد لو اطلعت عليهم لوليت منهم فرارا ولملئت منهم رعبا

   18

   You will suppose them to be awake, although they are asleep. We turn them to the right and to the left, and their dog [lies] stretching its forelegs at the threshold. If you come upon them, you will surely turn to flee from them, and you will surely be filled with a terror of them.

   wa-taḥsabuhum ʾayqāẓan wa-hum ruqūdun wa-nuqallibuhum dhāta l-yamīni wa-dhāta sh-shimāli wa-kalbuhum bāsiṭun dhirāʿayhi bi-l-waṣīdi lawi ṭṭalaʿta ʿalayhim la-wallayta minhum firāran wa-la-muliʾta minhum ruʿban

4. وكذلك بعثناهم ليتساءلوا بينهم قال قائل منهم كم لبثتم قالوا لبثنا يوما أو بعض يوم قالوا ربكم أعلم بما لبثتم فابعثوا أحدكم بورقكم هذه إلى المدينة فلينظر أيها أزكى طعاما فليأتكم برزق منه وليتلطف ولا يشعرن بكم أحدا

   19

   So it was that We aroused them [from sleep] so that they might question one another. One of them said, ‘How long have you stayed [here]?’ They said, ‘We have stayed a day, or part of a day.’ They said, ‘Your Lord knows best how long you have stayed. Send one of you to the city with this money. Let him observe which of them has the purest food, and bring you provisions from there. Let him be attentive, and let him not make anyone aware of you.

   wa-ka-dhālika baʿathnāhum li-yatasāʾalū baynahum qāla qāʾilun minhum kam labithtum qālū labithnā yawman ʾaw baʿḍa yawmin qālū rabbukum ʾaʿlamu bi-mā labithtum fa-bʿathū ʾaḥadakum bi-wariqikum hādhihī ʾilā l-madīnati fa-l-yanẓur ʾayyuhā ʾazkā ṭaʿāman fa-l-yaʾtikum bi-rizqin minhu wa-l-yatalaṭṭaf wa-lā yushʿiranna bikum ʾaḥadan

5. إنهم إن يظهروا عليكم يرجموكم أو يعيدوكم في ملتهم ولن تفلحوا إذا أبدا

   20

   Indeed should they prevail over you, they will [either] stone you [to death], or force you back into their creed, and then you will never be saved. ’

   ʾinnahum ʾin yaẓharū ʿalaykum yarjumūkum ʾaw yuʿīdūkum fī millatihim wa-lan tufliḥū ʾidhan ʾabadan