Surah Al-Kahf (The Cave) in English

1. قال ألم أقل لك إنك لن تستطيع معي صبرا

   75

   He said, ‘Did I not tell you that you cannot have patience with me?’

   qāla ʾa-lam ʾaqul laka ʾinnaka lan tastaṭīʿa maʿiya ṣabran

2. قال إن سألتك عن شيء بعدها فلا تصاحبني قد بلغت من لدني عذرا

   76

   He said, ‘If I question you about anything after this, do not keep me in your company. You already have enough excuse on my part.’

   qāla ʾin saʾaltuka ʿan shayʾin baʿdahā fa-lā tuṣāḥibnī qad balaghta min ladunnī ʿudhran

3. فانطلقا حتى إذا أتيا أهل قرية استطعما أهلها فأبوا أن يضيفوهما فوجدا فيها جدارا يريد أن ينقض فأقامه قال لو شئت لاتخذت عليه أجرا

   77

   So they went on until they came to the people of a town. They asked its people for food, but they refused to extend them any hospitality. There they found a wall which was about to collapse, so he erected it. He said, ‘Had you wished, you could have taken a wage for it.’

   fa-nṭalaqā ḥattā ʾidhā ʾatayā ʾahla qaryatin-i staṭʿamā ʾahlahā fa-ʾabaw ʾan yuḍayyifūhumā fa-wajadā fīhā jidāran yurīdu ʾan yanqaḍḍa fa-ʾaqāmahū qāla law shiʾta la-ttakhadhta ʿalayhi ʾajran

4. قال هذا فراق بيني وبينك سأنبئك بتأويل ما لم تستطع عليه صبرا

   78

   He said, ‘This is where you and I shall part. I will inform you about the interpretation of that over which you could not maintain patience.

   qāla hādhā firāqu baynī wa-baynika sa-ʾunabbiʾuka bi-taʾwīli mā lam tastaṭiʿ ʿalayhi ṣabran

5. أما السفينة فكانت لمساكين يعملون في البحر فأردت أن أعيبها وكان وراءهم ملك يأخذ كل سفينة غصبا

   79

   As for the boat, it belonged to some poor people who work on the sea. I wanted to make it defective, for behind them was a king seizing every ship usurpingly.

   ʾammā s-safīnatu fa-kānat li-masākīna yaʿmalūna fī l-baḥri fa-ʾaradtu ʾan ʾaʿībahā wa-kāna warāʾahum malikun yaʾkhudhu kulla safīnatin ghaṣban

6. وأما الغلام فكان أبواه مؤمنين فخشينا أن يرهقهما طغيانا وكفرا

   80

   As for the boy, his parents were faithful [persons], and We feared he would overwhelm them with rebellion and unfaith.

   wa-ʾammā l-ghulāmu fa-kānā ʾabawāhu muʾminayni fa-khashīnā ʾan yurhiqahumā ṭughyānan wa-kufran

7. فأردنا أن يبدلهما ربهما خيرا منه زكاة وأقرب رحما

   81

   So We desired that their Lord should give them in exchange one better than him in respect of purity and closer in mercy.

   fa-ʾaradnā ʾan yubdilahumā rabbuhumā khayran minhu zakātan wa-ʾaqraba ruḥman

8. وأما الجدار فكان لغلامين يتيمين في المدينة وكان تحته كنز لهما وكان أبوهما صالحا فأراد ربك أن يبلغا أشدهما ويستخرجا كنزهما رحمة من ربك وما فعلته عن أمري ذلك تأويل ما لم تسطع عليه صبرا

   82

   As for the wall, it belonged to two boy orphans in the city. Under it there was a treasure belonging to them. Their father had been a righteous man. So your Lord desired that they should come of age and take out their treasure—as a mercy from your Lord. I did not do that out of my own accord. This is the interpretation of that over which you could not maintain patience.’

   wa-ʾammā l-jidāru fa-kāna li-ghulāmayni yatīmayni fī l-madīnati wa-kāna taḥtahū kanzun lahumā wa-kāna ʾabūhumā ṣāliḥan fa-ʾarāda rabbuka ʾan yablughā ʾashuddahumā wa-yastakhrijā kanzahumā raḥmatan min rabbika wa-mā faʿaltuhū ʿan ʾamrī dhālika taʾwīlu mā lam tasṭiʿ ʿalayhi ṣabran

9. ويسألونك عن ذي القرنين قل سأتلو عليكم منه ذكرا

   83

   They question you concerning Dhul Qarnayn. Say, ‘I will relate to you an account of him.’

   wa-yasʾalūnaka ʿan dhī l-qarnayni qul sa-ʾatlū ʿalaykum minhu dhikran