English - Chapter 18

All the praise belongs to Allah, Who revealed the book to His servant, and in it is included nothing queer

(It is) straightforward, to sound a prior warning about His stern punishment, and to deliver the happy news to the believers, _ those of them with good deeds _ that theirs shall be the bountiful rewards

In it (the paradise), they shall reside forever

And to admonish those who claim that Allah has begotten a son

Regarding that, neither they nor their forefathers had any knowledge. Presumptuous are the words that escape their lips! What they utter is nothing but a falsehood

Would you, then, be overcome with sorrow and agonize over their refusal to accept this message (contained in the Qur´an)

We have, in fact, fashioned everything in this world as mere adornments in order to test them! To see who amongst them performs the righteous deeds

And We are definitely going to convert the earth into a bone-dry barren plateau

Do you regard the companions of the cave and the inscription tablet (upon the cave) as exceptional marvels among Our signs

Those young men sought refuge in the cave and said, "Our Lord! By Your grace, grant us Your mercy and resolve our affairs suitably

So, in that cave We lulled them to sleep for many years

Then, (many years later) We awakened them so We may know which of their groups correctly estimates the length of their stay in the cave

We narrate to you their true tale. The young men had faith in their Lord, and We enhanced them in guidance

We fortified their hearts because they stood firm and said, "Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth! We shall call upon no god other than Him. Else, we shall have severely exceeded the bounds

This nation of ours accepts gods other than Him. Why do they not give a valid justification in support? Who then, is more evil than the one inventing lies about Allah

Seek refuge in that cave, now that you have parted company with them, as well as those they worship other than Allah. Your Lord will shower His mercy upon you and will attend to your needs and comforts

(Had you been there) you would see (the rays of) the sun _ as it rises and sets _ falling obliquely across the right of the cave and turning away past its left, while the men lay in the midst (of the cave). These are the signs of Allah. The rightly guided is the one whom Allah guides. You will not find any patron to guide the one who is led astray

You would think they were awake, although they were asleep. We rolled them on their sides _ right and left. With outstretched limbs, their dog lay close to the entrance (of the cave). Had you just caught a glimpse of them, you would be struck with terror and you would turn around and flee

Thus We awakened them so they may question one another. One of them asked, "How long did we stay (here)?" Others responded, "A day! Perhaps less!" They all said, "Our Lord alone knows how long we stayed (in this cave). Let us send one of us to the town with this coin. With it, let him buy and bring to us the best, most wholesome food. And let him proceed with caution. Let no one know about you

If they overcome you they may stone you to death, or compel you to rejoin their faith. In the later case, you will never ever be successful

In that miraculous manner, We made them (the people) stumble upon (that cave). So that they would know for sure that Allah´s promise is real, and that there is no doubt about the hour (of judgment). But instead, they carried on their dispute and said, "Let us build a monument over them. Only their Lord knows the truth about them!" Those who were in charge said, "We shall definitely turn the site into a place of worship

They will say, "(That they were) three, the fourth was their dog." Others also conjecture (and put the figure at) five, counting the dog six. Still others say, "Seven! Their dog was the eighth." Say, "My Lord knows their true number! Others know only very little." So, do not discuss that about them except cursorily, nor inquire anyone about them

And regarding anything, do not say, "I will do that tomorrow

(Rather add), "If Allah pleases!" (Insha Allah)! Should you forget this, then remember your Lord (when you recall) and say, "Perhaps, my Lord will lead me towards that which is more appropriate, and a sensible conduct

They stayed in that cave for three centuries, and nine more years

And say, "Allah knows exactly how long they stayed! To Him belong the secrets of the heavens and the earth! He hears (everything) clearly, and He sees (everything) plainly. They have no patrons besides Him, and He includes none in His decisions and domain

And recite (without modification) the revelation from the book of your Lord. No one may change the words of your Lord! (If you did) you will not find any safe place from Him

Be contented with yourself and with those who pray to their Lord morning and evening, seeking His pleasure. Do not turn your eyes away from them, nor seek the allure of the life of this world. Do not follow anyone who slams his mind shut upon Our advice, follows his own whims and is immoderate in his affairs

Say, "This is the truth! It is from your Lord! So, (now) whoever wants may believe it. If anyone wishes to disbelieve, let him." For the evildoers We have prepared a fire. Like a canopy of conflagration, it will surround them completely. They shall plead for help and shall be treated with water _ more like boiling oil _ which will scald their mouths. A miserable drink served in a wretched place

And We will definitely not waste the rewards of the believers _ those who do good deeds

These are the ones! There exists for them an eternal paradise with rivers flowing right through. As ornaments, they shall don bracelets made of gold, and their garments will be made of lush green silk and brocade. They shall rest poised on elevated thrones. What an excellent apparel in an exquisite place

And quote the parable of the two men. We gave one of them two gardens of grapes, each bordered with date trees. Between (these gardens) We placed cultivated fields of green crops

The vine gardens held back nothing. Both of them bore their fruit to the maximum. We ran a stream between the two gardens

And thus he benefited a lot. While talking to his friend once, he said, "I am better than you in wealth as well as slaves, sons and other personnel

While entering his garden he committed an outrage upon his own self (he was boastful and cynical). He said, "I do not think all this will ever perish

The hour (of judgment) I think, will not occur. If at all I am sent back to my Lord, I shall find even better bounties reserved for me

His companion conversed with him and said, "Aren´t you being ungrateful to the One Who created you; first from dust then from a drop of semen, and then shaped you into a man

As far as I am concerned, Allah is my Lord. I will never associate anyone with my Lord

So, upon entering your garden, why did you not say, ´If Allah wills! (Insha Allah)´. There is no power except that of Allah! (At present) you find me possessing fewer children and riches than you do

It is possible that my Lord may yet grant me a better garden, while he may strike yours (with a bolt) from the blue, leaving it slippery and barren

Or its water may sink deep underground, and you will be unable to retrieve it

(Destruction) closed in on his fruit all around. He wrung his hands in remorse and lamented over what he had spent (and lost) on the garden. It lay in ruin, dreary and desolate. He said, "If only I hadn´t committed a ´shirk´ (ascribed associates) with my Lord

Except Allah nobody could help him, nor could he help himself

At that time (he knew that) the actual authority belongs only to Allah, the real and true (God). The rewards and consequences He bestows are far better

And explain to them by quoting this example: the life of this world is like water We sent down from the sky. The plants assimilate it and become fresh and green. Later they turn into chaff, which the wind scatters around. Indeed, Allah has mastery over all things

The wealth and children are mere adornments for the life of this world. In the eyes of Allah, the good deeds one leaves behind are better in terms of expectations and outcome

You will see the earth turned into an even field when We cause the mountains to become pulverized (into clouds of dust). We will gather all of them together. None shall be absent

They shall be made to line up before their Lord in rows. (Allah will say), "Now! You have arrived before Us just as We created you the first time! And you thought We would not appoint a time (of reckoning) for you

The book (of deeds) shall be placed. And you will find the criminals panicky, afraid of what it might contain. They will say, "Oh, pity on us! What a book! Nothing is missing in it! Every single thing _ minor as well as major _ has been listed!" They will find everything they ever did, described (in the book in detail). Your Lord will be unfair to no one

When We ordered the Angels to prostrate themselves before Adam, they all did _ except Iblees (Shaitan). He is a jinn and he defied the command of your Lord. Yet, instead of Me (Allah) you accept him (Shaitan) and his descendants, as friends _ even though they are the enemies. Evil is the final end of the evil doers

I did not let them witness the creation of the heavens and the earth, nor the creation of their own selves. I wouldn´t accept as aides those who lead men astray

That day He will say, "Go on! Scream and call (for help) all those you claimed were My partners". And call they would, indeed! But they shall receive no response! We shall place a barrier between them

The criminals (that day) will witness the hellfire, fearing that they will (inevitably) fall into it. They will find no way to escape

Surely, We have mentioned in this Qur´an all sorts of examples for the people. But man happens to be more bickersome than anything

Now that the guidance is here, nothing must keep people from believing and seeking forgiveness from their Lord. Else, the tradition of the earlier folks would be repeated, and they would come face to face with a severe torment

We sent the messengers only as bearers of glad tidings, and as warners. But the unbelievers quarrel. They attempt to refute the truth with baseless discussions. They mock My signs and that about which they´re being warned

Who could be worse than the one who turns away and shuns the signs of his Lord, even though he is being reminded of them? He forgets the kinds of deeds he has committed. Indeed, We have set a lid over their hearts; so they fail to understand (the Qur´an). There exists a heavy load in their ears. Therefore, you may call them towards the truth, but they shall not be led on to the right path

Your Lord is the most Forgiving; He is the Lord of Mercy. If He were to grab them over all (the sins) they gather He would punish them instantly. But, their time (of reckoning) is preordained. Beyond that, they shall find no refuge

We brought to ruin all those towns because they were wicked. We fixed a specific time for the destruction (of each town)

(And tell them) when Musa said to his attendant, "I will not give up. I will keep going till I reach the confluence of the rivers, even if it takes several years

They reached the confluence, but forgot the fish (they had with them). It slipped away and found its way into the sea

When they went past (the confluence) he (Musa) said to the attendant, "Prepare our meal. We have really suffered so much fatigue in this journey

The attendant replied, "Did you see what happened? We were relaxing upon that cliff and I lost sight of the fish! It was Shaitan! He made me forget to mention it. The fish mysteriously found its way into the sea

(Musa) said, "That (sign) is precisely what we were looking for!" So they retraced their steps and went back (to that cliff)

There, they met Our servant. We had showered Our mercy upon him, and had taught him (a special) knowledge

Musa asked, "May I follow you? Can you impart to me the (special) guidance you have been taught

He said, "I am sure you will not be able to bear me with patience

How can you remain patient about something you have no knowledge of

(Musa) said, "Allah willing, you will find me a patient person. I will not disobey you in any matter

He said, "You may accompany me but do not ask any questions until I bring the matter up myself

So they proceeded till they boarded a ship. The man drilled a hole (in its keel). (Musa) said, "You bore a hole in the ship to drown all its passengers. You have no doubt committed a dreadful act

(The man) said, "Did I not warn you? You will not be able to put up with me so patiently

(Musa) said, "Do not blame me. I forgot. Do not make me undergo such a trying situation

They proceeded again till they met a lad. The man killed him. (Musa) said, "You have taken an innocent life without any justification. Of course, you committed an evil act

(The man) said, "Did I not tell you? Indeed, you would be unable to bear me with patience

(Musa) said, "Don´t let me accompany you if I ask anything after this! There, you now have a reason (to part company)

The two men resumed (their journey), reached a town and requested food. The townfolks refused to put them up as guests. In the town, the man found a wall about ready to crumble. (The man) repaired it. (Musa) said, "Of course, if you wanted, you could have charged them for it

(The Man) said, "This is where we bid farewell to each other! I will give you the explanation of the things you could not endure

As for the ship, it belongs to some poor folks who operate it in the sea. I sought to make it defective; a king nearby, seizes all the (defect-free) ships forcibly

As for the boy, his parents are true believers. We feared that he would (grow up to) disobey them, oppress them and make them suffer tremendously

We wished that their Lord would grant them in exchange a just, honest and a more merciful (offspring)

And buried under the wall is a treasure. It belongs to two orphan brothers in town. Their father was pious! Your Lord decreed that (the boys) should discover (the treasure) when they attain the age of maturity. A mercy from your Lord. I did nothing of my own accord. That, in fact, was the reality which you witnessed but could not endure

They inquire about Dhul Qurnain. Say, "Here, I will tell you about him

We established him firmly in the land and laid at his disposal the means to obtain everything

He undertook a mission

And reached the land of the setting sun. He saw the sun setting behind the murky hot springs. And he found a people living there nearby. We said, "Oh Dhul Qurnain! You may punish them, or treat them nicely

He said, "We will punish the evil doer ourselves. Later, he returns to his Lord, Who will punish him with a woeful torture

(Dhul Qurnain said), "But the best of reward _ (paradise) _ is for the one who believes and acts righteously. We will treat him with kindness

Then he undertook another mission (eastward)

(And pressed on) till he reached the land of the rising sun. He found the sun rising upon a (primitive) people. We had not arranged any shelter for them against the sun

Such (was their state); and We knew exactly what he (Dhul Qurnain) possessed

Then he went on yet another mission

Until he reached a mountainous area and found in the valley a people who understood almost nothing

They said, "These Yajog and Majog run amock in the land. May we pay you a tax to have a barrier erected between them and us

Said, "(Thanks, but) the power my Lord has granted is enough (and far better)! Just help me with your manpower. I shall build a wall between them and you

Bring me blocks of steel." He blocked up the valley between the mountains (with a wall of steel) and said. "Now start a fire and blow (air through your bellows) till the wall becomes red hot." Then he said, "Bring me the molten copper to pour over the (iron) wall

The barbarians could neither scale (the wall) nor breach it

Said, "This is my Lord´s mercy upon you! (However) when the time comes for (the fulfillment of) my Lord´s promise, He will demolish it! My Lord´s promise is absolutely true

That day We will leave them rolling over each other (like waves), and then the trumpet will sound and We will gather them all together

And We shall display and bring within sight hell for the unbelievers

Those, whose eyes are sheathed (and insulated) against My reminder (the Qur´an) cannot stand even to listen to it

Did the unbelievers suppose that they can take _ instead of Me _ My slaves as their masters and get away with it? Indeed! To do them the honors, We have prepared hell

Say, "May we tell you about the worst of the losers

They are those who (in reality) squander away their efforts in the life of this world, yet regard their deeds to be good

Such are the ones who reject the signs of their Lord and the (forthcoming) meeting with Him. So their efforts amount to nothing. On the Day of Judgment, We shall assign them no weight at all

They shall have their reward _ hell. Because they disbelieved, and mocked My signs and My messengers

On the other hand, those who believe and do good deeds shall be honored with (the gift of) the gardens of paradise

There they shall live forever. They shall never desire to depart

Say, "Had the ocean served as ink to write about Allah, then surely the ocean would run out, but the narrative about Allah would not. Even if We supplied that much more ink as a refill

Say, "Surely, I am just a man like you. Revelation has been sent to me that your God is only one God! Hence, those hoping to meet their Lord should seek the righteous acts, and should not accept any partners in the worship of their Lord