وَتَرَى الشَّمسَ إِذا طَلَعَت تَزاوَرُ عَن كَهفِهِم ذاتَ اليَمينِ وَإِذا غَرَبَت تَقرِضُهُم ذاتَ الشِّمالِ وَهُم في فَجوَةٍ مِنهُ ۚ ذٰلِكَ مِن آياتِ اللَّهِ ۗ مَن يَهدِ اللَّهُ فَهُوَ المُهتَدِ ۖ وَمَن يُضلِل فَلَن تَجِدَ لَهُ وَلِيًّا مُرشِدًا

You would have seen the sun, as it rose, veering away from their cave to the right, and as it set, bypassing them to the left, while they lay within the spacious area of the cave. This was one of God’s signs. Whomever God guides is guided, and whomever He leaves to stray, you will find no guiding mentor for him.

وَتَحسَبُهُم أَيقاظًا وَهُم رُقودٌ ۚ وَنُقَلِّبُهُم ذاتَ اليَمينِ وَذاتَ الشِّمالِ ۖ وَكَلبُهُم باسِطٌ ذِراعَيهِ بِالوَصيدِ ۚ لَوِ اطَّلَعتَ عَلَيهِم لَوَلَّيتَ مِنهُم فِرارًا وَلَمُلِئتَ مِنهُم رُعبًا

You would have thought they were awake, yet they were asleep. We turned them over, to the right and to the left, with their dog stretching its forelegs at the entrance. If you had observed them, you would’ve turned away from them in fear, and terror-filled.

وَكَذٰلِكَ بَعَثناهُم لِيَتَساءَلوا بَينَهُم ۚ قالَ قائِلٌ مِنهُم كَم لَبِثتُم ۖ قالوا لَبِثنا يَومًا أَو بَعضَ يَومٍ ۚ قالوا رَبُّكُم أَعلَمُ بِما لَبِثتُم فَابعَثوا أَحَدَكُم بِوَرِقِكُم هـٰذِهِ إِلَى المَدينَةِ فَليَنظُر أَيُّها أَزكىٰ طَعامًا فَليَأتِكُم بِرِزقٍ مِنهُ وَليَتَلَطَّف وَلا يُشعِرَنَّ بِكُم أَحَدًا

We then awakened them, prompting them to question each other. One of them asked, “How long did you stay?” They answered, “We stayed a day or part of a day.” They concluded, “Only your Lord knows the duration of your stay.” “Send one of you with your money to the city, and let him find the best sustenance and bring it back to us. He must be discreet and not draw any attention to you.”

إِنَّهُم إِن يَظهَروا عَلَيكُم يَرجُموكُم أَو يُعيدوكُم في مِلَّتِهِم وَلَن تُفلِحوا إِذًا أَبَدًا

“If they discover you, they may stone you or force you to revert to their religion, and then you will never succeed.”

وَكَذٰلِكَ أَعثَرنا عَلَيهِم لِيَعلَموا أَنَّ وَعدَ اللَّهِ حَقٌّ وَأَنَّ السّاعَةَ لا رَيبَ فيها إِذ يَتَنازَعونَ بَينَهُم أَمرَهُم ۖ فَقالُوا ابنوا عَلَيهِم بُنيانًا ۖ رَبُّهُم أَعلَمُ بِهِم ۚ قالَ الَّذينَ غَلَبوا عَلىٰ أَمرِهِم لَنَتَّخِذَنَّ عَلَيهِم مَسجِدًا

We made their story known to mankind, to demonstrate that God’s promise is true, and that there is no doubt about the Hour. When they disputed among themselves their affair, they proposed, “Let us build a structure over them.” Their Lord knows them best. Those who prevailed in the argument said, “We will erect a place of worship over them.”

وَلا تَقولَنَّ لِشَيءٍ إِنّي فاعِلٌ ذٰلِكَ غَدًا

And don’t say about anything, “I will do this tomorrow.”

إِلّا أَن يَشاءَ اللَّهُ ۚ وَاذكُر رَبَّكَ إِذا نَسيتَ وَقُل عَسىٰ أَن يَهدِيَنِ رَبّي لِأَقرَبَ مِن هـٰذا رَشَدًا

Without adding, “If God wills.” And remember your Lord when you forget, and say, “Perhaps my Lord will guide me towards better conduct than this.”

وَلَبِثوا في كَهفِهِم ثَلاثَ مِائَةٍ سِنينَ وَازدادوا تِسعًا

They remained in their cave for three hundred years, and nine more.

قُلِ اللَّهُ أَعلَمُ بِما لَبِثوا ۖ لَهُ غَيبُ السَّماواتِ وَالأَرضِ ۖ أَبصِر بِهِ وَأَسمِع ۚ ما لَهُم مِن دونِهِ مِن وَلِيٍّ وَلا يُشرِكُ في حُكمِهِ أَحَدًا

Say, “God knows best how long they stayed.” His are the mysteries of the heavens and the earth. His sight is perfect, His hearing is perfect. They have no protector against Him, and He shares His rule with no one.

وَاتلُ ما أوحِيَ إِلَيكَ مِن كِتابِ رَبِّكَ ۖ لا مُبَدِّلَ لِكَلِماتِهِ وَلَن تَجِدَ مِن دونِهِ مُلتَحَدًا

Communicate what was revealed to you from your Lord’s Scripture. None can alter His words, and you won’t find any refuge besides Him.