Verse 18:17 in Context

Translator Abdel Haleem

13 نَّحۡنُ نَقُصُّ عَلَیۡكَ نَبَأَهُم بِٱلۡحَقِّۚ إِنَّهُمۡ فِتۡیَةٌ ءَامَنُوا۟ بِرَبِّهِمۡ وَزِدۡنَـٰهُمۡ هُدࣰى ۝١٣ naḥnu naquṣṣu ʿalayka naba-ahum bil-ḥaqi innahum fit'yatun āmanū birabbihim wazid'nāhum huda [Prophet], We shall tell you their story as it really was. They were young men who believed in their Lord, and We gave them more and more guidance 14 وَرَبَطۡنَا عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمۡ إِذۡ قَامُوا۟ فَقَالُوا۟ رَبُّنَا رَبُّ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَ ٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ لَن نَّدۡعُوَا۟ مِن دُونِهِۦۤ إِلَـٰهࣰاۖ لَّقَدۡ قُلۡنَاۤ إِذࣰا شَطَطًا ۝١٤ warabaṭnā ʿalā qulūbihim idh qāmū faqālū rabbunā rabbu l-samāwāti wal-arḍi lan nadʿuwā min dūnihi ilāhan laqad qul'nā idhan shaṭaṭa We gave strength to their hearts when they stood up and said, ‘Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and earth. We shall never call upon any god other than Him, for that would be an outrageous thing to do 15 هَـٰۤؤُلَاۤءِ قَوۡمُنَا ٱتَّخَذُوا۟ مِن دُونِهِۦۤ ءَالِهَةࣰۖ لَّوۡلَا یَأۡتُونَ عَلَیۡهِم بِسُلۡطَـٰنِۭ بَیِّنࣲۖ فَمَنۡ أَظۡلَمُ مِمَّنِ ٱفۡتَرَىٰ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ كَذِبࣰا ۝١٥ hāulāi qawmunā ittakhadhū min dūnihi ālihatan lawlā yatūna ʿalayhim bisul'ṭānin bayyinin faman aẓlamu mimmani if'tarā ʿalā l-lahi kadhiba These people of ours have taken gods other than Him. Why do they not produce clear evidence about them? Who could be more unjust than someone who makes up lies about God 16 وَإِذِ ٱعۡتَزَلۡتُمُوهُمۡ وَمَا یَعۡبُدُونَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهَ فَأۡوُۥۤا۟ إِلَى ٱلۡكَهۡفِ یَنشُرۡ لَكُمۡ رَبُّكُم مِّن رَّحۡمَتِهِۦ وَیُهَیِّئۡ لَكُم مِّنۡ أَمۡرِكُم مِّرۡفَقࣰا ۝١٦ wa-idhi iʿ'tazaltumūhum wamā yaʿbudūna illā l-laha fawū ilā l-kahfi yanshur lakum rabbukum min raḥmatihi wayuhayyi lakum min amrikum mir'faqa Now that you have left such people, and what they worshipped instead of God, take refuge in the cave. God will shower His mercy on you and make you an easy way out of your ordeal.’

17 ۞ وَتَرَى ٱلشَّمۡسَ إِذَا طَلَعَت تَّزَ ٰوَرُ عَن كَهۡفِهِمۡ ذَاتَ ٱلۡیَمِینِ وَإِذَا غَرَبَت تَّقۡرِضُهُمۡ ذَاتَ ٱلشِّمَالِ وَهُمۡ فِی فَجۡوَةࣲ مِّنۡهُۚ ذَ ٰلِكَ مِنۡ ءَایَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِۗ مَن یَهۡدِ ٱللَّهُ فَهُوَ ٱلۡمُهۡتَدِۖ وَمَن یُضۡلِلۡ فَلَن تَجِدَ لَهُۥ وَلِیࣰّا مُّرۡشِدࣰا ۝١٧ watarā l-shamsa idhā ṭalaʿat tazāwaru ʿan kahfihim dhāta l-yamīni wa-idhā gharabat taqriḍuhum dhāta l-shimāli wahum fī fajwatin min'hu dhālika min āyāti l-lahi man yahdi l-lahu fahuwa l-muh'tadi waman yuḍ'lil falan tajida lahu waliyyan mur'shida You could have seen the [light of the] sun as it rose, moving away to the right of their cave, and when it set, moving away to the left of them, while they lay in the wide space inside the cave. (This is one of God’s signs: those people God guides are rightly guided, but you will find no protector to lead to the right path those He leaves to stray.

18 وَتَحۡسَبُهُمۡ أَیۡقَاظࣰا وَهُمۡ رُقُودࣱۚ وَنُقَلِّبُهُمۡ ذَاتَ ٱلۡیَمِینِ وَذَاتَ ٱلشِّمَالِۖ وَكَلۡبُهُم بَـٰسِطࣱ ذِرَاعَیۡهِ بِٱلۡوَصِیدِۚ لَوِ ٱطَّلَعۡتَ عَلَیۡهِمۡ لَوَلَّیۡتَ مِنۡهُمۡ فِرَارࣰا وَلَمُلِئۡتَ مِنۡهُمۡ رُعۡبࣰا ۝١٨ wataḥsabuhum ayqāẓan wahum ruqūdun wanuqallibuhum dhāta l-yamīni wadhāta l-shimāli wakalbuhum bāsiṭun dhirāʿayhi bil-waṣīdi lawi iṭṭalaʿta ʿalayhim lawallayta min'hum firāran walamuli'ta min'hum ruʿ'ba You would have thought they were awake, though they lay asleep. We turned them over, to the right and the left, with their dog stretching out its forelegs at the entrance. If you had seen them, you would have turned and run away, filled with fear of them 19 وَكَذَ ٰلِكَ بَعَثۡنَـٰهُمۡ لِیَتَسَاۤءَلُوا۟ بَیۡنَهُمۡۚ قَالَ قَاۤىِٕلࣱ مِّنۡهُمۡ كَمۡ لَبِثۡتُمۡۖ قَالُوا۟ لَبِثۡنَا یَوۡمًا أَوۡ بَعۡضَ یَوۡمࣲۚ قَالُوا۟ رَبُّكُمۡ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَا لَبِثۡتُمۡ فَٱبۡعَثُوۤا۟ أَحَدَكُم بِوَرِقِكُمۡ هَـٰذِهِۦۤ إِلَى ٱلۡمَدِینَةِ فَلۡیَنظُرۡ أَیُّهَاۤ أَزۡكَىٰ طَعَامࣰا فَلۡیَأۡتِكُم بِرِزۡقࣲ مِّنۡهُ وَلۡیَتَلَطَّفۡ وَلَا یُشۡعِرَنَّ بِكُمۡ أَحَدًا ۝١٩ wakadhālika baʿathnāhum liyatasāalū baynahum qāla qāilun min'hum kam labith'tum qālū labith'nā yawman aw baʿḍa yawmin qālū rabbukum aʿlamu bimā labith'tum fa-ib'ʿathū aḥadakum biwariqikum hādhihi ilā l-madīnati falyanẓur ayyuhā azkā ṭaʿāman falyatikum biriz'qin min'hu walyatalaṭṭaf walā yush'ʿiranna bikum aḥada In time We woke them, and they began to question one another. One of them asked, ‘How long have you been here?’ and [some] answered, ‘A day or part of a day,’ but then [others] said, ‘Your Lord knows best how long you have been here. One of you go to the city with your silver coins, find out where the best food is there, and bring some back. But be careful not to let anyone know about you 20 إِنَّهُمۡ إِن یَظۡهَرُوا۟ عَلَیۡكُمۡ یَرۡجُمُوكُمۡ أَوۡ یُعِیدُوكُمۡ فِی مِلَّتِهِمۡ وَلَن تُفۡلِحُوۤا۟ إِذًا أَبَدࣰا ۝٢٠ innahum in yaẓharū ʿalaykum yarjumūkum aw yuʿīdūkum fī millatihim walan tuf'liḥū idhan abada if they found you out, they would stone you or force you to return to their religion, where you would never come to any good.’ 21 وَكَذَ ٰلِكَ أَعۡثَرۡنَا عَلَیۡهِمۡ لِیَعۡلَمُوۤا۟ أَنَّ وَعۡدَ ٱللَّهِ حَقࣱّ وَأَنَّ ٱلسَّاعَةَ لَا رَیۡبَ فِیهَاۤ إِذۡ یَتَنَـٰزَعُونَ بَیۡنَهُمۡ أَمۡرَهُمۡۖ فَقَالُوا۟ ٱبۡنُوا۟ عَلَیۡهِم بُنۡیَـٰنࣰاۖ رَّبُّهُمۡ أَعۡلَمُ بِهِمۡۚ قَالَ ٱلَّذِینَ غَلَبُوا۟ عَلَىٰۤ أَمۡرِهِمۡ لَنَتَّخِذَنَّ عَلَیۡهِم مَّسۡجِدࣰا ۝٢١ wakadhālika aʿtharnā ʿalayhim liyaʿlamū anna waʿda l-lahi ḥaqqun wa-anna l-sāʿata lā rayba fīhā idh yatanāzaʿūna baynahum amrahum faqālū ib'nū ʿalayhim bun'yānan rabbuhum aʿlamu bihim qāla alladhīna ghalabū ʿalā amrihim lanattakhidhanna ʿalayhim masjida In this way We brought them to people’s attention so that they might know that God’s promise [of resurrection] is true and that there is no doubt about the Last Hour, [though] people argue among themselves. [Some] said, ‘Construct a building over them: their Lord knows best about them.’ Those who prevailed said, ‘We shall build a place of worship over them.’