Verse 18:24 in Context

Translator Abdel Haleem

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.’ 22 سَیَقُولُونَ ثَلَـٰثَةࣱ رَّابِعُهُمۡ كَلۡبُهُمۡ وَیَقُولُونَ خَمۡسَةࣱ سَادِسُهُمۡ كَلۡبُهُمۡ رَجۡمَۢا بِٱلۡغَیۡبِۖ وَیَقُولُونَ سَبۡعَةࣱ وَثَامِنُهُمۡ كَلۡبُهُمۡۚ قُل رَّبِّیۤ أَعۡلَمُ بِعِدَّتِهِم مَّا یَعۡلَمُهُمۡ إِلَّا قَلِیلࣱۗ فَلَا تُمَارِ فِیهِمۡ إِلَّا مِرَاۤءࣰ ظَـٰهِرࣰا وَلَا تَسۡتَفۡتِ فِیهِم مِّنۡهُمۡ أَحَدࣰا ۝٢٢ sayaqūlūna thalāthatun rābiʿuhum kalbuhum wayaqūlūna khamsatun sādisuhum kalbuhum rajman bil-ghaybi wayaqūlūna sabʿatun wathāminuhum kalbuhum qul rabbī aʿlamu biʿiddatihim mā yaʿlamuhum illā qalīlun falā tumāri fīhim illā mirāan ẓāhiran walā tastafti fīhim min'hum aḥada [Some] say, ‘The sleepers were three, and their dog made four,’ others say, ‘They were five, and the dog made six’- guessing in the dark- and some say, ‘They were seven, and their dog made eight.’ Say [Prophet], ‘My Lord knows best how many they were.’ Only a few have real knowledge about them, so do not argue, but stick to what is clear, and do not ask any of these people about them 23 وَلَا تَقُولَنَّ لِشَا۟یۡءٍ إِنِّی فَاعِلࣱ ذَ ٰلِكَ غَدًا ۝٢٣ walā taqūlanna lishāy'in innī fāʿilun dhālika ghada do not say of anything, ‘I will do that tomorrow,’

24 إِلَّاۤ أَن یَشَاۤءَ ٱللَّهُۚ وَٱذۡكُر رَّبَّكَ إِذَا نَسِیتَ وَقُلۡ عَسَىٰۤ أَن یَهۡدِیَنِ رَبِّی لِأَقۡرَبَ مِنۡ هَـٰذَا رَشَدࣰا ۝٢٤ illā an yashāa l-lahu wa-udh'kur rabbaka idhā nasīta waqul ʿasā an yahdiyani rabbī li-aqraba min hādhā rashada without adding, ‘God willing,’ and, whenever you forget, remember your Lord and say, ‘May my Lord guide me closer to what is right.’

25 وَلَبِثُوا۟ فِی كَهۡفِهِمۡ ثَلَـٰثَ مِا۟ئَةࣲ سِنِینَ وَٱزۡدَادُوا۟ تِسۡعࣰا ۝٢٥ walabithū fī kahfihim thalātha mi-atin sinīna wa-iz'dādū tis'ʿa [Some say], ‘The sleepers stayed in their cave for three hundred years,’ some added nine more 26 قُلِ ٱللَّهُ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَا لَبِثُوا۟ۖ لَهُۥ غَیۡبُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَ ٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۖ أَبۡصِرۡ بِهِۦ وَأَسۡمِعۡۚ مَا لَهُم مِّن دُونِهِۦ مِن وَلِیࣲّ وَلَا یُشۡرِكُ فِی حُكۡمِهِۦۤ أَحَدࣰا ۝٢٦ quli l-lahu aʿlamu bimā labithū lahu ghaybu l-samāwāti wal-arḍi abṣir bihi wa-asmiʿ mā lahum min dūnihi min waliyyin walā yush'riku fī ḥuk'mihi aḥada Say [Prophet], ‘God knows best how long they stayed.’ His is the knowledge of all that is hidden in the heavens and earth- How well He sees! How well He hears!- and they have no one to protect them other than Him; He does not allow anyone to share His rule 27 وَٱتۡلُ مَاۤ أُوحِیَ إِلَیۡكَ مِن كِتَابِ رَبِّكَۖ لَا مُبَدِّلَ لِكَلِمَـٰتِهِۦ وَلَن تَجِدَ مِن دُونِهِۦ مُلۡتَحَدࣰا ۝٢٧ wa-ut'lu mā ūḥiya ilayka min kitābi rabbika lā mubaddila likalimātihi walan tajida min dūnihi mul'taḥada [Prophet], follow what has been revealed to you of your Lord’s Scripture: there is no changing His words, nor can you find any refuge except with Him 28 وَٱصۡبِرۡ نَفۡسَكَ مَعَ ٱلَّذِینَ یَدۡعُونَ رَبَّهُم بِٱلۡغَدَوٰةِ وَٱلۡعَشِیِّ یُرِیدُونَ وَجۡهَهُۥۖ وَلَا تَعۡدُ عَیۡنَاكَ عَنۡهُمۡ تُرِیدُ زِینَةَ ٱلۡحَیَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡیَاۖ وَلَا تُطِعۡ مَنۡ أَغۡفَلۡنَا قَلۡبَهُۥ عَن ذِكۡرِنَا وَٱتَّبَعَ هَوَىٰهُ وَكَانَ أَمۡرُهُۥ فُرُطࣰا ۝٢٨ wa-iṣ'bir nafsaka maʿa alladhīna yadʿūna rabbahum bil-ghadati wal-ʿashiyi yurīdūna wajhahu walā taʿdu ʿaynāka ʿanhum turīdu zīnata l-ḥayati l-dun'yā walā tuṭiʿ man aghfalnā qalbahu ʿan dhik'rinā wa-ittabaʿa hawāhu wakāna amruhu furuṭa Content yourself with those who pray to their Lord morning and evening, seeking His approval, and do not let your eyes turn away from them out of desire for the attractions of this worldly life: do not yield to those whose hearts We have made heedless of Our Quran, those who follow their own low desires, those whose ways are unbridled