18:19
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
Al-Muntakhab
So conditioned, We aroused them and stirred them into activity only to question each other as to the length of time they had laid themselves to rest. "How long do you think you have been in this place to repose your wearied virtues?" asked one of them. "Probably a day or less", they said. "Allah, your Creator, knows best how long. Meantime send one of you with this silver coin to town in quest of the best food and he brings back some of it to satisfy our hunger, but he must be gentle and courteous and not to attract attention or fix directly upon himself nor indirectly upon you the notice of others
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
18:22
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
Al-Muntakhab
Tossed with their unballasted wits in fathomless and unquiet deeps of controversies, Ahl AL-Kitab (the People of the Book) were divided in opinion relative to the number of the young men, and in the course of time, some will say: "They numbered three and their dog the fourth". Others will say: "Five, their dog the sixth", an exercise of divination, whereas others will say: "Seven, their dog the eighth". Say to them O Muhammad: "Allah, my Creator, knows best their number; it is only a few who have been given the knowledge of the number and the significance of the even". Therefore, do not involve yourself O Muhammad in the heat of their dispute but treat the subject from an objective standpoint only so as to exhibit the actual facts and never seek counsel from any of them upon the event
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