18:1  All the praises and gratitude belong to Allâh, Who has sent down the ‘Book’ to His servant, and has made it without any imperfections.

18:2  (He has made it) outright, to give warning of severe retribution from Him, and joyful news to those who adhere firmly to Islamic monotheism, and do righteous acts ( in this ‘worldly life’), that they will have a a goodly reward.

18:3  In which they will remain forever,

18:4  As well as to warn those who say: “Allâh has taken a son unto Himself."

18:5  They have no knowledge of what they claim; neither did their forefathers. Utterly odious is the word that comes out of their mouths; they speak nothing but untruth knowingly.

18:6  Then probably you would kill yourself through grief over them in case they believe not in this narration, (the ‘Qurʾān’).

18:7  Indeed, We have made whatsoever in the earth as an ornament for it, so that We may test them as to which of them are best in deeds.

18:8  We are definitely going to turn whatsoever on the earth into dust.

18:9  Do you think that the people of the ‘Cave’ and the inscription (the stone tablet inscribed with their names) are a marvel (comparing with other) signs (of Allâh’s power & glory)?

18:10  (Mention) when the young men sought refuge in the Cave, they said: “Our Lord, bestow upon us clemency from Your own self and simplify our affair for us in the right way!”

18:11  Thus, We smote their ears many years in the Cave.

18:12  Then We raised them up, so that We might know which of the two parties was most precise in calculating the time period that they had tarried.

18:13  We narrate to you their story with truth. Surely, they were young men who placed their Faith in their Lord, and We increased them in spiritual insight.

18:14  We invigorated their hearts when they stood forth and said: "Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and earth. Never will we implore or pray to anyone, beside Him, for then indeed we should have said an excessive transgression.

18:15  These our people have taken for worship (mythological) deities besides Him. Why do they not bring for them a clear authority? Who is more grossly unfair than one who invents a lie against Allâh?"

18:16  (The young men said to one another): “Since you (decide) to keep away (from) them, and from what they worship (& venerate) beside Allâh, then let us seek refuge in the Cave. May your Lord shower you with His mercy and simplify your matter for you.”

18:17  You could see the sun, when it rose, declining to the right from their Cave, and when it set, leaving them behind on the left , while they lay in the middle part of the Cave. That is (one) of the signs of Allâh's (power & glory). He whom Allâh guides, is rightly guided; and whom He leaves in error, for him you will find no friend to guide him (into the right way).

18:18  You would think that they were awake, but (actually) they were asleep. We turned them about to the right and to the left while their dog was stretching forth its paws at the doorway. If you had looked at them, you would definitely have turned back from them in flight, and you would definitely have been filled with awe of them.

18:19  This is how We awakened them so that they might question each other. One of them said: “How long have you tarried?" They said: “We have tarried for a day or a part of a day." (Others) said: "Your Lord knows best how long you have tarried. Now send one of you with these silver coins of yours to the town, and let him find out which is the best of food, and bring you provision from it. He should be cautious so that none would know of you.

18:20  For if they come to know of you, they will stone you to death or force you to revert to their creed. Thus, you will never be able to achieve a blissful life or gain eternal salvation."

18:21  This is how We disclosed them to the people so that they might know that the promise of Allâh is absolutely true, and that the ‘Hour’ (of Reckoning) is undoubtedly inevitable. When the people started disputing among themselves regarding them, some said: "Construct a building over them; their Lord knows best about them." Those who won their point said: "We shall definitely build a place of worship over them."

18:22  They will say there were three, the fourth of them being their dog; (others) say they were five, the dog being the sixth, making conjectures about the unseen; (yet others) say they were seven, the dog being the eighth. Say (O’ Muhammad): "My Lord knows best their number. None knows them except for a few. Thus, argue not about them except with an evident proof, and ask not any of them concerning them."

18:23  Never say of anything: “I am going to do that tomorrow’

18:24  Without saying: ‘If Allâh wills so.” Recall your Lord in case you forget to do something, and say: "Perhaps my Lord will guide me into a nearer way of truth than this."

18:25  They tarried in their Cave three hundred years, and they add nine.

18:26  Say: "Allâh knows best how long they tarried. His is the unseen of the heavens and of the earth. How clear He sees! How clear He hears! They have no guardian for them beside Him, and He associates none in His resolution and judgment.

18:27  Recite what has been revealed unto you of the ‘Book of your Lord’. There is none has the power to alter his word. None will you find as a refuge beside Him.

18:28  Take control of yourself along with those who implore and pray to their Lord at morn and evening, seeking His Countenance. And let not your eyes pass from them, hoping to get the beauties of the ‘worldly life’. Obey not the one whose heart We have made oblivious to our remembrance, and who takes in this self-deceived beliefs for the epistemic, and whose case is neglected.

18:29  Say: "The truth is from your Lord; so whosoever will, let him believe, and whosoever will, let him disbelieve." We have prepared for those who are grossly unfair and morally wrong a ‘Fire’, and enclosure of which will encircle them. If they cry for water, they will be given water like murky oil (or molten copper), that will scald their faces. Evil indeed is the drink! Evil indeed is the resting- place!

18:30  As for those who adhere firmly to Islamic monotheism, and do righteous acts (in this ‘worldly life’) , We will not let the reward of the one whose work is good, be lost.

18:31  As for such, theirs will be ‘Gardens of Eden’, wherein rivers flow beneath them, therein they will be adorned with bracelets of gold; and they will wear green garments of fine silk and thick brocade, reclining therein on raised thrones. Excellent is the reward! Pleasant is the resting-place!

18:32  Set forth to them the parable of two men: To one of them, We gave two gardens of grapes, surrounded both with date- palms and placed between them arable land.

18:33  Each of those two gardens yielded its fruits, and failed not in aught thereof, and We caused a river to flow through them.

18:34  Thus, he had fruit in abundance. He said unto his companion while arguing with him: “I am greater than you in wealth, and mightier in followers.”

18:35  He entered his garden while he was grossly unfair towards himself. He said: "I don’t think that this will ever come to ruin.

18:36  I don’t think (also) that the ‘Hour’ (of Reckoning) will come to pass, and if it should happen that I am brought back to my Lord, I would definitely find better than this when I return to Him."

18:37  His companion said unto him, while arguing with him: “Do you refuse to acknowledge the truth of the One Who created you out of dust, then out of a minute quantity of semen, then fashioned you into a man?

18:38  But as for me, He is Allâh, my Lord. I associate none with my Lord.

18:39  Entering your own garden, you should have said: Whatever Allâh wills, it will definitely be. There is no power but with Allâh’. As you see that I do posses less wealth and children than you,

18:40  Then maybe my Lord will give me something better than your garden. It would be possible that He might bring calamity on it. Thus, it will become rough and slippery ground.

18:41  Or its water will become sunken into the earth's mantle, thus, you will never be able to seek it out.’ ”

18:42  His fruits were encircled and destroyed and he began to wring his hands for all that which he had spent upon it since it was completely devastated. He could only say: "Oh, I wish I had not ascribed any partners to my Lord!"

18:43  He had no allies to help him against the (retribution) of Allâh, neither could he help himself.

18:44  In such cases, protection can only be obtained from Allâh, the true One. He is the Best to reward, and the Best for the final end.

18:45  Set forth to them the parable of this ‘worldly life’. It is like the water which We send down from the sky and the plants of the earth mingle with it, (bursting into leaf, fresh and green). But later on they turn into straw which the winds scatter. Allâh is ever capable of doing whatever He wills.

18:46  Wealth and children are the ornament of this ‘worldly life’. The righteous acts of everlasting merit are better in the Sight of your Lord for reward, and better in respect of expectancy.

18:47  (Recall) the day when We will cause the mountains to move, and you will see the earth conspicuously flat. Then We shall gather them all together, leaving none of them behind.

18:48  They will be brought before your Lord in rows, and (He will say): "Verily, you have come to Us just as We created you the first time. Nay, you alleged that We would never made for you an appointment.”

18:49  The Book (of deeds) will be placed, and you will see the ungodly sinners being frightened of that which is therein, and they will say: "Woe unto us! What kind of Book is this that leaves nothing, small or big, but recorded it with numbers!" They will find all what they did, present before them, and your Lord treats no one with unfairness.

18:50  (Mention) when We said unto the ‘Angels’: "Prostrate yourselves to ‘Adam’." Thus. they prostrated themselves, except for ‘Iblīs’ (-’Satan’ -). He was one of the jinn. He disobeyed the command of his Lord. Will you then take him and his offspring as guardians rather than Me while they are your enemies? Ruinous is the exchange for the iniquitous!

18:51  I made them not to witness the creation of the heavens and earth or to the creation of their own selves. I would never take those who lead others astray to be My Assistants.

18:52  (Mention) the day when He will say: "Call those (so-called) partners of Mine whom you alleged." So they will call on them, but they will not respond to them, and We will set up barrier ( valley of doom ) between them.

18:53  The ungodly sinners will see the ‘Fire’ and realize they have to fall therein. They will find no way of escape from it.

18:54  We have set forth (all kinds of parables) in this ‘Qur'ân’ for the people. But, man is ever more pugnacious than anything.

18:55  Nothing should prevent the people from attaining faith, since the Glorious ‘Qur'ân’ has come to them, and from asking forgiveness of their Lord, except what happened to the ancients should come upon them, or that the divine retribution should come face to face with them.

18:56  We send not the ‘Messengers’ except as bearers of the joyful news and warners. But those who lack Faith in Allâh argue with fallacious arguments so as to refute the truth thereby. They deal with My revelations and that of which they are warned, as a source of mockery.

18:57  Who is more grossly unfair than the one who is reminded of the ‘Revelations’ of his Lord and then he turns away from them, forgetting what his hands have sent before? We have placed coverings on their hearts, lest they understand it (-the ‘Qur'ân’ -), and deafness in their ears (lest they hear it). If you provide a means for them to receive spiritual insight, they will even then never follow the right direction.

18:58  Your Lord is the Most Forgiving, the Holder of Mercy. If He had called them to account for what they gained, then He would definitely have hastened the chastisement for them. But they have their appointed time from which they will find no escape.

18:59  These townships We annihilated because their inhabitants were grossly unfair and morally wrong. We appointed a fixed time for their annihilation.

18:60  (Mention) when ‘Moses’ said unto his servant: “I will not leave off until I reach the junction of the two rivers; otherwise I go on for many years.

18:61  As soon as they reached the junction of the two (rivers), they (realized that) they had forgotten all about the fish. Thus, it took its way into the river, sneakily.

18:62  When they had gone further, ‘Moses’ said unto his servant: “Bring to us our morning meal, definitely We have become exhausted in this, our journey."

18:63  His servant said: "Do you remember the rock upon which we took rest? I forgot (there) the fish. No one caused me to forget to mention that (to you) except the devil. It took its way into the river marvelously".

18:64  (‘Moses’) said: "That is what we have been seeking." Thus, they returned, following their footprints.

18:65  Then they found one of Our Servants, to whom We had given mercy from Us; and We had taught him knowledge from Our Own Selves.

18:66  ‘Moses’ said unto him: "May I follow you so that you can teach me from what you have been taught of sound reasoning?”

18:67  He said, "Indeed, you will not be able to take control of yourself along with me.

18:68  How can you resort to patience and constancy in that whereof you lack knowledge?"

18:69  ‘Moses’ said: "If it happens that Allâh permits, you will find me patient, and I will not disobey you in aught.”

18:70  He said: “If you decided to follow me, then you should not ask me about anything till I myself admonish it to you."

18:71  Thus they both set out until, when they embarked in a vessel, he made a hole in it. (‘Moses’) said: "Have you made a hole in it so as to drown its owners? You have definitely done an awful thing.”

18:72  He said: “Did I not tell you that you would not be able to remain patient with me?"

18:73  ‘Moses’ said: "Please do not blame me for what I forgot, and do not be hard upon me for what is difficult for me to tolerate."

18:74  Then they both went on, until, when they met a boy, he killed him. ‘Moses’ said: What! Have you killed an immaculate ‘Human Self’ who is guiltless of killing anyone? You have definitely done an atrocious thing.”

18:75  He said: Did I not tell you that you would not be able to remain patient with me?"

18:76  ‘Moses’ said: “If I ask you anything after this, allow me not to accompany you. You have reached (the level) where you cannot be blamed."

18:77  Then they both went on, until, when they came to the people of a town, asking them for food, but they refused to host them. Then they found therein a wall looking liable to collapse, so he renovated it. (‘Moses’) said: If you had wished, then you would definitely have taken a wage for it!”

18:78  He said: "This is the parting between you and me! Now I will inform you of the interpretation of that which you could not bear patiently.

18:79  As for the vessel, it belonged to a group of poor people working in the sea. So I intended to make a slight damage in it, since there was a king behind them who seized every vessel by force.

18:80  As for the boy, his parents were monotheistic believers, and we feared lest he would overburden them by tyranny and impiousness.

18:81  So We intended that their Lord might substitute for them one better than him in rectitude and nearer to mercy.

18:82  As for the wall, it belonged to two orphan boys in the town, beneath it there was a treasure belonging to them, while their father was a righteous man. Thus, your Lord intended that they should come to their maturity and extract their treasure, as a mercy from your Lord. I did not do it of my own free will. That is the interpretation of that about which you could not bear patiently.”

18:83  They ask you, (O’ Muhammad), about ‘Dhū’l-Qarnayn’. Say: “I will recite to you part of his story.”

18:84  Indeed, We established him in the earth: and We endowed him with means of access to everything.

18:85  Thus he pursued one way.

18:86  Until, when he reached the setting place of the sun, he found it setting in a spring of dark muddy water and found by it a people. We said: "O’ ‘Dhū’l-Qarnayn’ , either you punish them or treat them with kindness?"

18:87  He said: "As for the one who is grossly unfair and morally wrong, We will chastise him, and then he will be brought back to his Lord, Who will chastise him with dreadful torment.

18:88  On the other hand, who adheres to belief and does righteous acts will have the best reward (‘Al-Jannah’), and we (‘Dhū’l-Qarnayn’) shall speak to him an easy word of our command.

18:89  Thus, he pursued another way.

18:90  Until, when he came to the rising place of the sun, he found it rising on a people who had nothing to shelter them from it.

18:91  So it was. We encompassed all what he had in knowledge.

18:92  Thus, he pursued another way.

18:93  Until, when he reached (an area) between two mountains, he found beside them a people who could hardly understand a word.

18:94  They said: “O’ ‘Dhū’l-Qarnayn’! Indeed, ‘Gog and Magog’ promulgate widely corruption in the earth. May we then assign to you a tribute on condition that you construct a barrier between us and them?"

18:95  He said: "That wherein my Lord has established me is better (than what you offer me). Thus So help me with strength (of men), I shall construct a barrier between you and them?

18:96  Bring me sheets of iron. "At length, when he had filled up the passage between the two mountains, he said: "Blow," until, when he had made it a fire, he said: "Bring me that I may pour over it molten brass."

18:97  So they (-’Gog and Magog’ -) were incapable of surmounting it or digging through it.

18:98  ‘Dhū’l-Qarnayn’ said: "This is a mercy from my Lord. But when the promise of my Lord comes to pass, He will make it level with the ground. The Promise of my Lord is ever true."

18:99  On that day, We shall let them surge like waves over each other, and the Trumpet will be blown. Then We shall gather them together in one assembly.

18:100  On that Day, We shall present ‘Gehenna’ to the Faithless people, plain to view,

18:101  To those whose eyes were under cover from My 'Revealer of Truth' (-this ‘Qur'ân’ -), and who could not bear to hear (Its ‘ Holy Verses’).

18:102  Do those who fall into disbelief think that they can take My servants as guardians (gods) besides Me? We have prepared ‘Gehenna’ as a lodging-house for the impious.

18:103  Say, (O’ Muhammad): "Shall We inform you who will be the greatest losers in respect of deeds?

18:104  They are the ones whose effort is lost in this ‘worldly life’, and yet they think that they are doing good deeds.”

18:105  They are the ones who deny the ‘Revelations’ of their Lord and the encounter with Him. Thus, their deeds have become null and void. And We shall not assign to them, on the ‘Day of Resurrection’, any weight.

18:106  That shall be their requital, ‘Gehenna’; because they refused to acknowledge the truth of Allâh’s Oneness and took My ‘Revelation’ and My ‘Messenger’ as a jest .

18:107  Indeed, those who adhere firmly to Islamic monotheism, and do righteous acts (in this ‘worldly life’) will have the ‘Gardens of Paradise’ as their domicile,

18:108  Wherein they shall dwell permanently. They will not desire removal from thence.

18:109  Say: "If the sea were ink for (writing) the Word of my Lord, the sea would definitely be exhausted before the word of my Lord would be exhausted, even if We brought the like thereof to help.

18:110  Say: "I am only a man like you. It has been revealed unto me that your god is one God. Thus, whosoever hopes to meet his Lord must do righteous deeds and associate none as a partner in the worship of his Lord."