IslamAwakened.com Qur'an Tafsir of Surah al-Kahf - The Cave as rendered by Hamid S. Aziz
18:1
Praise be to Allah, who sent down to His servant the Book, and allowed no crookedness therein
18:2
(He made it) Straight, to give warning of stern punishment from Him; and to give the glad tidings to the believers, who do what is right, that for them is a goodly reward
18:3
Wherein they shall abide forever
18:4
And to give warning to those who say, "Allah has begotten a son."
18:5
That they have no knowledge thereof, nor had their fathers. Dreadful is the word that comes forth from their mouths. Verily, they speak naught but a lie
18:6
Yet it may be that you (Muhammad) will torment your soul with grief (or fret thyself to death) if they believe not in this new revelation
18:7
Verily, We have placed all that which is on the earth as an ornament thereof, that We may try them, which of them is best in conduct
18:8
But, verily, We shall make all that which is thereon a barren mound
18:9
Have you considered that the Fellows of the Cave and of the Inscription are a wonder amongst Our Signs
18:10
When the youths fled for refuge to the cave and said, "Our Lord! Bestow on us mercy from Thee, and dispose of our affair rightly (or lead us to conduct ourselves rightly)."
18:11
And We struck their ears (with deafness) in the cave for a number of years
18:12
Then We raised them up again, that We might know which of the two parties could best calculate the time of their tarrying
18:13
We narrate to you their story in truth. Verily, they were youths who believed in their Lord, and We added to their guidance
18:14
And We strengthened their heart, when they stood up and said, "Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth, never will we call upon any god beside Him, for then we should have said an extravagant thing
18:15
"These people of ours have taken to other gods beside Him. Though they do not bring any manifest authority for them. And who is more unjust than he who invents against Allah falsehoods
18:16
"So when you have gone apart from them and what they serve other than Allah, then resort you to the cave. Our Lord will unfold His mercy to you, and will dispose for you your affair advantageously."
18:17
And you might have seen the sun, when it rose, decline from their cave towards the right hand, and when it set leave them on the left hand, while they were in the spacious part thereof. That is one of the Signs of Allah. Whom Allah guides he is guided in
18:18
You would have deemed them waking though they were asleep, as We turned them towards the right and towards the left; and their dog spreading out his fore-paws on the threshold. Had you come suddenly upon them you would surely have turned and fled away f
18:19
Thus did We raise them up that they might question each other. A speaker from amongst them said, "How long have you tarried?" They said, "We have tarried perhaps a day or part of a day." Others said, "Allah knows best how long yo
18:20
"For should they perceive you, they would stone you, or would force you back again unto their faith, and you would never prosper (or succeed)."
18:21
Thus did We make their people acquainted with their story, that they might know that Allah´s promise is true; and that the Hour, there is no doubt concerning it. When they (the people of the city) disputed amongst themselves concerning their affair
18:22
Some say, "They were three, and the fourth of them was their dog:" and some say, "Five, and the sixth of them was their dog:" guessing at the unseen: and some say, "Seven, and the eighth of them was their dog." Say, "My
18:23
And never say of anything, "Verily, I am going to do that to-morrow,"
18:24
Except (by adding) "If Allah please;" and remember your Lord when you have forgotten, and say, "It may be that my Lord will guide me to what is nearer than this to the right way."
18:25
So they stayed in their cave three hundred years and (some add) nine more
18:26
Say, "Allah knows best how long they stayed. His are the unseen things of the heavens and the earth. How clear of Sight is He, and how keen of Hearing!" They have no patron beside Him, nor does He let any one share in His Sovereignty (or Comman
18:27
So, recite that which has been revealed (or inspired) unto you of the Book from your Lord. There is no changing (or none can change) His words; nor shall you ever find a refuge beside Him
18:28
Restrain thyself with those who call upon their Lord morning and evening, desiring His countenance (or nearness and intimacy), and let not your eyes be turned from them, desiring the adornment (and pomp) of the life of this world; and obey not him whose
18:29
But say, "The truth is from your Lord, so let him who will, believe; and let him who will, disbelieve." Verily, We have prepared for the evildoers a Fire, sheets of which shall encompass them; and if they cry for help, they shall be helped with
18:30
Verily, those who believe and act righteously - verily, We suffer not the reward of him whose work is goodly to be wasted
18:31
For such are gardens of Eden; beneath them rivers flow; they shall be adorned therein with bracelets of gold, and shall wear green robes of finest silk, and of gold brocade; reclining therein on thrones - blessed is the reward, and goodly the couch
18:32
Strike out for them a Similitude: Two men, unto one of whom We have assigned two gardens of grapes, and surrounded them both with date-palms, and put corn-fields (or tilled fields) between the two
18:33
Each of the two gardens brought forth its fruit and withheld naught thereof. And We caused a river to gush forth therein
18:34
And he had abundant fruit, and he said unto his neighbour (or companion) in the course of mutual discussion (or argument), "I am much wealthier than you, and mightier in men (with more honour and power)."
18:35
And he went in unto his garden, having thus wronged himself: said he, "I do not think that all this will ever perish
18:36
And I think not that the Hour (of Judgment) will ever come; and even if I be sent back unto my Lord, I shall surely find something even better in exchange."
18:37
His neighbour, while he disputed with him, exclaimed, "Disbelieve you in Him who created you from dust, and then from a drop, then fashioned you into a man
18:38
But He is Allah, my Lord; and I associate no partner with my Lord
18:39
"Why could you not have said when you did enter into your garden, ´As Allah pleases! (Or It is Allah´s will or Allah´s will always comes to pass). There is no power save in Allah!´. Though you see me as less than you in wealt
18:40
"It may be that my Lord will give me something better than your garden, and will send upon it a bolt from heaven, and it shall be but bare slippery mud on the morrow
18:41
"Or some morning the water thereof will be deeply sunk in the earth so that you can not get thereat."
18:42
And his fruits were beset (with ruin). Then began he to wring his hands for all that he had spent thereon, for now it had crumbled down to its foundations. And he said, "Would that I had ascribed no partner with my Lord!"
18:43
And he had no troop of men to help him against Allah, nor could he save himself
18:44
In such a case the patronage is Allah´s alone, the True; He is best at rewarding and best for consequences (or success)
18:45
Strike out for them, also, a similitude of the life of this world; like water, which We send down from the sky, and the vegetation of the earth absorbs it; but on the morrow (or soon) it is dried up, and the winds scatter it; for Allah is powerful over a
18:46
Wealth and children are an ornament of the life of this world; but good works which endure are better with your Lord, for recompense, and better for hope
18:47
And (think about) the Day when We will remove the mountains, and you shall see the whole earth emerging (or laid level); and We will gather them all, leaving out none
18:48
Then shall they be presented to your Lord in ranks - Now have you come to Us (bare) as We created you at first! Aye, but you thought that We would never fulfil Our appointment (with you)
18:49
And the Book (of Deeds) shall be placed, and you shall see the sinners in fear of what is recorded therein; and they will say, "Alas, for us! What a Book is this, it leaves out neither small nor great things, without numbering them?" And they s
18:50
And (remember) when We said to the angels, "Fall prostrate in obeisance before Adam," they fell prostrate in obeisance, save only Iblis, who was of the Jinn, and who revolted against the command of his Lord. What! Will you then take him and his
18:51
I made them not witnesses of the creation of the heavens and the earth, nor of the creation of themselves, nor did I take for My helpers those who lead astray
18:52
(Be mindful) Of the day when He shall say, "Call you upon My pretend partners" and they shall call on them, but they shall not answer them; and We will set the vale of perdition between them
18:53
And the guilty shall see the Fire, and shall know that they are about to fall therein, and shall find no escape there from
18:54
Verily, We have displayed in this Quran for men all kinds of similitudes (parables); but man is ever contentious
18:55
Naught prevented men from believing when the guidance came to them, or from asking pardon of their Lord, except the coming on them of the judgment of the people of olden days, or the coming of the doom before their own eyes
18:56
We sent not prophets save as heralds of glad tidings and as Warners; but those who disbelieve wrangle with vain speech to make void the truth therewith; and they take My revelations and warnings as a jest
18:57
Who is more unjust than he who, being reminded of the revelations of his Lord, turns away there from, and forgets what his hands have sent forward? Verily, We have placed veils upon their heart lest they should understand, and deafness in their ears! And
18:58
But your Lord is Forgiving, endowed with Mercy; were He to punish them for what they have earned He would have hastened for them the doom. Nay rather, they have their appointed term from which they have no escape
18:59
Such were the populations; We destroyed them when they were unjust (iniquitous); and for their destruction We set an appointed time
18:60
And when Moses said to his servant, "I will not cease until I reach the confluence of the two seas, though I go on for years."
18:61
But when they reached the confluence of the two they forgot their Fish, and it took its way in the sea with a free course
18:62
And when they had gone further, he said to his servant, "Bring us our breakfast, for we have suffered much fatigue on this journey."
18:63
Said he, "What think you? When we resorted to the rock, then, verily, I forgot the fish, but it was only Satan, who made me forget it, and I forgot to tell you; and it took its way in the sea in a marvellous way."
18:64
Moses said, "This is what we were searching for." So they retraced their steps again
18:65
Then they found a servant of Ours, to whom We had given mercy from Ourselves, and had taught him knowledge from Our Presence
18:66
Said Moses to him, "May I follow you, so that you may teach me of the (Higher) Truth which you have been taught?"
18:67
Said he, "Verily, you can never bear it
18:68
How can you be patient about what you can compass no knowledge (you cannot understand)?"
18:69
He said, "Allah willing, you will find me patient; nor will I rebel against your bidding."
18:70
He said, "Well then, if you follow me, ask me not about anything until I myself begin to mention it."
18:71
So they set out until when they were in the boat, he made a hole therein and scuttled it. (Moses) Said, "Have you made a hole therein to drown the people therein? You have done a dreadful thing."
18:72
Said he, "Did I not tell you, truly, you can never bear with me?"
18:73
Moses said (pleaded), "Rebuke me not for forgetting, and be not hard on me."
18:74
So they set out until they met a boy, and he killed him. Moses said, "What! Have you killed an innocent soul who has killed no one? Verily, you have done a foul (evil) deed."
18:75
He answered, "Did I not tell you, truly, you can not bear with me?"
18:76
Said Moses, "If ever I ask you about anything after this, keep me not in your company. Now have you received a promise from me."
18:77
So they set out until when they came to the people of a city; and they asked the people thereof for food; but they refused to entertain them. And they found therein a wall which was about to fall into ruins, and he repaired it. Said Moses, "Had you
18:78
Said he, "This is the parting between me and you. I will give you the interpretation of that with which you could not bear with me
18:79
As for the boat, it belonged to poor people, who toiled on the sea (or river), and I wished to damage it, for behind it was a king who seized on every boat by force
18:80
And as for the youth, his parents were believers, and we feared lest he should oppress them with rebellion and disbelief
18:81
So we desired that their Lord would give them in exchange a better one than him in purity, and nearer in filial affection
18:82
And as for the wall, it belonged to two orphan youths in the city, and beneath it was a treasure belonging to them both, and their father was a righteous man, and their Lord desired that they should reach maturity, and then take out their treasure as a m
18:83
And they will ask you about Zul´qarneyn (The Two-horned one, perhaps an ancient Persian Emperor). Say, "I will recite to you a remembrance of him
18:84
Verily, We established him firmly in the land, and We gave him a way to everything
18:85
And he followed a way
18:86
Until when he reached the setting of the sun (furthest West), he found it setting in a black muddy spring and he found thereat a people. We said, "O Zul´qarneyn! You have authority either to torment these people, or treat them kindly."
18:87
Said he, "As for him who does wrong, I will punish him, then shall he be sent back to his Lord, and He will punish him with an unheard-of torment
18:88
But as for him who believes and acts aright, for him is an excellent reward, and we will give him our easy command."
18:89
Then he followed another way
18:90
Until when he reached the rising of the sun (furthest East), he found it rising upon a people to whom We had given no shelter there from
18:91
He left them as they were. And We comprehended fully the forces before him
18:92
Then he followed still another way
18:93
Until when he reached the point between the two mountains, he found below them a people who could scarcely under-stand speech
18:94
They said, "O Zul´qarneyn! Verily, Yagug and Magug (Gog and Magog) are doing great evil in the land. Shall we then pay you tribute, that you set between us and them a barrier?"
18:95
He said, "The power my Lord hath established me in is better than tribute; help me, therefore, with strength (labour), and I will set a barrier between you and them
18:96
"Bring me blocks of iron. When they had filled up the space between the two mountain-sides, he said, "Blow (with your bellows)". When he had made it red with fire, he said, "Bring me, that I may pour over it, molten lead."
18:97
Thus were they made powerless to scale it, and to tunnel through it
18:98
Said he, "This is a mercy from my Lord; but when the promise of my Lord comes to pass, He will make it as dust, for the promise of my Lord is true."
18:99
And on that Day We shall leave them to surge like waves over one another; and the trumpet will be blown, and We will gather them all together
18:100
And We will set forth Hell on that day before the disbelievers
18:101
Whose eyes were veiled from My Remembrance, and who were unable to hear
18:102
What! Did those who disbelieve reckon that they could take My servants for patrons beside Me? Verily, We have prepared Hell for the disbelievers for their entertainment
18:103
Say, "Shall we inform you of those who lose most by their works
18:104
Those who erred in their endeavours in the life of this world, and who thought they were acquiring good by their deeds."
18:105
They are those who disbelieve in the signs of their Lord and in their meeting Him; vain are their works; and We will not give them any weight on the Day of Judgment
18:106
That is their reward - Hell! Because that they disbelieved and took My revelations and My Messengers as a jest
18:107
Verily, those who believe and act righteously, for them are Gardens of Paradis
18:108
Wherein they shall dwell, and they shall crave no change there from
18:109
Say, "Were the oceans ink for the Words of my Lord, the ocean would surely fail before the Words of my Lord fail; aye, though We brought as much ink again
18:110
Say, "I am only a mortal like yourselves; I am inspired that your God is only one God. Then let him who hopes to meet his Lord work righteous acts, and join none with Him in the service of his Lord."
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