ثُمَّ بَعَثناهُم لِنَعلَمَ أَيُّ الحِزبَينِ أَحصىٰ لِما لَبِثوا أَمَدًا
Then We awakened them that We might show which of the two factions was most precise in calculating what [extent] they had remained in time.
نَحنُ نَقُصُّ عَلَيكَ نَبَأَهُم بِالحَقِّ ۚ إِنَّهُم فِتيَةٌ آمَنوا بِرَبِّهِم وَزِدناهُم هُدًى
It is We who relate to you, [O Muhammad], their story in truth. Indeed, they were youths who believed in their Lord, and We increased them in guidance.
وَرَبَطنا عَلىٰ قُلوبِهِم إِذ قاموا فَقالوا رَبُّنا رَبُّ السَّماواتِ وَالأَرضِ لَن نَدعُوَ مِن دونِهِ إِلـٰهًا ۖ لَقَد قُلنا إِذًا شَطَطًا
And We made firm their hearts when they stood up and said, "Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. Never will we invoke besides Him any deity. We would have certainly spoken, then, an excessive transgression.
هـٰؤُلاءِ قَومُنَا اتَّخَذوا مِن دونِهِ آلِهَةً ۖ لَولا يَأتونَ عَلَيهِم بِسُلطانٍ بَيِّنٍ ۖ فَمَن أَظلَمُ مِمَّنِ افتَرىٰ عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِبًا
These, our people, have taken besides Him deities. Why do they not bring for [worship of] them a clear authority? And who is more unjust than one who invents about Allah a lie?"
وَإِذِ اعتَزَلتُموهُم وَما يَعبُدونَ إِلَّا اللَّهَ فَأووا إِلَى الكَهفِ يَنشُر لَكُم رَبُّكُم مِن رَحمَتِهِ وَيُهَيِّئ لَكُم مِن أَمرِكُم مِرفَقًا
[The youths said to one another], "And when you have withdrawn from them and that which they worship other than Allah, retreat to the cave. Your Lord will spread out for you of His mercy and will prepare for you from your affair facility."
وَتَرَى الشَّمسَ إِذا طَلَعَت تَزاوَرُ عَن كَهفِهِم ذاتَ اليَمينِ وَإِذا غَرَبَت تَقرِضُهُم ذاتَ الشِّمالِ وَهُم في فَجوَةٍ مِنهُ ۚ ذٰلِكَ مِن آياتِ اللَّهِ ۗ مَن يَهدِ اللَّهُ فَهُوَ المُهتَدِ ۖ وَمَن يُضلِل فَلَن تَجِدَ لَهُ وَلِيًّا مُرشِدًا
And [had you been present], you would see the sun when it rose, inclining away from their cave on the right, and when it set, passing away from them on the left, while they were [laying] within an open space thereof. That was from the signs of Allah. He whom Allah guides is the [rightly] guided, but he whom He leaves astray - never will you find for him a protecting guide.
وَتَحسَبُهُم أَيقاظًا وَهُم رُقودٌ ۚ وَنُقَلِّبُهُم ذاتَ اليَمينِ وَذاتَ الشِّمالِ ۖ وَكَلبُهُم باسِطٌ ذِراعَيهِ بِالوَصيدِ ۚ لَوِ اطَّلَعتَ عَلَيهِم لَوَلَّيتَ مِنهُم فِرارًا وَلَمُلِئتَ مِنهُم رُعبًا
And you would think them awake, while they were asleep. And We turned them to the right and to the left, while their dog stretched his forelegs at the entrance. If you had looked at them, you would have turned from them in flight and been filled by them with terror.
وَكَذٰلِكَ بَعَثناهُم لِيَتَساءَلوا بَينَهُم ۚ قالَ قائِلٌ مِنهُم كَم لَبِثتُم ۖ قالوا لَبِثنا يَومًا أَو بَعضَ يَومٍ ۚ قالوا رَبُّكُم أَعلَمُ بِما لَبِثتُم فَابعَثوا أَحَدَكُم بِوَرِقِكُم هـٰذِهِ إِلَى المَدينَةِ فَليَنظُر أَيُّها أَزكىٰ طَعامًا فَليَأتِكُم بِرِزقٍ مِنهُ وَليَتَلَطَّف وَلا يُشعِرَنَّ بِكُم أَحَدًا
And similarly, We awakened them that they might question one another. Said a speaker from among them, "How long have you remained [here]?" They said, "We have remained a day or part of a day." They said, "Your Lord is most knowing of how long you remained. So send one of you with this silver coin of yours to the city and let him look to which is the best of food and bring you provision from it and let him be cautious. And let no one be aware of you.
إِنَّهُم إِن يَظهَروا عَلَيكُم يَرجُموكُم أَو يُعيدوكُم في مِلَّتِهِم وَلَن تُفلِحوا إِذًا أَبَدًا
Indeed, if they come to know of you, they will stone you or return you to their religion. And never would you succeed, then - ever."
وَكَذٰلِكَ أَعثَرنا عَلَيهِم لِيَعلَموا أَنَّ وَعدَ اللَّهِ حَقٌّ وَأَنَّ السّاعَةَ لا رَيبَ فيها إِذ يَتَنازَعونَ بَينَهُم أَمرَهُم ۖ فَقالُوا ابنوا عَلَيهِم بُنيانًا ۖ رَبُّهُم أَعلَمُ بِهِم ۚ قالَ الَّذينَ غَلَبوا عَلىٰ أَمرِهِم لَنَتَّخِذَنَّ عَلَيهِم مَسجِدًا
And similarly, We caused them to be found that they [who found them] would know that the promise of Allah is truth and that of the Hour there is no doubt. [That was] when they disputed among themselves about their affair and [then] said, "Construct over them a structure. Their Lord is most knowing about them." Said those who prevailed in the matter, "We will surely take [for ourselves] over them a masjid."
سَيَقولونَ ثَلاثَةٌ رابِعُهُم كَلبُهُم وَيَقولونَ خَمسَةٌ سادِسُهُم كَلبُهُم رَجمًا بِالغَيبِ ۖ وَيَقولونَ سَبعَةٌ وَثامِنُهُم كَلبُهُم ۚ قُل رَبّي أَعلَمُ بِعِدَّتِهِم ما يَعلَمُهُم إِلّا قَليلٌ ۗ فَلا تُمارِ فيهِم إِلّا مِراءً ظاهِرًا وَلا تَستَفتِ فيهِم مِنهُم أَحَدًا
They will say there were three, the fourth of them being their dog; and they will say there were five, the sixth of them being their dog - guessing at the unseen; and they will say there were seven, and the eighth of them was their dog. Say, [O Muhammad], "My Lord is most knowing of their number. None knows them except a few. So do not argue about them except with an obvious argument and do not inquire about them among [the speculators] from anyone."