The Cave – From the Holy Qur’an, Part 1 of 2

We now present excerpts from the Holy Qur’an. In these verses, we discover the tale of youths who sought refuge in a cave and were protected by God from persecution. This story teaches us the humbling lesson that only God possesses true omniscience.

In the Name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.

“Praise be to God, Who has sent to His Servant The Book, and has allowed Therein no Crookedness: (He has made it) Straight (And Clear) in order that He may warn (the godless) […] and that He May give Glad Tidings To the Believers who work Righteous deeds, that they Shall have a goodly Reward […].

Thou would only, perchance, Fret thyself to death, Following after them, in grief, If they believe not In this Message. That which is on Earth We have made but as A glittering show for the Earth, In order that We may test Them—as to which of them Are best in conduct. Verily what is on Earth We shall make but as Dust and dry soil (Without growth or herbage). Or do thou reflect That the Companions of the Cave And of the Inscription Were wonders among Our Signs? Behold, the youths betook themselves To the Cave: they said, ‘Our Lord! bestow on us Mercy from Thyself, And dispose of our affair For us in the right way!’ […]”

“We relate to thee their story In truth: they were youths Who believed in their Lord, And We advanced them In guidance: We gave strength to their hearts: Behold, they stood up And said: ‘Our Lord is The Lord of the Heavens And of the Earth: never Shall we call upon any god Other than Him: if we Did, we should indeed Have uttered an enormity! These our people have taken For worship gods other Than Him: why do they Not bring forward an authority Clear (and convincing) For what they do? Who does more wrong Than such as invent A falsehood against God? When ye turn away From them and the things They worship other than God, Betake yourselves to the Cave: Your Lord will shower His mercies on you And dispose of your affair Towards comfort and ease.’ Thou would have seen The Sun, when it rose, Declining to the right From their Cave, and when It set, turning away From them to the left, While they lay in the open Space in the midst Of the Cave. Such are Among the Signs of God: He whom God guides Is rightly guided; but he Whom God leaves to stray,— For him will thou find No protector to lead him To the Right Way. […]”