Surah Al-Kahf — Word by Word with Audio & Tafsir

1

١

al-ḥamdu lillahi alladhī anzala ʿalā ʿabdihi l-kitāba walam yajʿal lahu ʿiwajā

[All] praise is [due] to Allāh, who has sent down upon His Servant [Muḥammad (ﷺ)] the Book and has not made therein any deviance.

2

٢

qayyiman liyundhira basan shadīdan min ladun'hu wayubashira l-mu'minīna alladhīna yaʿmalūna l-ṣāliḥāti anna lahum ajran ḥasanan

[He has made it] straight, to warn of severe punishment from Him and to give good tidings to the believers who do righteous deeds that they will have a good reward [i.e., Paradise].

3

٣

mākithīna fīhi abadan

In which they will remain forever

4

٤

wayundhira alladhīna qālū ittakhadha l-lahu waladan

And to warn those who say, "Allāh has taken a son".

5

٥

mā lahum bihi min ʿil'min walā liābāihim kaburat kalimatan takhruju min afwāhihim in yaqūlūna illā kadhiban

They have no knowledge of it, nor had their fathers. Grave is the word that comes out of their mouths; they speak not except a lie.

6

٦

falaʿallaka bākhiʿun nafsaka ʿalā āthārihim in lam yu'minū bihādhā l-ḥadīthi asafan

Then perhaps you would kill yourself through grief over them, [O Muḥammad], if they do not believe in this message, [and] out of sorrow.

7

٧

innā jaʿalnā mā ʿalā l-arḍi zīnatan lahā linabluwahum ayyuhum aḥsanu ʿamalan

Indeed, We have made that which is on the earth adornment for it that We may test them [as to] which of them is best in deed.

8

٨

wa-innā lajāʿilūna mā ʿalayhā ṣaʿīdan juruzan

And indeed, We will make that which is upon it [into] a barren ground.

9

٩

am ḥasib'ta anna aṣḥāba l-kahfi wal-raqīmi kānū min āyātinā ʿajaban

Or have you thought that the companions of the cave and the inscription were, among Our signs, a wonder?

10

١٠

idh awā l-fit'yatu ilā l-kahfi faqālū rabbanā ātinā min ladunka raḥmatan wahayyi lanā min amrinā rashadan

[Mention] when the youths retreated to the cave and said, "Our Lord, grant us from Yourself mercy and prepare for us from our affair right guidance."

11

١١

faḍarabnā ʿalā ādhānihim fī l-kahfi sinīna ʿadadan

So We cast [a cover of sleep] over their ears within the cave for a number of years.

12

١٢

thumma baʿathnāhum linaʿlama ayyu l-ḥiz'bayni aḥṣā limā labithū amadan

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.

13

١٣

naḥnu naquṣṣu ʿalayka naba-ahum bil-ḥaqi innahum fit'yatun āmanū birabbihim wazid'nāhum hudan

It is We who relate to you, [O Muḥammad], their story in truth. Indeed, they were youths who believed in their Lord, and We increased them in guidance.

14

١٤

warabaṭnā ʿalā qulūbihim idh qāmū faqālū rabbunā rabbu l-samāwāti wal-arḍi lan nadʿuwā min dūnihi ilāhan laqad qul'nā idhan shaṭaṭan

And We bound [i.e., 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.

15

١٥

hāulāi qawmunā ittakhadhū min dūnihi ālihatan lawlā yatūna ʿalayhim bisul'ṭānin bayyinin faman aẓlamu mimmani if'tarā ʿalā l-lahi kadhiban

These, our people, have taken besides Him deities. Why do they not bring for [worship of] them a clear evidence? And who is more unjust than one who invents about Allāh a lie?"

16

١٦

wa-idhi iʿ'tazaltumūhum wamā yaʿbudūna illā l-laha fawū ilā l-kahfi yanshur lakum rabbukum min raḥmatihi wayuhayyi lakum min amrikum mir'faqan

[The youths said to one another], "And when you have withdrawn from them and that which they worship other than Allāh, retreat to the cave. Your Lord will spread out for you of His mercy and will prepare for you from your affair facility."

17

١٧

watarā l-shamsa idhā ṭalaʿat tazāwaru ʿan kahfihim dhāta l-yamīni wa-idhā gharabat taqriḍuhum dhāta l-shimāli wahum fī fajwatin min'hu dhālika min āyāti l-lahi man yahdi l-lahu fahuwa l-muh'tadi waman yuḍ'lil falan tajida lahu waliyyan mur'shidan

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 [lying] within an open space thereof. That was from the signs of Allāh. He whom Allāh guides is the [rightly] guided, but he whom He sends astray - never will you find for him a protecting guide.

18

١٨

wataḥsabuhum ayqāẓan wahum ruqūdun wanuqallibuhum dhāta l-yamīni wadhāta l-shimāli wakalbuhum bāsiṭun dhirāʿayhi bil-waṣīdi lawi iṭṭalaʿta ʿalayhim lawallayta min'hum firāran walamuli'ta min'hum ruʿ'ban

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.

19

١٩

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 aḥadan

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.

20

٢٠

innahum in yaẓharū ʿalaykum yarjumūkum aw yuʿīdūkum fī millatihim walan tuf'liḥū idhan abadan

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."