سَيَقُولُونَ They say sayaqūlūna (they were) three thalāthatun the forth of them rābiʿuhum their dog kalbuhum and they say wayaqūlūna (they were) five khamsatun the sixth of them sādisuhum their dog kalbuhum guessing rajman about the unseen bil-ghaybi and they say wayaqūlūna (they were) seven sabʿatun and the eight of them wathāminuhum their dog kalbuhum Say qul My Lord rabbī knows best aʿlamu their number biʿiddatihim None mā knows them yaʿlamuhum except illā a few qalīlun So (do) not falā argue tumāri about them fīhim except illā (with) an argument mirāan obvious ẓāhiran and (do) not walā inquire tastafti about them fīhim among them min'hum (from) anyone aḥadan
They [i.e., people] 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 Muḥammad], "My Lord is most knowing of their number. None knows them except a few. So do not argue about them except with an obvious argument1 and do not inquire about them among [the speculators] from anyone."