مَّا Not mā they have lahum about it bihi any min knowledge ʿil'min and not walā their forefathers liābāihim Grave (is) kaburat the word kalimatan (that) comes out takhruju of min their mouths afwāhihim Not in they say yaqūlūna except illā a lie kadhiban
They have no knowledge of it,1 nor had their fathers. Grave is the word that comes out of their mouths; they speak not except a lie.
فَلَعَلَّكَ Then perhaps you would (be) falaʿallaka the one who kills bākhiʿun yourself nafsaka over ʿalā their footsteps āthārihim if in not lam they believe yu'minū in this bihādhā [the] narration l-ḥadīthi (in) grief 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.
إِنَّا Indeed, We innā We have made jaʿalnā what mā (is) on ʿalā the earth l-arḍi adornment zīnatan for it lahā that We may test [them] linabluwahum which of them ayyuhum (is) best aḥsanu (in) deed 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.
وَإِنَّا And indeed, We wa-innā (will) surely make lajāʿilūna what mā (is) on it ʿalayhā soil ṣaʿīdan barren juruzan
And indeed, We will make that which is upon it [into] a barren ground.
أَمْ Or am have you thought ḥasib'ta that anna (the) companions aṣḥāba (of) the cave l-kahfi and the inscription wal-raqīmi were kānū among min Our Signs āyātinā a wonder ʿajaban
Or have you thought that the companions of the cave and the inscription were, among Our signs, a wonder?1
إِذْ When idh retreated awā the youths l-fit'yatu to ilā the cave l-kahfi and they said faqālū Our Lord rabbanā Grant us ātinā from min Yourself ladunka Mercy raḥmatan and facilitate wahayyi for us lanā [from] min our affair amrinā (in the) right way 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."
فَضَرَبْنَا So We cast faḍarabnā over ʿalā their ears ādhānihim in fī the cave l-kahfi years sinīna a number ʿadadan
So We cast [a cover of sleep] over their ears within the cave for a number of years.
ثُمَّ Then thumma We raised them up baʿathnāhum that We make evident linaʿlama which ayyu (of) the two parties l-ḥiz'bayni best calculated aḥṣā for what limā (they had) remained labithū (in) time 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.
نَّحْنُ We naḥnu narrate naquṣṣu to you ʿalayka their story naba-ahum in truth bil-ḥaqi Indeed, they (were) innahum youths fit'yatun who believed āmanū in their Lord birabbihim and We increased them wazid'nāhum (in) guidance 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.
وَرَبَطْنَا And We made firm warabaṭnā [on] ʿalā their hearts qulūbihim when idh they stood up qāmū and said faqālū Our Lord rabbunā (is) the Lord rabbu (of) the heavens l-samāwāti and the earth wal-arḍi Never lan we will invoke nadʿuwā besides Him min besides Him dūnihi any god ilāhan Certainly laqad we would have said qul'nā then idhan an enormity 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.
هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ These hāulāi our people qawmunā have taken ittakhadhū besides Him min besides Him dūnihi gods ālihatan Why not lawlā they come yatūna to them ʿalayhim with an authority bisul'ṭānin clear bayyinin And who faman (is) more wrong aẓlamu than (one) who mimmani invents if'tarā against ʿalā Allah l-lahi a lie 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?"