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Sūra XVIII.: Kahf, or the Cave. Index
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The Holy Quran, tr. by Yusuf Ali, [1934], at sacred-texts.com
Sūra XVIII.: Kahf, or the Cave.
Section 11
83. Wayas-aloonaka AAan thee alqarnayni qul saatloo AAalaykum minhu thikran
83. They ask thee concerning
Ẓul-qarnain. Say,
"I will rehearse to you
Something of his story."
84. Inna makkanna lahu fee al-ardi waataynahu min kulli shay-in sababan
84. Verily We established his power
On earth, and We gave him
The ways and the means
To all ends.
85. One (such) way he followed,
86. Hatta itha balagha maghriba alshshamsi wajadaha taghrubu fee AAaynin hami-atin wawajada AAindaha qawman qulna ya tha alqarnayni imma an tuAAaththiba wa-imma an tattakhitha feehim husnan
86. Until, when he reached
The setting of the sun,
He found it set
In a spring of murky water:
Near it he found a People:
We said: "O Ẓul-qarnain!
(Thou hast authority,) either
To punish them, or
To treat them with kindness."
87. Qala amma man thalama fasawfa nuAAaththibuhu thumma yuraddu ila rabbihi fayuAAaththibuhu AAathaban nukran
87. He said: "Whoever doth wrong,
Him shall we punish; then
Shall he be sent back
To his Lord; and He will
Punish him with a punishment
Unheard-of (before).
88. Waamma man amana waAAamila salihan falahu jazaan alhusna wasanaqoolu lahu min amrina yusran
88. "But whoever believes,
And works righteousness,—
He shall have a goodly
Reward, and easy will be
His task as we order it
By our command."
89. Then followed he (another) way,
90. Hatta itha balagha matliAAa alshshamsi wajadaha tatluAAu AAala qawmin lam najAAal lahum min dooniha sitran
90. Until, when he came
To the rising of the sun,
He found it rising
On a people for whom
We had provided
No covering protection
Against the sun.
91. Kathalika waqad ahatna bima ladayhi khubran
91. (He left them) as they were:
We completely understood
What was before him.
92. Then followed he (another) way,
93. Hatta itha balagha bayna alssaddayni wajada min doonihima qawman la yakadoona yafqahoona qawlan
93. Until, when he reached
(A tract) between two mountains,
He found, beneath them, a people
Who scarcely understood a word.
94. Qaloo ya tha alqarnayni inna ya/jooja wama/jooja mufsidoona fee al-ardi fahal najAAalu laka kharjan AAala an tajAAala baynana wabaynahum saddan
94. They said: "O Ẓul-qarnain!
The Gog and Magog (people)
Do great mischief on earth:
Shall we then render thee
Tribute in order that
Thou mightest erect a barrier
Between us and them?
95. Qala ma makkannee feehi rabbee khayrun faaAAeenoonee biquwwatin ajAAal baynakum wabaynahum radman
95. He said: "(The power) in which
My Lord has established me
Is better (than tribute):
Help me therefore with strength
(And labour): I will
Erect a strong barrier
Between you and them:
96. Atoonee zubara alhadeedi hatta itha sawa bayna alsadafayni qala onfukhoo hatta itha jaAAalahu naran qala atoonee ofrigh AAalayhi qitran
96. "Bring me blocks of iron."
At length, when he had
Filled up the space between
The two steep mountain-sides,
He said, "Blow (with your bellows)"
Then, when he had made
It (red) as fire, he said:
"Bring me, that I may
Pour over it, molten lead."
97. Fama istaAAoo an yathharoohu wama istataAAoo lahu naqban
97. Thus were they made
Powerless to scale it
Or to dig through it.
98. Qala hatha rahmatun min rabbee fa-itha jaa waAAdu rabbee jaAAalahu dakkaa wakana waAAdu rabbee haqqan
98. He said: "This is
A mercy from my Lord:
But when the promise
Of my Lord comes to pass,
He will make it into dust;
And the promise of
My Lord is true."
99. Watarakna baAAdahum yawma-ithin yamooju fee baAAdin wanufikha fee alssoori fajamaAAnahum jamAAan
99. On that day We shall
Leave them to surge
Like waves on one another
The trumpet will be blown,
And We shall collect them
All together.
100. WaAAaradna jahannama yawma-ithin lilkafireena AAardan
100. And We shall present
Hell that day for Unbelievers
To see, all spread out,—
101. Allatheena kanat aAAyunuhum fee ghita-in AAan thikree wakanoo la yastateeAAoona samAAan
101. (Unbelievers) whose eyes
Had been under a veil
From Remembrance of Me,
And who had been unable
Even to hear.