Surah Al-Kahf

فَلَمَّابَلَغَامَجْمَعَبَيْنِهِمَانَسِيَاحُوتَهُمَافَٱتَّخَذَسَبِيلَهُۥفِىٱلْبَحْرِسَرَبًۭا

But when they reached the junction between the two [seas], they forgot all about their fish, and it took its way into the sea and disappeared from sight.

فَلَمَّاجَاوَزَاقَالَلِفَتَىٰهُءَاتِنَاغَدَآءَنَالَقَدْلَقِينَامِنسَفَرِنَاهَٰذَانَصَبًۭا

And after the two had walked some distance, [Moses] said to his servant: "Bring us our mid-day meal; we have indeed suffered hardship on this [day of] our journey!"

قَالَأَرَءَيْتَإِذْأَوَيْنَآإِلَىٱلصَّخْرَةِفَإِنِّىنَسِيتُٱلْحُوتَوَمَآأَنسَىٰنِيهُإِلَّاٱلشَّيْطَٰنُأَنْأَذْكُرَهُۥوَٱتَّخَذَسَبِيلَهُۥفِىٱلْبَحْرِعَجَبًۭا

Said [the servant]: "Wouldst thou believe it? When we betook ourselves to that rock for a rest, behold, I forgot about the fish-and none but Satan made me thus forget it - and it took its way into the sea! How strange!"

قَالَذَٰلِكَمَاكُنَّانَبْغِفَٱرْتَدَّاعَلَىٰٓءَاثَارِهِمَاقَصَصًۭا

[Moses] exclaimed: "That [was the place] which we were seeking!, And the two turned back, retracing their footsetps,

فَوَجَدَاعَبْدًۭامِّنْعِبَادِنَآءَاتَيْنَٰهُرَحْمَةًۭمِّنْعِندِنَاوَعَلَّمْنَٰهُمِنلَّدُنَّاعِلْمًۭا

and found one of Our servants, on whom We had bestowed grace from Ourselves and unto whom We had imparted knowledge [issuing] from Ourselves.

قَالَلَهُۥمُوسَىٰهَلْأَتَّبِعُكَعَلَىٰٓأَنتُعَلِّمَنِمِمَّاعُلِّمْتَرُشْدًۭا

Moses said unto him: "May I follow thee on the understanding that thou wilt impart to me something of that consciousness of what is right which has been imparted to thee?"

قَالَإِنَّكَلَنتَسْتَطِيعَمَعِىَصَبْرًۭا

[The other] answered: "Behold, thou wilt never be able to have patience with me –

وَكَيْفَتَصْبِرُعَلَىٰمَالَمْتُحِطْبِهِۦخُبْرًۭا

for how couldst thou be patient about something that thou canst not comprehend within the compass of (thy] experience?"

قَالَسَتَجِدُنِىٓإِنشَآءَٱللَّهُصَابِرًۭاوَلَآأَعْصِىلَكَأَمْرًۭا

Replied [Moses]: "Thou wilt find me patient, if God so wills; and I shall not disobey thee in anything!"

قَالَفَإِنِٱتَّبَعْتَنِىفَلَاتَسْـَٔلْنِىعَنشَىْءٍحَتَّىٰٓأُحْدِثَلَكَمِنْهُذِكْرًۭا

Said [the sage]: "Well, then, if thou art to follow me, do not question me about aught [that I may do] until I myself give thee an account thereof."

فَٱنطَلَقَاحَتَّىٰٓإِذَارَكِبَافِىٱلسَّفِينَةِخَرَقَهَاقَالَأَخَرَقْتَهَالِتُغْرِقَأَهْلَهَالَقَدْجِئْتَشَيْـًٔاإِمْرًۭا

And so the two went on their way, till (they reached the seashore; and] when they disembarked from the boat [that had ferried them across], the sage made a hole in it-[whereupon Moses] exclaimed: "Hast thou made a hole in it in order to drown the people who may be [travelling] in it? Indeed, thou hast done a grievous thing!"

قَالَأَلَمْأَقُلْإِنَّكَلَنتَسْتَطِيعَمَعِىَصَبْرًۭا

He replied: "Did I not tell thee that thou wilt never be able to have patience with me?"

قَالَلَاتُؤَاخِذْنِىبِمَانَسِيتُوَلَاتُرْهِقْنِىمِنْأَمْرِىعُسْرًۭا

Said [Moses]: "Take-me not to task for my having forgotten [myself], and be not hard on me on account of what I have done!"

فَٱنطَلَقَاحَتَّىٰٓإِذَالَقِيَاغُلَٰمًۭافَقَتَلَهُۥقَالَأَقَتَلْتَنَفْسًۭازَكِيَّةًۢبِغَيْرِنَفْسٍۢلَّقَدْجِئْتَشَيْـًۭٔانُّكْرًۭا

And so the two went on, till, when they met a young man, [the sage] slew him -(whereupon Moses] exclaimed: "Hast thou slain an innocent human being without [his having taken] another man's life? Indeed, thou hast done a terrible thing!"

قَالَأَلَمْأَقُللَّكَإِنَّكَلَنتَسْتَطِيعَمَعِىَصَبْرًۭا

He replied: "Did I not tell thee that thou wilt never be able to have patience with me?"

قَالَإِنسَأَلْتُكَعَنشَىْءٍۭبَعْدَهَافَلَاتُصَٰحِبْنِىقَدْبَلَغْتَمِنلَّدُنِّىعُذْرًۭا

Said [Moses]: "If, after this, I should ever question thee, keep me not in thy company: [for by] now thou hast heard enough excuses from me."

فَٱنطَلَقَاحَتَّىٰٓإِذَآأَتَيَآأَهْلَقَرْيَةٍٱسْتَطْعَمَآأَهْلَهَافَأَبَوْا۟أَنيُضَيِّفُوهُمَافَوَجَدَافِيهَاجِدَارًۭايُرِيدُأَنيَنقَضَّفَأَقَامَهُۥقَالَلَوْشِئْتَلَتَّخَذْتَعَلَيْهِأَجْرًۭا

And so the two went on, till, when they came upon some village people, they asked them for food; but those [people] refused them all hospitality. And they saw in that (village] a wall which was on the point of tumbling down, and [the sage] rebuilt it [whereupon Moses] said: "Hadst thou so wished, surely thou couldst [at least] have obtained some payment for it?"

قَالَهَٰذَافِرَاقُبَيْنِىوَبَيْنِكَسَأُنَبِّئُكَبِتَأْوِيلِمَالَمْتَسْتَطِععَّلَيْهِصَبْرًا

[The sage] replied: "This is the parting of ways between me and thee. [And now] I shall let thee know the real meaning of all [those events] that thou wert unable to bear with patience:,

أَمَّاٱلسَّفِينَةُفَكَانَتْلِمَسَٰكِينَيَعْمَلُونَفِىٱلْبَحْرِفَأَرَدتُّأَنْأَعِيبَهَاوَكَانَوَرَآءَهُممَّلِكٌۭيَأْخُذُكُلَّسَفِينَةٍغَصْبًۭا

"As for that boat, it belonged to some needy people who toiled upon the sea -and I desired to damage it because (I knew that] behind them was a king who is wont to seize every boat by brute force.

وَأَمَّاٱلْغُلَٰمُفَكَانَأَبَوَاهُمُؤْمِنَيْنِفَخَشِينَآأَنيُرْهِقَهُمَاطُغْيَٰنًۭاوَكُفْرًۭا

"And as for that young man, his parents were [true] believers - whereas we had every reason to fear that he would bring bitter grief upon them by [his] overweening wickedness and denial of all truth: