Surah Al-Kahf

فَأَرَدْنَآأَنيُبْدِلَهُمَارَبُّهُمَاخَيْرًۭامِّنْهُزَكَوٰةًۭوَأَقْرَبَرُحْمًۭا

and so we desired that their Sustainer grant them in his stead [a child] of greater purity than him, and closer [to them] in loving tenderness.

وَأَمَّاٱلْجِدَارُفَكَانَلِغُلَٰمَيْنِيَتِيمَيْنِفِىٱلْمَدِينَةِوَكَانَتَحْتَهُۥكَنزٌۭلَّهُمَاوَكَانَأَبُوهُمَاصَٰلِحًۭافَأَرَادَرَبُّكَأَنيَبْلُغَآأَشُدَّهُمَاوَيَسْتَخْرِجَاكَنزَهُمَارَحْمَةًۭمِّنرَّبِّكَوَمَافَعَلْتُهُۥعَنْأَمْرِىذَٰلِكَتَأْوِيلُمَالَمْتَسْطِععَّلَيْهِصَبْرًۭا

"And as for that wall, it belonged to two orphan boys [living] in the town, and beneath it was [buried] a treasure belonging to them [by right]. Now their father had been a righteous man, and so thy Sustainer willed it that when they come of age they should bring forth their treasure by thy Sustainer's grace. "And I did not do (any of] this of my own accord: this is the real meaning of all [those events] that thou wert unable to bear with patience."

وَيَسْـَٔلُونَكَعَنذِىٱلْقَرْنَيْنِقُلْسَأَتْلُوا۟عَلَيْكُممِّنْهُذِكْرًا

AND THEY will ask thee about the Two-Horned One. Say: "I will convey unto you something by which he ought to be remembered."

إِنَّامَكَّنَّالَهُۥفِىٱلْأَرْضِوَءَاتَيْنَٰهُمِنكُلِّشَىْءٍۢسَبَبًۭا

Behold, We established him securely on earth, and endowed him with [the knowledge of] the right means to achieve anything [that he might set out to achieve];

فَأَتْبَعَسَبَبًا

and so he chose the right means [in whatever he did].

حَتَّىٰٓإِذَابَلَغَمَغْرِبَٱلشَّمْسِوَجَدَهَاتَغْرُبُفِىعَيْنٍحَمِئَةٍۢوَوَجَدَعِندَهَاقَوْمًۭاقُلْنَايَٰذَاٱلْقَرْنَيْنِإِمَّآأَنتُعَذِّبَوَإِمَّآأَنتَتَّخِذَفِيهِمْحُسْنًۭا

[And he marched westwards] till, when he came to the setting of the sun, it appeared to him that it was setting in a dark, turbid sea; and nearby he found a people [given to every kind of wrongdoing]. We said: "O thou Two-Horned One! Thou mayest either cause [them] to suffer or treat them with kindness!"

قَالَأَمَّامَنظَلَمَفَسَوْفَنُعَذِّبُهُۥثُمَّيُرَدُّإِلَىٰرَبِّهِۦفَيُعَذِّبُهُۥعَذَابًۭانُّكْرًۭا

He answered: "As for him who does wrong [unto others] - him shall we, in time, cause to suffer; and thereupon he shall be referred to his Sustainer, and He will cause him to suffer with unnameable suffering.

وَأَمَّامَنْءَامَنَوَعَمِلَصَٰلِحًۭافَلَهُۥجَزَآءًٱلْحُسْنَىٰوَسَنَقُولُلَهُۥمِنْأَمْرِنَايُسْرًۭا

But as for him who believes and does righteous deeds - he will have the ultimate good [of the life to come] as his reward; and [as for us,] we shall make binding on him [only] that which is easy to fulfill."

ثُمَّأَتْبَعَسَبَبًا

And once again he chose the right means [to achieve a right end].

حَتَّىٰٓإِذَابَلَغَمَطْلِعَٱلشَّمْسِوَجَدَهَاتَطْلُعُعَلَىٰقَوْمٍۢلَّمْنَجْعَللَّهُممِّندُونِهَاسِتْرًۭا

[And then he marched eastwards] till, when he came to the rising of the sun he found that it was rising on a people for whom We had provided no coverings against it:

كَذَٰلِكَوَقَدْأَحَطْنَابِمَالَدَيْهِخُبْرًۭا

thus [We had made them, and thus he left them; and We did encompass with Our knowledge all that he had in mind

ثُمَّأَتْبَعَسَبَبًا

And once again he chose the right means (to achieve a right end].

حَتَّىٰٓإِذَابَلَغَبَيْنَٱلسَّدَّيْنِوَجَدَمِندُونِهِمَاقَوْمًۭالَّايَكَادُونَيَفْقَهُونَقَوْلًۭا

[And he marched on] till, when he reached [a place] between the two mountain-barriers, he found beneath them a people who could scarcely understand a word [of his language].

قَالُوا۟يَٰذَاٱلْقَرْنَيْنِإِنَّيَأْجُوجَوَمَأْجُوجَمُفْسِدُونَفِىٱلْأَرْضِفَهَلْنَجْعَلُلَكَخَرْجًاعَلَىٰٓأَنتَجْعَلَبَيْنَنَاوَبَيْنَهُمْسَدًّۭا

They said: "O thou Two-Horned One! Behold, Gog and Magog" are spoiling this land. May we, then, pay unto thee a tribute on the understanding that thou wilt erect a barrier between us and them?"

قَالَمَامَكَّنِّىفِيهِرَبِّىخَيْرٌۭفَأَعِينُونِىبِقُوَّةٍأَجْعَلْبَيْنَكُمْوَبَيْنَهُمْرَدْمًا

He answered: "That wherein my Sustainer has so securely established me is better [than anything that you could give me]; hence, do but help me with [your labour's] strength, [and] I shall erect a rampart between you and them!

ءَاتُونِىزُبَرَٱلْحَدِيدِحَتَّىٰٓإِذَاسَاوَىٰبَيْنَٱلصَّدَفَيْنِقَالَٱنفُخُوا۟حَتَّىٰٓإِذَاجَعَلَهُۥنَارًۭاقَالَءَاتُونِىٓأُفْرِغْعَلَيْهِقِطْرًۭا

Bring me ingots of iron!" Then, after he had [piled up the iron and] filled the gap between the two mountain-sides, he said: "[Light a fire and] ply your bellows!" At length, when he had made it [glow like] fire, he commanded: "Bring me molten copper which I may pour upon it."

فَمَاٱسْطَٰعُوٓا۟أَنيَظْهَرُوهُوَمَاٱسْتَطَٰعُوا۟لَهُۥنَقْبًۭا

And thus [the rampart was built, and] their enemies were unable to scale it, and neither were they able to pierce it.

قَالَهَٰذَارَحْمَةٌۭمِّنرَّبِّىفَإِذَاجَآءَوَعْدُرَبِّىجَعَلَهُۥدَكَّآءَوَكَانَوَعْدُرَبِّىحَقًّۭا

Said [the King]: "This is a mercy from my Sustainer! Yet when the time appointed by my Sustainer shall come, He will make this [rampart] level with the ground: and my Sustainer's promise always comes true!"

وَتَرَكْنَابَعْضَهُمْيَوْمَئِذٍۢيَمُوجُفِىبَعْضٍۢوَنُفِخَفِىٱلصُّورِفَجَمَعْنَٰهُمْجَمْعًۭا

AND ON that Day" We shall [call forth all mankind and] leave them to surge like waves [that dash] against one another; and the trumpet [of judgment] will be blown, and We shall gather them all together.

وَعَرَضْنَاجَهَنَّمَيَوْمَئِذٍۢلِّلْكَٰفِرِينَعَرْضًا

And on that Day We shall place hell, for all to see, before those who denied the truth-