18:1  All praise is due to Allâh, Who has sent down the Book to His servant and made it without any imperfections.

18:2  (He has made it) outright in order to warn with it those who (are living in spiritual darkness) of a severe penalty from Him, and to give glad tidings to those who live by Faith and strive to do righteous acts (in this worldly life) that they will have an excellent reward, ( Al-Jannah),

18:3  In which they will live therein forever,

18:4  And also to warn with it those who say: ‘Allâh has taken a son to Himself ’.

18:5  They have no knowledge of what they claim; neither did their forefathers. What an odious claim that comes out of their mouths. They utter nothing but falsehood.

18:6  Then probably you would kill yourself through grief over their persistent and purposeful denial of this narration- (the Qurʾān).

18:7  Surely We have made whatsoever in the earth as an ornament for it, so as to test them as to which of them perform the best deeds .

18:8  And most surely We will reduce all that is on it to barren dust.

18:9  Do you think that the Companions of the Cave and the Stone Tablet were the only marvel of Our Signs?

18:10  And (mention) when the young men sought refuge in the Cave, they said: ‘Our Lord, bestow upon us Mercy from Yourself and simplify our affair for us in the right way!’

18:11  So We smote their ears many years in the Cave.

18:12  Then We awakened them to make known to people, which of the two parties was most precise in calculating the time period that they had tarried.

18:13  We narrate to you their story with truth. Surely, they were young men who placed their Faith in their Lord, and We increased them in the Knowledge of knowing their Lord.

18:14  We invigorated their hearts when they stood forth and said: ‘Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. Never shall we worship or invoke any god other than Him, (for if it should happen that we did), then we would surely have uttered a tremendous lie.

18:15  These our people have taken for worship (fabled) gods besides Him. Why do they not produce any irrefutable argument to support such a claim? Who then does greater evil than one who attributes falsehood to Allâh?’

18:16  (The young men said to one another): ‘Since you (decide) to keep away (from) them and from what they worship beside Allâh, then let us seek refuge in the Cave. May your Lord shower you with His Mercy and simplify your matter for you’.

18:17  You could see the sun when it rose, declining to the right from their Cave, and when it set, leaving them behind on the left, while they lay in the middle part of the Cave. That is (one) of the Signs of Allâh's (power & glory). And whomever Allâh enlightens his path, he is the one who seeks salvation. And whomever He lets go astray, for him you will find no guardian to lead him to the path of truth.

18:18  You would think that they were awake, but (actually) they were asleep. We turned them about to the right and to the left while their dog was stretching forth its paws at the doorway. If you had looked at them, you would surely have turned back from them in flight, and you would surely have been filled with awe of them.

18:19  This is how We awakened them so that they might question each other. One of them said: ‘How long have you tarried?’ They said: ‘Maybe a day, or part of a day’. (Others) said: ‘Your Lord knows best how long you have tarried. Now send one of you with these silver coins of yours to the town, and let him find which is the best food, and bring you provision from it. He should be cautious so that none would know of you.

18:20  For if they come to know of you, they will stone you to death or force you to revert to their creed, and in that case you will never be able to achieve a blissful life / or gain salvation’.

18:21  This is how We disclosed them to the people so that they might know that the promise of Allâh is absolutely true, and that the Hour cannot be doubted. When the people started disputing among themselves regarding them, some said: ‘Construct a building over them; their Lord knows best about them." Those who won their point said: "We shall definitely build a place of worship over them."

18:22  Some say that they were three, their dog being the fourth. Some others say that they were five, their dog being the sixth, both making conjectures about the unseen. (Yet others) say that they were seven, their dog being the eighth. Say: ‘My Lord has the complete knowledge of them. Only a few know their exact number’. So don’t argue about them except with an evident proof. And don’t ask any of them concerning them."

18:23  And never say of something (that you plan to do), “I will definitely do it tomorrow,”

18:24  Without saying: ‘If Allâh wills so.” And recall your Lord whenever you forget, and say: "I hope that my Lord will guide me (and show me) the nearest paths leading to rectitude."

18:25  They tarried in their Cave three hundred and nine years.

18:26  Say: "Allâh knows best how long they tarried, for He is the One who has the complete knowledge of the unseen of Heavens and Earth. Lo! How perfectly He sees and hears (everything)! They have no guardian other than Him, and He associates none in His resolution and judgment.

18:27  (Be deeply engaged in) reciting what has been revealed to you of the Book of your Lord. There is none has the power to alter His Words- ( there is no authority to change what has been established and authorized by Allâh). And you shall find no refuge other than Him.

18:28  And patiently cling to those who are fully occupied in worshiping or praying to their Lord at morn and evening, seeking His Countenance. And don’t let your eyes pass beyond them, desiring beauties of the worldly life. Don’t obey the one whose heart We have made heedless of our remembrance, who follows his own whims, and whose affair exceeds expectations.

18:29  And Say: "This Qur’ān is the truth coming from your Lord.” Then whoever wills, let him be inclined to believe in It, and whoever wills, let him be tempted to reject It." And We have prepared for those who have voluntarily and consciously abandoned the Full Knowledge of the Truth in favour of their own whims a (blazing) Fire whose walls will surround them from all sides. And If they earnestly beg for water, they will be given water like murky oil (or molten copper), that will scald their faces- What a dreadful drink! And what a horrible place to rest!

18:30  As for those who live by Faith and strive to do righteous acts, We will by no means let their acts of righteousness be in vain.

18:31  As for such, theirs will be Gardens of Eden, wherein rivers flow underneath them, therein they will be adorned with bracelets of gold; and they will wear green garments of fine silk and rich brocade, reclining therein on raised thrones. What an awesome reward. And what a wonderful place to rest!

18:32  And set forth to them the parable of two men: to one of them, We had given two vineyards, which We surrounded with palm trees, and placed between them field crops.

18:33  Each of the two gardens yielded its produce, and failed not in aught thereof. And We caused a river to flow through them.

18:34  The owner of the two gardens had plenty of fruit (from them), so he (boastfully) said to his companion, as he conversed with him: ‘I am greater than you in wealth and stronger in respect of man-power’.

18:35  He entered his garden while he was unfair to himself. He said: "I don’t think that this will ever perish

18:36  Nor do I think that the Hour will ever come to pass. And if it happens that I am brought back to my Lord, I will surely find better than this when I return to Him."

18:37  His companion said to him, as he conversed with him: “Have you failed to acknowledge and worship the One Who created you out of dust, then out of a minute quantity of semen, then fashioned you into a man?

18:38  As for myself, I affirm that He is Allâh, my Lord, and I do Worship my Lord in the way He wants us to worship Him.

18:39  It is better to say whenever you enter into your garden: ‘Whatever Allâh wills, it will definitely be. There is no power but with Allâh. Even though you see me inferior to you in wealth and children.

18:40  It is possible that my Lord will give me something better than your garden, or he sends on it a thunderbolt from the sky, then it will be rough and slippery ground,

18:41  Or its water thereof will become sunken into the earth's mantle, thus, you will never be able to seek it out.”

18:42  So His fruits were encircled and destroyed. He began to wring his hands for all that which he had spent upon it since it was completely devastated. He could only say: ‘Oh, I wish I had not ascribed any partners to my Lord’.

18:43  And he had no host to help him against (the chastisement) of Allâh, neither could he save himself .

18:44  In such cases, Dominion belongs only unto Allâh, the true One. He gives (those who live by Faith) best reward and the best outcome.

18:45  And set forth to them the parable of this worldly life: It is like the water which We send down from the sky and the plants of the earth mingle with it, (and burst into leaf, fresh and green). But later they turn into dry stalks which the winds scatter. And Allâh is Most Capable of doing all things.

18:46  Wealth and children are the ornament of this worldly life. The righteous acts of everlasting merit are far better with your Lord in reward and better in expectancy.

18:47  And (mention) the day when We will cause the mountains to move, and you will see the earth conspicuously flat. Then, We shall gather them all together, leaving none of them behind.

18:48  They will be brought before your Lord in rows, and (He will say): "Now you have come to Us just as We created you the first time. Nay, but you thought that We would never appoint for you a meeting.

18:49  The Book (of deeds) will be placed, and you will see the Ungodly Sinners in fear of what is (recorded) therein, and they will say: ‘Woe betide us!! What kind of Book is this that leaves nothing, small or large, but recorded it with numbers!’ They will find whatever they did present before them. And your lord treats no one with injustice.

18:50  And (mention) when We said unto the Angels: ‘Prostrate yourselves to Adam’, so they prostrated except for Iblīs- (Satan). He was one of the jinn, He rebelled against the command of his Lord. Will you then take him and his progeny as guardians rather than Me when they are your enemies? what a miserable alternative for those who have voluntarily and consciously abandoned the Full Knowledge of the Truth in favour of their own whims!

18:51  I did not call them to witness the creation of the heavens and the earth, nor of the creation of their own selves, nor would I ever take the deceivers as helpers.

18:52  And (mention) the day when He will say: ‘Call on those whom you claimed to be my partners’. So they will invoke them, but they won’t respond to them. And We will set up a barrier- (valley of doom) between them.

18:53  The Ungodly Sinners will see the Fire and will realize that they will be thrown into it . And they find no means left to avert it.

18:54  We have set forth (all kinds of parables) in this Qur'ân for the people, but man is the most disputatious of all beings.

18:55  And what is there to prevent people from living by Faith and asking for forgiveness of their Lord after receiving the full knowledge of truth- (the Qur'ân)- except that (they wait for) the Fate of the ancients to seize them or that the punishment would confront them face to face?

18:56  We send Our Messengers only to give glad tidings and to deliver a severe warning. But those who persistently refuse to Yield to the Truth argue with fallacious arguments so as to refute the truth thereby, and make mockery of My Signs and Warnings.

18:57  And who then does greater evil than one who is reminded of the Signs of his Lord, but walks away from them, forgetting the (deeds) which his hands have sent before? Verily We have placed coverings on their hearts lest they should understand It, and deafness on their ears. And if you invite them to act in Faith, they have no tendency to seek salvation.

18:58  Your Lord is the Most Forgiving, the Holder of Mercy. If He had called them to account for what they gained, then He would have certainly hastened their punishment. But they have an appointed time from which they will find no means left to avert it.

18:59  And as for these towns, We destroyed (their inhabitants) when they voluntarily and consciously abandoned the Full Knowledge of the Truth in favour of their own whims, and persistently refused to quit their perversion before Our deadline.

18:60  And (mention) when Moses said unto his servant: ‘I won’t leave off until I reach the junction of the two seas; otherwise I go on for many years’.

18:61  As soon as they reached the junction of the two (seas), they (realized that) they had forgotten all about the fish, which it sneakily took its way into the river.

18:62  And when they had gone further, Moses said unto his servant: ‘Bring to us our morning meal, surely we are worn out from our journey ’.

18:63  His servant said: ‘Do you remember the rock upon which we took rest? I forgot (there) the fish. No one caused me to forget to mention that (to you) except the devil. It took its way into the river marvelously ’.

18:64  (Moses) said: ‘That is what we have been seeking’. So they returned, following their footprints.

18:65  Then they found one of Our Servants, to whom We had given Mercy from Us; and We had taught him knowledge from Our Own Selves.

18:66  Moses said unto him: ‘May I follow you on condition that you teach me some of the ways of rectitude which you have been taught?’

18:67  He replied, ‘Indeed, You won't be able to cling to patience with me.

18:68  And how can you cling to patience in that of which you don’t encompass in your knowledge?’

18:69  Moses said: ‘If it happens that Allâh permits, you will find me patient, and I won’t disobey you in aught ’.

18:70  He said: ‘If you decided to follow me, then you should not ask me about anything till I myself admonish it to you ’.

18:71  So they set out, until, when they embarked in a ship, he made a hole in it. (Moses) said: ‘Have you made a hole in it so as to drown its owners? You have definitely done an awful thing’.

18:72  He replied: ‘Did I not tell you that you would not be able to cling to patient with me?’

18:73  Moses said: ‘Please don’t blame me for what I forgot, and don’t be hard on me for what is difficult for me to tolerate’.

18:74  Then they went on, until, when they met a boy, he killed him. Moses said: ‘What! Have you killed an innocent child, who killed no one? You have definitely done an atrocious thing’.

18:75  He said: ‘Did I not tell you that you would not be able to cling to patient with me?’

18:76  Moses said: ‘If I ask you about anything after this, then you have the right to prevent me from accompanying you: (I believe) you have heard enough of my lame excuses!’

18:77  Then they went on, until, when they came to the people of a town, asking them for food, but they refused to host them. Then they found in it a wall about to fall down, so he renovated it. (Moses) said: If you had wished, then you would definitely have taken a wage for it!’

18:78  He said: ‘This is the parting between you and me! Now I will inform you of the interpretation of that which you could not cling to patience.

18:79  As for the ship, it belonged to a very poor family working at the sea. I intended to make a slight damage in it because there was a king ahead of them who seized every good ship by force.

18:80  As for the boy, his parents were believers of unfeigned Faith, and we feared lest he would compel his parents to renounce their faith and to disobey Allâh.

18:81  So We hoped that their Lord would grant them in his place one better than him in purity and showing compassion.

18:82  As for the wall, it belonged to two orphan boys in the city whose father was a righteous man. Beneath it there was a treasure belonging to them. So your Lord intended that they should come to their maturity and extract their treasure as a mercy from Him. I didn’t do it of my own free will. That is the interpretation of that about which you could not cling patience.”

18:83  And they ask you about Dhū’l-Qarnayn. Say: “I will recite to you something of his narrative.”

18:84  Indeed, We firmly established him in the land and gave him with means of access to everything.

18:85  So he pursued one way.

18:86  Until, when he reached the setting place of the sun, he found it setting in a spring of dark muddy water and found by it a nation. We said: "O’ Dhū’l-Qarnayn, either you punish them or treat them with kindness?’

18:87  He said: ‘The one who willfully persists in yielding to his own whims, We will punish. Then he shall be sent to his Lord Who will punish him with dreadful punishment.

18:88  But he who Lives by Faith and strives to do righteous acts- he shall have the fairest reward,- (Al-Jannah)- and we shall speak to him kindly and assign easy tasks to him.

18:89  So he pursued another way.

18:90  Until, when he came to the rising place of the sun, he found it rising on a people to whom We had not given any shelter from the sun.

18:91  So it was. We encompassed all what he had in knowledge.

18:92  So he pursued another way.

18:93  Until, when he reached (an area) between two mountains, he found beside them a nation who could hardly understand a word.

18:94  They said: ‘O’ Dhū’l-Qarnayn! Most surely Gog and Magog promulgate widely corruption in the land. May we then assign to you a tribute on condition that you construct a barrier between us and them?’

18:95  He said: ‘That wherein my Lord has established me is better (than what you offer me). So help me with manpower, I shall construct a barrier between you and them?

18:96  Bring me sheets of iron.” At length, when he had filled up the passage between the two mountains, he said: "Blow". When he had made it a fire, he said: "Bring me molten brass so that I may pour over it."

18:97  So they- (Gog and Magog)- were incapable of surmounting it or digging through it.

18:98  Dhū’l-Qarnayn said: "This is a mercy from my Lord. But when the promise of my Lord comes to pass, He will make it level with the ground. The Promise of my Lord is ever true."

18:99  On that day, We shall let them surge like waves over each other, and the Trumpet will be blown. Then We shall gather them together in one assembly.

18:100  On that Day, We shall display Gehenna to those who are spiritually dead and blind , plain to view,

18:101  To those whose eyes were under cover from My Scripture, and who could not bear to hear (Its Holy Verses).

18:102  Do those who voluntarily and consciously refuse to Yield to the Truth think that they can take My servants as guardians (or gods) besides Me? We have prepared Gehenna as a lodging-house for the impious.

18:103  Say: ‘Shall We inform you of who will be the greatest losers in respect of deeds?

18:104  They are those whose efforts are in vain in this worldly life, and yet they think that they are doing good’.

18:105  They are the ones who deny the Signs of their Lord and the encounter with Him. Thus, their deeds have been nullified. And We shall not assign any weight to them on the Day of Resurrection.

18:106  And Gehenna is their reward, for their persistent and purposeful denial of the Truth, and taking My Signs and Messenger in mockery.

18:107  Indeed, those who Live by Faith and strive to do righteous acts will have the Gardens of Paradise as their home

18:108  Wherein they shall live forever. They won’t desire to be removed from thence.

18:109  Say: "If the sea were ink for (writing) the Words of my Lord, the sea would definitely be exhausted before the Words of my Lord would be exhausted, even if We brought the like thereof to help.

18:110  Say: "I am only a man like you. It has been revealed to me that your god is one God. So whoever hopes to meet his Lord must strive to do righteous acts and to worship Allâh in the way He wants us to worship Him.