18:1  Praise be to God, the one who sent down the Book to His servant and did not make crookedness for it.

18:2  Straight, to warn of severe punishment from Him, and to give glad tidings to the believers, those who do the good works, that there is a good reward for them,

18:3  To stay in it forever.

18:4  And to warn those who said, 'God took a son.'

18:5  They and their forefathers have no knowledge of it. Great is the word which comes out of their mouths, they say not except a lie.

18:6  So perhaps you will kill yourself with grief over their footsteps, if they do not believe in this, the story.

18:7  Indeed We, We made what is on the earth an adornment for it, to test them, which of them is best in work.

18:8  And indeed, We will surely make what is on it barren ground.

18:9  Or you thought that the fellows of the cave and the inscription tablet were wonderful among Our signs?

18:10  When the youths sought refuge at the cave, then they said, 'Our Lord, give us mercy from You, and prepare right direction for us from our affair.'

18:11  Then We struck upon their ears years in the cave, a number.

18:12  Then we raised them to know which of the two parties would best calculate for what span of time they had tarried.

18:13  We, We narrate to you their information with truth. Indeed, they were youths who believed in their Lord, and We gave them more guidance.

18:14  And We bound upon their hearts, when they stood, then said, 'Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. We will not call on a god besides Him. Surely, certainly we would have said then that which exceeds the due bounds.

18:15  These, our people, have taken gods besides Him. If only they mention them with clear authority. So who is more unjust than he who forged a lie against God?'

18:16  And when you have withdrawn from them and what they serve except God, then seek refuge at the cave, your Lord will spread out for you of His mercy and He will prepare ease for you from your affair.

18:17  And you would have seen the sun when it rose, turn away from their cave possessed of the right; and when it set, across them possessed of the left; and they were in an opening of it. That is among the signs of God. Whoever God guides, then he is the guided, and whoever He causes to go astray, then you will not find a patron, a leader for him.

18:18  And you would have thought them awake, while they were sleeping. And We turned them over, possessed of the right and possessed of the left; and their dog stretched out its two forelegs at the threshold. If you had looked at them, surely, you would have turned back from them fleeing, and surely you would have been filled with terror of them.

18:19  And thus We raised them that they may ask one another between them. A speaker among them said, 'You tarried how many?' They said, 'We have tarried a day or part of a day.' They said, 'Your Lord knows best what you have tarried. So send one of you with this your money to the city, then let him see which is most pure of food, then let him come to you with provision from it; and let him be cautious and definitely do not let anyone know of you.

18:20  Indeed they, if they learn about you, they will stone you or return you in their religion, and you will not prosper then, ever.'

18:21  And thus We disclosed them that they may know that the promise of God is true, and that, the Hour, there is no doubt concerning it. When they contended with one another their affair between them, then they said, 'Build a building over them, their Lord knows them best.' Those who prevailed over their affair said, 'Surely, we will definitely take a mosque over them.'

18:22  Soon they will say, 'Three, the fourth of them was their dog.' And they will say, 'Five, the sixth of them was their dog.' Guessing at the unseen. And they will say, 'Seven, and the eighth of them was their dog.' Say, 'My Lord knows best their number.’ Not except a few know them. So do not argue concerning them except an apparent argument, and do not ask any one of them for a decision concerning them.

18:23  And definitely do not say for anything, 'Indeed, I will do that tomorrow.'

18:24  Except that God wills. And remember your Lord when you forget, and say, 'It may be that my Lord will guide me to nearer than this right direction.'

18:25  And they tarried in their cave three hundred years and add nine.

18:26  Say, 'God knows best what they tarried.’ For Him is the unseen of the heavens and the earth. See with Him and hear. There is no patron for them besides Him, and He does not make anyone a partner in His judgment.

18:27  And recite what has been inspired to you of the Book of your Lord. There is no changer for His words and you will not find a place of refuge besides Him.

18:28  And be patient yourself with those who call on their Lord in the early morning and the evening desiring His face. And let not your two eyes go beyond them desiring the adornment of the worldly life, and do not obey one whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance and who has followed his lust and whose affair exceeds just limits.

18:29  And say, 'The truth is from your Lord, so whoever willed, then let him believe; and whoever willed, then let him disbelieve.' Indeed We, We have prepared a fire for the wrongdoers, its canopy has encompassed them; and if they seek aid, they will be aided with water like molten brass, it broils the faces. Evil is the drink, and evil a support.

18:30  Indeed, those who believed and did the good works, indeed We, We do not waste the reward of he who does a work well.

18:31  Those, for them are the Gardens of Eden, beneath them the rivers flow; they will be adorned in it with bracelets of gold; and they will wear green garments of fine silk and brocade; reclining in it on the raised couches; excellent is the reward, and good a support.

18:32  And strike for them a similitude: two men, We made for one of them two gardens of grapes, and We surrounded both of them with palms, and We put corn between both of them.

18:33  Both of the two gardens gave their fruit and did not wrong him anything. And We made a river to flow forth in the midst of both of them.

18:34  And there was fruit for him, then he said to his companion, while he was conversing with him, 'I am more than you in wealth and mightier in company.'

18:35  And he entered his garden while he was unjust to his soul. He said, 'I do not think that this will ever perish.

18:36  And I do not think the Hour is coming; and surely, if I am sent back to my Lord, surely, I will definitely find a return better than it.'

18:37  His companion said to him, while he was conversing with him, 'Have you disbelieved in the one who created you from dust, then from a sperm, then made you uniform, a man?

18:38  But He is God, my Lord, and I do not associate anyone with my Lord.

18:39  And if only when you entered your garden you said, "What God willed. There is no strength except with God." If you see me, I am less than you in wealth and children.

18:40  But then it may be my Lord, that He may give me better than your garden and He may send a reckoning upon it from the heaven, then it may become slippery ground,

18:41  Or its water may become sunk, then you will not be able to search for it.'

18:42  And his fruit was encompassed, then in the morning he was turning over his hands over what he had spent on it, and it had fallen down on its trellises, and he said, 'O would that I, I did not associate anyone with my Lord.'

18:43  And there was no troop for him to help him besides God, and he was not victorious.

18:44  There the patronage is for God, the Truth. He is best in reward, and best in consequence.

18:45  And strike for them a similitude of the worldly life: like water, We sent it down from the heaven, then the plants of the earth mingled with it; then it became dry stalks, the winds scatter it; and God is powerful over everything.

18:46  The wealth and the children are an adornment of the worldly life; and the lasting good works are better with your Lord in reward and better in hope.

18:47  And on the day We set the mountains in motion, and you see the earth protruding, and We gather them, so We do not leave anyone of them.

18:48  And they will be presented to your Lord in a row. Surely, certainly you came to Us as We created you the first time. Nay, you claimed that We would not make an appointment for you.

18:49  And the Book will be set down, then you will see the sinners apprehensive of what is in it; and they will say, 'O woe to us! What ails this, the Book, it does not leave small nor great except it has numbered it?' And they will find what they did present, and your Lord will not wrong anyone.

18:50  And when We said to the angels, 'Prostrate to Adam,' So they prostrated except Iblis. He was of the jinn, so he disobeyed the command of his Lord. So will you take him and his offspring as patrons besides Me, while they are an enemy to you? Evil for wrongdoers a substitute.

18:51  I called them not to witness the creation of the heavens and the earth, nor the creation of themselves. And I am not one who takes the misleaders as assistants.

18:52  And on the day He will say, 'Call My partners, those who you claimed.' Then they will call on them, but then they will not respond to them. And We will make a place of destruction between them.

18:53  And the sinners will see the fire, then they will think that they are to fall into it, and they will not find a place of turning away from it.

18:54  And surely, certainly We have turned about for mankind in this, the Quran, of every similitude; and man is in most things disputatious.

18:55  And what prevented the people from believing when the guidance came to them, and seeking their Lord’s forgiveness? Except that the course of the former people comes to them, or the punishment comes to them in front.

18:56  And We do not send the messengers except as announcers of glad tidings and warners. And those who disbelieved dispute with falsehood to rebut the truth with it; and they took My signs and what they were warned of in mockery.

18:57  And who is more unjust than he who is reminded of the signs of his Lord, then he turned away from them and he forgot what his two hands have sent forward? Indeed We, We have placed coverings on their hearts lest they understand it, and in their ears, dulness. And if you call them to the guidance, then they will not be guided then, ever.

18:58  And your Lord is the Forgiver, the possessor of mercy. If He were to chastise them for what they earn, surely, He would hasten the punishment for them. Nay, for them is an appointment; they will not find a refuge besides Him.

18:59  And those towns, We destroyed them when they did wrong, and We made an appointment for their destruction.

18:60  And when Moses said to his servant, 'I will continue until I reach the junction of the two seas, or I go on for a long time.'

18:61  Then when they reached the junction between them, they forgot their fish, then it took its way in the sea, a hole.

18:62  Then when they had gone past, he said to his servant, 'Bring us our breakfast, surely, certainly we have met with fatigue from this our journey.'

18:63  He said, ‘You saw when we sought refuge at the rock? Then indeed I, I forgot the fish. And none except the devil made me forget it, to mention it, and it took its way in the sea wonderfully.

18:64  He said, 'That is what we were seeking.' So they returned upon their footsteps, tracing.

18:65  Then they found a servant among Our servants, We had given him mercy from Us, and We had taught him knowledge from Us.

18:66  Moses said to him, 'Shall I follow you on condition that you teach me rectitude from what you have been taught?'

18:67  He said, 'Indeed you, you will not be able to have patience with me.

18:68  And how will you be patient upon what you did not encompass knowledge of?'

18:69  He said, 'Soon you will find me, if God wills, patient; and I will not rebel against your command.'

18:70  He said, 'Then if you follow me, then do not ask me about anything until I originate a mention of it to you.'

18:71  Then they both went on until when they were riding in the ship, he made a hole in it. He said, 'Have you made a hole in it to drown its people? Surely, certainly you have done a strange thing.'

18:72  He said, 'Did I not say, “Indeed you, you will not be able to have patience with me.”?'

18:73  He said, 'Do not chastise me for what I forgot, and do not burden me with difficulty from my affair.'

18:74  Then they both went on until when they met a boy, then he killed him. He said, 'Have you killed a pure soul for other than a soul? Surely, certainly, you have done a terrible thing.'

18:75  He said, 'Did I not say to you, “Indeed you, you will not be able to have patience with me.”?'

18:76  He said, 'If I ask you about anything after it, then do not accompany me. Certainly, you have reached an excuse from me.'

18:77  So they both went on until when they came to people of a town; they asked its people for food, but then they refused to entertain them. Then they found in it a wall wanting to collapse, so he fixed it. He said, 'Had you willed, surely you could have taken a payment for it.

18:78  He said, 'This is parting between me and you. Soon I will inform you of the interpretation of what you were not able to have patience upon.

18:79  As for the ship, so it was for poor people working in the sea. So I wanted to make it unsound. And there was a king behind them seizing every ship by force.

18:80  And as for the boy, so his parents are believers, then we feared that he would burden them with immoderation and disbelief.

18:81  So we desired that their Lord gives them in exchange better than him in purity and nearer mercy.

18:82  And as for the wall, so it was for two orphan boys in the city, and there was a treasure beneath it for them, and their father was righteous, so your Lord desired that they reach their strength, and bring forth their treasure, mercy from your Lord; and I did it not from my command. That is the interpretation of what you were not able to have patience upon.'

18:83  And they ask you about Dhu 'l Qarnayn, say, 'Soon I will recite to you a mention of him,'

18:84  Indeed We, We established for him in the earth, and We gave him a means of everything;

18:85  Then he followed a way,

18:86  Until when he reached the setting of the sun, he found it setting in a muddy spring, and he found people near it. We said, 'O Dhu 'l Qarnayn! Either that you punish, or that you adopt goodness concerning them.'

18:87  He said, 'As for he who has done wrong, then soon we will punish him, then he will be sent back to his Lord, then He will punish him, a terrible punishment.

18:88  And as for he who has believed and has done right, then for him is a recompense, the best, and soon we will say to him from our command, “Ease.”'

18:89  Then he followed a way,

18:90  Until when he reached the rising of the sun, he found it rising on people, We did not make a shelter for them besides it.

18:91  Thus. And certainly, We encompassed because with Him is knowledge.

18:92  Then he followed a way,

18:93  Until when he reached between the two mountains, he found people near both of them; they could almost not understand speech.

18:94  They said, 'O Dhu 'l Qarnayn! Indeed, Yajuj and Majuj are working corruption in the earth, so shall we make expenses for you on condition that you make a barrier between us and them?'

18:95  He said, 'What my Lord has established me in is better, but then help me with strength, let me make a barrier between you and them.

18:96  Bring me pieces of iron.’ Until when he had leveled between the two mountains.' He said, 'Blow.’ Until when he made it fire. He said, 'Bring me molten brass, let me pour over it.'

18:97  So they were not able to climb it and they were not able to breach it.

18:98  He said, 'This is mercy from my Lord; but then when the promise of my Lord comes, He will make it dust; and the promise of my Lord is true.'

18:99  And We will leave some of them on that day in a state of commotion with some, and the horn will be blown in, then We will gather them, gathering.

18:100  And We will present Hell on that day to the disbelievers, a presentation;

18:101  Those who their eyes were in a cover from My reminder, and they were not able to hear.

18:102  So those who disbelieved thought that they could take My servants as patrons besides Me? Indeed We, We have prepared Hell for the disbelievers, an entertainment.

18:103  Say, 'Shall We inform you of those who lose most in works?

18:104  Those who their striving in the worldly life went astray while they think that they are doing good work.

18:105  Those are the ones who disbelieved in the signs of their Lord and meeting Him, so their works are void; so We will not fix weight for them on the Day of Resurrection.

18:106  That is their recompense, Hell, because they disbelieved and they took My signs and My messengers in mockery.

18:107  Indeed, those who believed and did the good works, for them are the Gardens of Firdaus, an entertainment,

18:108  To dwell forever in it; they will not seek change of place from it.’

18:109  Say, 'If the sea were ink for the words of my Lord, surely the sea would be spent before that the words of my Lord are spent, even if We came with a resource like it.'

18:110  Say, 'I am only a mortal like you; it has been inspired to me that your god is only one god; so whoever hopes to meet his Lord, then let him do righteous work and let him not make anyone a partner in the service of his Lord.'