Surah 18. Al-Kahf, Ayah 22
| سَيَقُولُونَ ثَلَاثَةٌ رَابِعُهُمْ كَلْبُهُمْ وَيَقُولُونَ خَمْسَةٌ سَادِسُهُمْ كَلْبُهُمْ رَجْمًا بِالْغَيْبِ ۖ وَيَقُولُونَ سَبْعَةٌ وَثَامِنُهُمْ كَلْبُهُمْ ۚ قُلْ رَبِّي أَعْلَمُ بِعِدَّتِهِمْ مَا يَعْلَمُهُمْ إِلَّا قَلِيلٌ ۗ فَلَا تُمَارِ فِيهِمْ إِلَّا مِرَاءً ظَاهِرًا وَلَا تَسْتَفْتِ فِيهِمْ مِنْهُمْ أَحَدًا |
| Transliteration | : | sa- yaqolon thalaathah raabic -hum kalb -hum wa- yaqolon khamsah saadis -hum kalb -hum rajm(an) bi- al- ghayb wa- yaqolon sabcah wa- thaamin -hum kalb -hum qul rabb -e aclam bi- ciddah -him maa yaclam -hum 'illaa qalel fa- laa tumaari fe -him 'illaa miraa' z.aahir(an) wa- laa tastafti fe -him min -hum 'ah.ad(an) |
| Pickthall | : | (Some) will say: They were three, their dog the fourth, and (some) say: Five, their dog the sixth, guessing at random; and (some) say: Seven, and their dog the eighth. Say (O Muhammad): My Lord is best aware of their number. None knoweth them save a few. So contend not concerning them except with an outward contending, and ask not any of them to pronounce concerning them. |
| Asad | : | [And in times to come] some will say,31 "[They were] three, the fourth of them being their dog," while others will say, "Five, with their dog as the sixth of them" - idly guessing at something of which they can have no knowledge - and [so on, until] some will say, "[They were] seven, the eighth of them being their dog." Say: "My Sustainer knows best how may they were. None but a few have any [real] knowledge of them. Hence, do not argue about them otherwise than by way of an obvious argument,32 and do not ask any of those [storytellers] to enlighten thee about them." |
| Malik | : | Now some will soon say: "They were three and their dog was the fourth." The others will guess: "They were five and their dog was the sixth," and there are still others who will say: "They were seven and their dog was the eighth." Say: "My Rabb Alone knows their number. None but a few really know their correct number." Therefore, do not enter into discussion with them about their number except in a cursory way, nor ask anyone about the companions of the cave. |
| Yusuf Ali | : | (Some) say they were three the dog being the fourth among them; (others) say they were five the dog being the sixth doubtfully guessing at the unknown; (yet others) say they were seven the dog being the eighth. Say thou: "My Lord knoweth best their number; it is but few that know their (real case)." Enter not therefore into controversies concerning them except on a matter that is clear nor consult any of them about (the affair of) the Sleepers. 2359 2360 2361 2362 |
Note - 31The future tense in sayaqulun points once again to the
legendary character of the story as such, and implies
that all soeculation about its details is irrelevant to
its parabolic, ethical purport.
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Note - 32I.e., for the sake of the self-evident ethical lesson to
be derived from their story: an allusion to the first
paragraph of verse {21} above.
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Note - 2359The controversy in after ages raged about the number of
the Sleepers: were they three or five or seven? People
answered, not from knowledge, but from conjecture.
Gibbon's version, which has now become best known, makes
the number of Sleepers seven. The point was immaterial:
the real point was the spiritual lesson.
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Note - 2360The true significance of the story is known only to a
few. Most men discuss futile details, which are not in
their knowledge.
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Note - 2361It is unprofitable to enter such immaterial controversies
and many others that have been waged about Religion by
shallow men from time immemorial. Yet, if there is a
matter of clear knowledge from experience that matters,
we must openly proclaim it, that the world may be brought
to listen to Allah's Truth.
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Note - 2362Vulgar story-mongers as such know little of the true
significance of stories and parables. We have a clear
exposition in the Qur-an. What need is there to go into
details of the number of men in the Cave, or of the time
they remained there?
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The future tense in sayaqulun points once again to the legendary character of the story as such, and implies that all soeculation about its details is irrelevant to its parabolic, ethical purport. |
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The controversy in after ages raged about the number of the Sleepers: were they three or five or seven? People answered, not from knowledge, but from conjecture. Gibbon's version, which has now become best known, makes the number of Sleepers seven. The point was immaterial: the real point was the spiritual lesson. |
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The true significance of the story is known only to a few. Most men discuss futile details, which are not in their knowledge. |
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It is unprofitable to enter such immaterial controversies and many others that have been waged about Religion by shallow men from time immemorial. Yet, if there is a matter of clear knowledge from experience that matters, we must openly proclaim it, that the world may be brought to listen to Allah's Truth. |
