18.Surah
Al Kahf
The
Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
سَيَقُولُونَ
ثَلَاثَةٌ
رَّابِعُهُمْ
كَلْبُهُمْ...
18:
22. (Some) say
they were three, the dog being the fourth among them;
... وَيَقُولُونَ
خَمْسَةٌ سَادِسُهُمْ
كَلْبُهُمْ
رَجْمًا بِالْغَيْبِ...
(others) say
they were five, the dog being the sixth -- doubtfully guessing at the
unknown;
C2359. 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.
... وَيَقُولُونَ
سَبْعَةٌ
وَثَامِنُهُمْ
كَلْبُهُمْ...
(yet
others) say
they were seven, the dog being the eighth.
... قُل
رَّبِّي أَعْلَمُ
بِعِدَّتِهِم
مَّا يَعْلَمُهُمْ
إِلَّا قَلِيلٌ...
Say
thou: "My Lord knoweth best their number; it is but few that
know their (real
case)."
C2360. The
true significance of the story is known only to a few. Most men
discuss futile' details, which are not in their knowledge.
... فَلَا
تُمَارِ فِيهِمْ
إِلَّا مِرَاء
ظَاهِرًا ...
Enter
not, therefore, into controversies concerning them, except on a
matter that is clear,
C2361. 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.
... وَلَا
تَسْتَفْتِ
فِيهِم مِّنْهُمْ
أَحَدًا ﴿٢٢﴾
nor
consult any of them about (the
affair of) the
Sleepers.
C2362. Vulgar
story-mongers as such know little of the true significance of stories
and parables. We have a clear exposition in the Quran.
What
need is there to go into details of the number of men in the Cave, or
of the time they remained there?
Other
versions:
18:22 They
will say, "Three, the fourth is their dog." They say,
"Five, the sixth is their dog," guessing at what they do
not know. They say, "Seven, and the eighth is their dog."
Say,
"My Lord is fully aware of their number, none know them except
for a few."
So,
do not debate in them except with proof,
and do not seek information regarding them from anyone.*
Sayaqooloona thalathatun rabiAAuhum kalbuhum
wayaqooloona khamsatun sadisuhum kalbuhum rajman
bialghaybi wayaqooloona sabAAatun wathaminuhum
kalbuhum qul rabbee aAAlamu biAAiddatihim ma yaAAlamuhum
illa qaleelun fala tumari feehim illa
miraan thahiran wala
tastafti feehim minhum ahadan
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Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning
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Muhammad
Asad
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[And in times to come] some will say, "[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 many 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, and do not ask any of those
[story-tellers] to enlighten thee about them."
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M.
M. Pickthall
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(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.
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Shakir
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(Some) say: (They are) three, the fourth of them being their
dog; and (others) say: Five, the sixth of them being their dog,
making conjectures at what is unknown; and (others yet) say:
Seven, and the eighth of them is their dog. Say: My Lord best
knows their number, none knows them but a few; therefore
contend not in the matter of them but with an outward
contention, and do not question concerning them any of them.
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Yusuf
Ali
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(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.
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[Al-Muntakhab]
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Tossed with their unballasted wits in fathomless and unquiet
deeps of controversies, Ahl AL-Kitab (the People of the Book)
were divided in opinion relative to the number of the young
men, and in the course of time, some will say: "They
numbered three and their dog the fourth". Others will say:
"Five, their dog the sixth", an exercise of
divination, whereas others will say: "Seven, their dog the
eighth". Say to them O Muhammad: "Allah, my Creator,
knows best their number; it is only a few who have been given
the knowledge of the number and the significance of the even".
Therefore,
do not involve yourself O Muhammad in the heat of their dispute
but treat the subject from an objective standpoint only so as
to exhibit the actual facts and never seek
counsel from any of them upon the event.
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[Progressive
Muslims]
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They will Say: "Three, the fourth is their dog." And
they Say: "Five, the sixth is their dog," guessing at
what they do not know. And they Say: "Seven, and the
eighth is their dog." Say: "My Lord is fully aware of
their number, none know them except for a few."
So do not debate in them except with proof,
and do not seek information regarding them from anyone.
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