Quran 18:19 — Al-Kahf, verse 19
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
In time We woke them, and they began to question one another. One of them asked, ‘How long have you been here?’ and [some] answered, ‘A day or part of a day,’ but then [others] said, ‘Your Lord knows best how long you have been here. One of you go to the city with your silver coins, find out where the best food is there, and bring some back. But be careful not to let anyone know about you:
وَكَذَٰلِكَ بَعَثْنَاهُمْ لِيَتَسَاءَلُوا بَيْنَهُمْ ۚ قَالَ قَائِلٌ مِنْهُمْ كَمْ لَبِثْتُمْ ۖ قَالُوا لَبِثْنَا يَوْمًا أَوْ بَعْضَ يَوْمٍ ۚ قَالُوا رَبُّكُمْ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا لَبِثْتُمْ فَابْعَثُوا أَحَدَكُمْ بِوَرِقِكُمْ هَـٰذِهِ إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ فَلْيَنْظُرْ أَيُّهَا أَزْكَىٰ طَعَامًا فَلْيَأْتِكُمْ بِرِزْقٍ مِنْهُ وَلْيَتَلَطَّفْ وَلَا يُشْعِرَنَّ بِكُمْ أَحَدًا
wakadhālika baʿathnāhum liyatasāalū baynahum qāla qāilun min'hum kam labith'tum qālū labith'nā yawman aw baʿḍa yawmin qālū rabbukum aʿlamu bimā labith'tum fa-ib'ʿathū aḥadakum biwariqikum hādhihi ilā l-madīnati falyanẓur ayyuhā azkā ṭaʿāman falyatikum biriz'qin min'hu walyatalaṭṭaf walā yush'ʿiranna bikum aḥadan
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- And even so We raised them up again that they might question one another. One of them said, 'How long have you tarried?' They said, 'We have tarried a day, or part of a day.' They said, 'Your Lord knows very well how long you have tarried. Now send one of you forth with this silver to the city, and let him look for which of them has purest food, and bring you provision thereof; let him be courteous, and apprise no man of you.
- Muhammad Asad
- And so, [in the course of time,] We awakened them; and they began to ask one another [as to what had happened to them]. One of them asked: "How long have you remained thus?" [The others] answered: "We have remained thus a day, or part of a day." Said they [who were endowed with deeper insight]: "Your Sustainer knows best how long you have thus remained. Let, then, one of you go with these silver coins to the town, and let him find out what food is purest there, and bring you thereof [some] provisions. But let him behave with great care and by no means make anyone aware of you:
- Sahih International
- And similarly, We awakened them that they might question one another. Said a speaker from among them, "How long have you remained [here]?" They said, "We have remained a day or part of a day." They said, "Your Lord is most knowing of how long you remained. So send one of you with this silver coin of yours to the city and let him look to which is the best of food and bring you provision from it and let him be cautious. And let no one be aware of you.
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | وَكَذَٰلِكَwakadhālika | And similarly | — |
| 2 | بَعَثْنَـٰهُمْbaʿathnāhum | We raised them | بعث |
| 3 | لِيَتَسَآءَلُوا۟liyatasāalū | that they might question | سأل |
| 4 | بَيْنَهُمْ ۚbaynahum | among them | بين |
| 5 | قَالَqāla | Said | قول |
| 6 | قَآئِلٌۭqāilun | a speaker | قول |
| 7 | مِّنْهُمْmin'hum | among them | — |
| 8 | كَمْkam | How long | — |
| 9 | لَبِثْتُمْ ۖlabith'tum | have you remained | لبث |
| 10 | قَالُوا۟qālū | They said | قول |
| 11 | لَبِثْنَاlabith'nā | We have remained | لبث |
| 12 | يَوْمًاyawman | a day | يوم |
| 13 | أَوْaw | or | — |
| 14 | بَعْضَbaʿḍa | a part | بعض |
| 15 | يَوْمٍۢ ۚyawmin | (of) a day | يوم |
| 16 | قَالُوا۟qālū | They said | قول |
| 17 | رَبُّكُمْrabbukum | Your Lord | ربب |
| 18 | أَعْلَمُaʿlamu | knows best | علم |
| 19 | بِمَاbimā | how long | — |
| 20 | لَبِثْتُمْlabith'tum | you have remained | لبث |
| 21 | فَٱبْعَثُوٓا۟fa-ib'ʿathū | So send | بعث |
| 22 | أَحَدَكُمaḥadakum | one of you | أحد |
| 23 | بِوَرِقِكُمْbiwariqikum | with this silver coin of yours | ورق |
| 24 | هَـٰذِهِۦٓhādhihi | with this silver coin of yours | — |
| 25 | إِلَىilā | to | — |
| 26 | ٱلْمَدِينَةِl-madīnati | the city | مدن |
| 27 | فَلْيَنظُرْfalyanẓur | and let him see | نظر |
| 28 | أَيُّهَآayyuhā | which is | — |
| 29 | أَزْكَىٰazkā | the purest | زكو |
| 30 | طَعَامًۭاṭaʿāman | food | طعم |
| 31 | فَلْيَأْتِكُمfalyatikum | and let him bring to you | أتي |
| 32 | بِرِزْقٍۢbiriz'qin | provision | رزق |
| 33 | مِّنْهُmin'hu | from it | — |
| 34 | وَلْيَتَلَطَّفْwalyatalaṭṭaf | and let him be cautious | لطف |
| 35 | وَلَاwalā | And let not be aware | — |
| 36 | يُشْعِرَنَّyush'ʿiranna | And let not be aware | شعر |
| 37 | بِكُمْbikum | about you | — |
| 38 | أَحَدًاaḥadan | anyone | أحد |