Quran 18:21 — Al-Kahf, verse 21
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
In this way We brought them to people’s attention so that they might know that God’s promise [of resurrection] is true and that there is no doubt about the Last Hour, [though] people argue among themselves. [Some] said, ‘Construct a building over them: their Lord knows best about them.’ Those who prevailed said, ‘We shall build a place of worship over them.’
وَكَذَٰلِكَ أَعْثَرْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ لِيَعْلَمُوا أَنَّ وَعْدَ اللَّهِ حَقٌّ وَأَنَّ السَّاعَةَ لَا رَيْبَ فِيهَا إِذْ يَتَنَازَعُونَ بَيْنَهُمْ أَمْرَهُمْ ۖ فَقَالُوا ابْنُوا عَلَيْهِمْ بُنْيَانًا ۖ رَبُّهُمْ أَعْلَمُ بِهِمْ ۚ قَالَ الَّذِينَ غَلَبُوا عَلَىٰ أَمْرِهِمْ لَنَتَّخِذَنَّ عَلَيْهِمْ مَسْجِدًا
wakadhālika aʿtharnā ʿalayhim liyaʿlamū anna waʿda l-lahi ḥaqqun wa-anna l-sāʿata lā rayba fīhā idh yatanāzaʿūna baynahum amrahum faqālū ib'nū ʿalayhim bun'yānan rabbuhum aʿlamu bihim qāla alladhīna ghalabū ʿalā amrihim lanattakhidhanna ʿalayhim masjidan
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- And even so We made them stumble upon them, that they might know that God's promise is true, and that the Hour -- there is no doubt of it. When they were contending among themselves of their affair then they said, 'Build over them a building; their Lord knows of them very well.' Said those who prevailed over their affair, 'We will raise over them a place of worship.'
- Muhammad Asad
- AND IN THIS way have We drawn [people's] attention to their story, so that they might know - whenever they debate among themselves as to what happened to those [Men of the Cave] that God's promise [of resurrection] is true, and that there can be no doubt as to [the coming of] the Last Hour. And so, some [people] said: "Erect a building in their memory; God knows best what happened to them." Said they whose opinion prevailed in the end: "Indeed, we must surely raise a house of worship in their memory!"
- Sahih International
- And similarly, We caused them to be found that they [who found them] would know that the promise of Allāh is truth and that of the Hour there is no doubt. [That was] when they disputed among themselves about their affair and [then] said, "Construct over them a structure. Their Lord is most knowing about them." Said those who prevailed in the matter, "We will surely take [for ourselves] over them a masjid."
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | وَكَذَٰلِكَwakadhālika | And similarly | — |
| 2 | أَعْثَرْنَاaʿtharnā | We made known | عثر |
| 3 | عَلَيْهِمْʿalayhim | about them | — |
| 4 | لِيَعْلَمُوٓا۟liyaʿlamū | that they might know | علم |
| 5 | أَنَّanna | that | — |
| 6 | وَعْدَwaʿda | (the) Promise | وعد |
| 7 | ٱللَّهِl-lahi | (of) Allah | أله |
| 8 | حَقٌّۭḥaqqun | (is) true | حقق |
| 9 | وَأَنَّwa-anna | and that | — |
| 10 | ٱلسَّاعَةَl-sāʿata | (about) the Hour | سوع |
| 11 | لَاlā | (there is) no | — |
| 12 | رَيْبَrayba | doubt | ريب |
| 13 | فِيهَآfīhā | in it | — |
| 14 | إِذْidh | When | — |
| 15 | يَتَنَـٰزَعُونَyatanāzaʿūna | they disputed | نزع |
| 16 | بَيْنَهُمْbaynahum | among themselves | بين |
| 17 | أَمْرَهُمْ ۖamrahum | about their affair | أمر |
| 18 | فَقَالُوا۟faqālū | and they said | قول |
| 19 | ٱبْنُوا۟ib'nū | Construct | بني |
| 20 | عَلَيْهِمʿalayhim | over them | — |
| 21 | بُنْيَـٰنًۭا ۖbun'yānan | a structure | بني |
| 22 | رَّبُّهُمْrabbuhum | Their Lord | ربب |
| 23 | أَعْلَمُaʿlamu | knows best | علم |
| 24 | بِهِمْ ۚbihim | about them | — |
| 25 | قَالَqāla | Said | قول |
| 26 | ٱلَّذِينَalladhīna | those who | — |
| 27 | غَلَبُوا۟ghalabū | prevailed | غلب |
| 28 | عَلَىٰٓʿalā | in | — |
| 29 | أَمْرِهِمْamrihim | their matter | أمر |
| 30 | لَنَتَّخِذَنَّlanattakhidhanna | Surely we will take | أخذ |
| 31 | عَلَيْهِمʿalayhim | over them | — |
| 32 | مَّسْجِدًۭاmasjidan | a place of worship | سجد |