Al-Kahf 18:22 — Quran | Pray for the Truth

M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation

[Some] say, ‘The sleepers were three, and their dog made four,’ others say, ‘They were five, and the dog made six’- guessing in the dark- and some say, ‘They were seven, and their dog made eight.’ Say [Prophet], ‘My Lord knows best how many they were.’ Only a few have real knowledge about them, so do not argue, but stick to what is clear, and do not ask any of these people about them;

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

sayaqūlūna thalāthatun rābiʿuhum kalbuhum wayaqūlūna khamsatun sādisuhum kalbuhum rajman bil-ghaybi wayaqūlūna sabʿatun wathāminuhum kalbuhum qul rabbī aʿlamu biʿiddatihim mā yaʿlamuhum illā qalīlun falā tumāri fīhim illā mirāan ẓāhiran walā tastafti fīhim min'hum aḥadan

A. J. Arberry: (They will say, 'Three; and 'their dog was the fourth of them.' They will say, 'Five; and their dog was the sixth of them, guessing at the Unseen. They will say, 'Seven; and their dog was the eighth of them.' Say: 'My Lord knows very well their number, and none knows them, except a few.' So do not dispute with them, except in outward disputation, and ask not any of them for a pronouncement on them.
Muhammad Asad: [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."
Sahih International: They [i.e., people] will say there were three, the fourth of them being their dog; and they will say there were five, the sixth of them being their dog - guessing at the unseen; and they will say there were seven, and the eighth of them was their dog. Say, [O Muḥammad], "My Lord is most knowing of their number. None knows them except a few. So do not argue about them except with an obvious argument and do not inquire about them among [the speculators] from anyone."

Word-by-word analysis of Al-Kahf verse 22
#	Word	Meaning	Root
1	سَيَقُولُونَsayaqūlūna	They say	قول
2	ثَلَـٰثَةٌۭthalāthatun	(they were) three	ثلث
3	رَّابِعُهُمْrābiʿuhum	the forth of them	ربع
4	كَلْبُهُمْkalbuhum	their dog	كلب
5	وَيَقُولُونَwayaqūlūna	and they say	قول
6	خَمْسَةٌۭkhamsatun	(they were) five	خمس
7	سَادِسُهُمْsādisuhum	the sixth of them	سدس
8	كَلْبُهُمْkalbuhum	their dog	كلب
9	رَجْمًۢاrajman	guessing	رجم
10	بِٱلْغَيْبِ ۖbil-ghaybi	about the unseen	غيب
11	وَيَقُولُونَwayaqūlūna	and they say	قول
12	سَبْعَةٌۭsabʿatun	(they were) seven	سبع
13	وَثَامِنُهُمْwathāminuhum	and the eight of them	ثمن
14	كَلْبُهُمْ ۚkalbuhum	their dog	كلب
15	قُلqul	Say	قول
16	رَّبِّىٓrabbī	My Lord	ربب
17	أَعْلَمُaʿlamu	knows best	علم
18	بِعِدَّتِهِمbiʿiddatihim	their number	عدد
19	مَّاmā	None	—
20	يَعْلَمُهُمْyaʿlamuhum	knows them	علم
21	إِلَّاillā	except	—
22	قَلِيلٌۭ ۗqalīlun	a few	قلل
23	فَلَاfalā	So (do) not	—
24	تُمَارِtumāri	argue	مري
25	فِيهِمْfīhim	about them	—
26	إِلَّاillā	except	—
27	مِرَآءًۭmirāan	(with) an argument	مري
28	ظَـٰهِرًۭاẓāhiran	obvious	ظهر
29	وَلَاwalā	and (do) not	—
30	تَسْتَفْتِtastafti	inquire	فتي
31	فِيهِمfīhim	about them	—
32	مِّنْهُمْmin'hum	among them	—
33	أَحَدًۭاaḥadan	(from) anyone	أحد

Quran 18:22 — Al-Kahf, verse 22

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