60 And when Moses said unto his servant: I will not give up until I reach the point where the two rivers meet, though I march on for ages.
Trivia:
Surah 18
THE CAVE (Al-Kahf)
18:60-82
Moses said to his servant, [1]
I won't give up until I reach the point where the two rivers meet.
61 And when they reached the point where the two met, they forgot their fish, and it took its way into the waters, being free.
When they got there, they found that they forgot their fish.
But the fish got into the water anyway.
62 And when they had gone further, he said unto his servant: Bring us our breakfast. Verily we have found fatigue in this our journey.
They went a little further and Moses said to his servant,
Bring our breakfast.
63 He said: Didst thou see, when we took refuge on the rock, and I forgot the fish - and none but Satan caused me to forget to mention it - it took its way into the waters by a marvel.
64 He said: This is that which we have been seeking. So they retraced their steps again.
The servant said,
Satan made me forgot the fish.
It's strange that it got into the water anyway.
So they retraced their steps.
65 Then found they one of Our slaves, unto whom We had given mercy from Us, and had taught him knowledge from Our presence.
Then they found one of our [Allah's] slaves. [2]
66 Moses said unto him: May I follow thee, to the end that thou mayst teach me right conduct of that which thou hast been taught?
67 He said: Lo! thou canst not bear with me.
68 How canst thou bear with that whereof thou canst not compass any knowledge?
Moses said to him,
May I follow you, so you can teach me right conduct?
He said,
You wouldn't understand.
69 He said: Allah willing, thou shalt find me patient and I shall not in aught gainsay thee.
Moses: Please. I'll be patient.
70 He said: Well, if thou go with me, ask me not concerning aught till I myself make mention of it unto thee.
Allah's slave: Well, OK. But but be quiet until I speak to you.
71 So they twain set out till, when they were in the ship, he made a hole therein. (Moses) said: Hast thou made a hole therein to drown the folk thereof? Thou verily hast done a dreadful thing.
72 He said: Did I not tell thee that thou couldst not bear with me?
73 (Moses) said: Be not wroth with me that I forgot, and be not hard upon me for my fault.
74 So they twain journeyed on till, when they met a lad, he slew him. (Moses) said: What! Hast thou slain an innocent soul who hath slain no man? Verily thou hast done a horrid thing.
So they boarded a ship, and Allah's slave made a hole in it.
Moses said,
Did you make the hole to drown everyone on the ship?
You have done a dreadful thing.
As they as they continued their journey, they met a boy.
Allah's slave killed the boy, and Moses said,
Why did you kill an innocent child?
You have done a horrid thing.
75 He said: Did I not tell thee that thou couldst not bear with me?
76 (Moses) said: If I ask thee after this concerning aught, keep not company with me. Thou hast received an excuse from me.
Allah's slave said,
Didn't I tell you to be quiet?
77 So they twain journeyed on till, when they came unto the folk of a certain township, they asked its folk for food, but they refused to make them guests. And they found therein a wall upon the point of falling into ruin, and he repaired it. (Moses) said: If thou hadst wished, thou couldst have taken payment for it.
As they continued their journey, they came to a town and asked for some food. But the people refused.
Then they found a decrepit wall, and Allah's slave repaired it.
78 He said: This is the parting between thee and me! I will announce unto thee the interpretation of that thou couldst not bear with patience.
Allah's slave said to Moses,
Okay. Now I'll explain why I did those things on our journey.
79 As for the ship, it belonged to poor people working on the river, and I wished to mar it, for there was a king behind them who is taking every ship by force.
The ship belonged to poor people, so I put a hole in it to punish the king who was trying to take it by force.
80 And as for the lad, his parents were believers and we feared lest he should oppress them by rebellion and disbelief.
81 And we intended that their Lord should change him for them for one better in purity and nearer to mercy.
The boy's parents were believers and we [Allah and I] feared that he would rebel and become a disbeliever.
So I killed him.
82 And as for the wall, it belonged to two orphan boys in the city, and there was beneath it a treasure belonging to them, and their father had been righteous, and thy Lord intended that they should come to their full strength and should bring forth their treasure as a mercy from their Lord; and I did it not upon my own command. Such is the interpretation of that wherewith thou couldst not bear.
The wall belonged to two orphan boys. There was a treasure underneath.
Their father was righteous, so Allah wanted the boys to have the treasure.
I hope it all makes sense to you now.
18:83-98
83 They will ask thee of Dhu'l-Qarneyn. Say: I shall recite unto you a remembrance of him.
84 Lo! We made him strong in the land and gave him unto every thing a road.
85 And he followed a road
86 Till, when he reached the setting-place of the sun, he found it setting in a muddy spring, and found a people thereabout. We said: O Dhu'l-Qarneyn! Either punish or show them kindness.
People will ask you about Dhu'l-Qarneyn. [3]
Here's what you should tell them.
We [Allah] made him strong.
And he followed a road until the sun set in a muddy spring. [4]
There were people there, and we said to him,
Punish them or be kind to them.
87 He said: As for him who doeth wrong, we shall punish him, and then he will be brought back unto his Lord, Who will punish him with awful punishment!
88 But as for him who believeth and doeth right, good will be his reward, and We shall speak unto him a mild command.
Dhu'l-Qarneyn said,
We'll punish the wrong-doers, then we'll bring them back for Allah to punish with an awful punishment.
But those who believe and do right will be rewarded.
89 Then he followed a road
90 Till, when he reached the rising-place of the sun, he found it rising on a people for whom We had appointed no shelter therefrom.
91 So (it was). And We knew all concerning him.
Then he went on to the place where the sun rises.
He found it rising on people who had no shelter from it.
92 Then he followed a road
93 Till, when he came between the two mountains, he found upon their hither side a folk that scarce could understand a saying.
Then between two mountains, he found some people whose language he couldn't understand.
94 They said: O Dhu'l-Qarneyn! Lo! Gog and Magog are spoiling the land. So may we pay thee tribute on condition that thou set a barrier between us and them?
95 He said: That wherein my Lord hath established me is better (than your tribute). Do but help me with strength (of men), I will set between you and them a bank.
96 Give me pieces of iron - till, when he had levelled up (the gap) between the cliffs, he said: Blow! - till, when he had made it a fire, he said: Bring me molten copper to pour thereon.
They said,
Oh Dhu'l-Qarneyn, God and Magaog are spoiling the land.
We'll pay you to build a barrier between us and them.
Dhu'l-Qarneyn said,
Okay. I'll build a barrier.
So he built a barrier out of iron and copper.
97 And (Gog and Magog) were not able to surmount, nor could they pierce (it).
98 He said: This is a mercy from my Lord; but when the promise of my Lord cometh to pass, He will lay it low, for the promise of my Lord is true.
And God and Magog couldn't get through the wall.
18:83-98
99 And on that day we shall let some of them surge against others, and the Trumpet will be blown. Then We shall gather them together in one gathering.
On that day the trumpet will blow,
100 On that day we shall present hell to the disbelievers, plain to view,
101 Those whose eyes were hoodwinked from My reminder, and who could not bear to hear.
And we'll show hell to the disbelievers.
102 Do the disbelievers reckon that they can choose My bondmen as protecting friends beside Me? Lo! We have prepared hell as a welcome for the disbelievers.
We've prepared hell as a welcome for disbelievers.
103 Say: Shall We inform you who will be the greatest losers by their works?
Who are the greatest losers?
104 Those whose effort goeth astray in the life of the world, and yet they reckon that they do good work.
Those who mess up in this life, while thinking they're doing good work.
105 Those are they who disbelieve in the revelations of their Lord and in the meeting with Him. Therefor their works are vain, and on the Day of Resurrection We assign no weight to them.
That is, the disbelievers.
Their works are vain, and we place no value on them.
106 That is their reward: hell, because they disbelieved, and made a jest of Our revelations and Our messengers.
107 Lo! those who believe and do good works, theirs are the Gardens of Paradise for welcome,
108 Wherein they will abide, with no desire to be removed from thence.
109 Say: Though the sea became ink for the Words of my Lord, verily the sea would be used up before the words of my Lord were exhausted, even though We brought the like thereof to help.
110 Say: I am only a mortal like you. My Lord inspireth in me that your God is only One God. And whoever hopeth for the meeting with his Lord, let him do righteous work, and make none sharer of the worship due unto his Lord.
They'll be rewarded with hell,
because they disbelieved and made fun of our revelations and messengers.
Notes
- Moses said unto his servant. (v.60)
Most Muslim intepreters believe Moses's unnamed servant is Joshua, but there's no evidence for this in the Quran itself.
- Then found they one of Our slaves. (v.65)
Muslim interpreters often give Allah's slave in this story the name "Khidr", but the slave is never named in the Quran.
- They will ask thee of Dhu'l-Qarneyn. (v.83)
Some say Dhu'l-Qarneyn ("The Two-Horned Lord") is Alexander the Great, who is here presented as a devout Muslim. Others say he's Cyrus the Great, but no one really knows.
- The setting-place of the sun, he found it setting in
a muddy spring (v.86)
The sun rises and sets at particular places on a flat earth. At the westernmost point on earth, the sun sets in a muddy spring.