Ali Unal · MealMerkezi.Net

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All praise and gratitude are for God, Who has sent down on His servant the Book and has put no crookedness in it (so that it is free from contradiction and inconsistency, and anything offensive to truth and righteousness).

Ali Unal 18:1

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(He has made it) unerringly straight, to warn of a stern punishment from Him and give the believers who do good, righteous deeds the glad tidings that for them is an excellent reward (Paradise),

Ali Unal 18:2

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Abiding therein forever,

Ali Unal 18:3

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And to warn those who say: "God has taken to Him a child."

Ali Unal 18:4

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Of that they have no knowledge (on which to base such an assertion), nor did their forefathers. Dreadful as a word is (that assertion) coming out of their mouths. Indeed they speak nothing but falsehood.

Ali Unal 18:5

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Yet it may be that you (O Muhammad) will torment yourself to death with grief, following after them, if they do not believe in this Message.

Ali Unal 18:6

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We have surely made whatever is on the earth as an ornament for it (appealing to humanity), so that We may try them (by demonstrating it to themselves) which of them is best in conduct.

Ali Unal 18:7

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Yet We surely reduce whatever is on it to a barren dust-heap, (and will do so when the term of trial ends).

Ali Unal 18:8

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Or do you reckon the People of the Cave and the Inscription as something strange among Our signs (manifesting the truth, and too extraordinary to believe)?

Ali Unal 18:9

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(Events came to the point) when the young men took refuge in the cave and said: "Our Lord! Grant us mercy from Your Presence and arrange for us in our affair what is right and good!"

Ali Unal 18:10

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Then We drew a veil over their ears (causing them to go into a deep sleep) in the cave for a number of years.

Ali Unal 18:11

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Then We raised them up, (and dividing into two groups, they discussed how long they had remained in that state). We willed to make known which of the two groups were (more consciousness of time with the events in it, and therefore) better in computing for what period they had remained (in this state).

Ali Unal 18:12

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It is We who relate to you their exemplary story with truth. They were young men who believed in their Lord, and We increased them in guidance (so they adhered to the truth more faithfully).

Ali Unal 18:13

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And We strengthened their hearts, (and a time came) when they rose up (against association of partners with God and other injustices in the society), and they proclaimed: "Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth, and we never invoke any deity apart from Him; if we did so, we would certainly have uttered an enormity (a monstrous unbelief).

Ali Unal 18:14

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These people of ours have adopted deities other than Him: although they cannot bring any clear authority for them. And who is more in the wrong than he who fabricates falsehood against God?

Ali Unal 18:15

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(Events developed to the point that they had to leave their society. They discussed what they should do and concluded:) "And now that you have withdrawn yourselves from them and all that they worship instead of God, then seek refuge in the Cave. Your Lord will lay out for you of His mercy, and He will arrange for you in your affair a comfort and support."

Ali Unal 18:16

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(They entered the Cave and fell into a deep sleep.) You would have seen the sun, when it rose, moving away from their Cave to the right, and when it set, turning away from them to the left, while they lay in a spacious hollow in the Cave. That was one of God’s signs. Whoever God guides, he alone is rightly guided; and whoever He leads astray, you will never be able to find for him any guardian to guide him to the right way.

Ali Unal 18:17

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You would have thought them awake though they were asleep. We caused them to turn over to the right and the left, and their dog lay outstretching its two forelegs on the threshold. Had you come upon them unprepared, you would certainly have turned away from them in flight, and would certainly have been filled with awe of them.

Ali Unal 18:18

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Such being their state, We raised them up so they began to ask one another. One who spoke said: "How long have you stayed?" They (some among them) answered: "We have stayed a day, or part of a day." The others said: "Your Lord knows better how long you have stayed. Now (we must deal with our hunger. So) send one of you to the city with this coin of yours: let him see what food is most pure there (and so lawful), and bring a supply from it. But let him behave with utmost care and guarded courtesy and by no means make anyone aware of you.

Ali Unal 18:19

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Indeed, if they should find you out, they will stone you to death or turn you back to their way of belief and life by force, then you will never attain prosperity ever hereafter.

Ali Unal 18:20

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And in this way We disclosed them to the people so that they might know that the promise of God is true, and that there can be no doubt about (the coming of) the Last Hour. When they (the people) disputed about their affair, they said: "Build a structure over them (to hide them and leave them to their rest). Their Lord knows best about them." Those who prevailed (in the long-disputed matter) said: "We will most certainly build a place of worship over them."

Ali Unal 18:21

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(Instead of reflecting on the lesson to be learnt from the People of the Cave, people concentrate their interest on the details of the event.) Some will say they were three, the dog being the fourth among them; and some will say they were five, the dog being the sixth – all guessing at random at (something related to) the Unseen. Still others will say: "They were seven, the dog being the eighth." Say (O Messenger): "My Lord knows their number better; it is but few that know (the truth about) them." So do not argue about them, being content with what is obvious (to you through Revelation), nor ask any of them (who argue even among themselves) to give you an opinion about them.

Ali Unal 18:22

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And do not say about anything (you intend), "I will do it tomorrow,"

Ali Unal 18:23

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Without (adding) "If God wills." And remember and mention Him (straightaway) should you forget (to do so when expressing an intention for the future). And say: "I hope that my Lord will guide me to what is nearer to right conduct than this (forgetfulness of mine)."

Ali Unal 18:24

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And they stayed in their Cave three hundred (solar) years, and added nine (for lunar years).

Ali Unal 18:25

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Say: "God knows better how long they stayed. To Him belongs (absolute dominion and full knowledge of) the unseen of the heavens and the earth. How perfect His seeing and how perfect His hearing! And they have apart from Him no guardian, and He allots to no one a share in His absolute authority.

Ali Unal 18:26

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Recite (and teach) that which has been revealed to you from the Book of your Lord. There is none who can change His words (whatever the unbelievers may say or desire), and you will never find, apart from Him, any refuge.

Ali Unal 18:27

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And keep yourself patient, along with those who invoke their Lord morning and evening, seeking His "Face" (His eternal, good pleasure and the meeting with Him in the Hereafter); and do not let your eyes pass beyond them, desiring the beauties of the life of this world (by the participation of those of leading positions among people in your assemblies). And pay no heed to (the desires of) him whose heart We have made unmindful of Our remembrance, who follows his lusts and fancies, and whose affair exceeds all bounds (of right and decency).

Ali Unal 18:28

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And say: "The truth from your Lord (has come in this Qur’an)." Then, whoever wills (to believe), let him believe; and whoever wills (to disbelieve), let him disbelieve. Surely, We have prepared for the wrongdoers a Fire, its billowing folds encompassing them. If they beg for water they will be given water like molten metal that scalds their faces. How dreadful a drink, and how evil a couch to rest on!

Ali Unal 18:29

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Surely, for those who believe and do good, righteous deeds – We do not leave to waste the reward of any who do good deeds, aware that God is seeing them.

Ali Unal 18:30