If you had looked at them in the Cave,12 it would have appeared to you that when the sun rose, it left the Cave to one side and inclined towards the right, and when it set, it turned away from them and went to the left while they lay in the spacious place inside the Cave.13 This was one of the Signs of Allah. Whomsoever Allah guides aright, he is guided aright, and whomsoever Allah lets go astray, you will find no guardian to direct him. If you had seen them, it would have appeared to you as if they were awake, whereas in fact they were asleep. We turned them about to the right and the left sides.14 And their dog was sitting at the entrance of the Cave with outstretched forelegs. If you had looked at them, you would have turned on your heels and their sight would have struck you with terror.15 And in the same miraculous way We raised them up again16 so that they may ask one another (about their wonderful experience). One of them asked, “Well, how long have you remained in this condition?” The others answered, “May-be, we have remained so for a day or a part of a day.” Then they declared, “Your Lord knows best how long we have remained in this condition. So let us send one of us with this silver coin to the city, and he should look for a place wherein he can get the best food so that he may bring something to eat. He should, however, conduct himself with caution lest anyone should discover our whereabouts; for if they succeed in over-powering us, they will surely stone us to death or force us back into their Faith, and in that case we will never be able to obtain true success.” In this way We revealed their secret to the people of the city17 so that they should know that Allah's promise is true and that there is no doubt about (the coming of) the Hour of Resurrection.18 (But it is a pity that instead of considering this aspect of the matter) they were at that time disputing among themselves with regard to them (the Sleepers of the Cave). Some of them said, “Let us build a wall against them, for then Lord alone knows best about them”19 But those people who prevailed in their matter,20 said, "We will build a place of worship as a memorial for them"21 Some people will say, “They were three and the fourth was their dog,” and some others will say, “They were five and the sixth was their dog.” These are mere irrelevant guesses. There are still others who say, “They were seven and the eighth was their dog.”22 Say, "My Lord alone knows best how many they were." "There are a few people only who know their correct number: so you should not enter into discussions with them about their number except in a cursory way: nor ask anyone about them23 and never say about any matter, “I will do this tomorrow (for you cannot do anything) except that Allah wills it.” If ever you inadvertently utter anything like this, you should at once remember your Lord and say, “I hope that my Lord will guide me24 in this matter with that thing which is nearest to the right way for me”and some people say that they remained in their Cave for three hundred years and some others add nine more years25 (to the reckoning of the period). O Prophet, say, “Allah knows best about the period of their stay there, for He is fully aware of all that is hidden in the heavens and the earth.” What an excellent Seer and Hearer He is! There is no other guardian of the creation in the heavens and the earth, and He does not associate anyone with Himself in His authority.