The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)

18: 67
The Cave 187
own creation; I do not take as My supporters those who lead others
astray. 52 On the Day God will say, ‘Call on those you claimed were
My partners,’ they will call them but they will not answer; We shall
set a deadly gulf between them. 53 The evildoers will see the Fire and
they will realize that they are about to fall into it: they will find no
escape from it.
54 In this Quran We have presented every kind of description for
people but man is more contentious than any other creature. 55 Now
that guidance has come to them, what stops these people believing
and asking forgiveness from their Lord before the fate of earlier
peoples annihilates them or their torment confronts them? 56 We only
send messengers to bring good news and to deliver warning, yet the
disbelievers seek to refute the truth with false arguments and make
fun of My messages and warnings. 57 Who could be more wrong than
the person who is reminded of his Lord’s messages and turns his
back on them, ignoring what his hands are storing up for him [in the
Hereafter]? We have put covers over their hearts, so they cannot
understand the Quran, and We put heaviness in their ears: although
you call them to guidance [Prophet] they will never accept it. 58 Your
Lord is the Most Forgiving, and full of mercy: if He took them to
task for the wrongs they have done, He would hasten their punishment
on. They have an appointed time from which they will have no
escape, 59 [just like] the former communities We destroyed for doing
wrong: We set an appointed time for their destruction.
60 Moses said to his servant, ‘I will not rest until I reach the place
where the two seas meet, even if it takes me years!’ 61 but when they
reached the place where the two seas meet, they had forgotten all
about their fish, which made its way into the sea and swam away.
62 They journeyed on, and then Moses said to his servant, ‘Give us
our lunch! This journey of ours is very tiring,’ 63 and [the servant]
said, ‘Remember when we were resting by the rock? I forgot the
fish – Satan made me forget to pay attention to it – and it [must
have] made its way into the sea.’ ‘How strange!’ 64 Moses said, ‘Then
that was the place we were looking for.’ So the two turned back,
retraced their footsteps, 65 and found one of Our servants – a man
to whom We had granted Our mercy and whom We had given
knowledge of Our own. 66 Moses said to him, ‘May I follow you so
that you can teach me some of the right guidance you have been
taught?’ 67 The man said, ‘You will not be able to bear with me