ٱلْكَهْف : ٢٢

  • سَيَقُولُونَ They say
  • ثَلَٰثَةٞ (they were) three
  • رَّابِعُهُمۡ the forth of them
  • كَلۡبُهُمۡ their dog
  • وَيَقُولُونَ and they say
  • خَمۡسَةٞ (they were) five
  • سَادِسُهُمۡ the sixth of them
  • كَلۡبُهُمۡ their dog
  • رَجۡمَۢا guessing
  • بِٱلۡغَيۡبِۖ about the unseen
  • وَيَقُولُونَ and they say
  • سَبۡعَةٞ (they were) seven
  • وَثَامِنُهُمۡ and the eight of them
  • كَلۡبُهُمۡۚ their dog
  • قُل Say
  • رَّبِّيٓ My Lord
  • أَعۡلَمُ knows best
  • بِعِدَّتِهِم their number
  • مَّا None
  • يَعۡلَمُهُمۡ knows them
  • إِلَّا except
  • قَلِيلٞۗ a few
  • فَلَا So (do) not
  • تُمَارِ argue
  • فِيهِمۡ about them
  • إِلَّا except
  • مِرَآءٗ (with) an argument
  • ظَٰهِرٗا obvious
  • وَلَا and (do) not
  • تَسۡتَفۡتِ inquire
  • فِيهِم about them
  • مِّنۡهُمۡ among them
  • أَحَدٗا (from) anyone
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 argument1 and do not inquire about them among [the speculators] from anyone."
Footnotes
1 - i.e., one from the Qur’ān, which is the only sure argument.
They will say, that is, [some of] those disputing the number of the youths [of the cave] at the time of the Prophet may peace and salutation be upon him, in other words, some of these will say that they [the youths] were: 'Three; their dog the fourth of them'; and they, some [others] among them, will say, 'Five; their dog the sixth of them' - both of these sayings were those of the Christians of Najraan - guessing at random, in other words, out of supposition, not having been present with them [at the time], and this [statement 'guessing at random'] refers back to both sayings, and is in the accusative because it is an object denoting reason, in other words, [they said this] for the reason that they were [merely] supposing it. And they, that is, the believers, will say, 'Seven; and their dog the eighth of them' (the sentence is [part of] the subject clause, the predicate of which is the adjectival qualification of sab'a, 'seven' [namely, thaaminuhum, 'the eighth of them'] with the additional waaw [wathaaminuhum], which is said to be for emphasis, or an indication that the adjective is [semantically] attached to that which it is qualifying). The qualification of the first two sayings as being 'random', but not the third, is proof that [the latter] is the satisfactory and correct [number]. Say: 'My Lord knows best their number, and none knows them except a few': Ibn 'Abbaas said, 'I am [one] of these "few" [described]', and he mentioned that they were seven. So do not contend concerning them except with an outward manner [of contention], [except] with that which has been revealed to you, and do not question concerning them, do not ask for opinions [from], any of them, [from] the People of the Scripture, the Jews. The people of Mecca asked him [the Prophet] about the story of the People of the Cave, and so he said to them, 'I will tell you about it tomorrow', but without adding [the words], 'If God wills' (inshaa'a' Llaahu) and so the following was revealed: