11 Preface فَضَرَبنا عَلىٰ آذانِهِم فِي الكَهفِ سِنينَ عَدَدًاAli Quli QaraiSo We put them to sleep1 in the Cave for several years. Literally: ‘struck on their ears,’ or ‘drew a curtain (or veil) on their ears.’