The Quran

Preface

سَيَقولونَ ثَلاثَةٌ رابِعُهُم كَلبُهُم وَيَقولونَ خَمسَةٌ سادِسُهُم كَلبُهُم رَجمًا بِالغَيبِ ۖ وَيَقولونَ سَبعَةٌ وَثامِنُهُم كَلبُهُم ۚ قُل رَبّي أَعلَمُ بِعِدَّتِهِم ما يَعلَمُهُم إِلّا قَليلٌ ۗ فَلا تُمارِ فيهِم إِلّا مِراءً ظاهِرًا وَلا تَستَفتِ فيهِم مِنهُم أَحَدًا

Yusuf Ali

(Some) say they were three, the dog being the fourth among them; (others) say they were five, the dog being the sixth,- doubtfully guessing at the unknown;¹ (yet others) say they were seven, the dog being the eighth. Say thou: “My Lord knoweth best their number; It is but few that know² their (real case).” Enter not, therefore, into controversies concerning them, except on a matter that is clear,³ nor consult any of them about (the affair of) the Sleepers.⁴

The controversy in later ages raged about the number of the Sleepers: were they three or five or seven? People answered, nor from knowledge, but from conjecture. Gibbon’s version, which has now become best known, makes the number of Sleepers seven. The point was immaterial: the real point was the spiritual lesson.
The true significance of the story is known only to a few. Most men discuss futile details, which are not in their knowledge.
It is unprofitable to enter such immaterial controversies, and many others that have been waged about Religion by shallow men from time immemorial. Yet, if there is a matter of clear knowledge from experience that matters, we must openly proclaim it, that the world may be brought to listen to God’s Truth.
Vulgar storymongers as such know little of the true significance of the stories and parables. We have a clear exposition in the Qur-ān. What need is there to go into details of the men in the Cave, or of the time they remained there?