And similarly,1 We awakened them that they might question one another. Said a speaker from among them, "How long have you remained [here]?" They said, "We have remained a day or part of a day." They said, "Your Lord is most knowing of how long you remained. So send one of you with this silver coin of yours to the city and let him look to which is the best of food and bring you provision from it and let him be cautious. And let no one be aware of you.
لِيَتَسَآءَلُواْthat they might questionliyatasāalū
بَيۡنَهُمۡۚamong thembaynahum
قَالَSaidqāla
قَآئِلٞa speakerqāilun
مِّنۡهُمۡamong themmin'hum
كَمۡHow longkam
لَبِثۡتُمۡۖhave you remainedlabith'tum
قَالُواْThey saidqālū
لَبِثۡنَاWe have remainedlabith'nā
يَوۡمًاa dayyawman
أَوۡoraw
بَعۡضَa partbaʿḍa
يَوۡمٖۚ(of) a dayyawmin
قَالُواْThey saidqālū
رَبُّكُمۡYour Lordrabbukum
أَعۡلَمُknows bestaʿlamu
بِمَاhow longbimā
لَبِثۡتُمۡyou have remainedlabith'tum
فَٱبۡعَثُوٓاْSo sendfa-ib'ʿathū
أَحَدَكُمone of youaḥadakum
بِوَرِقِكُمۡwith this silver coin of yoursbiwariqikum
هَٰذِهِۦٓwith this silver coin of yourshādhihi
إِلَىtoilā
ٱلۡمَدِينَةِthe cityl-madīnati
فَلۡيَنظُرۡand let him seefalyanẓur
أَيُّهَآwhich isayyuhā
أَزۡكَىٰthe purestazkā
طَعَامٗاfoodṭaʿāman
فَلۡيَأۡتِكُمand let him bring to youfalyatikum
بِرِزۡقٖprovisionbiriz'qin
مِّنۡهُfrom itmin'hu
وَلۡيَتَلَطَّفۡand let him be cautiouswalyatalaṭṭaf
وَلَاAnd let not be awarewalā
يُشۡعِرَنَّAnd let not be awareyush'ʿiranna
بِكُمۡabout youbikum
أَحَدًاanyoneaḥadan
Tafsir
Just as I did to them the wondrous acts that I have mentioned, I awakened them after a long period of time and they began to ask one another about the period that they had spent asleep. One of them responded: I remained asleep for one day or part of one day. One of them, to whom it was not clear how long they had spent asleep, responded: Your Lord knows best about the period you had remained asleep, so entrust the knowledge of that to Him and get busy with what concerns you. Send one of you with these silver coins to the city we know and let him see which of the inhabitants of that city are most pure in their food and earnings. He should proceed with caution when entering and leaving and when dealing. He must also be tactful and not let anyone find out where you are, because that will result in great harm.