Analytical criticism of the opinions of Orientalists about the companions of the cave with the Quran

In the Holy Qur'an, God Almighty has used stories many times to convey His purpose to the audience. One of the stories mentioned in the Holy Quran is the story of the Companions of the Cave.Orientalists who have analyzed the Holy Quran, including the story of the Companions of the Cave, have put forward different opinions about this story. The different analyses of orientalists about the story of the Companions of the Cave created an incentive to answer the question in this research, what theories have the Orientalists put forward about the story of the Companions of the Cave? Of course, these theories are discussed and investigated with a descriptive-analytical method and with a critical approach.  Some orientalists have considered this story to be a myth, others have taken it from reality, and some have taken it from the stories of Christians, and this difference in their approach to the story of the Companions of the Cave has led them to take different messages from the verses and have incorrect perceptions. In this research, while rejecting the mythic view of the story of the companions of the cave, it becomes clear that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did not narrate this story from the Christians; Rather, Christians have distorted this story, which is based on reality, to achieve their dubious goals and have included it in their religious heritage.