Surah 18. Al-Kahf

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Verses [Section]: 1-12[1], 13-17 [2], 18-22 [3], 23-31 [4], 32-44 [5], 45-49 [6], 50-53 [7], 54-59 [8], 60-70 [9], 71-82 [10], 83-101 [11], 102-110 [12]

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Quran Text of Verse 83-101وَ یَسْـَٔلُوْنَكَAnd they ask youعَنْaboutذِیDhul-qarnainالْقَرْنَیْنِ ؕDhul-qarnainقُلْSayسَاَتْلُوْاI will reciteعَلَیْكُمْto youمِّنْهُabout himذِكْرًاؕa remembrance 18. Al-Kahf Page 303اِنَّاIndeed Weمَكَّنَّا[We] establishedلَهٗ[for] himفِیinالْاَرْضِthe earthوَ اٰتَیْنٰهُand We gave himمِنْofكُلِّeveryشَیْءٍthingسَبَبًاۙa means فَاَتْبَعَSo he followedسَبَبًا a course حَتّٰۤیUntilاِذَاwhenبَلَغَhe reachedمَغْرِبَ(the) setting placeالشَّمْسِ(of) the sunوَجَدَهَاhe found itتَغْرُبُsettingفِیْinعَیْنٍa springحَمِئَةٍ(of) dark mudوَّ وَجَدَand he foundعِنْدَهَاnear itقَوْمًا ؕ۬a communityقُلْنَاWe saidیٰذَاO Dhul-qarnainالْقَرْنَیْنِO Dhul-qarnainاِمَّاۤEitherاَنْ[that]تُعَذِّبَyou punishوَ اِمَّاۤorاَنْ[that]تَتَّخِذَyou takeفِیْهِمْ[in] themحُسْنًا (with) goodness قَالَHe saidاَمَّاAs forمَنْ(one) whoظَلَمَwrongsفَسَوْفَthen soonنُعَذِّبُهٗwe will punish himثُمَّThenیُرَدُّhe will be returnedاِلٰیtoرَبِّهٖhis Lordفَیُعَذِّبُهٗand He will punish himعَذَابًا(with) a punishmentنُّكْرًا terrible وَ اَمَّاBut as forمَنْ(one) whoاٰمَنَbelievesوَ عَمِلَand doesصَالِحًاrighteous (deeds)فَلَهٗthen for himجَزَآءَ(is) a rewardلْحُسْنٰی ۚgoodوَ سَنَقُوْلُAnd we will speakلَهٗto himمِنْfromاَمْرِنَاour commandیُسْرًاؕ(with) ease ثُمَّThenاَتْبَعَhe followedسَبَبًا (a) course حَتّٰۤیUntilاِذَاwhenبَلَغَhe reachedمَطْلِعَ(the) rising placeالشَّمْسِ(of) the sunوَجَدَهَاand he found itتَطْلُعُrisingعَلٰیonقَوْمٍa communityلَّمْnotنَجْعَلْWe madeلَّهُمْfor themمِّنْagainst itدُوْنِهَاagainst itسِتْرًاۙany shelter كَذٰلِكَ ؕThusوَ قَدْAnd verilyاَحَطْنَاWe encompassedبِمَاof whatلَدَیْهِ(was) with himخُبْرًا (of the) information ثُمَّThenاَتْبَعَhe followedسَبَبًا a course حَتّٰۤیUntilاِذَاwhenبَلَغَhe reachedبَیْنَbetweenالسَّدَّیْنِthe two mountainsوَجَدَhe foundمِنْbesides themدُوْنِهِمَاbesides themقَوْمًا ۙa communityلَّاnotیَكَادُوْنَwho would almostیَفْقَهُوْنَunderstandقَوْلًا (his) speech قَالُوْاThey saidیٰذَاO Dhul-qarnainالْقَرْنَیْنِO Dhul-qarnainاِنَّIndeedیَاْجُوْجَYajujوَ مَاْجُوْجَand Majujمُفْسِدُوْنَ(are) corruptersفِیinالْاَرْضِthe landفَهَلْSo mayنَجْعَلُwe makeلَكَfor youخَرْجًاan expenditureعَلٰۤی[on]اَنْthatتَجْعَلَyou makeبَیْنَنَاbetween usوَ بَیْنَهُمْand between themسَدًّا a barrier قَالَHe saidمَاWhatمَكَّنِّیْhas established meفِیْهِ[in it]رَبِّیْmy Lordخَیْرٌ(is) betterفَاَعِیْنُوْنِیْbut assist meبِقُوَّةٍwith strengthاَجْعَلْI will makeبَیْنَكُمْbetween youوَ بَیْنَهُمْand between themرَدْمًاۙa barrier اٰتُوْنِیْBring meزُبَرَsheetsالْحَدِیْدِ ؕ(of) ironحَتّٰۤیuntilاِذَاwhenسَاوٰیhe (had) leveledبَیْنَbetweenالصَّدَفَیْنِthe two cliffsقَالَhe saidانْفُخُوْا ؕBlowحَتّٰۤیuntilاِذَاwhenجَعَلَهٗhe made itنَارًا ۙfireقَالَhe saidاٰتُوْنِیْۤBring meاُفْرِغْI pourعَلَیْهِover itقِطْرًاؕmolten copper فَمَاSo notاسْطَاعُوْۤاthey were ableاَنْtoیَّظْهَرُوْهُscale itوَ مَاand notاسْتَطَاعُوْاthey were ableلَهٗin itنَقْبًا (to do) any penetration 18. Al-Kahf Page 304قَالَHe saidهٰذَاThisرَحْمَةٌ(is) a mercyمِّنْfromرَّبِّیْ ۚmy LordفَاِذَاBut whenجَآءَcomesوَعْدُ(the) Promiseرَبِّیْ(of) my LordجَعَلَهٗHe will make itدَكَّآءَ ۚlevelوَ كَانَAnd isوَعْدُ(the) Promiseرَبِّیْ(of) my Lordحَقًّاؕtrue وَ تَرَكْنَاAnd We (will) leaveبَعْضَهُمْsome of themیَوْمَىِٕذٍ(on) that Dayیَّمُوْجُto surgeفِیْoverبَعْضٍothersوَّ نُفِخَand (will be) blownفِیinالصُّوْرِthe trumpetفَجَمَعْنٰهُمْthen We (will) gather themجَمْعًاۙall together وَّ عَرَضْنَاAnd We (will) presentجَهَنَّمَHellیَوْمَىِٕذٍ(on) that Dayلِّلْكٰفِرِیْنَto the disbelieversعَرْضَاۙ(on) display لَّذِیْنَThoseكَانَتْhad beenاَعْیُنُهُمْtheir eyesفِیْwithinغِطَآءٍa coverعَنْfromذِكْرِیْMy remembranceوَ كَانُوْاand wereلَاnotیَسْتَطِیْعُوْنَableسَمْعًا۠(to) hear

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Translation of Verse 83-101

83. They ask you ˹O Prophet˺ about Ⱬul-Qarnain. Say, "I will relate to you something of his narrative." ⁵⁶⁵

84. Surely We established him in the land, and gave him the means to all things.

85. So he travelled a course,

86. until he reached the setting ˹point˺ of the sun, which appeared to him to be setting in a spring of murky water, where he found some people. We said, "O Ⱬul-Qarnain! Either punish them or treat them kindly."

87. He responded, "Whoever does wrong will be punished by us, then will be returned to their Lord, Who will punish them with a horrible torment.

88. As for those who believe and do good, they will have the finest reward, and we will assign them easy commands."

89. Then he travelled a ˹different˺ course

90. until he reached the rising ˹point˺ of the sun. He found it rising on a people for whom We had provided no shelter from it. ⁵⁶⁶

91. So it was. And We truly had full knowledge of him.

92. Then he travelled a ˹third˺ course

93. until he reached ˹a pass˺ between two mountains. He found in front of them a people who could hardly understand ˹his˺ language.

94. They pleaded, "O Ⱬul- Qarnain! Surely Gog and Magog ⁵⁶⁷ are spreading corruption throughout the land. Should we pay you tribute, provided that you build a wall between us and them?"

95. He responded, "What my Lord has provided for me is far better. But assist me with resources, and I will build a barrier between you and them.

96. Bring me blocks of iron!" Then, when he had filled up ˹the gap˺ between the two mountains, he ordered, "Blow!" When the iron became red hot, he said, "Bring me molten copper to pour over it."

97. And so the enemies could neither scale nor tunnel through it.

98. He declared, "This is a mercy from my Lord. But when the promise of my Lord comes to pass, He will level it to the ground. And my Lord's promise is ever true."

99. On that Day, We will let them ⁵⁶⁸ surge ˹like waves˺ over one another. Later, the Trumpet will be blown, ⁵⁶⁹ and We will gather all ˹people˺ together.

100. On that Day We will display Hell clearly for the disbelievers,

101. those who turned a blind eye to My Reminder ⁵⁷⁰ and could not stand listening ˹to it˺.

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Commentary

565. This is the story of a righteous king who travelled far and wide. He is titled Ⱬul-Qarnain (lit., the man of the two horns) because of his journeys to the far east and far west (or the two horns/points of sunrise and sunset). Some believe Ⱬul-Qarnain was Alexander the Great, but this is not sound since Alexander the Great was a polytheist. Many scholars believe it was Abu Kuraib Al-Ḥamiri, a righteous king from Yemen.

566. They either had no clothes or homes to protect them from the sun.

567. Gog and Magog are two wild peoples who were sealed off by a barrier built by Ⱬul-Qarnain to stop them from raiding their peaceful neighbours. There are many speculations as to their location, but none is supported by reliable sources. Their coming out is mentioned in 21:96-97 as one of the major signs of the final Hour.

568. Gog and Magog.

569. On the Day of Judgment, the Trumpet will be blown by an angel- causing all to die. When it is blown a second time, everyone will be raised from the dead to be assembled for the Judgment ( see 39:68).

570. i.e., the Quran.