وَ یَسْـَٔلُوْنَكَ And they ask you عَنْ about ذِی Dhul-qarnain الْقَرْنَیْنِ ؕ Dhul-qarnain قُلْ Say سَاَتْلُوْا I will recite عَلَیْكُمْ to you مِّنْهُ about him ذِكْرًاؕ a remembrance 18. Al-Kahf Page 303 اِنَّا Indeed We مَكَّنَّا [We] established لَهٗ [for] him فِی in الْاَرْضِ the earth وَ اٰتَیْنٰهُ and We gave him مِنْ of كُلِّ every شَیْءٍ thing سَبَبًاۙ a means فَاَتْبَعَ So he followed سَبَبًا a course حَتّٰۤی Until اِذَا when بَلَغَ he reached مَغْرِبَ (the) setting place الشَّمْسِ (of) the sun وَجَدَهَا he found it تَغْرُبُ setting فِیْ in عَیْنٍ a spring حَمِئَةٍ (of) dark mud وَّ وَجَدَ and he found عِنْدَهَا near it قَوْمًا ؕ۬ a community قُلْنَا We said یٰذَا O Dhul-qarnain الْقَرْنَیْنِ O Dhul-qarnain اِمَّاۤ Either اَنْ [that] تُعَذِّبَ you punish وَ اِمَّاۤ or اَنْ [that] تَتَّخِذَ you take فِیْهِمْ [in] them حُسْنًا (with) goodness قَالَ He said اَمَّا As for مَنْ (one) who ظَلَمَ wrongs فَسَوْفَ then soon نُعَذِّبُهٗ we will punish him ثُمَّ Then یُرَدُّ he will be returned اِلٰی to رَبِّهٖ his Lord فَیُعَذِّبُهٗ and He will punish him عَذَابًا (with) a punishment نُّكْرًا terrible وَ اَمَّا But as for مَنْ (one) who اٰمَنَ believes وَ عَمِلَ and does صَالِحًا righteous (deeds) فَلَهٗ then for him جَزَآءَ (is) a reward لْحُسْنٰی ۚ good وَ سَنَقُوْلُ And we will speak لَهٗ to him مِنْ from اَمْرِنَا our command یُسْرًاؕ (with) ease ثُمَّ Then اَتْبَعَ he followed سَبَبًا (a) course حَتّٰۤی Until اِذَا when بَلَغَ he reached مَطْلِعَ (the) rising place الشَّمْسِ (of) the sun وَجَدَهَا and he found it تَطْلُعُ rising عَلٰی on قَوْمٍ a community لَّمْ not نَجْعَلْ We made لَّهُمْ for them مِّنْ against it دُوْنِهَا against it سِتْرًاۙ any shelter كَذٰلِكَ ؕ Thus وَ قَدْ And verily اَحَطْنَا We encompassed بِمَا of what لَدَیْهِ (was) with him خُبْرًا (of the) information ثُمَّ Then اَتْبَعَ he followed سَبَبًا a course حَتّٰۤی Until اِذَا when بَلَغَ he reached بَیْنَ between السَّدَّیْنِ the two mountains وَجَدَ he found مِنْ besides them دُوْنِهِمَا besides them قَوْمًا ۙ a community لَّا not یَكَادُوْنَ who would almost یَفْقَهُوْنَ understand قَوْلًا (his) speech قَالُوْا They said یٰذَا O Dhul-qarnain الْقَرْنَیْنِ O Dhul-qarnain اِنَّ Indeed یَاْجُوْجَ Yajuj وَ مَاْجُوْجَ and Majuj مُفْسِدُوْنَ (are) corrupters فِی in الْاَرْضِ the land فَهَلْ So may نَجْعَلُ we make لَكَ for you خَرْجًا an expenditure عَلٰۤی [on] اَنْ that تَجْعَلَ you make بَیْنَنَا between us وَ بَیْنَهُمْ and between them سَدًّا a barrier قَالَ He said مَا What مَكَّنِّیْ has established me فِیْهِ [in it] رَبِّیْ my Lord خَیْرٌ (is) better فَاَعِیْنُوْنِیْ but assist me بِقُوَّةٍ with strength اَجْعَلْ I will make بَیْنَكُمْ between you وَ بَیْنَهُمْ and between them رَدْمًاۙ a barrier اٰتُوْنِیْ Bring me زُبَرَ sheets الْحَدِیْدِ ؕ (of) iron حَتّٰۤی until اِذَا when سَاوٰی he (had) leveled بَیْنَ between الصَّدَفَیْنِ the two cliffs قَالَ he said انْفُخُوْا ؕ Blow حَتّٰۤی until اِذَا when جَعَلَهٗ he made it نَارًا ۙ fire قَالَ he said اٰتُوْنِیْۤ Bring me اُفْرِغْ I pour عَلَیْهِ over it قِطْرًاؕ molten copper فَمَا So not اسْطَاعُوْۤا they were able اَنْ to یَّظْهَرُوْهُ scale it وَ مَا and not اسْتَطَاعُوْا they were able لَهٗ in it نَقْبًا (to do) any penetration 18. Al-Kahf Page 304 قَالَ He said هٰذَا This رَحْمَةٌ (is) a mercy مِّنْ from رَّبِّیْ ۚ my Lord فَاِذَا But when جَآءَ comes وَعْدُ (the) Promise رَبِّیْ (of) my Lord جَعَلَهٗ He will make it دَكَّآءَ ۚ level وَ كَانَ And is وَعْدُ (the) Promise رَبِّیْ (of) my Lord حَقًّاؕ true وَ تَرَكْنَا And We (will) leave بَعْضَهُمْ some of them یَوْمَىِٕذٍ (on) that Day یَّمُوْجُ to surge فِیْ over بَعْضٍ others وَّ نُفِخَ and (will be) blown فِی in الصُّوْرِ the trumpet فَجَمَعْنٰهُمْ then We (will) gather them جَمْعًاۙ all together وَّ عَرَضْنَا And We (will) present جَهَنَّمَ Hell یَوْمَىِٕذٍ (on) that Day لِّلْكٰفِرِیْنَ to the disbelievers عَرْضَاۙ (on) display لَّذِیْنَ Those كَانَتْ had been اَعْیُنُهُمْ their eyes فِیْ within غِطَآءٍ a cover عَنْ from ذِكْرِیْ My remembrance وَ كَانُوْا and were لَا not یَسْتَطِیْعُوْنَ able سَمْعًا۠ (to) hear
(18:83) (O Muhammad), they ask you about Dhu al-Qarnayn.61 Say: "I will give you an account of him."62
(18:84) We granted him power in the land and endowed him with all kinds of resources.
(18:85) He set out (westwards) on an expedition,
(18:86) until when he reached the very limits where the sun sets,63 he saw it setting in dark turbid waters;64 and nearby he met a people. We said: "O Dhu al-Qarnayn, you have the power to punish or to treat them with kindness."65
(18:87) He said: "We will chastise him who does wrong, whereafter he will be returned to his Lord and He will chastise him grievously.
(18:88) But as for him who believes and acts righteously, his will be a goodly reward and we shall enjoin upon him only mild commands."
(18:89) Then he set out on another expedition
(18:90) until he reached the limit where the sun rises and he found it rising on a people whom We had provided no shelter from it.66
(18:91) Thus was the state of those people, and We encompassed in knowledge all concerning Dhu al- Qarnayn.
(18:92) Then he set out on another expedition
(18:93) until when he reached a place between the two mountains,67 he found beside the mountains a people who scarcely understood anything.68
(18:94) They said: "O Dhu al-Qarnayn, Gog and Magog69 are spreading corruption in this land. So shall we pay you taxes on the understanding that you will set up a barrier between us and them?"
(18:95) He answered: "Whatever my Lord has granted me is good enough. But help me with your labour and I will erect a rampart between you and them.70
(18:96) Bring me ingots of iron." Then after he had filled up the space between the two mountain-sides, he said: "(Light a fire) and ply bellows." When he had made it (red like) fire, he said: "Bring me molten copper which I may pour on it."
(18:97) Such was the rampart that Gog and Magog could not scale, nor could they pierce it.
(18:98) Dhu al-Qarnayn said: "This is a mercy from my Lord: but when the time of my Lord's promise shall come, He will level the rampart with the ground.71 My Lord's promise always comes true."72
(18:99) And on that Day73 We shall let some of them surge like waves against others, and the Trumpet shall be blown. Then We shall gather them all together.
(18:100) That will be the Day We shall place Hell before the unbelievers
(18:101) whose eyes had become blind against My admonition and who were utterly disinclined to hear it.
61. The word wa (‘and’) which precedes the query about Dhu al-Qarnayn certainly connects the two parts of the verse. This makes it clear that the story of Khidr and Moses was also narrated in response to the questions that had been asked. This further corroborates our contention that the Makkan unbelievers put a number of questions to the Prophet (peace be on him) in order to test whether he had access to any extraordinary source of knowledge or not.
62. The identity of Dhu al-Qarnayn has long been a contentious issue. Early commentators on the Qur’an were generally inclined to believe that it referred to Alexander. The characteristics attributed to Dhu al-Qarnayn in the Qur’an, however, hardly apply to Alexander. In the light of the latest historical evidence, contemporary commentators on the Qur’4n are inclined to believe that Dhu al-Qarnayn signifies the Persian Emperor, Cyrus. This, in any case, seems more plausible. Nevertheless, the information available to date does not enable us to form a definitive opinion concerning Dhu al-Qarnayn’s identity.
Qur’anic statements concerning Dhu al-Qarnayn clearly bring out the following four points: , (1) .The title Dhu al-Qarnayn (literally, ‘The Two-Horned’), was at least familiar to the Jews. This is evident from the fact that they had instigated the Makkan unbelievers to ask the Prophet (peace be on him) about him. One must, therefore, inevitably turn to Jewish literature to find out who this person was or to establish which was the kingdom known as ‘The Two-Horned’. (2) The Qur’anic description also makes it quite clear that Dhu al-Qarnayn must have been a great ruler as well as a conqueror for his conquests covered a vast stretch of territory extending from the east to the west: and on the third side, extending either to the north or the south. There were only a few such outstanding figures before the revelation of the Qur’an. So we must apply our search for the other characteristics of Dhu al-Qarnayn to any one of these figures. (3) The title Dhu al-Qarnayn may aptly be used for a ruler who, being concerned with the defence of his kingdom from the assaults of Gog and Magog, had a strong protective wall constructed across a mountain pass. In order to determine who that person was, it is necessary to find out to whom the words Gog and Magog refer. It is also necessary to find out whether any such wall was ever built adjacent to the habitat of Gog and Magog; and if it was, by whom. (4) In addition to all this, the Qur’4n describes Dhu al-Qarnayn as a God-conscious and just ruler. In fact, in the Qur’anic portrayal of him, these stand out as his dominant characteristics. Let us consider the first clue regarding Dhu al-Qarnayn — that he was known to the Jews. Now the information available in Jewish sources seems to apply to Cyrus. For according to the Bible, Daniel saw the united empire of Media and Persia, before the rise of the Greeks, in the form of a two-horned ram (see Daniel 8:3, 20). There was much talk of the ‘two-horned’ one among the Jews for it was he who shattered the Babylonian Empire to pieces and brought about the liberation of the Israelites (see Bani Isra’il 17, n. 8 above).
The second clue also seems, to a very large extent, to apply to Cyrus, though not fully. His conquests undoubtedly extended as far as Asia Minor and the Syrian coastline in the west and Balkh in the east. So far, however, we have not found any trace of a north or south expedition by Cyrus even though the Qur’an categorically mentions a third expedition by Dhu al-Qarnayn (see verse 83 ff.).
The possibility that Cyrus did undertake such an expedition, however, cannot be ruled out for according to historical sources Cyrus’ empire extended as far as Caucasia in the north.
As far as the third clue is concerned, we know almost for sure that Gog and Magog were the wild tribes of Russia and northern China who were variously known as Tatars, Mongols, Huns, and Scythians. who had carried out various raids against civilized lands. We also know that the bulwarks of Darband and Daryal were built in the southern regions of Caucasia so as to ensure defense against the incursions of these wild tribes. It has not been fully established historically, however, that those bulwarks were built by Cyrus.
Arriving at the last clue, this applies most to Cyrus of all the conquerors of - the world. For Cyrus was widely praised for being a just ruler, so much so that even his enemies praised him for this. The Bible’s Book of Ezra portrays him as a God-worshipping and God-fearing king who liberated the Israelites precisely by virtue of his devotion to God, and that he also ordered the Temple of — ‘Solomon in Jerusalem to be rebuilt for the worship of God.
On the basis of all the above, we would be quite justified in concluding that of all past conquerors Cyrus comes closest to the Qur’anic description of Dhu-al-Qarnayn. However, the evidence so far available to us, does not conclusively establish that Cyrus was indeed the Dhu al-Qarnayn of the Qur’an. Nevertheless, no other conqueror comes as close to the Qur’anic characterization. of Dhu al-Qarnayn as Cyrus. Historically speaking, Cyrus was a Persian ruler whose rise to fame began around 549 B.C. Within a few years he seized the kingdoms of Media and Lydia (Asia Minor), and later in 539 B.C. he also conquered Babylon. This made ‘him the supreme ruler of the region, as there was no powerful kingdom left to oppose him. His subsequent conquests extended to Sind, Sughd (present-day Turkestan), Egypt and Libya on one side, and to Thrace, _ Macedonia, Caucasia and Khwarazm in the north on the other. For all practical purposes, the civilized world of the day was under his sway.
63. The ‘limit where the sun sets’, as pointed out by Ibn Kathir, signifies the extreme limit of the west. It does not mean the actual place where the sun sets. (See Ibn Kathir, Tafsir, comments on verse 86 — Ed.) Thus, what the verse implies is that Dhu al-Qarnayn conquered one territory after another in a westward direction until he reached the very end of the land mass and beyond which lay the sea.
64, When the sun set in that land it seemed as if it had set in the blackish, muddy waters of the sea. If we are to assume that Cyrus was indeed Dhu al-Qarnayn, then the reference would be to the western coast at the point where the Aegean Sea splits into several small gulfs. This is also supported by the Quranic use of the word ‘ayn, instead of bahr, since the former word is more appropriately used to denote a lake or gulf, rather than sea.
65. The present statement does not necessarily mean that God communicated this directive to Dhu al-Qarnayn by means of revelation (wahy) or inspiration (Ilham). Had that been the case, it would necessarily mean that Dhu al-Qarnayn was a nabi (Prophet) or muhaddath (one to whom God spoke). (See Muhammad ibn A‘la al-Thanawi, Kashshaf Istilahat al-Funun (Calcutta, 1863), vol. 2, art. ‘al-Nabi’ , pp. 1358-9 - Ed.) It is quite possible that no actual communication took place and that it amounted to no more than making a statement of fact. This indeed seems more likely. For the situation obtaining at that time was that Dhu al-Qarnayn had just established his control over that territory; i.e. that the conquered nation was firmly in his grip. At this stage, God put a question to Dhu al-Qarnayn’s conscience: How should he treat these helpless people? Being in full control, he could either treat them with injustice or treat them with grace and magnanimity. The situation was, thus, a test for his moral caliber.
66. Dhu al-Qarnayn went forth eastwards, conquering one land after another until he reached a territory which marked the end of the civilized world. The lands ahead were inhabited by slave nations who did not have the skill to construct houses, jet alone even know how to pitch tents.
67. The Qur’an later points out that the land beyond the two mountains was of Gog and Magog (see verse 94). Hence the mountains mentioned in the present verse are bound to have been part of the range located between the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea.
68. The language of these people was almost foreign to Dhu al-Qarnayn and his companions. Being a wild people, they neither knew any other language nor did others know theirs.
69. We stated earlier (see n. 62 above), that Gog and Magog were the wild peoples which inhabited the north-eastern region of Asia. They constantly carried out predatory raids against civilized lands, pouring over both Asia and Europe like tidal waves. In Genesis (see chap. 10), their ancestry is traced to Japheth, son of Noah. (This view is also shared by Muslim historians.) The Book of Ezekiel (see chaps. 38-9) states that their land was comprised of Meshech (presently Moscow) and Tubal (presently Tubalsek). The Jewish historian, Josephus, identifies them with the Scythians who inhabited the area lying north and east of the Black Sea. According to Jerome, the Magog lived to the north of Caucasia, near the Caspian Sea.
70. Dhu al-Qarnayn was conscious that as a ruler it was his duty to safeguard his people against predatory invaders. It was not proper for him, therefore, to impose any additional tax on his people for that purpose. The treasures of the land which had already been entrusted to him by God were sufficient to arrange for his people’s defense. This defense would, however, still require that his people should provide him with physical help.
71. The other point made by Dhu al-Qarnayn concerned the protective arrangements he had made. He said that even though he had built a strong, protective wall to the best of his ability, there was no reason to believe that it would endure forever. As long as God willed, it would remain intact; but when the appointed time for its destruction came, nothing could avert its destruction.
The expression ‘the appointed time of my Lord’ is very meaningful. This refers both to the time set by God for the destruction of the wall as well as the -. time appointed for the death and extinction of all — i.e. the Last Day. (See also. Appendix IT.)
72. This marks the conclusion of Dhu al-Qarnayn’s story. The story itself being narrated in response to a query put to the Prophet (peace be on him) by the Makkan unbelievers so as to test him. The Qur’an, however, employs this story, just as it did the stories of the People of the Cave and Moses (peace be on him) and Khidr, to drive home a moral. The Qur’an emphasizes that Dhu al-Qarnayn, whose glorious achievements were known to the People of the Book, was not simply a conqueror, but also someone who believed in monotheism and the Hereafter and who was just and generous in his dealings with his subjects. Moreover, Dhu al-Qarnayn was not a petty person who puffed up with pride as soon as he attained any success.
73. ‘On that Day’, refers to the Day of Resurrection. Dhu al-Qarnayn had alluded to the Day of Resurrection as a day that is bound to come about because God had so decided. What is being said here is in that context and is an addition to the statement made by Dhu al-Qarnayn (see verse 98 above).