31. THE BOOK OF THE STORIES OF THE PEOPLE OF THE PAST
We refer to those from the Children of Isra’eel and others up to the end of their time period, excluding the times of the Arabs and their Jahiliyyah (Days of Ignorance). We shall present that after we complete this section, if Allah, Most High, wills. He, Most High, says, {Thus We relate to you (O, Muhammad) some information of what happened before. And indeed We have given you from Us a Reminder (this Qur’an).} (Soorah Ta Ha 20:99). And He, Most High, says, {We relate unto you (O, Muhammad) the best of stories through Our Revelations unto you, of this Qur’an. And before this (i.e. before the coming of Divine Inspiration to you), you were among those who knew nothing about it (the Qur’an). (Soorah Yoosuf 12:3)
The Story of Dhul-Qarnain
Allah, Most High, says, {And they ask you about Dhul-Qarnain. Say, “I shall recite to you something of his story.” Verily, We established him in the earth, and We gave him the means of everything. So he followed a way. Until, when he reached the setting place of the sun, he found it setting in a spring that was hami’ah. And he found near it a people. We (Allah) said (by inspiration), “O, Dhul-Qarnain! Either you punish them, or treat them with kindness.” He said, “As for him (a disbeliever in the Oneness of Allah) who does wrong, we shall punish him; and then he will be brought back unto his Lord, Who will punish him with a terrible torment (Hell). But as for him who believes (in Allah’s Oneness) and works righteousness, he shall have the best reward, (Paradise), and we (Dhul-Qarnain) shall speak unto him mild words (as instructions).” Then he followed another way, until, when he came to the rising place of the sun, he found it rising on a people for whom We (Allah) had provided no shelter against the sun. So (it was)! And We knew all about him (Dhul-Qarnain). Then he followed (another) way, until, when he reached between two mountains, he found, before (near) them (those two mountains), a people who scarcely understood a word. They said, “O, Dhul-Qarnain! Verily! (Ya’jooj and Ma’jooj) are doing great mischief in the land. Shall we then pay you a tribute in order that you might erect a barrier between us and them?” He said, “That (wealth, authority and power) in which my Lord had established me is better (than your tribute). So help me with strength (of men), I will erect between you and them a barrier. Give me pieces (blocks) of iron.” Then, when he filled up the gap between the two mountain cliffs, he said, “Blow,” till when he made it (red as) fire, he said, “Bring me molten copper to pour over it.” So they (Ya’jooj and Ma’jooj) were made powerless to scale it or dig through it. (Dhul Qarnain) said, “This is a Mercy from my Lord, but when the Promise of my Lord comes, He will level it down to the ground. And the Promise of my Lord is ever true.”} (Soorah Al-Kahf 18:83-98). Allah, Most High, mentions Dhul-Qarnain and He praises him for his justice and tells how he traveled to the East and to the West and achieved dominion over vast provinces and territories and subdued their inhabitants. He traveled among them dispensing perfect justice and authority confirmed (by Allah), victorious, all-conquering and just. The truth is that he was one of the just kings. It was also said that he was a Prophet and that he was a Messenger. The strongest claim is that he was one of the angels. This was related from the Commander of the Faithful, ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattab (May Allah be pleased with him). He heard a man saying to another, “O, Dhul-Qarnain!” On this, he said, “Be silent! Is it not sufficient for you to take the names of the Prophets, but instead you adopt the names of the angels?” This was narrated by As-Suhaili.
And Wakee‘ narrated on the authority of Isra’eel, who reported on the authority of Jabir, who in turn reported on the authority of Mujahid, who likewise reported on the authority of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr (May Allah be pleased with him) that he said, “Dhul-Qarnain was a Prophet.” And Al-Hafiz ibn ‘Asakir narrated on the authority of Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) that he said, “The Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “I do not know whether Tubba’ was a cursed one or not. And, I do not know whether hudood (the prescribed penalties) are expiatory for their people or not. And, I do not know whether Dhul-Qarnain was a Prophet or not.” From this source, this narration is ghareeb.
Scholars have disagreed regarding his name; Az-Zubair ibn Bakkar narrated on the authority of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (May Allah be pleased with him) that his name was ‘Abdullah ibn Ad-Dahhak ibn Ma‘add. And it was said that his name was Mus‘ab ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Qinan ibn Mansoor ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Al-Azad ibn Ghawth ibn Nabt ibn Malik ibn Zaid ibn Kahlan ibn Saba’ ibn Qahtan.
And it has been narrated in a hadeeth that he was from Himyar and that his mother was a Roman woman and that he was known as the “Philosopher”, because of his intellect. One of the Himyarites composed a poem expressing pride in the fact that he was one of their ancestors; he said:
Dhul-Qarnain my ancestor, was a Muslim,
A king to whom the kings submitted and gathered,
He traveled to the East and to the West,
Seeking to fulfill the Commands of a Wise Guide,
He saw the disappearance of the sun when it set,
In a muddy, black pool of water,
After him came Bilqees and she was my aunt,
She ruled them until the hoopoe came to her.
Regarding the Words of Allah, Most High: {And they ask you about Dhul-Qarnain} (Soorah Al-Kahf 18:83) the reason for them was because Quraish asked the Jews for something with which to test the knowledge of the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) and they said to them, “Ask him about a man whoever traveled throughout the Earth and about some young men whose deeds no one knows.” So Allah, Most High, revealed the story of the inhabitants of the cave and the story of Dhul-Qarnain; this is why He says, {Say, “I shall recite to you something of his story.”} (Soorah Al-Kahf 18:83). That is, useful and sufficient information in explanation of his affairs and description of his situation. He says, {Verily, We established him in the earth and We gave him the means of everything} (Soorah Al-Kahf 18:84). That is, We made broad his kingdom in the lands and We gave him the tools with which to achieve his great goals and his grand designs. And it is reported on the authority of Habeeb Ibn Hammad that he said, “I was with ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib when a man asked him about Dhul-Qarnain and how he reached the East and the west, and he said to him, “Allah subjugated the clouds to him and all necessary means were extended to him, and He extended the light for him.” Then he said to him, “Shall I tell you more?” But the man remained silent and so ‘Ali (May Allah be pleased with him) also remained silent.
And it is reported on the authority of Al-Hasan that he said, “Dhul-Qarnain was a king who lived after Nimrod and it is told that he was a righteous Muslim who traveled to the East and to the West. Allah extended his life for him and supported him, so that he subdued the lands, amassed great wealth, conquered the cities and killed (many) men. He roamed throughout the lands and found great citadels. He journeyed on until he reached the farthest points of east and west, which is why Allah says, {And they ask you about Dhul-Qarnain. Say, “I shall recite to you something of his story.”} (Soorah Al-Kahf 18:83). That is, information (about him). {Verily, We established him in the earth, and We gave him the means of everything} (Soorah Al-Kahf 18:84). That is, knowledge with which to find the ways to camping places. {…and We gave him the means of everything} (Soorah Al-Kahf 18:84). That is, knowledge. Qatadah and Matar Al-Warraq said that it means knowledge of the different parts and features of the earth.
And He, Most High, says, {So he followed a way} (Soorah Al-Kahf 18:85). {Until, when he reached the setting place of the sun…} (Soorah Al-Kahf 18:86). That is, in the earth; he reached a place where no one could proceed further and he stopped on the shore of the western ocean, which is known as Oceanus and in which lie the islands known as Al-Khalidat, which are at the beginning of the lines of longitude, according to one of two opinions held by scholars of geography; the second opinion is that they are on the coast of this sea, as we mentioned previously. There he witnessed the setting of the sun, i.e. he followed a route until he reached the furthest point that could be reached in the direction of the sun’s setting, which is the west of the Earth. {…he found it setting in a spring that was hami’ah} (Soorah Al-Kahf 18:86). What is meant by it is the sea, i.e. he saw the sun as if it were setting in the ocean. This is something which everyone who goes to the coast can see: it looks as if the sun is setting into the sea but in fact it never leaves its path, in which it is fixed. This is why Allah says, {he found} (Soorah Al-Kahf 18:86), i.e. it appeared to him and He does not say: “it was setting in a spring that was hami’ah, i.e. muddy. Ka‘b Al-Ahbar said, “It is black mud.” Some recited it as “hamiyah”, i.e. boiling. This was due to the fierceness of the sun’s light and its rays.
By Ibn Katheer
Comments
John Doe
23/3/2019Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
John Doe
23/3/2019Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
John Doe
23/3/2019Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.