SURAH (18) AL-KAHF (AYA 81 to 100)
فَأَرَدْنَا أَنْ يُبْدِلَهُمَا رَبُّهُمَا خَيْرًا
مِنْهُ زَكَاةً وَأَقْرَبَ رُحْمًا {18:81}
[Q18:81] Faradnaa any yubdila humaa
Rabbuhumaa khairam minhu zakaatanw wa aqraba ruhmaa.
[Q18:81] So we desired that their Lord might give them in his place one better than him in purity and nearer to having compassion.
[Q18:81] So we desired that their Lord might give them in his place one better than him in purity and nearer to having compassion.
[Q18:81] Oleh itu, kami ingin dan berharap, supaya Tuhan
mereka gantikan bagi mereka anak yang lebih baik daripadanya tentang kebersihan
jiwa dan lebih mesra kasih sayangnya.
The parents were promised in return, a better recompense through the gift of a better-behaved son who would be a source of pride and an asset to them.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(18:81) Therefore we, wished that in his
stead their Lord may grant them another child who may be more righteous and
filial.
وَأَمَّا الْجِدَارُ فَكَانَ لِغُلَامَيْنِ
يَتِيمَيْنِ فِي الْمَدِينَةِ وَكَانَ تَحْتَهُ كَنْزٌ لَهُمَا وَكَانَ أَبُوهُمَا
صَالِحًا فَأَرَادَ رَبُّكَ أَنْ يَبْلُغَا أَشُدَّهُمَا وَيَسْتَخْرِجَا
كَنْزَهُمَا رَحْمَةً مِنْ رَبِّكَ ۚ وَمَا فَعَلْتُهُ عَنْ أَمْرِي ۚ ذَٰلِكَ
تَأْوِيلُ مَا لَمْ تَسْطِعْ عَلَيْهِ صَبْرًا {18:82}
[Q18:82] Wa ammal jidaaru fakaana
lighulaamaini yateemaini fil madeenati wa kaana tahtahoo kanzul lahumaa wa
kaana aboohumaa saalihan fa araada Rabbuka any yablughaaa ashuddahumaa wa
yastakhrijaa kanzahumaa rahmatam mir Rabbik; wa maa fa'altuhoo 'an amree;
zaalika taaweelu maa lam tasti' 'alaihi sabra.
[Q18:82] And as for the wall, it belonged to two orphan boys in the city, and there was beneath it a treasure belonging to them, and their father was a righteous man; so your Lord desired that they should attain their maturity and take out their treasure, a mercy from your Lord, and I did not do it of my own accord. This is the significance of that with which you could not have patience.
[Q18:82] And as for the wall, it belonged to two orphan boys in the city, and there was beneath it a treasure belonging to them, and their father was a righteous man; so your Lord desired that they should attain their maturity and take out their treasure, a mercy from your Lord, and I did not do it of my own accord. This is the significance of that with which you could not have patience.
[Q18:82] Adapun tembok itu pula, adalah ia dipunyai oleh
dua orang anak yatim di bandar itu dan di bawahnya ada harta terpendam kepuyaan
mereka dan bapa mereka pula adalah orang yang soleh. Maka Tuhanmu menghendaki
supaya mereka cukup umur dan dapat mengeluarkan harta mereka yang terpendam
itu, sebagai satu rahmat dari Tuhanmu (kepada mereka) dan (ingatlah) aku tidak
melakukannya menurut fikiranku sendiri. Demikianlah penjelasan tentang maksud
dan tujuan perkara-perkara yang engkau tidak dapat bersabar mengenainya.
A righteous man who was
no more had a buried treasure under the wall for his young orphans to inherit
their property. IF the wall
had been allowed to fall, the buried treasure would have been exposed and would
be owned by the others and consequently the poor orphans would have been
deprived of what their goodhearted father had left for them AND the issues of the
righteous man would also naturally be righteous and of service above self to
the others. HENCE serving the
interest of the poor orphans was also serving the cause of public charity.
THE REPAIRING OF THE WALL BY KHIZR
WITHOUT ANY COMPENSATION OR RETURN FOR HIS LABOUR INDICATES THAT WHILE DOING
ANY GOOD THE IMMEDIATE RETURN FOR IT SHOULD NOT BE THE CONCERN OF THE
INDIVIDUAL WHO DOES IT. GOOD SHOULD BE DONE FOR THE
SAKE OF GOODNESS.
1.
It is reported that the Sixth
Holy Imam Jafar Ibne Muhammad As-Saqiq
and also the Eighth Holy Imam Ali ibne Musa Ar-Raza
that under the wall which tended to fall and which was repaired by Khizr without any wages for his
labours, were buried some very valuable tablets of
higher knowledge and on one of the tablets was inscribed:
In the name of ALLAH (SWT) the Beneficent
and the Most Merciful
There is no ALLAH (SWT) save
I (Myself)
I wonder at the man who is sure
of his death and yet rejoices
I wonder at the man who knows that only the Will of the Lord is done and yet grieves
I wonder at the man who knows the uncertainty of this world and yet coverts for it.
2.
The Sixth Holy Imam said that the issues of
a man do get their share of the reward of the return for the goodness as well
as the evils of their parents. There is no room to wonder at this
statement for we see in the daily working of the laws of nature that the issues of strong and healthy parents are also strong
and healthy and also likewise the children of sickly parents, the victims of
the hereditary diseases. THE LAW
IS SIMPLE AND REASONABLE THAT THOSE WHO INHERIT THE
ASSETS OF A CONCERN SHALL ALSO HAVE ITS LIABILITIES. The children
who inherit the goodness or the badness of the bodies of their parents will
also naturally have the virtues and the vices of their spiritual aspects of the
personalities. It is in this sense that the law of heredity in the native
endowments of a man is acceptable.
In giving the reasons for his three deeds,
» in the first instance:
Khizr attributed the act to himself, saying, ‘I intended’,
» in the second instance
he uses plural ‘we
intended’, and
» the third instance
he attributes the act totally to ALLAH (SWT) and at the end he says ‘I have not done
anything of my own accord’.
Two reasons have been given for this method of
speech:
ONE:
» In the first instance
it is a mere act demanding the courtesy required not to attribute the act of
damaging to ALLAH (SWT).
» In the second instance
the action has two aspects, **the disadvantage
to the boy killed and **the advantage to the
parents. HENCE the use of the plural, to refer the disadvantageous
aspect to Khizr and the advantages aspect to ALLAH (SWT).
» In the third instance,
it was purely advantageous.
TWO: The method was based on
the usual movement from a phenomenon to its utmost background and the genetic
cause.
Ø In
the first
instance he holds himself as the
causative agent.
Ø In
the second
instance he moves further--- he takes
the apparent and the real causes into consideration, HENCE he used the plural
‘we’.
Ø In
the third
instance, he reaches the zenith and discards the agency of a
creature totally and attributes the act to its real Author, and for emphasis,
he declares that he has done anything of his own accord.
THE STORY OF KHIZR AND MOSES FOR THE MORAL OF THE
INSTANCES OF THE DIVINE BLESSINGS IN DISGUISE AND THAT HOW EXTENSIVE AND DEEP
MAY BE THE HUMAN KNOWLEDGE, EVEN
OF THOSE WHO ARE UNDER REVELATION, REGARDING THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE WORLD BY
ALLAH (SWT), IS STILL LIMITED AND SUBJECT TO FURTHER INCREASE AND THAT THE
MYSTERIES BEHIND THE EVENTS ARE FAR FROM OUR GRASP.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(18:82) As regards the wall, it belonged to two orphan
boys, who reside in this city. A treasure for them lies buried under this wall.
As their father was a righteous man, your Lord willed that when these children
attain their maturity, they should dig out their treasure. All this has been
done as a mercy from your Lord: I have not done anything of my own authority.
This is the interpretation of those things about which you could not keep
patience. *60"
*60 In
connection with this story, a very hard problem arises to which an answer must
be found: Two of the three things done by Hadrat Khidr are obviously against
those commandments of the Law which have always been in force since the
creation of man. No law allows anyone the right to damage the property of
another and kill an innocent person. So much so that if a man were to know by
inspiration that some usurper would illegally seize a certain boat, and that a
certain boy would be involved in a rebellion and unbelief, even then no law,
sent down by Allah, makes it lawful that one should bore a hole in the boat and
kill the innocent boy by virtue of one's inspiration. If in answer to this, one were to say that Hadrat Khidr committed
these two acts by the Commands of Allah, this does not solve the problem, for
the question is not this, "By whose command did Hadrat Khidr commit these
acts"? But it is this: "What was the nature of these commands"?
This is important because Hadrat Khidr did these acts in accordance with Divine
Command, for he himself says that these acts of his were not done by his own
authority, but were moved by the mercy of Allah, and Allah Himself has
testified this by saying: "We gave him a special knowledge from
Ourselves". Thus it is beyond any doubt that these acts were done
by the Command of Allah, but the question about the nature of the command
remains there, for it is obvious that these commands were not legal because it
is not allowed by any Divine Law, and the fundamental principles of the
Qur'an also do not allow that a person should kill another person without any
proof of his guilt. Therefore we shall have to admit that these commands
belonged to one of those decrees of Allah in accordance with which one sick
person recovers, while another dies: one becomes prosperous and the other is
ruined. If the Commands given to Hadrat Khidr were of this nature, then one
must come to the conclusion that Hadrat Khidr was an angel (or some other kind
of Allah's creation) who is not bound by the Divine Law prescribed for human
beings, for such commands as have no legal aspect, can be addressed to angels
only. This is because the question of the lawful or the unlawful cannot arise
about them: they obey the Commands of Allah without having any personal power.
In contrast to them, a man shall be guilty of a sin whether he does any such
thing inadvertently by intuition or by some inspiration, if his act goes
against some Divine Commandment. This is because a man is bound to abide by
Divine Commandments as a man, and there is no room whatsoever in the Divine Law
that an act may become lawful for a man merely because he had received an
instruction by inspiration and had been informed in a secret way of the wisdom
of that unlawful act.
The above-mentioned principle has been unanimously accepted by scholars of the Divine Law and the leaders of Sufism. `Allamah Alusi has cited in detail the sayings of 'Abdul Wahhab Shi`irani, Muhy-ud-Din ibn-`Arabi, Mujaddid Alf Thani, Shaikh 'Abdul-Qadir Jilani, Junaid Baghdadi, Sirri Saqti, Abul-Hussain An-nuri, Abu Said-al-Kharraz, Ahmad ud-Dainauri and Imam Ghazzali to this effect that it is not lawful even for a sufi to act in accordance with that inspiration of his own which goes against a fundamental of law. (Ruh-ul-Ma ani, Vol. XVI, pp. 16-18). That is why we have come to the conclusion that Hadrat Khidr must be an angel, or some other kind of Allah's creation, exempted from human law, for he could not be the only exception to the above-mentioned formula. THEREFORE we inevitably come to the conclusion that he was one of those Servants of Allah who act in accordance with the will of Allah and not in accordance with the Divine Law prescribed for human beings.
We would have accepted the theory that Hadrat Khidr was a human being, if the Qur'an had plainly asserted that the "servant" to whom Prophet Moses was sent for training, was a man, but the Qur'an does not specifically say that he was a human being but says that he was "one of Our Servants", which does not show that he was necessarily a human being. Besides this, there is no Tradition which specifically says that Hadrat Khidr was a human being. In the authentic traditions related by Said bin Jubair, Ibn `Abbas, Ubayy bin Ka`ab from the Holy Prophet, the Arabic word, ~ (rajul) has been used for Hadrat Khidr, which though generally used for human beings, is not exclusively used for human beings. In the Holy Qur'an itself, this word has been used for Jinns also (LXXIII 6). It is also obvious that when a jinn or an angel or an invisible being will come before a human being, he will surely come in human shape and, in that form; he will be called a bashar (man), just like the angel who came before Mary in the shape of a human being (XIX: 17). Thus the word rajul, used for Hadrat Khidr in the abovementioned Tradition by the Holy Prophet, does not necessarily mean that he was a human being. THEREFORE we are quite justified in the light of the above discussion to believe that Hadrat Khidr was one of the angels or some other kind of Allah's creation who is not bound by the Divine Law prescribed for human beings. Some of the former scholars of the Qur'an have also expressed the same opinion which has been cited by lbn Kathir in his Commentary on the authority of Mawardi.
The above-mentioned principle has been unanimously accepted by scholars of the Divine Law and the leaders of Sufism. `Allamah Alusi has cited in detail the sayings of 'Abdul Wahhab Shi`irani, Muhy-ud-Din ibn-`Arabi, Mujaddid Alf Thani, Shaikh 'Abdul-Qadir Jilani, Junaid Baghdadi, Sirri Saqti, Abul-Hussain An-nuri, Abu Said-al-Kharraz, Ahmad ud-Dainauri and Imam Ghazzali to this effect that it is not lawful even for a sufi to act in accordance with that inspiration of his own which goes against a fundamental of law. (Ruh-ul-Ma ani, Vol. XVI, pp. 16-18). That is why we have come to the conclusion that Hadrat Khidr must be an angel, or some other kind of Allah's creation, exempted from human law, for he could not be the only exception to the above-mentioned formula. THEREFORE we inevitably come to the conclusion that he was one of those Servants of Allah who act in accordance with the will of Allah and not in accordance with the Divine Law prescribed for human beings.
We would have accepted the theory that Hadrat Khidr was a human being, if the Qur'an had plainly asserted that the "servant" to whom Prophet Moses was sent for training, was a man, but the Qur'an does not specifically say that he was a human being but says that he was "one of Our Servants", which does not show that he was necessarily a human being. Besides this, there is no Tradition which specifically says that Hadrat Khidr was a human being. In the authentic traditions related by Said bin Jubair, Ibn `Abbas, Ubayy bin Ka`ab from the Holy Prophet, the Arabic word, ~ (rajul) has been used for Hadrat Khidr, which though generally used for human beings, is not exclusively used for human beings. In the Holy Qur'an itself, this word has been used for Jinns also (LXXIII 6). It is also obvious that when a jinn or an angel or an invisible being will come before a human being, he will surely come in human shape and, in that form; he will be called a bashar (man), just like the angel who came before Mary in the shape of a human being (XIX: 17). Thus the word rajul, used for Hadrat Khidr in the abovementioned Tradition by the Holy Prophet, does not necessarily mean that he was a human being. THEREFORE we are quite justified in the light of the above discussion to believe that Hadrat Khidr was one of the angels or some other kind of Allah's creation who is not bound by the Divine Law prescribed for human beings. Some of the former scholars of the Qur'an have also expressed the same opinion which has been cited by lbn Kathir in his Commentary on the authority of Mawardi.
SECTION
11
Zulqarnain
– The Gog and the Magog – The Barrier
Zulqarnian’s
march – The Barrierraised by Zulqarnian against the mischief of the Yajooj and the Majooj.
وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنْ ذِي الْقَرْنَيْنِ ۖ قُلْ
سَأَتْلُو عَلَيْكُمْ مِنْهُ ذِكْرًا {18:83}
[Q18:83] Wa yas'aloonaka 'an Zil Qarnaini
qul sa atloo 'alaikum minhu zikraa.
[Q18:83] And they ask you about Zulqarnain. Say: I will recite to you an account of him.
[Q18:83] And they ask you about Zulqarnain. Say: I will recite to you an account of him.
[Q18:83] Dan
mereka bertanya kepadamu (wahai Muhammad), mengenai Zulkarnain. Katakanlah: Aku
akan bacakan kepada kamu (wahyu dari ALLAH (SwT) yang menerangkan) sedikit
tentang perihalnya.
Qarn literally means a distinctive mark in a man, animal or thing
which is distinguished and known by it. THEREFORE any person who possesses two
such distinctive qualifications is described as dhul qarnayn.
Whether Dhul Qarnayn was Alexander or Darius or
some one else is not the issue in these verses BUT THE QUR’AN AIMS TO
PROVIDE GUIDANCE TO MAN THROUGH THE NARRATIVE OF A MAN WHO POSSESSED TWO
QUALITIES, KNOWLEDGE AND STRENGTH, LIKE TALUT.
Dhul Qarnayn was an
upright and righteous king, a true servant of ALLAH (SWT), whose sway extended
over east and west, and over people of diverse civilisations.
A.
His
first expedition was to the WEST. A spring of murky water
refers to Lychintis (now Ochrida). There he protected the weak and punished the
unlawful and the turbulent.
He possessed the qualities, a god-fearing
man must own, to administer the affairs of men. Great
was his power and great were his ways and means which he used for justice and
righteousness, but he always remembered
that his power and capabilities were given to him by ALLAH (SWT).
He never said like Firawn: "I am your Lord, most
high." He declared that his punishment to the wicked was tentative
to preserve the balance of this life as he could appraise it but the real
consequences of the evil-doing will be encountered by the evildoers on the Day
of Judgement.
B.
Then
he went to the EAST. Those who lived there were a primitive but
simple people. The climate was hot, and they required neither roofs over their
heads, nor much clothing. He did not disturb their simple mode of living.
He
left them as they were. Dhul Qarnayn was a man of ALLAH
(SWT). He was not a despot who would forcibly change that which he did not find
agreeable to him. He knew his
limitations in the sight of his Lord.
C.
Then
he reached a tract between two mountains (most probably Armenia and Azerbaijan). The people of this land did not
understand the speech of the conqueror. Dhul Qarnayn was now among a people who
were different in speech and race from him. They were a peaceable and
industrious race, much subject to incursions from wild tribes who were called Yajuj and Majuj (Gog and Magog).
Against these tribes they were willing to pay him tribute in return for
protection. The permanent protection they wanted was the closing of a mountain
gap through which the incursions were made.
Dhul Qarnayn was not greedy. He did not impose any tribute, nor was he
in need of monetary help or subsidy from them. He had the organising skill. He
only asked for material and labour.
A barrier was constructed with blocks or
bricks of iron, and the cracks were filled up with molten lead, so as to form
an impregnable mass of metal.
AFTER ALL THE EFFORT WHICH HE MADE FOR THEIR
PROTECTION, HE
CLAIMED NO CREDIT FOR HIMSELF BEYOND THAT OF DISCHARGING HIS DUTIES AS A RULER. HE
TURNED THEIR ATTENTION TO ALLAH (SWT) WHO PROVIDED THE WAYS AND MEANS BY WHICH
THEY COULD BE HELPED AND PROTECTED, BUT
A TIME WOULD COME WHEN ALL THEIR PRECAUTIONS WOULD CRUMBLE INTO DUST, BECAUSE
IT WAS A PROMISE OF ALLAH (SWT).
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(18:83) And O Muhammad, they ask you about
Zul-Qarnain *61: tell them, "I am going to recite to you
an account of him" *62
*61 It is quite
obvious that the conjunction "wao" joins this story with the previous
story of Khidr. THUS it is a
self-evident proof that the previous two stories of the "Sleepers of the
Cave" and "Moses and Khidr" were also related in answer to the
queries of the disbelievers of Makkah who, in consultation with the people of
the Book, had put these questions to Muammad (Allah's peace be upon him) as a
test of his Prophethood.
*62 The identification of Zul-Qarnain has been a controversial matter from the earliest times in general the commentators have been of the opinion that he was Alexander the Great but the characteristics of Zul-Qarnain described in the Qur'an are not applicable to him. However, now the commentators are inclined to believe that Zul-Qarnain was Cyrus, an ancient king of Iran. We are also of the opinion that probably Zul-Qarnain was Cyrus, but the historical facts, which have come to light up to this time, are not sufficient to make any categorical assertion.
Now let us consider the characteristics of Zul-Qarnain in the light of his story as given in the Quran:
(1) The title Zul-Qarnain ("The Two-Horned") should have been quite familiar to the Jews, for it was at their instigation that the disbelievers of Makkah put this question to the Holy Prophet. Therefore we must turn to the Jewish literature in order to learn who was the person known as "The Two-Horned" or which was the kingdom known as "The Two-Horned."
(2) Zul-Qarnain must have been a great ruler and a great conqueror whose conquests might have spread from the East to the West and on the third side to the North or to the South. Before the revelation of the Qur'an there had been several persons, who were such great conquerors. So we must confine our research for the other characteristics of Zul-Qarnain to one of these persons.'
(3) This title should be applicable to such a ruler who might have constructed a strong wall across a mountain pass to protect his kingdom from the incursions of Gog and Magog. In order to investigate this thing, we will have to determine as to who were Gog and Magog. We will also have to find out when such a wall was built and by whom and to which territory it was adjacent.
(4) Besides possessing the above-mentioned characteristics, he should also be a God-worshipper and a just ruler, for the Qur'an has brought into prominence these characteristics more than anything else.
The first of these characteristics is easily applicable to Cyrus, for according to the Bible Prophet Daniel saw in his vision that the united kingdom of Media and Persia was like a two-horned ram before the rise of the Greeks. (Dan. 8: 3,"20). The Jews had a very high opinion of "The Two-horned" one, because it was his invasion which brought about the downfall of the kingdom of Babylon and the liberation of the Israelites (Please also refer to E.N. 8 of Chapter XVII).
The second characteristic is applicable to him to a great extent but not completely. Though his conquests spread to Syria and Asia Minor in the West and to Bakhtar (Balkh) in the East, there is no trace of any of his great expeditions to the North or to the South, whereas the Qur'an makes an explicit mention of his third expedition. Nevertheless, this third expedition is not wholly out of question for history tells us that his kingdom extended to Caucasia in the North. As regards Gog and Magog, it has been nearly established that they were the wild tribes of Central Asia who were known by different names: Tartars, Mongols, Huns and Scythians, who 'had been making inroads on settled kingdoms and empires from very ancient times. It is also known that strong bulwarks had been built in southern regions of Caucasia, though it has not been as yet historically established that these were built by Cyrus.
As regards the last characteristic, Cyrus is the only known conqueror among the ancient rulers, to whom this may be applicable, for even his enemies have been full of praise for him for his justice, and, Ezra, a book of the Bible, asserts that he was a God-worshipper and a God-fearing king who set free the Israelites because of his God-worship, and ordered that the Temple of Solomon should be rebuilt for the worship of Allah, Who has no partner.
In the light of the above, we admit that of all the conquerors, who had passed away before the revelation of the Qur'an, Cyrus alone is the one to whom the characteristics of "Zul-Qarnain" are most applicable, but we need more evidence to determine specifically that Cyrus is definitely "Zul-Qarnain." Anyhow, there is no other conqueror to whom the characteristics stated in the Qur'an are as much applicable as to Cyrus.
Historically it is enough to say that Cyrus was a Persian ruler, whose rise began about 549 B.C. In a few years, he conquered the kingdom of Media and Lydia and afterwards conquered Babylon in 539 B.C. After this no powerful kingdom was left to oppose him. His conquests extended to Sind and the territory known as Turkistan on one side, and to Egypt and Libya and to Thrace and Macedonia and to Caucasia and Khawarzam in the North. In fact, the whole civilized world was under his sway.
*62 The identification of Zul-Qarnain has been a controversial matter from the earliest times in general the commentators have been of the opinion that he was Alexander the Great but the characteristics of Zul-Qarnain described in the Qur'an are not applicable to him. However, now the commentators are inclined to believe that Zul-Qarnain was Cyrus, an ancient king of Iran. We are also of the opinion that probably Zul-Qarnain was Cyrus, but the historical facts, which have come to light up to this time, are not sufficient to make any categorical assertion.
Now let us consider the characteristics of Zul-Qarnain in the light of his story as given in the Quran:
(1) The title Zul-Qarnain ("The Two-Horned") should have been quite familiar to the Jews, for it was at their instigation that the disbelievers of Makkah put this question to the Holy Prophet. Therefore we must turn to the Jewish literature in order to learn who was the person known as "The Two-Horned" or which was the kingdom known as "The Two-Horned."
(2) Zul-Qarnain must have been a great ruler and a great conqueror whose conquests might have spread from the East to the West and on the third side to the North or to the South. Before the revelation of the Qur'an there had been several persons, who were such great conquerors. So we must confine our research for the other characteristics of Zul-Qarnain to one of these persons.'
(3) This title should be applicable to such a ruler who might have constructed a strong wall across a mountain pass to protect his kingdom from the incursions of Gog and Magog. In order to investigate this thing, we will have to determine as to who were Gog and Magog. We will also have to find out when such a wall was built and by whom and to which territory it was adjacent.
(4) Besides possessing the above-mentioned characteristics, he should also be a God-worshipper and a just ruler, for the Qur'an has brought into prominence these characteristics more than anything else.
The first of these characteristics is easily applicable to Cyrus, for according to the Bible Prophet Daniel saw in his vision that the united kingdom of Media and Persia was like a two-horned ram before the rise of the Greeks. (Dan. 8: 3,"20). The Jews had a very high opinion of "The Two-horned" one, because it was his invasion which brought about the downfall of the kingdom of Babylon and the liberation of the Israelites (Please also refer to E.N. 8 of Chapter XVII).
The second characteristic is applicable to him to a great extent but not completely. Though his conquests spread to Syria and Asia Minor in the West and to Bakhtar (Balkh) in the East, there is no trace of any of his great expeditions to the North or to the South, whereas the Qur'an makes an explicit mention of his third expedition. Nevertheless, this third expedition is not wholly out of question for history tells us that his kingdom extended to Caucasia in the North. As regards Gog and Magog, it has been nearly established that they were the wild tribes of Central Asia who were known by different names: Tartars, Mongols, Huns and Scythians, who 'had been making inroads on settled kingdoms and empires from very ancient times. It is also known that strong bulwarks had been built in southern regions of Caucasia, though it has not been as yet historically established that these were built by Cyrus.
As regards the last characteristic, Cyrus is the only known conqueror among the ancient rulers, to whom this may be applicable, for even his enemies have been full of praise for him for his justice, and, Ezra, a book of the Bible, asserts that he was a God-worshipper and a God-fearing king who set free the Israelites because of his God-worship, and ordered that the Temple of Solomon should be rebuilt for the worship of Allah, Who has no partner.
In the light of the above, we admit that of all the conquerors, who had passed away before the revelation of the Qur'an, Cyrus alone is the one to whom the characteristics of "Zul-Qarnain" are most applicable, but we need more evidence to determine specifically that Cyrus is definitely "Zul-Qarnain." Anyhow, there is no other conqueror to whom the characteristics stated in the Qur'an are as much applicable as to Cyrus.
Historically it is enough to say that Cyrus was a Persian ruler, whose rise began about 549 B.C. In a few years, he conquered the kingdom of Media and Lydia and afterwards conquered Babylon in 539 B.C. After this no powerful kingdom was left to oppose him. His conquests extended to Sind and the territory known as Turkistan on one side, and to Egypt and Libya and to Thrace and Macedonia and to Caucasia and Khawarzam in the North. In fact, the whole civilized world was under his sway.
إِنَّا مَكَّنَّا لَهُ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَآتَيْنَاهُ
مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ سَبَبًا {18:84}
[Q18:84] Innaa makkannaa lahoo fil ardi
wa aatainaahu min kulli shai'in sababaa.
[Q18:84] Surely We established him in the land and granted him means of access to everything.
[Q18:84] Surely We established him in the land and granted him means of access to everything.
[Q18:84] Sesungguhnya Kami telah memberikan kepadanya
kekuasaan memerintah di bumi dan Kami beri kepadanya jalan bagi menjayakan
tiap-tiap sesuatu yang diperlukannya.
(see commentary for verse 83)
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(18:84) We had established his power on the Earth and
had provided him with every kind of ways and means.
فَأَتْبَعَ سَبَبًا {18:85}
[Q18:85] Fa atba'a sababaa,
[Q18:85] So he followed a course.
[Q18:85] So he followed a course.
[Q18:85] Lalu dia menurut jalan (yang menyampaikan
maksudnya).
Zulqarnain
followed a route (Towards the West)
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(18:85) At first, he made preparations for an
expedition (to the West and marched on)
حَتَّىٰ إِذَا بَلَغَ مَغْرِبَ الشَّمْسِ وَجَدَهَا
تَغْرُبُ فِي عَيْنٍ حَمِئَةٍ وَوَجَدَ عِنْدَهَا قَوْمًا ۗ قُلْنَا يَا ذَا
الْقَرْنَيْنِ إِمَّا أَنْ تُعَذِّبَ وَإِمَّا أَنْ تَتَّخِذَ فِيهِمْ
حُسْنًا {18:86}
[Q18:86] Hattaaa izaa balagha maghribash
shamsi wajadahaaa taghrubu fee 'aynin hami'a tinw wa wajada 'indahaa qawmaa;
qulnaa yaa Zal Qarnaini immaaa an tu'az ziba wa immaaa an tattakhiza feehim husnaa.
[Q18:86] Until when he reached the place where the sun set, he found it going down into a black sea, and found by it a people. We said: O Zulqarnain! Either give them a chastisement or do them a benefit.
[Q18:86] Until when he reached the place where the sun set, he found it going down into a black sea, and found by it a people. We said: O Zulqarnain! Either give them a chastisement or do them a benefit.
[Q18:86] Sehingga apabila dia sampai ke daerah matahari terbenam,
dia mendapatinya terbenam di sebuah mata air yang hitam berlumpur dan dia
dapati di sisinya satu kaum (yang kufur ingkar). Kami berfirman (dengan
mengilhamkan kepadanya): Wahai Zulkarnain! Pilihlah samada engkau hendak
menyeksa mereka atau engkau bertindak secara baik terhadap mereka.
THE FIRST THREE EXPEDITIONS WAS TOWARDS THE WEST, i.e., until he
reached the shores of the sea on the Western side of his land. There is no such
thing as the end of the earth from where starts the West or the East. The East
or the West and the similar other two directions viz. the South or the North,
are only relative expressions. It means only the expedition towards the
West terminating at a huge collection of water (a sea) which was muddy.
§ If ‘Zulqarnian’ is in fact the Great Persian
King Alexander, the reference to the sea
of muddy water could be to Lycnitis (now called Ochrida) West of Macedonia, the
sources of which are thought to be underground springs of a limestone region
owing to which the water could never be clear.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(18:86) till he reached the limit where the sun
set, *63 and found it setting in black waters, *64 and
there he saw a people. We said to him, "O Zul-Qarnain! you have the power
to punish them and also the option to treat them generously". *65
*63 "The limit where the sun
set" does not mean the "place" of the setting of the sun.
According to Ibn Kathir, it means that he marched to the West conquering one
country after the other till he reached the last boundary of the land, beyond
which there was ocean.
*64 "He found the sun setting in black muddy waters of the sea": if ZulQarnain was Cyrus, then that place would be the western limit of Asia Minor and the "black waters" would be the Aegean Sea. This interpretation is supported by the use of the word "`ain" instead of "bahr" in the Qur'an.
*65 "We said to him" does not necessarily mean that Allah directly revealed to him these words, and that Zul-Qarnain was a Prophet or was the one who received inspiration from Allah, and the same is the reasonable conjecture. This concerns the time when Zul-Qarnain had taken possession of the land as a conqueror and the conquered people were utterly at your mercy. Then Allah posed a question before his conscience, as if to say, "Now is the time of your trial. These people are utterly at your mercy, and you have the option either to behave unjustly towards them or to treat them generously."
*64 "He found the sun setting in black muddy waters of the sea": if ZulQarnain was Cyrus, then that place would be the western limit of Asia Minor and the "black waters" would be the Aegean Sea. This interpretation is supported by the use of the word "`ain" instead of "bahr" in the Qur'an.
*65 "We said to him" does not necessarily mean that Allah directly revealed to him these words, and that Zul-Qarnain was a Prophet or was the one who received inspiration from Allah, and the same is the reasonable conjecture. This concerns the time when Zul-Qarnain had taken possession of the land as a conqueror and the conquered people were utterly at your mercy. Then Allah posed a question before his conscience, as if to say, "Now is the time of your trial. These people are utterly at your mercy, and you have the option either to behave unjustly towards them or to treat them generously."
قَالَ أَمَّا مَنْ ظَلَمَ فَسَوْفَ نُعَذِّبُهُ ثُمَّ
يُرَدُّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِ فَيُعَذِّبُهُ عَذَابًا نُكْرًا {18:87}
[Q18:87] Qaala amaa man zalama fasawfa
nu'azzibuhoo summa yuraddu ilaa Rabbihee fa yu 'azzibuhoo azaaban nukraa.
[Q18:87] He said: As to him who is injust, we will chastise him, then shall he be returned to his Lord, and He will chastise him with an exemplary chastisement:
[Q18:87] He said: As to him who is injust, we will chastise him, then shall he be returned to his Lord, and He will chastise him with an exemplary chastisement:
[Q18:87] Dia berkata: Adapun orang yang melakukan kezaliman
(kufur derhaka), maka kami akan menyeksanya; kemudian dia akan dikembalikan
kepada Tuhannya, lalu diazabkannya dengan azab seksa yang seburuk-buruknya.
Though Zulqarnain was such a strong and powerful
king to have overpowered the strongest and the most turbulent elements of the
human race inhabiting the various places around him YET HIS BELIEF IN ALLAH
(SWT) WAS NEVER AFFECTED. He believed that what he
did to establish and maintain peace in the land, was a punishment to the wicked ones,
BUT it was only tentative and real
punishment shall be meted out to them by the Real Lord of the Universe in the
hereafter, i.e., on the Day of Final
Judgment.
£ He did not assume the powers to himself or as his authority being final as had done Pharaoh (79:24---
Said Pharaoh ‘I am your Lord Supreme.’)
ZULQARNAIN POINTS OUT THAT WHATEVER MEASURE MAN MAY
TAKE AGAINST THE MISCHIEF-MONGERS, IT WILL BE ONLY TIMELY. ONE SHOULD BE AFRAID OF THE DIVINE MEASURE
AGAINST THE WRONG DOERS.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(18:87) He said, "We will punish
that one of them who will commit iniquity: then he shall be returned to his
Lord and He will inflict on him a grievous torment.
وَأَمَّا مَنْ آمَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَلَهُ
جَزَاءً الْحُسْنَىٰ ۖ وَسَنَقُولُ لَهُ مِنْ أَمْرِنَا يُسْرًا {18:88}
[Q18:88] Wa ammaa man aamana wa 'amila
saalihan falahoo jazaaa'anil husnaa wa sanaqoolu lahoo min amrinaa yusraa.
[Q18:88] And as for him who believes and does good, he shall have goodly reward, and We will speak to him an easy word of Our command.
[Q18:88] And as for him who believes and does good, he shall have goodly reward, and We will speak to him an easy word of Our command.
[Q18:88] Adapun orang yang beriman serta beramal soleh,
maka baginya balasan yang sebaik-baiknya; dan kami akan perintahkan kepadanya
perintah-perintah kami yang tidak memberati.
(see commentary for verse 83)
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(18:88) And as for the one, who will believe and do
righteous deeds, there is a generous recompense and We will prescribe for him
easy tasks."
ثُمَّ أَتْبَعَ سَبَبًا {18:89}
[Q18:89] Summa atba'a sababaa.
[Q18:89] Then he followed (another) course.
[Q18:89] Then he followed (another) course.
[Q18:89] Kemudian dia berpatah balik menurut jalan yang
lain.
(see commentary for verse 83)
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(18:89) Then he made preparations (for another
expedition and marched on)
حَتَّىٰ إِذَا بَلَغَ مَطْلِعَ الشَّمْسِ وَجَدَهَا
تَطْلُعُ عَلَىٰ قَوْمٍ لَمْ نَجْعَلْ لَهُمْ مِنْ دُونِهَا سِتْرًا {18:90}
[Q18:90] Hattaaa izaa balagha matli'ash
shamsi wajdahaa tatlu'u alaa qawmil lam naj'al lahum min doonihaa sitraa.
[Q18:90] Until when he reached the land of the rising of the sun, he found it rising on a people to whom We had given no shelter from it;
[Q18:90] Until when he reached the land of the rising of the sun, he found it rising on a people to whom We had given no shelter from it;
[Q18:90] Sehingga apabila dia sampai di daerah matahari
terbit, dia mendapatinya terbit kepada suatu kaum yang kami tidak menjadikan
bagi mereka sebarang perlindungan daripadanya.
The people were totally ignorant of the art of erecting shelter for them against the
sun nor were they conversant with
making clothes or any covering to
cover their bodies, nor did they
know the use of any such things. They used to go into
underground cells when the sun gets hot and get out when the sun sets. They were guided by Zulqarnian and were
taught to live in peace.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(18:90) till he reached the limit where the sun rose.
There he saw the sun rising on a people, whom We had not given any shelter from
sun shine *66.
*66 That is,
"When he advanced towards the East, conquering one country after the
other, he reached a territory where the limits of the civilized world had come
to an end and beyond which was the territory of barbaric people, who had no
shelter at all of tents or buildings."
كَذَٰلِكَ وَقَدْ أَحَطْنَا بِمَا لَدَيْهِ
خُبْرًا {18:91}
[Q18:91] Kazaalika wa qad ahatnaa bimaa
ladaihi khubraa.
[Q18:91] Even so! And We had a full knowledge of what he had.
[Q18:91] Even so! And We had a full knowledge of what he had.
[Q18:91] Demikianlah halnya dan sesungguhnya Kami
mengetahui secara meliputi akan segala yang ada padanya.
(see commentary for verse 83)
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(18:91) This was their condition and We know well
whatever Zul-Qarnain possessed.
ثُمَّ أَتْبَعَ سَبَبًا {18:92}
[Q18:92] Summa atba'a sababaa.
[Q18:92] Then he followed (another) course.
[Q18:92] Then he followed (another) course.
[Q18:92] kemudian dia berpatah balik menurut jalan yang
lain.
(see commentary for verse 83)
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(18:92) Then he made preparations (for another
expedition and marched on)
حَتَّىٰ إِذَا بَلَغَ بَيْنَ السَّدَّيْنِ وَجَدَ
مِنْ دُونِهِمَا قَوْمًا لَا يَكَادُونَ يَفْقَهُونَ قَوْلًا {18:93}
[Q18:93] Hattaaa izaa balagha bainas
saddaini wajada min doonihimaa qawmal laa yakaa doona yafqahoona qawlaa.
[Q18:93] Until when he reached (a place) between the two mountains, he found on that side of them a people who could hardly understand a word.
[Q18:93] Until when he reached (a place) between the two mountains, he found on that side of them a people who could hardly understand a word.
[Q18:93] Sehingga apabila dia sampai di antara dua gunung,
dia dapati di sisinya satu kaum yang hampir-hampir mereka tidak dapat memahami
perkataan.
The two mountains are supposed by *some commentators to be the mountains of Armenia and
Azerbaijan. The people inhabited the place around the mountains, spoke a
language totally new to Zulqarnain, HENCE they could not understand what he said to them.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(18:93) till
he reached between two mountains, *67 where
he found a people who could hardly understand any language. *68
*67 The
"two mountains" must have been parts of that mountain range which
runs between the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea (as stated in v. 96). This must
be so because beyond them was the territory of Gog and Magog.
*68 That is, "It was difficult to communicate with them: their language was almost foreign to Zul-Qarnain and his companions, and, as they were quite barbaric, none could understand their language, nor were they acquainted with any foreign language."
*68 That is, "It was difficult to communicate with them: their language was almost foreign to Zul-Qarnain and his companions, and, as they were quite barbaric, none could understand their language, nor were they acquainted with any foreign language."
قَالُوا يَا ذَا الْقَرْنَيْنِ إِنَّ يَأْجُوجَ
وَمَأْجُوجَ مُفْسِدُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَهَلْ نَجْعَلُ لَكَ خَرْجًا عَلَىٰ أَنْ
تَجْعَلَ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَهُمْ سَدًّا{18:94}
[Q18:94] Qaaloo yaa Zal qarnaini inna
Yaajooja wa Maajooja mufsidoona fil ardi fahal naj'alu laka kharjan 'alaaa an
taj'ala bainanaa wa bainahum saddas.
[Q18:94] They said: O Zulqarnain! Surely Gog and Magog make mischief in the land. Shall we then pay you a tribute on condition that you should raise a barrier between us and them.
[Q18:94] They said: O Zulqarnain! Surely Gog and Magog make mischief in the land. Shall we then pay you a tribute on condition that you should raise a barrier between us and them.
[Q18:94] Mereka berkata: Wahai Zulkarnain, sesungguhnya
kaum Yakjuj dan Makjuj sentiasa melakukan kerosakan di bumi; oleh itu,
setujukah kiranya kami menentukan sejumlah bayaran kepadamu (dari hasil
pendapatan kami) dengan syarat engkau membina sebuah tembok di antara kami
dengan mereka?
The ‘Yajooj’ (Gog) and ‘Majooj’ (Magog) are said to be
labourers, people frequently troubling their neighbours. The ‘Yajooj’ and the ‘Majooj’
are supposed to be the issues of ‘Yafus’, son of Noah.
The people
wanted a barrier to be erected between the mountains through which the Yajooj and the Majooj
used to attack them. The people seemed to be
skilled in the art of melting lead and iron etc. by making bricks of the metals they were able to pay the
wages. This indicates that the people were prosperous.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(18:94) They
said, "O Zul-Qarnain, Gog and Magog *69 spread
chaos in this land; should we then pay a tribute to you so that you may build a
bulwark between us and them?"
*69 As has
already been pointed out in E.N. 62, Gog and Magog were the wild tribes of
North Eastern Asia which, from the very early times had been making inroads on
settled kingdoms and empires in Asia and Europe and ravaging them. According to
Genesis (Chapter 10), they were the descendants of Japheth, the sort of Noah,
and the Muslim historians have also accepted this. And according to the book of
Ezekiel (Chapters 38, 39), they inhabited the territories of Meshech (Moscow)
and Tubal (Tubalsek). According to the Israelite historian Josephus, they were
the Scythians and their territory spread to the north and the east of the Black
Sea. According to Jerome, Magog inhabited the territory to the north of
Caucasia near the Caspian Sea.
قَالَ مَا مَكَّنِّي فِيهِ رَبِّي خَيْرٌ
فَأَعِينُونِي بِقُوَّةٍ أَجْعَلْ بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَهُمْ رَدْمًا {18:95}
[Q18:95] Qaala maa makkannee feehi Rabbee
khairun fa-a'eenoonee biquwwatin aj'al bainakum wa bainahum radmaa;
[Q18:95] He said: That in which my Lord has established me is better, therefore you only help me with workers, I will make a fortified barrier between you and them;
[Q18:95] He said: That in which my Lord has established me is better, therefore you only help me with workers, I will make a fortified barrier between you and them;
[Q18:95] Dia menjawab: (Kekuasaan dan kekayaan) yang
Tuhanku jadikan daku menguasainya, lebih baik (dari bayaran kamu); oleh itu
bantulah daku dengan tenaga (kamu beramai-ramai) aku akan bina antara kamu
dengan mereka sebuah tembok penutup yang kukuh.
Zulqarnain was conscious of the strength and the power Divinely endowed in him and
wanted to use it without any obligation on the people. He
wanted the people only to help him with their personal labour.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(18:95) He
said, "What my Allah has granted me is more than enough. You should help
me only with manual labour and I will build a barrier between you and
them. *70
*70 That is,
"As a ruler it is my duty to protect you from the ravages of your enemies:
therefore it is not lawful for me to levy any extra taxes on you for this
purpose. The treasury that Allah has placed in my custody, suffices for this
purpose. You shall, however, have to help me with your manual labour."
آتُونِي زُبَرَ الْحَدِيدِ ۖ حَتَّىٰ إِذَا سَاوَىٰ
بَيْنَ الصَّدَفَيْنِ قَالَ انْفُخُوا ۖ حَتَّىٰ إِذَا جَعَلَهُ نَارًا قَالَ
آتُونِي أُفْرِغْ عَلَيْهِ قِطْرًا {18:96}
[Q18:96] Aatoonee zubaral hadeed, hattaaa
izaa saawaa bainas sadafaini qaalan fukhoo hattaaa izaa ja'alahoo naaran qaala
aatooneee ufrigh 'alaihi qitraa.
[Q18:96] Bring me blocks of iron; until when he had filled up the space between the two mountain sides, he said: Blow, until when he had made it (as) fire, he said: Bring me molten brass which I may pour over it.
[Q18:96] Bring me blocks of iron; until when he had filled up the space between the two mountain sides, he said: Blow, until when he had made it (as) fire, he said: Bring me molten brass which I may pour over it.
[Q18:96] Bawalah kepadaku ketul-ketul besi; sehingga
apabila ia terkumpul separas tingginya menutup lapangan antara dua gunung itu,
dia pun perintahkan mereka membakarnya dengan berkata: Tiuplah dengan alat-alat
kamu sehingga apabila ia menjadikannya merah menyala seperti api, berkatalah
dia: Bawalah tembaga cair supaya aku tuangkan atasnya.
(see commentary for verse 83)
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(18:96) Come, bring sheets of iron for me. "When
he had filled the space between the two mountains, he said to the people,
"Now, ply your bellows." They did so till that (iron-wall) became
redhot and he said, "Now let me pour molten brass upon it".
فَمَا اسْطَاعُوا أَنْ يَظْهَرُوهُ وَمَا
اسْتَطَاعُوا لَهُ نَقْبًا {18:97}
[Q18:97] Famas taa'ooo any yazharoohu wa
mastataa'oo lahoo naqbaa.
[Q18:97] So they were not able to scale it nor could they make a hole in it.
[Q18:97] So they were not able to scale it nor could they make a hole in it.
[Q18:97] Maka mereka tidak dapat memanjat tembok itu dan
mereka juga tidak dapat menebuknya.
(see
commentary for verse 83)
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(18:97) This was such a barrier that Gog
and Magog could not scale over it, nor were they able to dig through it.
قَالَ هَٰذَا رَحْمَةٌ مِنْ رَبِّي ۖ فَإِذَا جَاءَ
وَعْدُ رَبِّي جَعَلَهُ دَكَّاءَ ۖ وَكَانَ وَعْدُ رَبِّي حَقًّا {18:98}
[Q18:98] Qaala haaza rahmatummir Rabbee
fa izaa jaaa'a wa'du Rabbee ja'alahoo dakkaaa'a; wa kaana; wa du Rabbee haqqaa.
[Q18:98] He said: This is a mercy from my Lord, but when the promise of my Lord comes to pass He will make it level with the ground, and the promise of my Lord is ever true.
[Q18:98] He said: This is a mercy from my Lord, but when the promise of my Lord comes to pass He will make it level with the ground, and the promise of my Lord is ever true.
[Q18:98] (Setelah itu) berkatalah Zulkarnain: Ini ialah
suatu rahmat dari Tuhanku; dalam pada itu, apabila sampai janji Tuhanku, Dia
akan menjadikan tembok itu hancur lebur dan adalah janji Tuhanku itu benar.
NOTE the modesty to Zulqarnian that having performed such a
huge and a mighty task which looked impossible to be done by anyone, he did not attribute the success to his own power and strength BUT he attributes it to the grace and the
mercy of the Lord.
He preached to
the people by his declaration that the Word OR
the Will of the Lord shall be done and it is always undoubtable and true. Any
other worldly being other than the one from ALLAH (SWT), would surely have
demanded the recognition of one’s own might and power but Zulqarnian’s godliness demands the
people not to believe in any such quality in any mortal besides ALLAH (SWT).
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(18:98) Zul-Qarnain
said, "This is a mercy from my Lord; but when the time of my Lord's
promise shall come, He will level it to dust *71 and
the promise of my Lord is true." *72
*71 That is,
"Though I have built a very strong iron-wall, as far as it was possible
for me, it is not ever-lasting, for it will last only as long as Allah wills,
and will fall down to pieces when the time of my Lord's promise shall come.
Then no power in the world shall be able to keep it safe and
secure."
As regards the time of Allah's promise, it has two meanings: (1) It may mean the time of the destruction of the wall, and (2) it may also mean the time of the death and destruction of everything destined by Allah at the end of the world i.e., the Hour of Resurrection.
Some people have entertained the misunderstanding that the wall attributed here to Zul-Qarnain refers to the famous Wall of China, whereas this wall was built between Derbent and Dar'yal, two cities of Daghestan in the Caucasus, the land that lies between the Black Sea and the Caspian. There are high mountains between the Black Sea and Dar'yal having deep gorges which cannot allow large armies to pass through them. Between Derbent and Dar'yal, however, there are no such mountains and the passes also are wide and passable. In ancient times savage hordes from the north invaded and ravaged southern lands through these passes and the Persian rulers who were scared of them had to build a strong wall, 50 miles long, 29 feet high and 10 feet wide, for fortification purposes, ruins of which can still be seen. Though it has not yet been established historically who built this wall in the beginning, the Muslim historians and geographers assign it to ZulQarnain because its remains correspond with the description of it given in the Qur'an. Ibn Jarir Tabari and Ibn Kathir have recorded the event, and Yaqut has mentioned it in his Mu jam-ul-Buldan that when after the conquest of Azerbaijan, Hadrat `Umar sent Suraqah bin `Amr, in 22 A.H. on an expedition to Derbent, the latter appointed `Abdur Rehman bin Rabi`ah as the chief of his vanguard. When 'Abdur Rehman entered Armenia, the ruler Shehrbraz surrendered without fighting. Then when `Abdur Rehman wanted to advance towards Derbent, Shehrbraz informed him that he had already gathered full information about the wall built by Zul-Qarnain, through a man, who could supply all the necessary details and then the man was actually presented before `Abdur Rehman. (Tabari, Vol. III, pp. 235-239; AI-Bidayah wan-Nihayah, Vol. VII, pp. 122-125, and Mu jam-ul-Buldan, under Bab-ul-Abwab: Derbent).
Two hundred years later, the Abbasid Caliph Wathiq (227-233 A.H.) despatched a party of 50 men under Sallam-ul-Tarjuman to study the wall of ZulQarnain, whose observations have been recorded in great detail by Yaqut in Mu jam-ul-Buldan and by Ibn Kathir in AI-Bidayah. They write that this expedition reached Samarrah from where they reached Tiflis (the present Tbilisi) and then through As-Sarir and Al-Lan, they reached Filanshah, from where they entered the Caspian territory. From there they arrived at Derbent and saw the wall. (AIBidayah Vol. II, p. 111, Vol. VII, pp. 122-125; Mu jam-ul-Buldan: under Bab-ulAbwab). This clearly shows that even up till the third century of Hijrah the Muslim scholars regarded this wall of the Caucasus as the wall of Zul-Qarnain.
Yaqut in his Mu jam-ul-Buldan has further confirmed the same view at a number of places. For instance, under Khazar (Caspian) he writes:
"This territory belongs to the Turks, which adjoins the Wall of ZulQarnain just behind Bab-ul-Abwab, which is also called Derbent." In the same connection, he records a report by Ahmad bin Fadlan, the ambassador of Caliph Al-Muqtadar-billah, who has given a full description of the Caspian land, saying that Caspian is the name of a country whose capital is Itil (near the present Astrakhan) right through which flows River Itil, which joins the Caspian front Russia and Bulghar.
Regarding Bab-ul-Abwab he says that this city is called both Al-Bab and Derbent, which is a highly difficult passage for the people coming from the northern lands towards the south. Once this territory was a part of the kingdom of Nausherwan, and the Persian rulers paid particular attention to strengthening their frontiers on that side.
*72 Here the story of Zul-Qarnain comes to an end. Though this story has been related in answer to the questions put by the disbelievers of Makkah as a test along with the stories of the "Sleepers of the Cave" and "Moses and Khidr", the Qur'an has utilized this story, too, for its own aim and object, as if to say, "ZulQarnain, about whose glory you have heard from the people of the Book, was not merely a conqueror, but also a believer of the doctrines of Tauhid and the lifeafter-death and acted upon the principles of justice and generosity. He was not a mean person like you who have been puffed up by the possession of petty estates, and give yourselves airs of superiority."
As regards the time of Allah's promise, it has two meanings: (1) It may mean the time of the destruction of the wall, and (2) it may also mean the time of the death and destruction of everything destined by Allah at the end of the world i.e., the Hour of Resurrection.
Some people have entertained the misunderstanding that the wall attributed here to Zul-Qarnain refers to the famous Wall of China, whereas this wall was built between Derbent and Dar'yal, two cities of Daghestan in the Caucasus, the land that lies between the Black Sea and the Caspian. There are high mountains between the Black Sea and Dar'yal having deep gorges which cannot allow large armies to pass through them. Between Derbent and Dar'yal, however, there are no such mountains and the passes also are wide and passable. In ancient times savage hordes from the north invaded and ravaged southern lands through these passes and the Persian rulers who were scared of them had to build a strong wall, 50 miles long, 29 feet high and 10 feet wide, for fortification purposes, ruins of which can still be seen. Though it has not yet been established historically who built this wall in the beginning, the Muslim historians and geographers assign it to ZulQarnain because its remains correspond with the description of it given in the Qur'an. Ibn Jarir Tabari and Ibn Kathir have recorded the event, and Yaqut has mentioned it in his Mu jam-ul-Buldan that when after the conquest of Azerbaijan, Hadrat `Umar sent Suraqah bin `Amr, in 22 A.H. on an expedition to Derbent, the latter appointed `Abdur Rehman bin Rabi`ah as the chief of his vanguard. When 'Abdur Rehman entered Armenia, the ruler Shehrbraz surrendered without fighting. Then when `Abdur Rehman wanted to advance towards Derbent, Shehrbraz informed him that he had already gathered full information about the wall built by Zul-Qarnain, through a man, who could supply all the necessary details and then the man was actually presented before `Abdur Rehman. (Tabari, Vol. III, pp. 235-239; AI-Bidayah wan-Nihayah, Vol. VII, pp. 122-125, and Mu jam-ul-Buldan, under Bab-ul-Abwab: Derbent).
Two hundred years later, the Abbasid Caliph Wathiq (227-233 A.H.) despatched a party of 50 men under Sallam-ul-Tarjuman to study the wall of ZulQarnain, whose observations have been recorded in great detail by Yaqut in Mu jam-ul-Buldan and by Ibn Kathir in AI-Bidayah. They write that this expedition reached Samarrah from where they reached Tiflis (the present Tbilisi) and then through As-Sarir and Al-Lan, they reached Filanshah, from where they entered the Caspian territory. From there they arrived at Derbent and saw the wall. (AIBidayah Vol. II, p. 111, Vol. VII, pp. 122-125; Mu jam-ul-Buldan: under Bab-ulAbwab). This clearly shows that even up till the third century of Hijrah the Muslim scholars regarded this wall of the Caucasus as the wall of Zul-Qarnain.
Yaqut in his Mu jam-ul-Buldan has further confirmed the same view at a number of places. For instance, under Khazar (Caspian) he writes:
"This territory belongs to the Turks, which adjoins the Wall of ZulQarnain just behind Bab-ul-Abwab, which is also called Derbent." In the same connection, he records a report by Ahmad bin Fadlan, the ambassador of Caliph Al-Muqtadar-billah, who has given a full description of the Caspian land, saying that Caspian is the name of a country whose capital is Itil (near the present Astrakhan) right through which flows River Itil, which joins the Caspian front Russia and Bulghar.
Regarding Bab-ul-Abwab he says that this city is called both Al-Bab and Derbent, which is a highly difficult passage for the people coming from the northern lands towards the south. Once this territory was a part of the kingdom of Nausherwan, and the Persian rulers paid particular attention to strengthening their frontiers on that side.
*72 Here the story of Zul-Qarnain comes to an end. Though this story has been related in answer to the questions put by the disbelievers of Makkah as a test along with the stories of the "Sleepers of the Cave" and "Moses and Khidr", the Qur'an has utilized this story, too, for its own aim and object, as if to say, "ZulQarnain, about whose glory you have heard from the people of the Book, was not merely a conqueror, but also a believer of the doctrines of Tauhid and the lifeafter-death and acted upon the principles of justice and generosity. He was not a mean person like you who have been puffed up by the possession of petty estates, and give yourselves airs of superiority."
وَتَرَكْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ يَمُوجُ فِي
بَعْضٍ ۖ وَنُفِخَ فِي الصُّورِ فَجَمَعْنَاهُمْ جَمْعًا {18:99}
[Q18:99] Wa taraknaa ba'dahum Yawma'iziny
yamooju fee ba'dinw wa nufikha fis Soori fajama'naahum jam'aa.
[Q18:99] And on that day We will leave a part of them in conflict with another part, and the trumpet will be blown, so We will gather them all together;
[Q18:99] And on that day We will leave a part of them in conflict with another part, and the trumpet will be blown, so We will gather them all together;
[Q18:99] Dan Kami biarkan mereka pada hari itu (keluar
beramai-ramai) bercampur-baur antara satu dengan yang lain dan (kemudiannya)
akan ditiup sangkakala, lalu Kami himpunkan makhluk-makhluk seluruhnya di
Padang Mahsyar.
ON THE DAY OF RESURRECTION ALL HUMAN BARRIERS WILL BE SWEPT AWAY. There will be tumultuous rush. The trumpet will be blown,
and the judgement will begin. The disbelievers
will encounter the terrible reality. Those very men who refused to believe in the signs of ALLAH
(SWT) in this world will then see the consequences fully brought up before
them.
§ Some commentators say that "Do the
disbelievers think that they can take My servants as protectors besides
Me?" refer to the Christians who worship Prophet Isa as ALLAH (SWT) or son of ALLAH (SWT).
In verse 19:30 of Maryam Isa
says: "I am indeed a servant of ALLAH
(SWT)."
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(18:99) And on that Day, *73 We
will let loose the people to come close together tumultuously (like the waves
of an ocean), and the trumpet shall be blown, and We will gather together all
mankind.
*73 "On
that Day": "The Day of Resurrection". As if to continue the
theme of life-after-death to which Zul-Qarnain referred as the "time of my
Lord's promise", the Qur'an has added verses 99-101 to it.
وَعَرَضْنَا جَهَنَّمَ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِلْكَافِرِينَ عَرْضًا {18:100}
[Q18:100] Wa 'aradnaa jahannama Yawma'izil
lilkaafireena 'ardaa,
[Q18:100] And We will bring forth hell, exposed to view, on that day before the unbelievers.
[Q18:100] And We will bring forth hell, exposed to view, on that day before the unbelievers.
[Q18:100] Dan Kami perlihatkan Neraka Jahannam, pada hari
itu kepada orang-orang kafir, dengan pendedahan yang jelas nyata;
The
terrible consequence of disbelief and the evils done shall be
placed before the disbelievers as the awful reality spread out to their fullest
realisation.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(18:100) On
that Day Hell shall be brought before the unbelievers.
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