18. Sūrat al-Kahf

١٨۔ سُورَةُ الكهْف

Qurʾān > Chapter 18 > Section 17
القرآن > كتاب ١٨ > باب ١٧

18.17 The story of king Dhul-Qarnain.

١٨۔١٧ مقطع في سُورَةُ الكهْف

quran:18:83 –

And they ask you, ˹O Muhammad˺, about Dhul-Qarnayn. Say, "I will recite to you about him a report."  

And they, the Jews, question you concerning Dhū’l-Qarnayn, whose name was Alexander; he was not a prophet. Say: ‘I shall recite, relate, to you a mention, an account, of him’, of his affair.
القرآن:١٨:٨٣ –

وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنْ ذِي الْقَرْنَيْنِ ۖ قُلْ سَأَتْلُو عَلَيْكُمْ مِنْهُ ذِكْرًا  

{ويسألونك} أي اليهود {عن ذي القرنين} اسمه الاسكندر ولم يكن نبيا {قل سأتلو} سأقص {عليكم منه} من حاله {ذكرا} خبرا.
quran:18:84 –

Indeed We established him upon the earth, and We gave him to everything a way.  

Indeed We empowered him throughout the land, by facilitating ˹for him˺ the journeying therein, and We gave him to everything, of which one might have need, a way, a route to lead him to that which he sought.
القرآن:١٨:٨٤ –

إِنَّا مَكَّنَّا لَهُ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَآتَيْنَاهُ مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ سَبَبًا  

{إنا مكنا له في الأرض} بتسهيل السير فيها {وآتيناه من كل شيء} يحتاج إليه {سببا} طريقا يوصله إلى مراده.
quran:18:85 –

So he followed a way  

And he followed a way, he took a route towards the west,
القرآن:١٨:٨٥ –

فَأَتْبَعَ سَبَبًا  

{فأتبع سببا} سلك طريقا نحو الغرب.
quran:18:86 –

Until, when he reached the setting of the sun, he found it ˹as if˺ setting in a spring of dark mud, and he found near it a people. Allah said, "O Dhul-Qarnayn, either you punish ˹them˺ or else adopt among them ˹a way of˺ goodness."  

until, when he reached the setting of the sun, the place where it sets, he found it setting in a muddy spring (‘ayn hami’a: ˹a spring˺ containing ham’a, which is black clay): its setting in a spring is ˹described as seen˺ from the perspective of the eye, for otherwise it is far larger ˹in size˺ than this world; and he found by it, that is, ˹by˺ the spring, a folk, of disbelievers. We said, ‘O Dhū’l-Qarnayn — by ˹means of˺ inspiration — either chastise, the folk, by slaying ˹them˺, or treat them kindly’, by ˹merely˺ taking them captive.
القرآن:١٨:٨٦ –

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  

{حتى إذا بلغ مغرب الشمس} موضع غروبها {وجدها تغرب في عين حمئة} ذات حمأة وهي الطين الأسود وغروبها في العين في رأي وإلا فهي أعظم من الدنيا {ووجد عندها} أي العين {قوما} كافرين {قلنا يا ذا القرنين} بإلهام {إما أن تُعذّب} القوم بالقتل {وإما أن تتخذ فيهم حُسنا} بالأسر.
quran:18:87 –

He said, "As for one who wrongs, we will punish him. Then he will be returned to his Lord, and He will punish him with a terrible punishment.  

He said, ‘As for him who does wrong, by way of ˹practising˺ idolatry, we shall chastise him, We shall slay him. Then he shall be returned to his Lord and He shall chastise him with an awful chastisement (read nukran or nukuran), that is, a severe ˹one˺, in the Fire.
القرآن:١٨:٨٧ –

قَالَ أَمَّا مَنْ ظَلَمَ فَسَوْفَ نُعَذِّبُهُ ثُمَّ يُرَدُّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِ فَيُعَذِّبُهُ عَذَابًا نُكْرًا  

{قال أما من ظلم} بالشرك {فسوف نعذبه} نقتله {ثم يُرد إلى ربه فيعذبه عذابا نكرا} بسكون الكاف وضمها شديدا في النار.
quran:18:88 –

But as for one who believes and does righteousness, he will have a reward of Paradise, and we will speak to him from our command with ease."  

But as for him who believes and acts righteously, he shall have the fairest reward, namely, Paradise (the annexation construction ˹jazā’u l-husnā, ‘the fairest reward’˺ is explicative; a variant reading has jazā’an alhusnā, ‘˹he shall have˺ as a requital that which is fairest’; al-Farrā’ said that this accusative ˹reading of jazā’an˺ is ˹intended˺ as an explanation ˹of the nature of the requital˺ by way of attribution ˹to ‘that which is fairest’˺; and we shall speak to him mildly in our command’, that is to say, we shall command him with what he will find easy ˹to bear˺.
القرآن:١٨:٨٨ –

وَأَمَّا مَنْ آمَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَلَهُ جَزَاءً الْحُسْنَىٰ ۖ وَسَنَقُولُ لَهُ مِنْ أَمْرِنَا يُسْرًا  

{وأما من آمن وعمل صالحا فله جزاء الحسنى} أي الجنة والإضافة للبيان وفي قراءة بنصب جزاء وتنوينه قال الفراء: ونصبه على التفسير أي لجهة النسبة {وسنقول له من أمرنا يُسرا} أي نأمره بما سهل عليه.
quran:18:89 –

Then he followed a way  

Then he followed a way, towards the east,
القرآن:١٨:٨٩ –

ثُمَّ أَتْبَعَ سَبَبًا  

{ثم أتبع سببا} نحو المشرق.
quran:18:90 –

Until, when he came to the rising of the sun, he found it rising on a people for whom We had not made against it any shield.  

until, when he reached the rising of the sun, the place where it rises, he found it rising on a folk, namely, Negroes (zanj), for whom We had not provided against it, that is, ˹against˺ the sun, any ˹form of˺ cover, in the way of clothing or roofing, as their land could not support any structures; they had underground tunnels into which they would disappear at the rising of the sun and out of which they would emerge when it was at its highest point ˹in the sky˺.
القرآن:١٨:٩٠ –

حَتَّىٰ إِذَا بَلَغَ مَطْلِعَ الشَّمْسِ وَجَدَهَا تَطْلُعُ عَلَىٰ قَوْمٍ لَمْ نَجْعَلْ لَهُمْ مِنْ دُونِهَا سِتْرًا  

{حتى إذا بلغ مطلع الشمس} موضع طلوعها {وجدها تطلع على قوم} هم الزنج {لم نجعل لهم من دونها} أي الشمس {سترا} من لباس ولا سقف، لأن أرضهم لا تحمل بناء ولهم سروب يغيبون فيها عند طلوع الشمس ويظهرون عند ارتفاعها.
quran:18:91 –

Thus. And We had encompassed ˹all˺ that he had in knowledge.  

So ˹it was˺, in other words, the situation was as We have stated; and We encompassed whatever pertained to him, that is, what Dhū’l-Qarnayn possessed in the way of machinery, men and otherwise, in knowledge.
القرآن:١٨:٩١ –

كَذَٰلِكَ وَقَدْ أَحَطْنَا بِمَا لَدَيْهِ خُبْرًا  

{كذلك} أي الأمر كما قلنا {وقد أحطنا بما لديه} أي عند ذي القرنين من الآلات والجند وغيرهما {خبرا} علما.
quran:18:93 –

Until, when he reached ˹a pass˺ between two mountains, he found beside them a people who could hardly understand ˹his˺ speech.  

until, when he reached between the two barriers (read al-saddayn or al-suddayn here and ˹likewise˺ further below ˹at verse 94, saddan or suddan˺) — ˹these were˺ two mountains ˹lying˺ in the remote regions beyond the land of the Turks; Alexander sealed the breach between the two, as will be described ˹below˺ — he found on this side of them, that is, in front of them, a folk that could scarcely comprehend speech, in other words, they could only understand it after much agonising (a variant reading ˹for yafqahūna, ‘comprehend’˺ has yufqihūna, ‘be understood’).
القرآن:١٨:٩٣ –

حَتَّىٰ إِذَا بَلَغَ بَيْنَ السَّدَّيْنِ وَجَدَ مِنْ دُونِهِمَا قَوْمًا لَا يَكَادُونَ يَفْقَهُونَ قَوْلًا  

{حتى إذا بلغ بين السدين} بفتح السين وضمها هنا وبعدهما جبلان بمنقطع بلاد الترك، سد الإسكندر ما بينهما كما سيأتي {وجد من دونهما} أي أمامهما {قوما لا يكادون يفقهون قولاً} أي لا يفهمونه إلا بعد بطء، وفي قراءة بضم الياء وكسر القاف.
quran:18:94 –

They said, "O Dhul-Qarnayn, indeed Gog and Magog are ˹great˺ corrupters in the land. So may we assign for you an expenditure that you might make between us and them a barrier?"  

They said, ‘O Dhū’l-Qarnayn, truly Gog and Magog (read Ya’jūj wa-Ma’jūj or Yājūj wa-Mājūj: these two are non-Arabic names of two tribes and are therefore indeclinable) are causing corruption in the land, plundering and oppressing ˹us˺ when they come forth to attack us. So shall we pay you a tribute, some ˹form of˺ payment (a variant reading ˹for kharjan˺ is kharājan), on condition that you build between us and them a barrier?, an obstruction, so that they will not be able to reach us.
القرآن:١٨:٩٤ –

قَالُوا يَا ذَا الْقَرْنَيْنِ إِنَّ يَأْجُوجَ وَمَأْجُوجَ مُفْسِدُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَهَلْ نَجْعَلُ لَكَ خَرْجًا عَلَىٰ أَنْ تَجْعَلَ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَهُمْ سَدًّا  

{قالوا يا ذا القرنين إن يأجوج ومأجوج} بالهمز وتركه: هما اسمان أعجميان لقبيلتين فلم ينصرفا {مفسدون في الأرض} بالنهب والبغي عند خروجهم إلينا {فهل نجعل لك خرجا} جعلاً من المال وفي قراءة خراجا {على أن تجعل بيننا وبينهم سداً} حاجزا فلا يصلون إلينا.
quran:18:95 –

He said, "That in which my Lord has established me is better ˹than what you offer˺, but assist me with strength; I will make between you and them a dam.  

He said, ‘That, wealth and so on, wherewith my Lord has empowered me (makkannī, a variant reading has makkananī) is better, than the tribute that you offer me, and so I have no need for it. I shall build for you the barrier without ˹demanding˺ a fee; so help me with strength, in that which I ˹will˺ demand from you, and I will build between you and them a rampart, a fortified barricade.
القرآن:١٨:٩٥ –

قَالَ مَا مَكَّنِّي فِيهِ رَبِّي خَيْرٌ فَأَعِينُونِي بِقُوَّةٍ أَجْعَلْ بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَهُمْ رَدْمًا  

{قال ما مكَّني} وفي قراءة بنونين من غير إدغام {فيه رب} من المال وغيره {خير} من خرجكم الذي تجعلونه لي فلا حاجة بي إليه وأجعل لكم السد تبرعا {فأعينوني بقوة} لما أطلبه منكم {أجعل بينكم وبينهم رَدما} حاجزا حصينا.
quran:18:96 –

Bring me sheets of iron" - until, when he had leveled ˹them˺ between the two mountain walls, he said, "Blow ˹with bellows˺," until when he had made it ˹like˺ fire, he said, "Bring me, that I may pour over it molten copper."  

Bring me ingots of iron!’, namely, pieces thereof, as large as the ˹blocks of˺ stone to be used in the construction; he used these ˹ingots˺ in his construction, placing between them firewood and coal. Until, when he had levelled up ˹the gap˺ between the two flanks (read al-sudufayn, or al-sadafayn or al-sudfayn, meaning, the two flanks of the two mountains) he set up bellows and ˹lit a˺ fire around this ˹construction˺ — he said, ‘Blow!’, and they blew, until, when he had made it, namely, the iron, a fire, that is, like a fire, he said, ‘Bring me molten copper to pour over it’ (the two verbs ˹ātūnī, ‘bring me’, and ufrigh, ‘pour’˺ are in contention over this ˹direct object, qitran, ‘molten copper’˺; it ˹this direct object˺ has been omitted before the first ˹verb˺ because it is being governed by the second ˹verb˺). Thus he poured the molten copper over the hot iron so that it penetrated between the ˹individual˺ ingots, making a ˹solid˺ single whole.
القرآن:١٨:٩٦ –

آتُونِي زُبَرَ الْحَدِيدِ ۖ حَتَّىٰ إِذَا سَاوَىٰ بَيْنَ الصَّدَفَيْنِ قَالَ انْفُخُوا ۖ حَتَّىٰ إِذَا جَعَلَهُ نَارًا قَالَ آتُونِي أُفْرِغْ عَلَيْهِ قِطْرًا  

{آتوني زبر الحديد} قطعه على قدر الحجارة التي يبني بها فبنى بها وجعل بينها الحطب والفحم {حتى إذا ساوى بين الصدفين} بضم الحرفين وفتحهما وضم الأول وسكون الثاني، أي جانبي الجبلين بالبناء ووضع المنافخ والنار حول ذلك {قال انفخوا} فنفخوا {حتى إذا جعله} أي الحديد {نارا} أي كالنار {قال آتوني أفرغ عليه قِطرا} هو النحاس المذاب تنازع فيه الفعلان، وحذف من الأول لإعمال الثاني النحاس المذاب على الحديد المحمى فدخل بين زبره فصارا شيئا واحدا.
quran:18:97 –

So Gog and Magog were unable to pass over it, nor were they able ˹to effect˺ in it any penetration.  

And so they, Gog and Magog, were not able to scale it, to climb up its length, because of its ˹great˺ height and smoothness, nor could they pierce it, because of its firmness and thickness.
القرآن:١٨:٩٧ –

فَمَا اسْطَاعُوا أَنْ يَظْهَرُوهُ وَمَا اسْتَطَاعُوا لَهُ نَقْبًا  

{فما اسطاعوا} أي يأجوج ومأجوج {أن يظهروه} يعلوا ظهره لارتفاعه وملاسته {وما استطاعوا له نقبا} لصلابته وسمكه.
quran:18:98 –

˹Dhul-Qarnayn˺ said, "This is a mercy from my Lord; but when the promise of my Lord comes, He will make it level, and ever is the promise of my Lord true."  

Said he, Dhū’l-Qarnayn, ‘This, namely, the barrier, the ability to make it, is a mercy from my Lord, a grace ˹from Him˺, because it prevents them from coming forth. But when the promise of my Lord comes to pass, ˹the promise˺ of their coming forth, which will be near ˹the time of˺ the Resurrection, He will level it, pulverised and flattened, for my Lord’s promise, of their coming forth and ˹of˺ other things, is ˹always˺ true’, it will be. God, exalted be He says:
القرآن:١٨:٩٨ –

قَالَ هَٰذَا رَحْمَةٌ مِنْ رَبِّي ۖ فَإِذَا جَاءَ وَعْدُ رَبِّي جَعَلَهُ دَكَّاءَ ۖ وَكَانَ وَعْدُ رَبِّي حَقًّا  

{قال} ذو القرنين {هذا} أي السد، أي الإقدار عليه {رحمة من ربي} نعمة لأنه مانع من خروجهم {فإذا جاء وعد ربي} بخروجهم القريب من البعث {جعله دكاء} مدكوكا مبسوطا {وكان وعد ربي} بخروجهم وغيره {حقا} كائنا قال تعالى:
quran:18:99 –

And We will leave them that day surging over each other, and ˹then˺ the Horn will be blown, and We will assemble them in ˹one˺ assembly.  

And on that day, the day of their coming forth, We shall let some of them surge against others, mixing with one another, on account of their multitude, and the Trumpet, namely, the Horn signalling the Resurrection, shall be blown and We shall gather them, namely, creatures, in one place, on the Day of Resurrection, a ˹single˺ gathering.
القرآن:١٨:٩٩ –

وَتَرَكْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ يَمُوجُ فِي بَعْضٍ ۖ وَنُفِخَ فِي الصُّورِ فَجَمَعْنَاهُمْ جَمْعًا  

{وتركنا بعضهم يومئذ} يوم خروجهم {يموج في بعض} يختلط به لكثرتهم {ونفخ في الصور} أي القرن للبعث {فجمعناهم} أي الخلائق في مكان واحد يوم القيامة {جمعا}.
quran:18:100 –

And We will present Hell that Day to the Disbelievers, on display -  

And on that day We shall present, We shall bring close, Hell to the disbelievers, plain to view,
القرآن:١٨:١٠٠ –

وَعَرَضْنَا جَهَنَّمَ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِلْكَافِرِينَ عَرْضًا  

{وعرضنا} قربنا {جهنم يومئذ للكافرين عرضا}.
quran:18:101 –

Those whose eyes had been within a cover ˹removed˺ from My remembrance, and they were not able to hear.  

those ˹disbelievers˺ whose eyes (alladhīna kānat a‘yunuhum substitutes for al-kāfirīna, ‘the disbelievers’) were masked from My remembrance, namely, the Qur’ān, such that they were blind, unable to be guided thereby, and who could not ˹bear to˺ hear, that is to say, they were unable to listen to what the Prophet used to recite to them, out of spite for him, and so they did not believe therein.
القرآن:١٨:١٠١ –

الَّذِينَ كَانَتْ أَعْيُنُهُمْ فِي غِطَاءٍ عَنْ ذِكْرِي وَكَانُوا لَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ سَمْعًا  

{الذين كانت أعينهم} بدل من الكافرين {في غطاء عن ذكري} أي القرآن فهم عمي لا يهتدون به {وكانوا لا يستطيعون سمعا} أي لا يقدرون أن يسمعوا من النبي ما يتلو عليهم بغضا له فلا يؤمنون به.