سورة الكهف

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family): He was named Zulqarnain because he travelled around the two horns of the world, meaning its east and its west.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Abu Basir said: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about the interpretation of this verse: وَ یَسْئَلُونَکَ عَنْ ذِی الْقَرْنَیْنِ قُلْ سَأَتْلُوا عَلَیْکُمْ مِنْهُ ذِکْراً [And they ask you about Zulqarnain. Say: I will recite to you an account of him]. The Imam (peace be upon him) said: "Allah sent Zulqarnain to his people, and they struck him on the right side of his forehead. So Allah caused him to die for five hundred years, and after that raised him up again. They struck him on the left side of his forehead. So Allah caused him to die for five hundred years, and after that raised him up again and placed the west and east of the earth under his authority — from where the sun rises to where it sets. This is the meaning of Allah's words: 'Until he reached the setting-place of the sun, [and there] he perceived [and it appeared to him] that the sun set in a dark, muddy spring… and Allah will punish him with a severe punishment!' (Kahf/86–87)." The Imam (peace be upon him) said: "In the fire. Zulqarnain built a door before them of copper, iron, pitch and tar, and blocked their coming out. Not one of them dies without a thousand male offspring being born from his loins. They are, after the angels, the most numerous of created beings."

Amir al-Mu'minin Ali (peace be upon him) was asked: "Was Zulqarnain a prophet or an angel?" The Imam (peace be upon him) said: "He was neither a prophet nor an angel. Rather he was only a servant among the servants of Allah who loved Him, and Allah loved him in return, and he had sincerity of intention. Allah sent him to his people. They struck him on the right side of his forehead and he lay unconscious for the period Allah willed. Then he was raised up again, and this time they struck him on the left side, and again by Allah's will he lay unconscious for a time, until he was raised up a third time and Allah gave him power upon the earth. And among you is one like him — meaning himself, Imam Ali (peace be upon him). He reached the setting-place of the sun and saw the sun setting in a dark, muddy spring, and he found there a people. 'We said: O Zulqarnain! Do you wish to punish [them], or to adopt a kind way with them?' (Kahf/86). Zulqarnain said: 'As for one who has done wrong, we shall punish him; then he will be returned to his Lord, and Allah will punish him with a severe punishment!' (Kahf/87). Then [again] he made use of the means [available to him] (Kahf/89) — meaning a sign and guide — until he reached the rising-place of the sun, [and there] he saw the sun rising upon a people for whom We had made no cover against [the rays of] the sun [and they had no shelter at all] (Kahf/90). He said: they did not know the craft of sewing clothes. Then [again] he made use of the means [available to him] (Kahf/89) — meaning a proof and sign — [and he continued on his way] until he reached between two mountains, and beside those two (mountains) he found a people who understood almost no speech [their language was peculiar to themselves]. [That group] said to him: 'O Zulqarnain! Yajuj and Majuj cause corruption in this land. May we assign to you a payment, that you may set up a barrier between us and them?' (Kahf/93–94). Zulqarnain said: 'That which my Lord has placed at my disposal is better [than what you propose]! Aid me with strength, that I may set up a strong barrier between you and them! (Kahf/95–96).' They brought it to him, and he placed it between the two escarpments — meaning the two mountains — and by it he filled the empty space between the two mountains. Then he ordered them to bring fire. When they brought fire, they made the iron molten with it and poured copper upon it and sealed the cleft completely. This is the meaning of Allah's words: 'Bring me great pieces of iron [and stack them one upon another]!' until when he had completely covered [the space] between the two mountains, he said: '[Kindle fire around it, and] blow into it!' [They blew] until it made the pieces of iron red and molten… to bore through it (Kahf/96–97). Zulqarnain said: 'This is a mercy from my Lord! But when my Lord's promise comes, He will crumble it down; and my Lord's promise is true! (Kahf/98).' At the end of time, before the Day of Resurrection, this barrier will be destroyed and Yajuj and Majuj will come out and devour people. This is the meaning of this verse: 'Until when Yajuj and Majuj are opened, and they descend swiftly from every elevation.' (Anbiya/96). Zulqarnain went to the west, and on his way came to a village and roared like an enraged lion; from his roar there arose darkness, thunder, lightning and thunderbolts that destroyed those who opposed and were his enemies. As soon as he reached the west of the sun, all the people of the earth came under his rule. This verse refers to this matter: 'We gave him power and dominion upon the earth, and We placed the means of everything at his disposal.' (Kahf/84) — meaning a sign. It was said to Zulqarnain: 'Allah has a spring on the earth called the Spring of Life, and any living creature that drinks of its water will not die until the Day of Resurrection.' Zulqarnain summoned Khidr (peace be upon him), who was the best of his companions, along with three hundred and sixty other men, and gave each of them one fish and said: 'Go to such-and-such a place, for there are three hundred and sixty springs there. Each of you should wash his fish in one of those springs.' They went and did so. When Khidr (peace be upon him) was sitting and washing his fish, the fish jumped out of his hand and went into the spring. Khidr (peace be upon him) was greatly astonished at what he had seen and said to himself: 'What answer shall I give Zulqarnain?' Then he took off his clothes and went after the fish and drank of that water, but he could not catch the fish. So they returned to Zulqarnain. Zulqarnain ordered the fish to be taken from his companions. When it was Khidr's (peace be upon him) turn, the fish was not with him. Zulqarnain summoned him and asked him: 'What became of the fish?' Khidr (peace be upon him) told him the story of the fish. Zulqarnain asked: 'When the fish escaped, what did you do?' Khidr (peace be upon him) answered: 'I swam in the water and searched for the fish, but I did not find it.' Zulqarnain asked: 'Did you drink of that water?' Khidr (peace be upon him) answered: 'Yes.' Then Zulqarnain searched for the spring and did not find it, so he said to Khidr (peace be upon him): 'You are the master of that spring.'"

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): Asbagh said: Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) was on the pulpit when Ibn al-Kawwa' went to him and asked: "O Amir al-Mu'minin! Inform me about Zulqarnain — was he a prophet or a king? And inform me about his horns — were they of gold or of silver?" Imam Ali (peace be upon him) replied: "He was neither a prophet nor a king. Nor were his horns of gold or of silver. He was only a servant who loved Allah, and Allah too loved him; and he was sincere towards Allah, and Allah too was sincere towards him. The reason he was named Zulqarnain was that he called his people to Allah, the Mighty and Majestic. They struck him on his horn [the side of his head], and he disappeared from their sight for a time. Then he returned to them, and they struck him with a sword on his other horn. And among you too there is one like him."

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) and Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Burayd ibn Mu'awiya said: I asked Imam Baqir or Imam Sadiq (peace be upon them): "Among those who have passed, whom do you most resemble?" He said: "Khidr (peace be upon him) and Zulqarnain, who were learned but were not prophets."

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): The first two persons on the face of the earth to shake hands with each other were Zulqarnain and Ibrahim al-Khalil (peace be upon him) — Ibrahim came out to welcome Zulqarnain and shook hands with him. And the first tree that grew on the face of the earth was the date-palm.

Imam Kazim (peace be upon him): Zulqarnain came to kingship at twelve years of age, and ruled for thirty years.

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): Abu Uqba al-Ansari said: I was in the service of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) when a group of Jews came and said, "Ask permission for us from Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family)." I informed him, and they came to him and said, "Tell us about the things we have come to ask you about." He said, "You have come to me to ask me about Zulqarnain." They said, "Yes." He said, "He was a young man from the people of Rum, sincere to Allah the Mighty and Majestic; so Allah loved him and he became master of the earth. He travelled until he came to the setting place of the sun. Then he travelled toward the rising place of the sun. Then he travelled toward the army of Yajuj and Majuj, and there he built the barrier." They said, "We bear witness that this was indeed his affair, and it is in the Torah."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Zulqarnain made a chest of glass and carried it with him throughout his journey. Then he set out by ship on the sea. When he had gone forward some distance, he said to his companions: "Lower me into the sea by a rope; if I shake the rope, pull me up, otherwise send me down to the depth of the sea." They sent him into the sea and let the rope down for a length of forty days. Beneath the water Zulqarnain sensed that someone was striking his glass chest, and he was asked: "O Zulqarnain, where are you going?" He said: "I want to see the kingdom of my Lord beneath the water just as I have seen His kingdom on the dry land." He said: "O Zulqarnain! Nuh (peace be upon him) also passed through this place at the time of the flood and travelled this route. Suddenly an antique object which he was fond of fell into the water, and from that moment until now it has still not reached the bottom of the water." When Zulqarnain heard this speech, he shook the rope and came out of the water.

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): Ibn al-Warqa said: I asked the Commander of the Faithful Ali (peace be upon him) about Zulqarnain and his two horns. He said: "Perhaps you suppose that his horns were of gold or silver, or that he was a prophet (peace be upon him and his family). It is not so. He was a righteous servant whom Allah sent to a people, and he called them to Allah and to good; but a man from among the people rose up and struck the left side of his head, and he died. Then Allah sent him again and brought him back to life, and sent him to a people, and a man rose up and struck the right side of his head, and he died. So He named him Zulqarnain (the one with two horns)."

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Zulqarnain set out for the Hajj of the Sacred House of Allah with six hundred thousand horsemen. When he entered the Haram, some of his companions escorted him to the House of Allah. When he returned from Hajj, he related: 'I saw a very luminous man there.' They said: 'He was Ibrahim Khalil al-Rahman (peace be upon him).' He said: 'Prepare the horses.' Six hundred thousand mounts were bridled and made ready, and he ordered them to go towards Ibrahim al-Khalil (peace be upon him). When he and his companions reached Ibrahim (peace be upon him), Ibrahim (peace be upon him) said: 'How and by what means have you traversed the whole world?' He said: 'By means of eleven phrases: [سُبْحَانَ مَنْ هُوَ بَاقٍ لَا یَفْنَی [Glorified is the Everlasting One who does not perish], سُبْحَانَ مَنْ هُوَ عَالِمٌ لَا یَنْسَی [Glorified is the Knowing One who does not forget], سُبْحَانَ مَنْ هُوَ حَافِظٌ لَا یَسْقُطُ [Glorified is the Preserving One who does not lapse], سُبْحَانَ مَنْ هُوَ بَصِیرٌ لَا یَرْتَابُ [Glorified is the Seeing One who does not doubt], سُبْحَانَ مَنْ هُوَ قَیُّومٌ لَا یَنَامُ [Glorified is the Self-Subsisting One who never rests], سُبْحَانَ مَنْ هُوَ مَلِکٌ لَا یُرَامُ [Glorified is the Sovereign and Master who is under no one's authority], سُبْحَانَ مَنْ هُوَ عَزِیزٌ لَا یُضَامُ [Glorified is the Mighty and Powerful One who is not overcome], سُبْحَانَ مَنْ هُوَ مُحْتَجِبٌ لَا یُرَی [Glorified is the One veiled in the unseen who is not seen], سُبْحَانَ مَنْ هُوَ وَاسِعٌ لَا یَتَکَلَّفُ [Glorified is the Expansive One who is not put to any trouble], سُبْحَانَ مَنْ هُوَ قَائِمٌ لَا یَلْهُو [Glorified is the Ever-Standing One who does not divert Himself], سُبْحَانَ مَنْ هُوَ دَائِمٌ لَا یَسْهُو [Glorified is the Eternal One who is never subject to lapse or error]].'

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Allah gave kingship only to four prophets, all four of whom were sent after Nuh: the first of them was Zulqarnain, whose real name was Ayyash, and after him Dawud, Sulayman and Yusuf (peace be upon them) attained kingship. Ayyash held sway over the earth from east to west. The domain of Dawud and Sulayman (peace be upon them) was from Sham up to Istakhr, and the kingdom of Yusuf (peace be upon him) was Egypt and the deserts around it.

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Surah ibn Kulayb narrates: Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) said: 'Zulqarnain was given the choice between two clouds. He chose the tame cloud, and left the difficult cloud for your master (Hazrat Mahdi, may Allah hasten his noble relief).' I asked: 'What is the difficult cloud?' He said: 'Every cloud that produces thunder and lightning is the mount of your master. He rides upon the clouds and travels towards the means of the seven heavens and the seven layers of the earth — five of which are inhabited and two of which are ruined.'

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, gave Zulqarnain the choice between two clouds, and he chose the tame cloud — that is, the cloud which has neither thunder nor lightning. Had he chosen the other cloud, he would not have become its master, because Allah has kept it for the Qa'im of the family of Muhammad (peace be upon him).

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Zulqarnain was not a prophet, but he was a righteous servant who loved Allah and Allah loved him. He gave sincere counsel to Allah and Allah gave sincere counsel to him. He called his people to the piety of Allah, but they struck him on the side of his forehead and he remained unconscious for a time. When he regained consciousness, they struck him on the other side. Among you there is one like him. He was given the choice between two clouds, a difficult one and a docile one, and he chose the docile one and mounted it. Whenever he came down upon a people, he was his own messenger to them, so that the messengers would not be denied.

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): Zulqarnain was a righteous servant of Allah whom Allah made a proof and a sign for the people. He called his people to the piety of Allah, but they struck him on the side of his forehead and he remained unconscious for a time, so much so that it was thought he had died and no one knew what had befallen him. Then he regained consciousness, and this time they struck him on the other side. Among you there is one like him. Allah the Mighty and Majestic gave him of everything in the earth, and by this he was able to traverse from the east to the west of the earth. Allah will also carry out this same practice with regard to the Qa'im of the Family of Muhammad (may Allah hasten his noble relief), and He will cause him to reach the easts and wests of the earth, so that there will not remain any plain or hill upon which Zulqarnain set foot without him also setting foot upon it. Allah will open up for him the treasures and mines of the earth, and will aid him by casting fear into the hearts of the people. The earth will be filled with justice just as it had been filled with oppression and injustice.

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): Asbagh ibn Nubata narrates: Amir al-Mu'minin Ali (peace be upon him) was asked about Zulqarnain. He said: "He was a righteous servant, and his name was Ayyash. Allah chose him and, after the flood of Nuh (peace be upon him), sent him to one of the earliest communities in the region of the west. They struck him on the right side of his head and killed him, and Allah brought him back to life after a hundred years. Then He sent him to one of the earliest communities in the region of the east. They rejected him and struck him on the left side of his head, and he died from that blow. Then Allah brought him back to life after a hundred years, and in the hollow places that had formed from those two blows He placed two horns, and He set the might of his kingdom and the sign of his prophethood in his horns. Then Allah raised him up to the lower heaven and showed him the whole earth — its mountains, plains and valleys — and he saw everything that lies between east and west. Allah gave him a knowledge by which he could distinguish truth from falsehood, and placed in his horn a power from the sky, containing darknesses, thunder and lightning. Then He returned him to the earth and revealed to him: travel through the west and the east of the earth, for indeed I have placed the lands at your disposal and made My servants obedient to you, so that they fear you and your awe. So Zulqarnain went towards the west, and whenever he passed a village he would roar like an enraged lion, and from the two horns on his head darkness, thunder, lightning and thunderbolts would flash forth, destroying all who opposed him. The east and west of the world became obedient to him, and Allah says concerning this: إِنَّا مَکَّنَّا لَهُ فِی الْأَرْضِ وَ آتَیْنَاهُ مِنْ کُلِّ شَیْءٍ سَبَبًا [We established him in the earth and gave him the means of everything] (Kahf/84). Then he continued his journey فَسَارَ حَتَّی إِذَا بَلَغَ مَغْرِبَ الشَّمْسِ وَجَدَهَا تَغْرُبُ فِی عَیْنٍ حَمِئَةٍ [until when he reached the setting-place of the sun, he perceived — and it was pictured to him — that the sun was setting in a dark, muddy spring] (Kahf/86). أَمَّا مَنْ ظَلَمَ وَ لَمْ یُؤْمِنْ بِرَبِّهِ فَسَوْفَ نُعَذِّبُهُ [As for one who does wrong and does not believe in his Lord, we shall punish him] — that is, in this world with the punishment of this world — then on his return he will be returned to his Lord (Kahf/87), and Allah will punish him with a severe punishment (Kahf/87), and we shall give him an easy command. Then [again] he made use of the means [that were at his disposal] (Kahf/89-90) — that is, Zulqarnain followed a sign from the sun. Then Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) said: "When Zulqarnain reached the dark, muddy spring together with the sun, he saw the sun setting into it, and beside the sun he saw seventy thousand angels who were pulling the sun into the water with iron chains and hooks, and then, at its rising, they were pulling it with chains on the right side of the earth — just as a ship moves upon the water. When Zulqarnain reached, together with the sun, the place of its rising, he found it rising upon a people for whom We had made no covering against [the blaze of] the sun [and they had no shelter of any kind]. [Yes,] thus it was [the affair of Zulqarnain]! And We were fully aware of the resources he had (Kahf/90-91)." Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) said: "Zulqarnain went to a people whom the sun had burnt and whose bodies and colour it had altered and blackened. Then he set out in the region of darkness, following a sign and a guide. [And he continued on his way] until he reached between two mountains, and beside those two [mountains] he found a people who could hardly understand any speech [and whose language was peculiar to themselves]. [That group] said to him: 'O Zulqarnain! Ya'juj and Ma'juj cause corruption in this land (Kahf/93-94); they are behind these two mountains, and when the season for reaping our harvest comes, they come out from behind these two barriers and devour all our crops and produce and leave nothing of them. Is it possible that we set aside a payment for you (Kahf/94), and pay you that tribute every year, so that you build a barrier between us and them?' (Kahf/94)." The Imam said: "The iron mountain appeared small in his sight, and they melted the iron like milk, and he poured the iron between those two mountains one upon another. Zulqarnain was the first to build a structure upon the earth. Then he gathered firewood and kindled a fire upon it, placed bellows on the fire, and the people blew upon the fire. When the iron melted, Zulqarnain said: 'Bring me red copper.' So they brought him a mountain of copper and cast it upon the iron, and the copper melted and mixed with the iron. Zulqarnain [in the end built such a strong barrier] that they [the tribe of Ya'juj and Ma'juj] were unable to climb over it, nor were they able to make a hole in it (Kahf/97) — that is, Ya'juj and Ma'juj. [Then] he said: 'This is a mercy from my Lord! But when the promise of my Lord comes, He will crush it to pieces, and the promise of my Lord is true!' (Kahf/98)."

Imam Kazim (peace be upon him): Aswad ibn Razin al-Qadi said: I came to Imam Kazim (peace be upon him). He had never seen me before. He said: "Are you from the people of the Sadd (the barrier)?" I said: "I am from the people of the Bab (the gate)." Again he said: "Are you from the people of the Sadd?" I said: "From the people of the Bab." He said: "You are from the people of the Sadd." I said: "Yes." He said: "That is the same Sadd (barrier) which Iskandar Zulqarnain built."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Abu Basir said: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about the interpretation of this verse: وَ یَسْئَلُونَکَ عَنْ ذِی الْقَرْنَیْنِ قُلْ سَأَتْلُوا عَلَیْکُمْ مِنْهُ ذِکْراً [And they ask you about Zulqarnain. Say: I will recite to you an account of him]. The Imam (peace be upon him) said: "Allah sent Zulqarnain to his people, and they struck him on the right side of his forehead. So Allah caused him to die for five hundred years, and then raised him again. They struck him on the left side of his forehead. So Allah caused him to die for five hundred years, and then raised him again, and gave him dominion over the east and west of the earth — from where the sun rises to where it sets. This is the meaning of the saying of Allah, who said: حَتَّی إِذا بَلَغَ مَغْرِبَ الشَّمْسِ وَجَدَها تَغْرُبُ فِی عَیْنٍ حَمِئَةٍ [Until, when he reached the setting-place of the sun, (there) he perceived (and it appeared to him) that the sun was setting in a dark and muddy spring, and there he found a people. We said: 'O Zulqarnain! Either you punish (them), or adopt a good way in their case.' He said: 'As for the one who has wronged, we shall punish him; then he will be returned to his Lord, and He will punish him with a severe punishment!'] (Kahf/86-87)." The Imam (peace be upon him) said: "In the Fire." Zulqarnain built a door before them of copper, iron, pitch and tar, and prevented them from coming out. Then Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: "None of them dies until a thousand male children are born from his loins." Then he said: "After the angels, they are the most numerous population of created beings."

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): A man came to Imam Ali (peace be upon him) and said to him: "O Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him)! Tell me about Zulqarnain." His Eminence said to him: "The clouds were made subservient to him, the means were brought near for him, and light was spread out for him." The man asked him: "What is the meaning of the spreading out of light?" The Imam (peace be upon him) answered: "The night for him was as bright as the day."

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) related the account of Musa, Yusha ibn Nun and Khidr, they asked him: "Who was the one who traversed the east and the west, and what is his story?" It was at this time that Allah revealed this verse: وَ یَسْئَلُونَکَ عَنْ ذِی الْقَرْنَیْنِ قُلْ سَأَتْلُوا عَلَیْکُمْ مِنْهُ ذِکْراً إِنَّا مَکَّنَّا لَهُ فِی الْأَرْضِ وَ آتَیْناهُ مِنْ کُلِّ شَیْءٍ سَبَباً [And they ask you about Zulqarnain. Say: I will recite to you an account of him. Indeed, We established him upon the earth, and We gave him from every thing a means].

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): وَ یَسْئَلُونَکَ عَنْ ذِی الْقَرْنَیْنِ [And they ask you about Zulqarnain], concerning the building of the barrier, [it is narrated] from Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) that he said: "[Zulqarnain, by building the barrier,] became a barrier between Ya'juj and Ma'juj and their coming out."