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History Of Dhul-Qarnain
By: Captshittu Date: July 27, 2017, 11:40 am
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THE STORY OF DHUL-QARNAIN
The following is a biography of him:
Allah the Almighty says:
{And they ask you about Dhul-Qarnain. Say: "I shall recite to
you something of his story." Verily, We established him in the
earth, and We gave him the means of everything. So he followed a
way. Until, when he reached the setting place of the sun, he
found it setting in a spring of black muddy (or hot) water. And
he found near it a people. We (Allah) said (by inspiration): "O
Dhul-Qarnain! Either you punish them, or treat them with
kindness." He said: "As for him (a disbeliever in the Oneness of
Allah) who does wrong, we shall punish him, and then- he will be
brought back unto his Lord, Who will punish him with a terrible
torment (Hell)."But as for him who believes (in Allah's Oneness)
and works righteousness he shall have the best reward,
(Paradise), and we (Dhul- Qarnain) shall speak unto him mild
words (as instructions)." Then he followed another way. Until,
when he came to the rising place of the sun, he found it rising
on a people for whom We (Allah) had provided no shelter against
the sun. So (it was)! And We knew all about him (Dhul-Qarnain).
Then he followed (another) way. Until, when he reached between
two mountains, he found, before (near) them (those two
mountains), a people who scarcely understood a word. They said:
"O Dhul -Qarnain! Verily Ya'juj and Ma'juj (Gog and Magog) are
doing great mischief in the land. Shall we then pay you a
tribute in order that you might erect a barrier between us and
them?" He said: "That (wealth, authority and power) in which my
Lord had established me is better (than your
tribute). So help me with strength (of men),] will erect between
you and them a barrier. "Give me pieces (blocks) of iron;" then,
when he had filled up the gap between the two mountain-cliffs,
he said: "Blow;" then when he had made them (red as) fire, he
said: "Bring me molten copper to pour over them." So they
(Ya'juj and Ma'juj (Gog and Magog))) could not scale it or dig
through it. Dhul -Qarnain) said: "This is a mercy from my Lord,
but when the Promise of my Lord comes, He shall level it down to
the ground. And the Promise of my Lord is ever true. "}.
(Al-Kahf, 83-98)
Was He a Prophet?
Allah the Almighty praised Dhul-Qarnain in the Glorious Qur'an
for his justice. He ruled over the easts and wests and many
regions where he subjected their peoples and ruled them with
perfect justice. The most likely opinion is that he was just a
king.
Also, he was said to be a Prophet, or a Messenger. However, the
most unlikely opinion thereof was that he was an Angel. The
latter was narrated after the Leader of the Faithful, 'Umar Ibn
Al-Khattab (May Allah be pleased with him) who heard a man
calling another saying: 0 Dhul-Qarnain! He ('Umar) said: Shut
up! Was it not enough with you to name yourselves after the
Prophets, that you take names after those of the Angels?"
It is reported that' Abdullah Ibn 'Amr said: Dhul-Qarnain was a
Prophet. Conversely, Abu Hurairah narrated that Allah's
Messenger (Peace be upon him) said: "I do not know whether
Tubba' was a cursed one or not? And, I do not know whether Hudud
(the Prescribed Penalties) are expiatory for their people or
not? And, I do not know whether Dhul-Qarnain was a Prophet or
not?" (This Hadith is Odd and Strange)
In other narration, Ibn 'Abbas (May Allah be pleased with him)
transmitted a report that goes to the saying that Dhul-Qarnain
was a good king whose work was praised in Allah's Book (the
Glorious Qur'an); he was made victorious; and Al-Khadir was his
minister, leader of his army, and his consultant.
Al-Azraqi and others mentioned that Dhul- Qarnain embraced Islam
at the hands of Ibrahim (Abraham) (Peace be upon him) and that
he circumambulated around the Ka' bah with him and his son,
Isma'il (Peace be upon them). Also, it was narrated after 'Ubaid
Ibn 'Umair and his son, 'Abdullah and others: that Dhul-Qarnain
set out on foot to perform Pilgrimage. Upon hearing this,
Ibrahim (Peace be upon him) welcomed him and invoked Allah for
his sake and gave him advice as well. In addition, Allah the
Almighty subjugated for Dhul-Qarnain the clouds to carry him
wherever he wished. Allah knows best!
Why was he called "Dhul-Qarnain" (i.e. Owner of the two horns)?
This is a controversial issue, that there is not a definite
known reason behind this. Some said: he had something on his
head that looked like two horns. Wahb Ibn Munabih said: He had
two horns of brass on his head. (This interpretation is very
weak)
Some scholars from among the People of the Book (Christians and
Jews) said: This is because he ruled over Persian and Roman
territories. It was also said: that he reached the first ray of
the rising sun on the east and that on the west and he ruled
over all that was in between. (The latter opinion is more likely
true, which is the saying of Az-Zuhari)
Al-Hasan Al-Basri said: He had two braids of hair that he used
to fold up and thus was called "Dhul-Qarnain". And, Ishaq Ibn
Bishr narrated that the grandfather of 'Umar Ibn Shu' aib said:
Dhul Qarnain, once, invited a tyrant king to the way of Allah.
The king hit him on the head and broke one of his horns.
Dhul-Qarnain invited him again and the tyrant broke the second
horn. Thus, he was called "Dhul-Qarnain" .
Narrated Ath-Thawri that 'Ali Ibn Abu Talib (May Allah be
pleased with him) was once asked about Dhul-Qarnain. He replied
saying: He was a rightly-guided and pious man. He invited his
people to Allah, but they hit him on his horn (side of the head)
and he was killed. Allah the Almighty resurrected him and he
invited them again, again they hit him on his second horn and he
was killed (for the second time). Allah the Almighty revived him
and thus he was called "Dhul-Qarnain". In other narrations, it
was narrated by Abu At-Tufail after 'Ali Ibn Abu Talib that he
said: He was neither a Prophet, nor a Messenger, nor an Angel,
but was a godly, pious worshipper.
What's his Name?
Scholars disagreed regarding his name. Az Zubair Ibn Bakkar
narrated after' Abdullah Ibn, Abbas (May Allah be pleased with
him): His name was 'Abdullah Ibn Ad-Dahhak Ibn Ma'd; or Mus'ab
Ibn 'Abdullah Ibn Qinan Ibn Mansur Ibn 'Abdullah Ibn Al-Azd Ibn
Ghauth Ibn Nabt Ibn Malik Ibn Zaid Ibn Kahlan Ibn Saba' Ibn
Qahtan.
It has been narrated in a Hadith that he was from the tribe of
Himyar and that his mQther was Roman, and he was called the
Philosopher for the excellence of his mentality. However,
As-Suhaili said: his name was Marzaban Ibn Marzabah. This was
mentioned by Ibn Hisham who mentioned in another location that
his name was: As-Sa'b Ibn Dhi Mara'id who was the grandfather of
the Tababi'ah and it was him who gave the verdict to the benefit
of Ibrahim (Peace be upon him) pertaining to the well of As-Sab'
.
It was said: He was Afridun Ibn Asfiyan who killed Ad-Dahhak.
Al-Qass Ibn Sa' idah Al-Iyadi said in his famous sermon: 0 folk
of Ayad Ibn As-Sa'b! Dhul-Qarnain ruled over the west. and east,
subjugated the Jinn and mankind, and he lived for two thousand
years. However, all this was just like a twinkle of the eye.
Ad- Daraqutni and Ibn Makula mentioned that his name was Hirmis,
or Hirwis Ibn Qitun Ibn Rumi Ibn Lanti Ibn Kashaukhin Ibn Yunan
Ibn Yafith Ibn Nuh (Noah (Peace be upon him)), and Allah knows
best!
Ishaq Ibn Bishr narrated after Sa'id Ibn Bashir on the authority
of Qatadah as saying: Alexander was (called) Dhul-Qarnain, his
father was the first Caesar, and he was from among the offspring
of Sam Ibn Nuh (Noah (Peace be upon him)).
At this conjecture one should distinguish between two people
who were called Dhul-Qarnain. The first is our pious
Dhul-Qarnain while the second is Alexander Ibn Philips Ibn
Masrim Ibn Hirmis Ibn Maitun Ibn Rumi Ibn Lanti Ibn Yunan Ibn
Yafith Ibn Yunah Ibn Sharkhun Ibn Rumah Ibn Sharfat Ibn Tufil
Ibn Rumi Ibn AI-As far Ibn Yaqz Ibn Al-'lis Ibn Ishaq Ibn
Ibrahim (Peace be upon him). This lineage was stated by Al-Hafiz
Ibn' Asakir in his Tarikh (History). Moreover, he was the
Macedonian, Greek, Egyptian leader who established Alexandria
and basing on whom the Romans set their Calendar. He came after
the first Dhul-Qarnain with a very long time. This was three
hundred years before Jesus (Peace be upon him). His minister was
the famous Philosopher Artatalis. Moreover, he was the one who
killed Dara Ibn Dara, and subjugated the Persian kings and
seized their lands. We only drew the reader's attention to this
because many people think that the two men called "Dhul-Qarnain"
are me, which is a big mistake for there were great differences
between both. The first was a godly, pious, righteous worshipper
of Allah the Almighty, and he was a just king whose minister was
the pious man, Al-Khadlr. Moreover, some scholars stated that he
was a Prophet as well. Whereas, the latter was a polytheist
whose minister was a philosopher as mentioned earlier. In
addition, the time elapsed between them both was more than two
thousand years. Hence, none can miss the great differences and
variance between both of them but an ignorant idiot who know
nothing at all!
Allah's Saying: {And they ask you about Dhul -Qarnain} was
revealed because the people of Quraish asked the Jews of
something about which they would ask the Prophet Muhammad (Peace
be upon him) to test his knowledge. The Jews told them: Ask him
about a man who traveled through the earth, and about some young
men who set out and no one knew what happened to them?
Thereupon, Allah the Almighty revealed the stories of the Owners
of the Cave and that of Dhul-Qarnain. Thus, He said: {Say: I
shall recite to you something of his story}, i.e. enough and
sufficient news about him and his status. Then, He said:
{Verily, We established him in the earth, and We gave him the
means of everything}, i.e. Allah the Almighty expanded his
kingdom and provided him with what might enable him to gain what
he wished to. Narrated Qutaibah that 'Ali Ibn Abu Talib was once
asked about Dhul-Qarnain: how could he reach the east and west?
'Ali replied: The clouds wert subjugated for him, the means (of
everything) were provided to him, and he was given extension
pertaining to the light. 'Ali added: Do you want me to go on?
The man became silent and thereupon, 'Ali (May Allah be pleased
with him) became silent.
Narrated Abu Ishaq As-Subai'i after 'Amr Ibn 'Abdullah
Al-Wada'i: "I heard Mu'awiyah as saying: four persons ruled over
the earth: Sulaiman Ibn Dawud the Prophet (Peace be upon them),
Dhul -Qarnain, a man from the people of Hulwan, and another man.
Someone said: was it Al-Khadir? Mu'awiyah said: No."
Az-Zubair Ibn Bakkar narrated that Sufyan Ath Thawri said: I
have come to know that four persons ruled over the whole earth:
two of them were believers and the other two were disbelievers.
The believing two were: Prophet Sulaiman and Dhul- Qarnain. And,
the disbelieving two were: Namrud and Bikhtinassar." The same
was narrated by Sa' id
Ibn Bashir.
Narrated Ishaq Ibn Bishr after Sa' id Ibn Abu 'Urubah after
Qatadah after Al-Hasan as saying: "Dhul-Qarnain was a king after
Namrud. He was a pious, righteous Muslim who traveled through
the east and west. Allah the Almighty prolonged his life and
granted him victory over the enemies and to ge1 hold of their
properties. He conquered the land, subjugated the people and
traveled through the earth till he reached the east and west.
Allah the Almighty says: {And they ask you about Dhul-Qarnain.
Say: "I shall recite to you something of his story." Verily, We
established him in the earth, and We gave him the means of
everything}, i.e. knowledge of seeking the means of fulfilling
things. Ibn Ishaq said: Muqatil claimed that he used to conquer
the lands and collect treasures, and used to offer the people
two choices: whether they embrace his religion and follow him,
or they be killed.
Ibn 'Abbas, Mujahid, Sa'id Ibn Jubair, 'Ikrimah, 'Ubaid Ibn Ya'
la, As-Sadyi, Qatadah and Ad-Dahhak said: {and We gave him the
means of everything}, i.e. knowledge. Qatadah and Matar
Al-Warraq said: This means landmarks, locations, milestones and
traces of the land. 'Abdur Rahman Ibn laid Ibn Aslam said: this
means languages as he used not to conquer a people but he first
speaks with them in their own language. The most possible and
true explanation is that he knew all means through which he
could fulfill his need or desire. As he used to take from every
conquered region the provisions that enabled him to seize the
next region, and so on.
Some scholars from among the People of the Book (Christians and
Jews) mentioned that he spent one thousand and six hundred years
traveling through the land inviting people to the worship of
Allah the Almighty Who has no partner in His Dominion. But, it
seems that there is some exaggeration in specifying that lengthy
period, and Allah knows best!
Allah's Statement {So he followed a way. Until, when he reached
the setting place of the sun} i.e. he reached the place that no
one can ever overpass, and he stood on the edge of the western
ocean called Oqyanus wherein the islands called Al-Khalidat "The
Eternal Ones". There, he could watch the setting of the sun. {He
found it setting in a spring of black muddy (or hot) water},
i.e. the sea or ocean, as one who stands ashore sees the sun as
if it rises from and sets in the sea. For this he said {he found
it}, i.e. as he thought.
Imam Ahmed narrated after Yazid Ibn Hamn after Al-'Awwam Ibn
Haushab as saying: I was told by a freed-slave of 'Abdullah Ibn
'Amr after 'Abdullah as saying: Allah's Messenger (Peace be upon
him) looked at the sun when it sat and said: "In Allah's blazing
fire. Were it not for its prevention by Allah's Command, it
would burn all that is on earth." (This Hadith is very Strange
and Odd and surely it is not an Authentic one)
Dhul-Qarnain is Seeking the Eye of Life:
Ibn 'Asakir reported a lengthy narration in which: Dhul-Qarnain
had a friend from among the Angels called Ranaqil. Dhul-Qarnain
asked him: Do you know the place on earth called "the Eye of
Life"? The Angel described to him its location. Dhul-Qarnain set
out seeking it appointing Al-Khadir as his harbinger. Al-Khadir
came upon it in the land of darkness and he drank thereof. But,
Dhul-Qarnain did not make it. However, Dhul-Qarnain met with a
group of Angels in a palace there and he was given a stone. When
he returned to his army, he asked the scholars who put it on a
scale and put on the other one thousand stones of the like
(weight and shape). However, the scale containing the first
stone tilted. He, then, asked Al-Khadir who put on the other
scale a single stone and a handful of dry dust. Al- Khadir's
scale tilted this time. He then commented saying: "This is like
the son of Adam, he is never satisfied till he is buried
(covered with dust)". Thereupon, the scholars prostrated
themselves before him as a sign of respect and honor; and Allah
knows best!
Then, Allah the Almighty informs us that Dhul-Qarnain gave
verdicts pertaining to the people of that region {We (Allah)
said (by inspiration): "0 Dhul Qarnain! Either you punish them,
or treat them with kindness." He said: "As for him (a
disbeliever , in the Oneness of Allah) who does wrong, we shall
! punish him, and then he will be brought back unto his Lord,
Who will punish him with a terrible torment (Hell)} i.e. he
tastes the torment in this present life and in the Hereafter. He
began with the torment of the present life for its more
difficult in the sight of the disbeliever. {But as for him who
believes (in Allah's Oneness) and works righteousness he shall
have the best reward, (Paradise), and we (Dhul-Qarnain) shall
speak unto him mild words (as instructions)} where he started
with the reward of the Hereafter which is most important and he
added thereto kindness, i.e. justice, knowledge and faith. Allah
the Almighty says {Then he followed another way}, i.e. he
followed a way to return back from the west to the east. Some
say that it took him twelve years to return to the east. {Until,
when he came to the rising place of the sun, he found it rising
on a people for whom We (Allah) had provided no shelter against
the sun}, i.e. they do not have houses or any shelters to save
them from the blazing sun. Some scholars say: they used to
resort to trenches dug in the earth to shelter then from the
burning rays of the sun. Then, Allah the Almighty says: {So (it
was)! And We knew all about him (Dhul-Qarnain)}, i.e. Allah
knows all about his affairs; He preserves and keeps him during
his travels through the land from the west to the east and vice
versa.
It was narrated after' Ubaid Ibn 'Umair, his son 'Abdullah and
others that Dhul-Qarnain performed Pilgrimage on foot. Upon
hearing that, Ibrahim (Peace be upon him) met him and on their
meeting he invoked Allah for his sake, and advised him. It was
said also that he was brought a horse to ride, but he said: I do
not ride (on the back of horses) in a land wherein Prophet
Ibrahim (Peace be upon him). Hence, Allah the Almighty
subjugated for him the clouds, and Ibrahim (Peace be upon him)
gave him the glad tidings pertaining to this. The clouds used to
carry him anywhere he wished for. Allah the Almighty says:
{then, he followed (another) way. Until, when he reached between
two mountains, he found, before (near) them (those two
mountains), a people who scarcely understood a word}, i.e. they
were ignorant. It was said that they were the Turk,[1] cousins
of Gog and Magog. However, they told him that Gog and Magog
wronged them and practiced mischief in their land. They offered
him a tribute for that he builds a barrier (dam) preventing them
from raiding over them. He refused to take the tribute they
offered him finding sufficiency in that which Allah the Almighty
has given him, so {He said: "That (wealth, authority and power)
in which my Lord had established me is better (than your
tribute)}. Then, he asked them to bring him men and tools to
erect the barrier between them. Gog and Magog could only reach
them from that place located between two mountain-cliffs. The
other paths were either vast seas, or high mountains.
Consequently, he erected it using iron and molten copper: he put
iron instead of bricks and molten copper instead of clay. Allah
the Almighty commented, {So they (Gog and Magog) could not scale
it} with escalators, {or dig through it} with axes or picks.
{(Dhul-Qarnain) said: "This is a mercy from my Lord} i.e. Allah
the Almighty decreed this to be a mercy from Him to His slaves
that they no longer assaulted by Gog and Magog. {But when the
Promise of my Lord comes} i.e. the time He decided for them (Gog
and Magog) to demolish it and get out attacking mankind near the
Last Hour, {He shall level it down to the ground} this will
inevitably take place. As He says {And the Promise of my Lord is
ever true}, and {Until, when Gog and Magog are let loose (from
their barrier), and they swoop down from every mound. And the
true promise (Day of Resurrection) shall draw near (of
fulfillment). Then (when mankind is resurrected from their
graves), you shall see the eyes of the disbelievers fixedly
staring in horror. (They will say): Woe to us! We were indeed
heedless of this nay, but we were Zalimun (polytheists and wrong
doers)}. (Al-Anbiya', 96, 97) Allah the Almighty says: {We shall
leave them to surge like waves"on one another} i.e. on the day
Gog and Magog will come out, {and the Trumpet will be blown, and
We shall collect them (the creatures) all together}.
Narrated Abu Dawud At- Tyalisi after Ath -Thawri saying: I have
been informed that the first human being to shake hands (with
someone else) was Dhul-Qarnain. Moreover, it was narrated on the
authority of Ka'b Al-Ahbar that he said to Mu'awiyah:
Dhul-Qarnain on his death-bed told his mother, after his death,
to prepare food and gather the women of the city and invite them
to eat save anyone who lost any of her children (she should not
eat thereof). The mother did as she asked, and none of them
stretched a hand towards the food. She said: Glory be to Allah!
Did you all lost children? They answered: By Allah! Yes we did.
And, this was a great condolence for her.
Ishaq mentioned after Bishr Ibn 'Abdullah Ibn Ziyad after some
of the People of the Book (Christians and Jews) the will of
Dhul-Qarnain, an eloquent and lengthy advice, and that he died
at the age of three thousand years. (This is very odd and
strange)
Ibn 'Asakir said: I was informed that he lived for about
thirty-six years. Others said: he lived for thirty-two years and
that he came seven hundred and forty years after Dawud (David)
(Peace be upon him). He came after Adam (Peace be upon him) with
five thousand and one hundred eighty-one years and that his
reign lasted for sixteen years. But, that which he related is
true as for the Macedonian Alexander and not our Dhul-Qarnain.
He thus mixed the former with the latter and this is perfectly
wrong.
Among those who mixed them and declared both to be just one,
was Imam 'Abdul Malik Ibn Hisham (Narrator of the Prophet's
Biography), which was denied and rejected by Al-Hafiz Abu
Al-Qasim As Suhaili. He severely refuted his sayings and set
clear boundaries between the two persons as mentioned earlier.
He said: May be some of the former kings called themselves
"Dhul-Qarnain" following the example of the first true one; and
Allah knows best!
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