Surah 18. Al-Kahf

thus [We had made them, and thus he left them⁹² ]; and We did encompass with Our knowledge all that he had in mind.⁹³

  - Mohammad Asad

This is Razi's interpretation of the isolated expression kadhalika ("thus" or "thus it was") occurring here. It obviously relates to the primitive, natural state of those people who needed no clothes to protect them from the sun, and to the (implied) fact that Dhu 'l-Qarnayn left them as he had found them, being mindful not to upset their mode of life and thus to cause them misery.

Lit., "all that was with him" - i.e., his resolve not to "corrupt [or "change"] God's creation" (cf. the second half of my note [141] on {4: 119}) - which, I believe, is a further ethical lesson to be derived from this parable.

He left them as they were: We had full knowledge what priority was before him.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

So (it was). And We knew all concerning him.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And once again he chose the right means [to achieve a right end].

  - Mohammad Asad

Then he set out on another expedition and marched on

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Then he followed a road

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

[And he marched on] till, when he reached [a place] between the two mountain-barriers,⁹⁴ he found beneath them a people who could scarcely understand a word [of his language].

  - Mohammad Asad

This is generally assumed to be the Caucasus. However, since neither the Qur'an nor any authentic Tradition says anything about the location of these "two mountain-barriers" or the people who lived there, we can safely dismiss all the speculations advanced by the commentators on this score as irrelevant, the more so as the story of Dhu 'I-Qarnayn aims at no more than the illustration of certain ethical principles in a parabolic manner.

till he reached between two mountains where he found a people who could hardly understand his language.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Till, when he came between the two mountains, he found upon their hither side a folk that scarce could understand a saying.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

They said: "O thou Two-Horned One! Behold, Gog and Magog⁹⁵ are spoiling this land. May we, then pay unto thee a tribute on the understanding that thou wilt erect a barrier between us and them?"

  - Mohammad Asad

This is the form in which these names (in Arabic, Yajuj and Majuj) have achieved currency in all European languages on the basis of certain vague references to them in the Bible (Genesis x, 2, I Chronicles i, 5, Ezekiel xxxviii, 2 and xxxix, 6, Revelation of St. John xx, 8). Most of the post-classical commentators identify these tribes with the Mongols and Tatars (see note [100] below).

They requested: "O Zul-Qarnain! People of Gog and Magog ravage this land; should we pay you tribute in order for you to build a wall-barrier between us and them?"

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

They said: O Dhul-Qarneyn! Lo! Gog and Magog are spoiling the land. So may we pay thee tribute on condition that thou set a barrier between us and them?

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

He answered: "That wherein my Sustainer has so securely established me is better [than anything that you could give me];⁹⁶ hence, do but help me with [your labour's] strength, [and] I shall erect a rampart between you and them!

  - Mohammad Asad

It is generally assumed that the phrase "that wherein my Sustainer has so securely established me (makkanni)" refers to the power and wealth bestowed on him; but it is much more probable - and certainly more consistent with the ethical tenor of the whole parable of Dhu ‘l-Qarnayn - that it refers to God’s guidance rather than to worldly possessions.

Zul-Qarnain said: "That which my Rabb has granted me is more than enough, just help me with worker-force and I will erect a fortified barrier between you and them.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

He said: That wherein my Lord hath established me better (than your tribute). Do but help me with strength (of men), I will set between you and them a bank.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Bring me ingots of iron!" Then, after he had [piled up the iron and] filled the gap between the two mountain-sides, he said: "[Light a fire and] ply your bellows!"⁹⁷ At length, when he had made it [glow like] fire, he commanded: "Bring me molten copper which I may pour upon it."

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "Blow!"

Bring me panels of iron." Finally when he had dammed up the space between the two mountains, he said: "Ply your bellows." They did so until the iron wall became red hot, then he said: "Bring me some molten brass to pour over it."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Give me pieces of iron--till, when he had levelled up (the gap) between the cliffs, he said: Blow!--till, when he had made it a fire, he said: Bring me molten copper to pour thereon.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And thus [the rampart was built, and] their enemies⁹⁸ were unable to scale it, and neither were they able to pierce it.

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "they".

This became such a barrier that Gog and Magog could not scale it or to dig through it.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And (Gog and Magog) were not able to surmount, nor could they pierce (it).

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Said [the King]: "This is a mercy from my Sustainer! Yet when the time appointed by my Sustainer⁹⁹ shall come, He will make this [rampart] level with the ground: and my Sustainer's promise always comes true!"¹⁰⁰

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "my Sustainer's promise".

Some of the classical commentators (e.g., Tabari) regard this as a prediction of a definite, historic event: namely, the future break-through of the savage tribes of "Gog and Magog", who are conceived of as identical with the Mongols and Tatars (see note [95] above). This "identification" is mainly based on a well-authenticated Tradition - recorded by Ibn Hanbal, Bukhari and Muslim - which tells us that the Apostle of God had a prophetic dream to which he referred on awakening, with an exclamation of distress: "There is no deity save God! Woe unto the Arabs from a misfortune that is approaching: a little gap has been opened today in the rampart of Gog and Magog!" Ever since the late Middle Ages, Muslims have been inclined to discern in this dream a prediction of the great Mongol invasion in the thirteenth century, which destroyed the Abbasid Empire and, thus, the political power of the Arabs. However, the mention, in verses {99-101} of this surah, of "the Day" - i.e., the Day of Judgment - in connection with "Gog and Magog" shows that "the time appointed by my Sustainer" relates to the coming of the Last Hour, when all works of man will be destroyed. But since none of the Qur'anic references to the "approach" or the "nearness" of the Last Hour has anything to do with the human concept of time, it is possible to accept both of the above interpretations as equally valid in the sense that the "coming of the Last Hour" comprises an indefinite - and, in human terms, perhaps even immensely long - span of time, and that the break-through of the godless forces of "Gog and Magog" was to be one of the signs of its approach. And, finally, it is most logical to assume (especially on the basis of {21: 96-97}) that the terms Yajuj and Majuj are purely allegorical, applying not to any specific tribes or beings but to a series of social catastrophes which would cause a complete destruction of man's civilization before the coming of the Last Hour.

He said: "This is a blessing from my Rabb. But you should know that when the promise of my Rabb shall come to pass, He will level it to the ground, for the promise of my Rabb is ever true."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

He said: This is a mercy from my Lord; but when the promise of my Lord cometh to pass, He will lay it low, for the promise of my Lord is true.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

AND ON that Day¹⁰¹ We shall [call forth all mankind and] leave them to surge like waves [that dash] against one another; and the trumpet [of judgment] will be blown, and We shall gather them all together.

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., on the Day of Judgment alluded to in the preceding verse.

On that Day We shall let the people loose to surge like waves on one another. The trumpet will be blown and We shall assemble the mankind all together.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And on that day We shall let some of them surge against others, and the Trumpet will be blown. Then We shall gather them together in one gathering.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And on that Day We shall place hell, for all to see, before those who denied the truth -

  - Mohammad Asad

We shall spread Hell out on display before the unbelievers,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

On that day We shall present hell to the disbelievers, plain to view,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

those whose eyes had been veiled against any remembrance of Me because they could not bear to listen [to the voice of truth]!

  - Mohammad Asad

who had turned a blind eye to My admonition and a deaf ear to My warning.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Those whose eyes were hoodwinked from My reminder, and who could not bear to hear.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Do they who are bent on denying the truth think, perchance, that they could take [any of] My creatures for protectors against Me?¹⁰² Verily, We have readied hell to welcome all who [thus] deny the truth!¹⁰³

  - Mohammad Asad

This is an allusion not only to the worship of created beings or forces of nature, but also to the popular belief that saints, whether alive or dead, could eflfectively "intercede" with God in behalf of anyone whom He has rejected.

I.e., of God's oneness and uniqueness, and hence of the fact that no created being can have any "influence" on God's judgment.

Do the unbelievers think that they can take my servants as protectors, to save themselves from Hell, instead of Me? Certainly We have prepared Hell for the entertainment of such unbelievers.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Do the disbelievers reckon that they can choose My bondmen as protecting friends beside Me? Lo! We have prepared hell as a welcome for the disbelievers.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Say: "Shall we tell you who are the greatest losers in whatever they may do?

  - Mohammad Asad

O Muhammad tell them: "Should we tell you the worst kind of losers relating to their deeds?

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Say: Shall We inform you who will be the greatest losers by their works?

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

"[It is] they whose labour has gone astray in [the pursuit of no more than] this world's life, and who nonetheless think that they are doing good works:

  - Mohammad Asad

Those whose all efforts in this worldly life had gone astray from the Right Way, but all along they were under the delusion that they were doing good deeds;

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Those whose effort goeth astray in the life of the world, and yet they reckon that they do good work.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

it is they who have chosen to deny their Sustainer's messages and the truth that they are destined to meet Him." Hence, all their [good] deeds come to nought, and no weight shall We assign to them on Resurrection Day.¹⁰⁴

  - Mohammad Asad

Although each of their good actions will be taken into account on Judgment Day in accordance with the Qur'anic statement that "he who shall have done an atom's weight of good, shall behold it" ({99: 7}), the above verse implies that whatever good such sinners may do is far outweighed by their godlessness (Al-Qadi 'Iyad, as quoted by Razi).

they are the ones who are disregarding the revelations of their Rabb and the fact that they will meet Him for accountability of their deeds in the Hereafter, so their deeds will become null and will not carry any weight on the Day of Judgment.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Those are they who disbelieve in the revelations of their Lord and in the meeting with Him. Therefore their works are vain, and on the Day of Resurrection We assign no weight to them.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall