Al-ghurabah
30-03-06, 09:36 AM
Allah (swt) said:
وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ عَن ذِي الْقَرْنَيْنِ قُلْ سَأَتْلُو عَلَيْكُم مِّنْهُ ذِكْرًا
إِنَّا مَكَّنَّا لَهُ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَآتَيْنَاهُ مِن كُلِّ شَيْءٍ سَبَبًا
“They ask you about Zul Qarnain, say: I am going to recite to you what Allah sent to me about zul qarnain. We made tamkeen for him in the earth, and We gave him the ways and the means to all ends” [Kahf: 83-84]
Zul Qarnain was Muwahhid, and ruled the east and west with authority and power such that no-one could challenge him – this is tamkeen. He was in power for 1600 years. (And the ayat promises the Muslims Tamkeen in the same manner.) The prophet (saw) said regarding Zul Qarnain:
“I do not know if he was a prophet or not a prophet, and I do not know if he followed a prophet or not.”
So we take this same tawaqquf on Zul Qarnain, not to take either stance not to say he was a prophet nor to say he was not, nor to say he followed another prophet or that he did not, we will say “I don’t know” the way Muhammad (saw) said he doesn’t know.
Allah (swt) said:
حَتَّى إِذَا بَلَغَ مَغْرِبَ الشَّمْسِ وَجَدَهَا تَغْرُبُ فِي عَيْنٍ حَمِئَةٍ وَوَجَدَ عِندَهَا قَوْمًا قُلْنَا يَا ذَا الْقَرْنَيْنِ إِمَّا أَن تُعَذِّبَ وَإِمَّا أَن تَتَّخِذَ فِيهِمْ حُسْنًا
“His power spread all the way to where the sun sets, he found it set in a spring of murky water: Near it he found a People: We said: "O Zul-qarnain! (you have authority,) either to punish them, or to treat them with kindness." [Kahf: 86]
“Qarn” means horn, but also means the east and the west, that is the meaning of his name, he was not Macedonian nor Alexander the Great etc, He was the man who had the east and the west.
Allah (swt) informed us about how he went so far to the west, that the sun would set and not rise for a long time, and he found there people. Allah gave him authority over them, and was given the choice to punish them all or to forgive them. He said:
قَالَ أَمَّا مَن ظَلَمَ فَسَوْفَ نُعَذِّبُهُ ثُمَّ يُرَدُّ إِلَى رَبِّهِ فَيُعَذِّبُهُ عَذَابًا نُّكْرًا
وَأَمَّا مَنْ آمَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَلَهُ جَزَاء الْحُسْنَى وَسَنَقُولُ لَهُ مِنْ أَمْرِنَا يُسْرًا
“As far as the one who commits zulm, I am going to punish him, then he will return to Allah and he will get the punishment, and the one who believes and does the good deeds, I am going to ask him to do what is easy for him.” [Kahf: 87-88]
i.e. he is going to give everybody their rights.
We should note that the Zulm he spoke about here is Al Zulm Al Akbar, Allah (swt) said:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ أَنفِقُواْ مِمَّا رَزَقْنَاكُم مِّن قَبْلِ أَن يَأْتِيَ يَوْمٌ لاَّ بَيْعٌ فِيهِ وَلاَ خُلَّةٌ وَلاَ شَفَاعَةٌ وَالْكَافِرُونَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ
“O you who believe! Spend out of (the bounties) We have provided for you, before the Day comes when no bargaining (Will avail), nor friendship nor intercession. The disbelievers are the Zalimun.” [2: 254]
In this Ayah Allah called the kuffar Al Zalimun. – i.e. this is Zulm Akbar, and in another ayah he used zulm as zulm asghar (or Zulm duna Zulm), where it does not take you out of the fold of Islam.
Because of the fact that Allah would inspire to him, and because He would rule by justice, people asked about if he was a prophet or not, or if he followed a prophet or not. The Messenger Muhammad (saw) said that we do not know whether he was or not.
Allah (swt) continued:
ثُمَّ أَتْبَعَ سَبَبًا
حَتَّى إِذَا بَلَغَ مَطْلِعَ الشَّمْسِ وَجَدَهَا تَطْلُعُ عَلَى قَوْمٍ لَّمْ نَجْعَل لَّهُم مِّن دُونِهَا سِتْرًا
كَذَلِكَ وَقَدْ أَحَطْنَا بِمَا لَدَيْهِ خُبْرًا
“he went another way, until he came to the east to where the sun rises, he found people there who never had shelter against the sun, He left them as they were, we understood what was before him.“ [Kahf: 89-91]
Then Allah (swt) informed us that Zul Qarnain travelled more until he reached people between two mountains. Allah explained that they knew about Zul Qarnain already. They had been suffering from the ya’gug and the ma’gug, and saw Zul Qarnain as some who could help them. He made effort for them to like him.
Allah (swt) said:
ثُمَّ أَتْبَعَ سَبَبًا
حَتَّى إِذَا بَلَغَ بَيْنَ السَّدَّيْنِ وَجَدَ مِن دُونِهِمَا قَوْمًا لَّا يَكَادُونَ يَفْقَهُونَ قَوْلًا
قَالُوا يَا ذَا الْقَرْنَيْنِ إِنَّ يَأْجُوجَ وَمَأْجُوجَ مُفْسِدُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَهَلْ نَجْعَلُ لَكَ خَرْجًا عَلَى أَن تَجْعَلَ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَهُمْ سَدًّا
“then he followed another way, Until they reached the two mountains, he found people did not understand them, (they were illetirate and undecuated), they said: “O zul Qarnain, ya’gug, and ma’gug are doing great corruption in the earth. We are willing to give you money to build between us and them a barrier.” [Kahf: 92-94]
قَالَ مَا مَكَّنِّي فِيهِ رَبِّي خَيْرٌ فَأَعِينُونِي بِقُوَّةٍ أَجْعَلْ بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَهُمْ رَدْمًا
“He said: “what Allah has given me is better (i.e. he is not needy for their money), help me with strength and I will build between you and them a barrier. (He asked them to bring him hadid - Iron)” [Kahf: 95]
He built the wall and it was successful, and one of the signs of the hour is that the Ya’gug and Ma’gug will come out when Allah wishes in the time of Imam Mahdi and Isa (as), and they will fight against the believers using the Jinn to aid them.
آتُونِي زُبَرَ الْحَدِيدِ حَتَّى إِذَا سَاوَى بَيْنَ الصَّدَفَيْنِ قَالَ انفُخُوا حَتَّى إِذَا جَعَلَهُ نَارًا قَالَ آتُونِي أُفْرِغْ عَلَيْهِ قِطْرًا
فَمَا اسْطَاعُوا أَن يَظْهَرُوهُ وَمَا اسْتَطَاعُوا لَهُ نَقْبًا
"Bring me blocks of iron." At length, when he had filled up the space between the two steep mountain-sides, He said, "Blow (with your bellows)" Then, when he had made it (red) as fire, he said: "Bring me that I may pour over it, molten lead. Thus were they made powerless to scale it or to dig through it." [Kahf: 96-97]
وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ عَن ذِي الْقَرْنَيْنِ قُلْ سَأَتْلُو عَلَيْكُم مِّنْهُ ذِكْرًا
إِنَّا مَكَّنَّا لَهُ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَآتَيْنَاهُ مِن كُلِّ شَيْءٍ سَبَبًا
“They ask you about Zul Qarnain, say: I am going to recite to you what Allah sent to me about zul qarnain. We made tamkeen for him in the earth, and We gave him the ways and the means to all ends” [Kahf: 83-84]
Zul Qarnain was Muwahhid, and ruled the east and west with authority and power such that no-one could challenge him – this is tamkeen. He was in power for 1600 years. (And the ayat promises the Muslims Tamkeen in the same manner.) The prophet (saw) said regarding Zul Qarnain:
“I do not know if he was a prophet or not a prophet, and I do not know if he followed a prophet or not.”
So we take this same tawaqquf on Zul Qarnain, not to take either stance not to say he was a prophet nor to say he was not, nor to say he followed another prophet or that he did not, we will say “I don’t know” the way Muhammad (saw) said he doesn’t know.
Allah (swt) said:
حَتَّى إِذَا بَلَغَ مَغْرِبَ الشَّمْسِ وَجَدَهَا تَغْرُبُ فِي عَيْنٍ حَمِئَةٍ وَوَجَدَ عِندَهَا قَوْمًا قُلْنَا يَا ذَا الْقَرْنَيْنِ إِمَّا أَن تُعَذِّبَ وَإِمَّا أَن تَتَّخِذَ فِيهِمْ حُسْنًا
“His power spread all the way to where the sun sets, he found it set in a spring of murky water: Near it he found a People: We said: "O Zul-qarnain! (you have authority,) either to punish them, or to treat them with kindness." [Kahf: 86]
“Qarn” means horn, but also means the east and the west, that is the meaning of his name, he was not Macedonian nor Alexander the Great etc, He was the man who had the east and the west.
Allah (swt) informed us about how he went so far to the west, that the sun would set and not rise for a long time, and he found there people. Allah gave him authority over them, and was given the choice to punish them all or to forgive them. He said:
قَالَ أَمَّا مَن ظَلَمَ فَسَوْفَ نُعَذِّبُهُ ثُمَّ يُرَدُّ إِلَى رَبِّهِ فَيُعَذِّبُهُ عَذَابًا نُّكْرًا
وَأَمَّا مَنْ آمَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَلَهُ جَزَاء الْحُسْنَى وَسَنَقُولُ لَهُ مِنْ أَمْرِنَا يُسْرًا
“As far as the one who commits zulm, I am going to punish him, then he will return to Allah and he will get the punishment, and the one who believes and does the good deeds, I am going to ask him to do what is easy for him.” [Kahf: 87-88]
i.e. he is going to give everybody their rights.
We should note that the Zulm he spoke about here is Al Zulm Al Akbar, Allah (swt) said:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ أَنفِقُواْ مِمَّا رَزَقْنَاكُم مِّن قَبْلِ أَن يَأْتِيَ يَوْمٌ لاَّ بَيْعٌ فِيهِ وَلاَ خُلَّةٌ وَلاَ شَفَاعَةٌ وَالْكَافِرُونَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ
“O you who believe! Spend out of (the bounties) We have provided for you, before the Day comes when no bargaining (Will avail), nor friendship nor intercession. The disbelievers are the Zalimun.” [2: 254]
In this Ayah Allah called the kuffar Al Zalimun. – i.e. this is Zulm Akbar, and in another ayah he used zulm as zulm asghar (or Zulm duna Zulm), where it does not take you out of the fold of Islam.
Because of the fact that Allah would inspire to him, and because He would rule by justice, people asked about if he was a prophet or not, or if he followed a prophet or not. The Messenger Muhammad (saw) said that we do not know whether he was or not.
Allah (swt) continued:
ثُمَّ أَتْبَعَ سَبَبًا
حَتَّى إِذَا بَلَغَ مَطْلِعَ الشَّمْسِ وَجَدَهَا تَطْلُعُ عَلَى قَوْمٍ لَّمْ نَجْعَل لَّهُم مِّن دُونِهَا سِتْرًا
كَذَلِكَ وَقَدْ أَحَطْنَا بِمَا لَدَيْهِ خُبْرًا
“he went another way, until he came to the east to where the sun rises, he found people there who never had shelter against the sun, He left them as they were, we understood what was before him.“ [Kahf: 89-91]
Then Allah (swt) informed us that Zul Qarnain travelled more until he reached people between two mountains. Allah explained that they knew about Zul Qarnain already. They had been suffering from the ya’gug and the ma’gug, and saw Zul Qarnain as some who could help them. He made effort for them to like him.
Allah (swt) said:
ثُمَّ أَتْبَعَ سَبَبًا
حَتَّى إِذَا بَلَغَ بَيْنَ السَّدَّيْنِ وَجَدَ مِن دُونِهِمَا قَوْمًا لَّا يَكَادُونَ يَفْقَهُونَ قَوْلًا
قَالُوا يَا ذَا الْقَرْنَيْنِ إِنَّ يَأْجُوجَ وَمَأْجُوجَ مُفْسِدُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَهَلْ نَجْعَلُ لَكَ خَرْجًا عَلَى أَن تَجْعَلَ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَهُمْ سَدًّا
“then he followed another way, Until they reached the two mountains, he found people did not understand them, (they were illetirate and undecuated), they said: “O zul Qarnain, ya’gug, and ma’gug are doing great corruption in the earth. We are willing to give you money to build between us and them a barrier.” [Kahf: 92-94]
قَالَ مَا مَكَّنِّي فِيهِ رَبِّي خَيْرٌ فَأَعِينُونِي بِقُوَّةٍ أَجْعَلْ بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَهُمْ رَدْمًا
“He said: “what Allah has given me is better (i.e. he is not needy for their money), help me with strength and I will build between you and them a barrier. (He asked them to bring him hadid - Iron)” [Kahf: 95]
He built the wall and it was successful, and one of the signs of the hour is that the Ya’gug and Ma’gug will come out when Allah wishes in the time of Imam Mahdi and Isa (as), and they will fight against the believers using the Jinn to aid them.
آتُونِي زُبَرَ الْحَدِيدِ حَتَّى إِذَا سَاوَى بَيْنَ الصَّدَفَيْنِ قَالَ انفُخُوا حَتَّى إِذَا جَعَلَهُ نَارًا قَالَ آتُونِي أُفْرِغْ عَلَيْهِ قِطْرًا
فَمَا اسْطَاعُوا أَن يَظْهَرُوهُ وَمَا اسْتَطَاعُوا لَهُ نَقْبًا
"Bring me blocks of iron." At length, when he had filled up the space between the two steep mountain-sides, He said, "Blow (with your bellows)" Then, when he had made it (red) as fire, he said: "Bring me that I may pour over it, molten lead. Thus were they made powerless to scale it or to dig through it." [Kahf: 96-97]