The Cave — Verse 92

His Journey to the Land of Ya'juj and Ma'juj, and building the Barrier Allah says of Dhul-Qarnayn: ثُمَّ أَتْبَعَ سَبَباً (Then he followed (another) way) meaning, he traveled from the east of the earth until he reached a place between the two mountains which were next to one another with a valley in between, from which Ya'juj and Ma'juj (God and Magog) will emerge into the land of the Turks and spread mischief there, destroying crops and people. Ya'juj and Ma'juj are among the progeny of Adam, peace be upon him, as was recorded in the Two Sahihs; «إِنَّ اللهَ تَعَالَى يَقُولُ: يَا آدَمُ فَيَقُولُ: لَبَّيْكَ وَسَعْدَيْكَ فَيَقُولُ: ابْعَثْ بَعْثَ النَّارِ، فَيَقُولُ: وَمَا بَعْثُ النَّارِ؟ فَيَقُولُ: مِنْ كُلِّ أَلْفٍ تِسْعُمِائَةٍ وَتِسْعَةٌ وَتِسْعُونَ إِلَى النَّارِ وَوَاحِدٌ إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ، فَحِينَئِذٍ يَشِيبُ الصَّغِيرُ وَتَضَعُ كُلُّ ذَاتِ حَمْلٍ حَمْلَهَا. فَقَالَ: إِنَّ فِيكُمْ أُمَّتيْنِ مَا كَانَتَا فِي شَيْءٍ إِلَّا كَثَّرَتَاهُ يَأْجُوجَ وَمَأْجُوج» "Allah said: "O Adam." Adam said, "Here I am at Your service." Allah said, "Send forth the group of Hellfire." Adam said, "What is the group of Hellfire" Allah said: "Out of every thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine will go to Hell and one will go to Paradise." At that time young men will turn grey and every pregnant female will drop her load. Among you are two nations who never come to anything but they overwhelm it with their huge numbers. (They are) Ya'juj and Ma'juj." وَجَدَ مِن دُونِهِمَا قَوْماً لاَّ يَكَادُونَ يَفْقَهُونَ قَوْلاً (he found before them a people who scarcely understood a word. ) he could not understand their speech, because they were so isolated from other people. قَالُواْ يذَا الْقَرْنَيْنِ إِنَّ يَأْجُوجَ وَمَأْجُوجَ مُفْسِدُونَ فِى الاٌّرْضِ فَهَلْ نَجْعَلُ لَكَ خَرْجاً (They said: "O Dhul-Qarnayn! Verily, Ya'juj and Ma'juj are doing great mischief in the land. Shall we then pay you a tribute") Ibn Jurayj reported from `Ata' from Ibn `Abbas that this meant a great reward, i.e., they wanted to collect money among themselves to give to him so that he would create a barrier between them and Ya'juj and Ma'juj. Dhul-Qarnayn said with kindness, righteousness and good intentions, مَا مَكَّنِّى فِيهِ رَبِّى خَيْرٌ (That in which my Lord had established me is better (than your tribute).) meaning, the power and authority that Allah has given me is better for me than what you have collected. This is like when Sulayman (Solomon), peace be upon him, said: أَتُمِدُّونَنِ بِمَالٍ فَمَآ ءَاتَـنِى اللَّهُ خَيْرٌ مِّمَّآ ءَاتَـكُمْ (Will you help me in wealth What Allah has given me is better than that which He has given you!) 27:36 Similarly, Dhul-Qarnayn said: `What I have is better than what you want to give me, but help me with strength,' i.e., with your labor and construction equipment, أَجْعَلْ بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَهُمْ رَدْمًاءَاتُونِى زُبَرَ الْحَدِيدِ (I will erect between you and them a barrier. Give me Zubar of iron,) Zubar is the plural of Zubrah, which means pieces or chunks of something. This was the view of Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid and Qatadah. These pieces were like bricks or blocks, and it was said that each block weighed one Damascene Qintar or more. حَتَّى إِذَا سَاوَى بَيْنَ الصَّدَفَيْنِ (then, when he had filled up the gap between the two mountain-cliffs,) means, he put the blocks on top of one another, starting at the bottom, until he reached the tops of the mountains, filling the width and height of the gap. The scholars differed about the precise width and height. قَالَ انفُخُواْ (he said: "Blow;") means, he lit a fire until the whole thing was burning hot. قَالَ آتُونِى أُفْرِغْ عَلَيْهِ قِطْراً (he said: "Bring me Qitran to pour over them.") Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, `Ikrimah, Ad-Dahhak, Qatadah and As-Suddi said it was copper. Some of them added that it was molten. This is similar to the Ayah: وَأَسَلْنَا لَهُ عَيْنَ الْقِطْرِ (And We caused a fount of Qitran to flow for him) 34:12. So it resembled a striped cloak. Then Allah said:

Then he followed a way

Then he followed, a path by wayfaring in God,

Then he followed, a path by wayfaring in God,

ثم سار ذو القرنين آخذًا بالطرق والأسباب التي منحناها إياه.

يقول تعالى مخبرا عن ذي القرنين " ثم أتبع سببًا " أي ثم سلك طريقًا من مشارق الأرض.

وقوله - سبحانه - : ( ثُمَّ أَتْبَعَ سَبَباً ) بيان لما فعله بعد أن بلغ مغرب الشمس ومشرقها .

القول في تأويل قوله تعالى : ثُمَّ أَتْبَعَ سَبَبًا (92)

" ثم أتبع سبباً " .

لما كان النهي عن الجهر بالدعاء أو قراءة الصلاة سداً لذريعة زيادة تصميمهم على الكفر أعقب ذلك بأمره بإعلان التوحيد لقطع دابر توهم من توهموا أن الرحمان اسم لمسمى غير مسمى اسم الله ، فبعضهم توهمه إلهاً شريكاً ، وبعضهم توهمه مُعيناً وناصراً ، أمر النبي بأن يقول ما يقلع ذلك كله وأن يعظمه بأنواع من التعظيم .وجملة { الحمد لله } تقتضي تخصيصه تعالى بالحمد ، أي قصر جنس الحمد عليه تعالى لأنه أعظم مستحق لأن يحمد . فالتخصيص ادعائي بادعاء أن دواعي حمد غير الله تعالى في جانب دواعي حمد الله بمنزلة العدم ، كما تقدم في سورة الفاتحة .و ( مِن ) في قوله : { من الذل } بمعنى لام التعليل .والذل : العجز والافتقار ، وهو ضدّ العز ، أي ليس له ناصر من أجل الذل . والمراد : نفي الناصر له على وجه مؤكد ، فإن الحاجة إلى الناصر لا تكون إلا من العجز عن الانتصار للنفس . ويجوز تضمين ( الولي ) معنى ( المانع ) فتكون ( من ) لتعدية الاسم المضمن معناه .ومعنى { كبره } اعتقد أنه كبير ، أي عظيم العِظم المعنوي الشامل لوجوب الوجود والغِنى المطلق ، وصفات الكمال كلها الكاملة التعلقات ، لأن الاتصاف بذلك كله كمال ، والاتصاف بأضداد ذلك نقص وصغار معنوي .وإجراء هذه الصلات الثلاث على اسم الجلالة الذي هو متعلق الحمد لأن في هذه الصلاة إيماء إلى وجه تخصيصه بالحمد . والإتيان بالمفعول المطلق بعد { كَبّره } للتوكيد ، ولما في التنوين من التعظيم ، ولأنّ من هذه صفاته هو الذي يقدر على إعطاء النعم التي يعجز غيره عن إسدائها .

تفسير الآيتين 92 و 93 :ـ{ ثُمَّ أَتْبَعَ سَبَبًا حَتَّى إِذَا بَلَغَ بَيْنَ السَّدَّيْنِ ْ} قال المفسرون: ذهب متوجها من المشرق، قاصدا للشمال، فوصل إلى ما بين السدين، وهما سدان، كانا سلاسل جبال معروفين في ذلك الزمان، سدا بين يأجوج ومأجوج وبين الناس، وجد من دون السدين قوما، لا يكادون يفقهون قولا، لعجمة ألسنتهم، واستعجام أذهانهم وقلوبهم، وقد أعطى الله ذا القرنين من الأسباب العلمية، ما فقه به ألسنة أولئك القوم وفقههم، وراجعهم، وراجعوه، فاشتكوا إليه ضرر يأجوج ومأجوج، وهما أمتان عظيمتان من بني آدم

تقدم معناه أن أتبع واتبع بمعنى أي سلك طريقا ومنازل .

Probably Dhu’l-Qarnayn’s third campaign was in the north east, in the direction of Iran. He reached a place where savages were living. Because they could not have any interaction with any other community, they were hardly able to understand any other language but their own. The ‘two mountains’ probably lay between the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea. Here savage tribes used to invade from other places and would then flee through mountain passes after indulging in plunder. Dhu’l-Qarnayn constructed an iron wall between the two mountains.

Commentary The Holy Qur'an does describe this state of the people Dhul-Qarnain found living towards the East meaning thereby that they were not accustomed to the use of ways and means like houses, tents and dresses to seek protection against the Sun. But, it does not mention anything about their faith and deeds, nor does it say what Dhul-Qarnain did to them. However, it is obvious that these people too were infidels and Dhul-Qarnain handled them the way he had handled the people he had found in the West as mentioned earlier. But, describing it again at this place was not considered necessary since finding it out is also possible on the analogy of the previous event. (As in al-Bahr al-Muhit from Ibn Atiyyah)

(Then he followed a road) he set out towards the East, to Byzantium.