Zulqarnain
One of the greatest stories mentioned in the Holy Qur'an is the story of Zulqarnain in Surah Al-Kahf, whose story begins from verses (83 to 98), and this person is called Zulqarnain, who was known as a just king.
He is the one who built the dam on Yajuj and Magog to stop the harm that was coming from them, and he was called by this name not because of the presence of two horns or anything like that.
It was said: Because he was the king of Rome and Persia, and it was said: Because he entered the light and darkness, and it was said: Because he saw in a dream as if he took the horns of the sun, and scholars differed on the real and personal identification of the two horns, some of them identified his identity as: Alexander the Great, Cyrus the Great, or Akhenaten the Egyptian Pharaoh, as he is not specifically identified - God knows best
Al-Zamakhshari's Al-Kashaf: He is Alexander and is said to be a righteous slave. Prophet. He was called Zulqarnain because he traveled around the two horns of the world, meaning both sides of the world, east and west. It is said that his crown had two horns. Imam Ibn Kathir mentions in his Tafsir that he had two horns on his head: mentions in his tafsir : that it was Alexander, and then he invalidates this. He was at the time of Abraham, peace be upon him, and circumambulated the house with him. It is said that he was a righteous slave. In his history “The Beginning and the End”, p. 2, page 102, he mentioned the same and added that he was a prophet or an angel. Al-Qurtubi, in his Tafsir, also mentioned many statements: He was from the people of Egypt and his name was Marzban, and he quoted Ibn Hisham as Alexander, and he also quoted accounts from the Prophet (peace be upon him) that he was a king who surveyed the earth from under it with causes. And from 'Umar and 'Ali, may Allah be pleased with them both, that he was an angel. Or a righteous slave, which are not true. It is said that he was al-Sa'id ibn Dhi Yazan al-Humayri, which are all speculative and unsubstantiated. As for Al-Alusi in his interpretation, he collected almost all the previous statements, and said: There is hardly any opinion, then he chose that he was Alexander of Macedonia and defended his opinion that his apprenticeship to Aristotle does not prevent him from being a righteous slave.
The location of Dhul Qarnain's dam is not specified in the texts of the Qur'an or the Prophetic Sunnah, but some commentators have said that it is in the eastern direction, as it is mentioned in the Almighty's statement about Yajuj and Magog: (When he reached the sunrise, he found it rising on a people for whom we did not make a screen." It is said in narrations that the dam is in the direction of the Turkic countries, Armenia and Azerbaijan, and it is said that it is in China, and its location remains unknown for certain because there is no text about it. The story of Dhul Qarnain and his building of the dam is narrated in Surah Ahl al-Kahf, and the verses include a mention of its characteristics. The people asked Dhul Qarnain to build a dam between them and Yajuj and Magog; he asked them to help him with that, so he built a great dam made of iron, and between the cavities and voids of the iron is molten copper, which increases its strength and solidity, and protects the people from Yajuj and Magog and their corruption.
His Journey to the Sunset
Zulqarnain began his journey with his army towards the west, until he reached a place where the sun seemed to be setting in a reddish eye (black water). There he found a people over whom God had given him authority and gave him a choice between torturing them or being charitable to them. He chose justice, so he punished the unjust and favored the believers, which shows his wisdom and justice.
His Journey to the Sunrise
He then traveled to the east, where he found people living in an open land with no protection from the sun. He ruled them with the same fair approach, reflecting the consistency of his character in spreading justice wherever he went.
Building a Dam on Hagog and Magog
In the most famous part of his story, Zulqarnain arrived at a people living between two mountains, complaining about the corruption of Yajuj and Magog. They asked him to build a dam to protect them, so he used advanced engineering methods, gathering iron, lighting it on fire, and then pouring molten copper to form an impenetrable dam. He refused to take money for his work, emphasizing that the credit goes to God.
The story of Dhul Qarnain offers several lessons, including:
1. Justice and wisdom in governing: Dhul Qarnain was a model of a just ruler who harnessed his power to serve the people.
2. Humility and faith: Despite his power, he did not become arrogant, but gave credit to God.
3. Workmanship: He perfected the construction of the dam using innovative means, reflecting the importance of perfection in work.
Conclusion
The story of Dhul Qarnain remains a source of inspiration for rulers and reformers, as it embodies strength coupled with faith and justice. It is an invitation to work hard and work well, while maintaining humility and faith in God.