Quran Verses about Dhul-Qarnayn

وَيَسۡـَٔلُونَكَ عَن ذِي ٱلۡقَرۡنَيۡنِۖ قُلۡ سَأَتۡلُواْ عَلَيۡكُم مِّنۡهُ ذِكۡرًا ٨٣

Wa yasʾalūnaka ʿan dhil-qarnayn, qul saʾatlū ʿalaykum minhu dhikrā.

And they ask you, [O Muḥammad], about Dhul-Qarnayn. Say, "I will recite to you about him a report."

إِنَّا مَكَّنَّا لَهُۥ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَءَاتَيۡنَٰهُ مِن كُلِّ شَيۡءٖ سَبَبٗا ٨٤

Innā makkannā lahū fil-arḍi wa ātaynāhu min kulli shayʾin sababā.

Indeed, We established him upon the earth, and We gave him from everything a way [i.e., means].

فَأَتۡبَعَ سَبَبًا ٨٥

Fa atbaʿa sababā.

So he followed a way

حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا بَلَغَ مَغۡرِبَ ٱلشَّمۡسِ وَجَدَهَا تَغۡرُبُ فِي عَيۡنٍ حَمِئَةٖ وَوَجَدَ عِندَهَا قَوۡمٗاۖ قُلۡنَا يَٰذَا ٱلۡقَرۡنَيۡنِ إِمَّآ أَن تُعَذِّبَ وَإِمَّآ أَن تَتَّخِذَ فِيهِمۡ حُسۡنٗا ٨٦

Ḥattā idhā balagha maghribash-shamsi wajadahā taghrubu fī ʿaynin ḥamiʾatiw wa wajada ʿindahā qawmā, qulnā yādhal-qarnayni immā an tuʿadhdhiba wa immā an tattakhidha fīhim ḥusnā.

Until, when he reached the setting of the sun [i.e., the west], he found it [as if] setting in a body of dark water,¹ and he found near it a people. We [i.e., Allāh] said, "O Dhul-Qarnayn, either you punish [them] or else adopt among them [a way of] goodness."

قَالَ أَمَّا مَن ظَلَمَ فَسَوۡفَ نُعَذِّبُهُۥ ثُمَّ يُرَدُّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِۦ فَيُعَذِّبُهُۥ عَذَابٗا نُّكۡرٗا ٨٧

Qāla ammā man ẓalama fasawfa nuʿadhdhibuhū thumma yuraddu ilā rabbihī fayuʿadhdhibuhū ʿadhāban nukrā.

He said, "As for one who wrongs,¹ we will punish him. Then he will be returned to his Lord, and He will punish him with a terrible punishment [i.e., Hellfire].

وَأَمَّا مَنۡ ءَامَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَٰلِحٗا فَلَهُۥ جَزَآءً ٱلۡحُسۡنَىٰۖ وَسَنَقُولُ لَهُۥ مِنۡ أَمۡرِنَا يُسۡرٗا ٨٨

Wa ammā man āmana wa ʿamila ṣāliḥan falahū jazāʾanil-ḥusnā, wa sanaqūlu lahū min amrinā yusrā.

But as for one who believes and does righteousness, he will have a reward of the best [i.e., Paradise], and we [i.e., Dhul-Qarnayn] will speak to him from our command with ease."

ثُمَّ أَتۡبَعَ سَبَبًا ٨٩

Thumma atbaʿa sababā.

Then he followed a way

حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا بَلَغَ مَطۡلِعَ ٱلشَّمۡسِ وَجَدَهَا تَطۡلُعُ عَلَىٰ قَوۡمٖ لَّمۡ نَجۡعَل لَّهُم مِّن دُونِهَا سِتۡرٗا ٩٠

Ḥattā idhā balagha maṭliʿash-shamsi wajadahā taṭluʿu ʿalā qawmil lam najʿal lahum min dūnihā sitrā.

Until, when he came to the rising of the sun [i.e., the east], he found it rising on a people for whom We had not made against it any shield.

كَذَٰلِكَۖ وَقَدۡ أَحَطۡنَا بِمَا لَدَيۡهِ خُبۡرٗا ٩١

Kadhālik, wa qad aḥaṭnā bimā ladayhi khubrā.

Thus.¹ And We had encompassed [all] that he had in knowledge.

ثُمَّ أَتۡبَعَ سَبَبًا ٩٢

Thumma atbaʿa sababā.

Then he followed a way

حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا بَلَغَ بَيۡنَ ٱلسَّدَّيۡنِ وَجَدَ مِن دُونِهِمَا قَوۡمٗا لَّا يَكَادُونَ يَفۡقَهُونَ قَوۡلٗا ٩٣

Ḥattā idhā balagha baynas-saddayni wajada min dūnihimā qawmal lā yakādūna yafqahūna qawlā.

Until, when he reached [a pass] between two mountains, he found beside them a people who could hardly understand [his] speech.

قَالُواْ يَٰذَا ٱلۡقَرۡنَيۡنِ إِنَّ يَأۡجُوجَ وَمَأۡجُوجَ مُفۡسِدُونَ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ فَهَلۡ نَجۡعَلُ لَكَ خَرۡجًا عَلَىٰٓ أَن تَجۡعَلَ بَيۡنَنَا وَبَيۡنَهُمۡ سَدّٗا ٩٤

Qālū yādhal-qarnayni inna yaʾjūja wa maʾjūja mufsidūna fil-arḍi fahal najʿalu laka kharjan ʿalā an tajʿala baynanā wa baynahum saddā.

They said, "O Dhul-Qarnayn, indeed Gog and Magog¹ are [great] corrupters in the land. So may we assign for you an expenditure that you might make between us and them a barrier?"

قَالَ مَا مَكَّنِّي فِيهِ رَبِّي خَيۡرٞ فَأَعِينُونِي بِقُوَّةٍ أَجۡعَلۡ بَيۡنَكُمۡ وَبَيۡنَهُمۡ رَدۡمًا ٩٥

Qāla mā makkannī fīhi rabbī khayrun fa aʿīnūnī biquwwatin ajʿal baynakum wa baynahum radmā.

He said, "That in which my Lord has established me is better [than what you offer], but assist me with strength [i.e., manpower]; I will make between you and them a dam.

ءَاتُونِي زُبَرَ ٱلۡحَدِيدِۖ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا سَاوَىٰ بَيۡنَ ٱلصَّدَفَيۡنِ قَالَ ٱنفُخُواْۖ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا جَعَلَهُۥ نَارٗا قَالَ ءَاتُونِيٓ أُفۡرِغۡ عَلَيۡهِ قِطۡرٗا ٩٦

Ātūnī zubaral-ḥadīd, ḥattā idhā sāwā baynaṣ-ṣadafayni qālanfukhū, ḥattā idhā jaʿalahū nāran qāla ātūnī ufrigh ʿalayhi qiṭrā.

Bring me bars of iron" - until, when he had leveled [them] between the two mountain walls, he said, "Blow [with bellows]," until when he had made it [like] fire, he said, "Bring me, that I may pour over it molten copper."

فَمَا ٱسۡطَٰعُوٓاْ أَن يَظۡهَرُوهُ وَمَا ٱسۡتَطَٰعُواْ لَهُۥ نَقۡبٗا ٩٧

Famasṭāʿū ay yaẓharūhu wa mastaṭāʿū lahū naqbā.

So they [i.e., Gog and Magog] were unable to pass over it, nor were they able [to effect] in it any penetration.

قَالَ هَٰذَا رَحۡمَةٞ مِّن رَّبِّيۖ فَإِذَا جَآءَ وَعۡدُ رَبِّي جَعَلَهُۥ دَكَّآءَۖ وَكَانَ وَعۡدُ رَبِّي حَقّٗا ٩٨

Qāla hādhā raḥmatum mir rabbī, fa idhā jāʾa waʿdu rabbī jaʿalahū dakkāʾ, wa kāna waʿdu rabbī ḥaqqā.

[Dhul-Qarnayn] said, "This is a mercy from my Lord; but when the promise of my Lord¹ comes [i.e., approaches], He will make it level, and ever is the promise of my Lord true."