سُوْرَةُ الْكَهْفِ
Surah Al-Kahf (18) — Ayah 98
قَالَ هَـٰذَا رَحْمَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّى ۖ فَإِذَا جَآءَ وَعْدُ رَبِّى جَعَلَهُۥ دَكَّآءَ ۖ وَكَانَ وَعْدُ رَبِّى حَقًّا ﴿98﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
(Dhul-Qarnain) said: "This is a mercy from my Lord, but when the Promise of my Lord comes, He shall level it down to the ground. And the Promise of my Lord is ever true."
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
قَالَ
qāla
He said
هَـٰذَا
hādhā
This
رَحْمَةٌۭ
raḥmatun
(is) a mercy
مِّن
min
from
رَّبِّى ۖ
rabbī
my Lord
فَإِذَا
fa-idhā
But when
جَآءَ
jāa
comes
وَعْدُ
waʿdu
(the) Promise
رَبِّى
rabbī
(of) my Lord
جَعَلَهُۥ
jaʿalahu
He will make it
دَكَّآءَ ۖ
dakkāa
level
وَكَانَ
wakāna
And is
وَعْدُ
waʿdu
(the) Promise
رَبِّى
rabbī
(of) my Lord
حَقًّۭا
ḥaqqan
true
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 98) ➊ { قَالَ هٰذَا رَحْمَةٌ مِّنْ رَّبِّيْ :} Dhu’l-Qarnayn, after building the wall, did not attribute it to his own achievement but called it the mercy of his Lord, by which those people were protected from the attacks of Gog and Magog. Along with this, despite its strength, instead of declaring it everlasting, he said that when the promise of my Lord comes, He will level it with the ground, and the promise of my Lord has always been true. Compare the words of Dhu’l-Qarnayn and the words of the disbeliever with two gardens, who was saying that his gardens would never be ruined, and the difference between the thinking of a believer and a disbeliever becomes clear.
➋ { فَاِذَا جَآءَ وَعْدُ رَبِّيْ جَعَلَهٗ دَكَّآءَ …:} From the words of Dhu’l-Qarnayn, it is also understood that even after receiving the kingship of the whole world, one should always be concerned about the Hereafter, because the world is perishable and the Hereafter is everlasting. This promise refers to the time near the Day of Judgment when Gog and Magog will be released, as mentioned in Surah Al-Anbiya (96, 97). Zaynab bint Jahsh (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: [ اِسْتَيْقَظَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّي اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مِنَ النَّوْمِ مُحْمَرًّا وَجْهُهُ وَهُوَ يَقُوْلُ لاَ إِلٰهَ إِلاَّ اللّٰهُ، وَيْلٌ لِلْعَرَبِ مِنْ شَرٍّ قَدِ اقْتَرَبَ، فُتِحَ الْيَوْمَ مِنْ رَدْمِ يَأْجُوْجَ وَمَأْجُوْجَ مِثْلُ هٰذِهِ وَعَقَدَ سُفْيَانُ تِسْعِيْنَ أَوْ مِائَةً قِيْلَ أَنَهْلِكُ وَفِيْنَا الصَّالِحُوْنَ ؟ قَالَ نَعَمْ إِذَا كَثُرَ الْخَبَثُ ] [ بخاری، الفتن، باب قول النبي صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم : ویل للعرب… : ۷۰۵۹ ] “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) woke up from sleep saying ‘La ilaha illallah’, while his face was red, and said: ‘Woe to the Arabs from the evil that has drawn near! Today, a hole as big as this has been opened in the wall of Gog and Magog.’ And Sufyan made a knot of ninety (90) or one hundred (100), meaning he joined his thumb and index finger to make a round circle. It was asked: ‘Will we be destroyed while there are righteous people among us?’ He said: ‘Yes, when evil becomes prevalent.’”
➋ { فَاِذَا جَآءَ وَعْدُ رَبِّيْ جَعَلَهٗ دَكَّآءَ …:} From the words of Dhu’l-Qarnayn, it is also understood that even after receiving the kingship of the whole world, one should always be concerned about the Hereafter, because the world is perishable and the Hereafter is everlasting. This promise refers to the time near the Day of Judgment when Gog and Magog will be released, as mentioned in Surah Al-Anbiya (96, 97). Zaynab bint Jahsh (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: [ اِسْتَيْقَظَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّي اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مِنَ النَّوْمِ مُحْمَرًّا وَجْهُهُ وَهُوَ يَقُوْلُ لاَ إِلٰهَ إِلاَّ اللّٰهُ، وَيْلٌ لِلْعَرَبِ مِنْ شَرٍّ قَدِ اقْتَرَبَ، فُتِحَ الْيَوْمَ مِنْ رَدْمِ يَأْجُوْجَ وَمَأْجُوْجَ مِثْلُ هٰذِهِ وَعَقَدَ سُفْيَانُ تِسْعِيْنَ أَوْ مِائَةً قِيْلَ أَنَهْلِكُ وَفِيْنَا الصَّالِحُوْنَ ؟ قَالَ نَعَمْ إِذَا كَثُرَ الْخَبَثُ ] [ بخاری، الفتن، باب قول النبي صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم : ویل للعرب… : ۷۰۵۹ ] “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) woke up from sleep saying ‘La ilaha illallah’, while his face was red, and said: ‘Woe to the Arabs from the evil that has drawn near! Today, a hole as big as this has been opened in the wall of Gog and Magog.’ And Sufyan made a knot of ninety (90) or one hundred (100), meaning he joined his thumb and index finger to make a round circle. It was asked: ‘Will we be destroyed while there are righteous people among us?’ He said: ‘Yes, when evil becomes prevalent.’”
