سُوْرَةُ الْكَهْفِ
Surah Al-Kahf (18) — Ayah 84
إِنَّا مَكَّنَّا لَهُۥ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَءَاتَيْنَـٰهُ مِن كُلِّ شَىْءٍ سَبَبًا ﴿84﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Verily, We established him in the earth, and We gave him the means of everything.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
إِنَّا
innā
Indeed, We
مَكَّنَّا
makkannā
[We] established
لَهُۥ
lahu
[for] him
فِى
fī
in
ٱلْأَرْضِ
l-arḍi
the earth
وَءَاتَيْنَـٰهُ
waātaynāhu
and We gave him
مِن
min
of
كُلِّ
kulli
every
شَىْءٍۢ
shayin
thing
سَبَبًۭا
sababan
a means
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
84. Indeed, We established him in the land and gave him every means [72] of accomplishment.
[72]
Who Was Dhul-Qarnayn?
The third question of the Quraysh was regarding Dhul-Qarnayn, which is being answered in these verses. For the identification of the personality of Dhul-Qarnayn, it is certain that the Jews had knowledge about him and the mention of this king was present in their books; that is why they told the Quraysh of Makkah to ask this question. What is known from the Quran is that he was a powerful and renowned king, God-fearing and just in temperament. His kingdom was quite vast, and the literal meaning of Dhul-Qarnayn is "the one with two horns," but this does not mean that he actually had two horns on his head. Rather, he was called Dhul-Qarnayn because his kingdom's territory appeared in such a way as if it were a ram with two horns on its head. In verse number 86, from the words ﴿قُلْنَا يٰذَا الْقَرْنَيْنِ﴾, some people have inferred that he was also a prophet, but the majority do not accept his prophethood because these words alone are not sufficient to affirm prophethood, and there is ample evidence in the Quran to support this. For example, Lady Maryam was not a prophetess, yet an angel or angels came to her and spoke with her. The mother of Musa was also not a prophetess, but it is proven from the Quran that revelation was sent to her. Similarly is the case of Sayyiduna Luqman. This revelation is not the same as the revelation sent to prophets through an angel. Here, the literal meaning is intended, i.e., to put something in the mind through inspiration. Nowhere in the Quran and Hadith is it mentioned what the real name of Dhul-Qarnayn was, which region he was king of, which nation he belonged to, or in which era he lived. How far did he conquer and which countries did he subdue in the west? How far did he reach in the east? In which direction was his third journey? Where is the wall of Dhul-Qarnayn located? Therefore, there has been much disagreement among the commentators regarding all these matters, and the real reason for the absence of such historical research in the Book and Sunnah is that, even when the Quran mentions a historical event, it does not discuss matters that have no relevance to human guidance or upon which no legal ruling is based. The story of Dhul-Qarnayn is not mentioned in the Jews' revealed book, the Torah, but is mentioned in the commentaries and explanations of the Torah, which they call the Talmud in their terminology. Similarly, our commentators have also included in their commentaries many such events that are not mentioned in the Quran and Hadith. In any case, it is established that Dhul-Qarnayn was a king whose identity was present in the minds of the Jewish scholars. It was about him that they asked the question, and it was about this personality that the Quran gave the answer, and the Quran gave them as much of an answer as they needed, with which they were satisfied. The proof of their satisfaction is that after this answer from the Quran, neither the Jews nor, at their behest, the disbelievers of Makkah asked any further questions about Dhul-Qarnayn. However, our commentators have tried their utmost to answer the above historical questions as much as possible. Thus, after studying the Bible, Maulana Maududi (may Allah have mercy on him) presented the research that the title of Dhul-Qarnayn can only be applied to the Iranian ruler Cyrus, whose rise began around 549 BCE. Within a few years, after subduing the kingdoms of Media (Al-Jibal) and Lydia (Asia Minor), he conquered Babylon in 539 BCE, after which no power remained to resist him. His conquests extended from Sindh and Sogdiana (present-day Turkestan) on one side to Egypt and Libya on the other, and to Thrace and Macedonia on another, and in the north, his kingdom spread to Kashia (Caucasus) and Khwarazm. Practically, the entire civilized world of that time was under his command. The author of Tafsir Haqqani's research is that Dhul-Qarnayn was not from Iran but could have been a king from some region of Arabia and was a king of the Himyarite dynasty of Yemen. The proof is that Dhul-Qarnayn is an Arabic word, not Persian or Iranian. Moreover, in ancient times, the kings of Yemen used to be titled with "Dhu," such as Dhu Nuwas, Dhu Nun, Dhu Ra'in, Dhu Yazan, etc. Similarly, there was Dhul-Qarnayn. Abu Rayhan al-Biruni states his name as Abu Karb bin Yarib bin Afrikus Himyari. His real name was Sa'b, and he was the son of Tubba' the First, and he is the very Dhul-Qarnayn mentioned in the Noble Quran. After him, his son Dhu al-Manar Abraha, then his son Afrikus, then his brother Dhu al-Adh'ar, then his brother Sharjeel, then his son al-Hudhahad, and after him his daughter Bilqis became queen, who presented herself before Sayyiduna Sulaiman (peace be upon him). There is also disagreement about the meaning of Dhul-Qarnayn. In Arabic, "qarn" means horn, but it also means era or period. One meaning has already been mentioned above: if a map of his conquered territories or kingdom is drawn on paper, its shape resembles that of a ram with two horns on its head. The second explanation is that Dhul-Qarnayn's crown had two crests, whereas the crowns of ordinary kings had only one, and these two crests were also made to express the vastness of his kingdom. The third explanation is that Dhul-Qarnayn was granted two eras: one era of conquests and the other era of administration and governance over the conquered territories, and this is not something every king is granted. Alexander the Roman, son of Philip, made many conquests, even reaching India and conquering many regions, but his army absolutely refused to advance further and insisted on returning home, and Alexander was compelled before his army and, on the way back, before reaching his homeland, died at the age of 33 at Babylon.
Where is the Wall of Dhul-Qarnayn Located?
As for the question of where the wall of Dhul-Qarnayn is located, there are also differences of opinion because, to date, five such walls have been discovered which various kings built in different regions and eras to protect against the attacks of warlike nations. The most famous among them is the Great Wall of China. This wall is the longest, and its length is estimated to be between twelve hundred and fifteen hundred miles. This wall is counted among the wonders of the world and still exists, and it was built by Chi Wang Ti, Emperor of China, around 235 BCE. The wall of Dhul-Qarnayn is the wall that blocks a pass of the Altai Mountains, which Ibn Khaldun has also mentioned, and most Islamic historians call it the wall of Gog and Magog. the Altai Mountains is situated between Manchuria and Mongolia, and in the middle of this mountain was a wide pass through which the nations of Gog and Magog used to attack. This pass was blocked by Dhul-Qarnayn, the Himyarite king, and this wall still exists. The three journeys of Dhul-Qarnayn are mentioned in the Quran.
[72]
Who Was Dhul-Qarnayn?
The third question of the Quraysh was regarding Dhul-Qarnayn, which is being answered in these verses. For the identification of the personality of Dhul-Qarnayn, it is certain that the Jews had knowledge about him and the mention of this king was present in their books; that is why they told the Quraysh of Makkah to ask this question. What is known from the Quran is that he was a powerful and renowned king, God-fearing and just in temperament. His kingdom was quite vast, and the literal meaning of Dhul-Qarnayn is "the one with two horns," but this does not mean that he actually had two horns on his head. Rather, he was called Dhul-Qarnayn because his kingdom's territory appeared in such a way as if it were a ram with two horns on its head. In verse number 86, from the words ﴿قُلْنَا يٰذَا الْقَرْنَيْنِ﴾, some people have inferred that he was also a prophet, but the majority do not accept his prophethood because these words alone are not sufficient to affirm prophethood, and there is ample evidence in the Quran to support this. For example, Lady Maryam was not a prophetess, yet an angel or angels came to her and spoke with her. The mother of Musa was also not a prophetess, but it is proven from the Quran that revelation was sent to her. Similarly is the case of Sayyiduna Luqman. This revelation is not the same as the revelation sent to prophets through an angel. Here, the literal meaning is intended, i.e., to put something in the mind through inspiration. Nowhere in the Quran and Hadith is it mentioned what the real name of Dhul-Qarnayn was, which region he was king of, which nation he belonged to, or in which era he lived. How far did he conquer and which countries did he subdue in the west? How far did he reach in the east? In which direction was his third journey? Where is the wall of Dhul-Qarnayn located? Therefore, there has been much disagreement among the commentators regarding all these matters, and the real reason for the absence of such historical research in the Book and Sunnah is that, even when the Quran mentions a historical event, it does not discuss matters that have no relevance to human guidance or upon which no legal ruling is based. The story of Dhul-Qarnayn is not mentioned in the Jews' revealed book, the Torah, but is mentioned in the commentaries and explanations of the Torah, which they call the Talmud in their terminology. Similarly, our commentators have also included in their commentaries many such events that are not mentioned in the Quran and Hadith. In any case, it is established that Dhul-Qarnayn was a king whose identity was present in the minds of the Jewish scholars. It was about him that they asked the question, and it was about this personality that the Quran gave the answer, and the Quran gave them as much of an answer as they needed, with which they were satisfied. The proof of their satisfaction is that after this answer from the Quran, neither the Jews nor, at their behest, the disbelievers of Makkah asked any further questions about Dhul-Qarnayn. However, our commentators have tried their utmost to answer the above historical questions as much as possible. Thus, after studying the Bible, Maulana Maududi (may Allah have mercy on him) presented the research that the title of Dhul-Qarnayn can only be applied to the Iranian ruler Cyrus, whose rise began around 549 BCE. Within a few years, after subduing the kingdoms of Media (Al-Jibal) and Lydia (Asia Minor), he conquered Babylon in 539 BCE, after which no power remained to resist him. His conquests extended from Sindh and Sogdiana (present-day Turkestan) on one side to Egypt and Libya on the other, and to Thrace and Macedonia on another, and in the north, his kingdom spread to Kashia (Caucasus) and Khwarazm. Practically, the entire civilized world of that time was under his command. The author of Tafsir Haqqani's research is that Dhul-Qarnayn was not from Iran but could have been a king from some region of Arabia and was a king of the Himyarite dynasty of Yemen. The proof is that Dhul-Qarnayn is an Arabic word, not Persian or Iranian. Moreover, in ancient times, the kings of Yemen used to be titled with "Dhu," such as Dhu Nuwas, Dhu Nun, Dhu Ra'in, Dhu Yazan, etc. Similarly, there was Dhul-Qarnayn. Abu Rayhan al-Biruni states his name as Abu Karb bin Yarib bin Afrikus Himyari. His real name was Sa'b, and he was the son of Tubba' the First, and he is the very Dhul-Qarnayn mentioned in the Noble Quran. After him, his son Dhu al-Manar Abraha, then his son Afrikus, then his brother Dhu al-Adh'ar, then his brother Sharjeel, then his son al-Hudhahad, and after him his daughter Bilqis became queen, who presented herself before Sayyiduna Sulaiman (peace be upon him). There is also disagreement about the meaning of Dhul-Qarnayn. In Arabic, "qarn" means horn, but it also means era or period. One meaning has already been mentioned above: if a map of his conquered territories or kingdom is drawn on paper, its shape resembles that of a ram with two horns on its head. The second explanation is that Dhul-Qarnayn's crown had two crests, whereas the crowns of ordinary kings had only one, and these two crests were also made to express the vastness of his kingdom. The third explanation is that Dhul-Qarnayn was granted two eras: one era of conquests and the other era of administration and governance over the conquered territories, and this is not something every king is granted. Alexander the Roman, son of Philip, made many conquests, even reaching India and conquering many regions, but his army absolutely refused to advance further and insisted on returning home, and Alexander was compelled before his army and, on the way back, before reaching his homeland, died at the age of 33 at Babylon.
Where is the Wall of Dhul-Qarnayn Located?
As for the question of where the wall of Dhul-Qarnayn is located, there are also differences of opinion because, to date, five such walls have been discovered which various kings built in different regions and eras to protect against the attacks of warlike nations. The most famous among them is the Great Wall of China. This wall is the longest, and its length is estimated to be between twelve hundred and fifteen hundred miles. This wall is counted among the wonders of the world and still exists, and it was built by Chi Wang Ti, Emperor of China, around 235 BCE. The wall of Dhul-Qarnayn is the wall that blocks a pass of the Altai Mountains, which Ibn Khaldun has also mentioned, and most Islamic historians call it the wall of Gog and Magog. the Altai Mountains is situated between Manchuria and Mongolia, and in the middle of this mountain was a wide pass through which the nations of Gog and Magog used to attack. This pass was blocked by Dhul-Qarnayn, the Himyarite king, and this wall still exists. The three journeys of Dhul-Qarnayn are mentioned in the Quran.
