سُوْرَةُ الْكَهْفِ
Surah Al-Kahf (18) — Ayah 97
فَمَا ٱسْطَـٰعُوٓا۟ أَن يَظْهَرُوهُ وَمَا ٱسْتَطَـٰعُوا۟ لَهُۥ نَقْبًا ﴿97﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
So they [Ya’jûj and Ma’jûj (Gog and Magog)] could not scale it or dig through it.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
فَمَا
famā
So not
ٱسْطَـٰعُوٓا۟
is'ṭāʿū
they were able
أَن
an
to
يَظْهَرُوهُ
yaẓharūhu
scale it
وَمَا
wamā
and not
ٱسْتَطَـٰعُوا۟
is'taṭāʿū
they were able
لَهُۥ
lahu
in it
نَقْبًۭا
naqban
(to do) any penetration
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.
97. (In this way, the barrier was made such that) Gog and Magog could neither scale it [79] nor could they pierce through it.
[79] According to some narrations, this wall was fifty miles long, twenty-nine feet high, and ten feet wide. The benefit of this wall could only be realized if its height was at least equal to the height of both sides. Due to such height, it was not possible to climb over it, and because it was a thick, iron-constructed wall, it was not possible to make a breach in it either.
[79] According to some narrations, this wall was fifty miles long, twenty-nine feet high, and ten feet wide. The benefit of this wall could only be realized if its height was at least equal to the height of both sides. Due to such height, it was not possible to climb over it, and because it was a thick, iron-constructed wall, it was not possible to make a breach in it either.
