إِنَّا مَكَّنَّا لَهُۥ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَءَاتَيْنَـٰهُ مِن كُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ سَبَبًۭا ٨٤
18:84 | Indeed, We established him upon the earth, and We gave him from everything a way [i.e., means].
فَأَتْبَعَ سَبَبًا ٨٥
حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا بَلَغَ مَغْرِبَ ٱلشَّمْسِ وَجَدَهَا تَغْرُبُ فِى عَيْنٍ حَمِئَةٍۢ وَوَجَدَ عِندَهَا قَوْمًۭا ۗ قُلْنَا يَـٰذَا ٱلْقَرْنَيْنِ إِمَّآ أَن تُعَذِّبَ وَإِمَّآ أَن تَتَّخِذَ فِيهِمْ حُسْنًۭا ٨٦
18:86 | 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."
Footnote 18:86 (1):🅧
Another meaning is "a body of hot water."
قَالَ أَمَّا مَن ظَلَمَ فَسَوْفَ نُعَذِّبُهُۥ ثُمَّ يُرَدُّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِۦ فَيُعَذِّبُهُۥ عَذَابًۭا نُّكْرًۭا ٨٧
18:87 | 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].
Footnote 18:87 (1):🅧
Persists in disbelief and rebellion.
وَأَمَّا مَنْ ءَامَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَـٰلِحًۭا فَلَهُۥ جَزَآءً ٱلْحُسْنَىٰ ۖ وَسَنَقُولُ لَهُۥ مِنْ أَمْرِنَا يُسْرًۭا ٨٨
18:88 | 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 أَتْبَعَ سَبَبًا ٨٩
حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا بَلَغَ مَطْلِعَ ٱلشَّمْسِ وَجَدَهَا تَطْلُعُ عَلَىٰ قَوْمٍۢ لَّمْ نَجْعَل لَّهُم مِّن دُونِهَا سِتْرًۭا ٩٠
18:90 | 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.
كَذَٰلِكَ وَقَدْ أَحَطْنَا بِمَا لَدَيْهِ خُبْرًۭا ٩١
18:91 | Thus. ¹ And We had encompassed [all] that he had in knowledge.
Footnote 18:91 (1):🅧
Such was the affair of Dhul-Qarnayn.
ثُمَّ أَتْبَعَ سَبَبًا ٩٢
حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا بَلَغَ بَيْنَ ٱلسَّدَّيْنِ وَجَدَ مِن دُونِهِمَا قَوْمًۭا لَّا يَكَادُونَ يَفْقَهُونَ قَوْلًۭا ٩٣
18:93 | Until, when he reached [a pass] between two mountains, he found beside them a people who could hardly understand [his] speech.
قَالُوا۟ يَـٰذَا ٱلْقَرْنَيْنِ إِنَّ يَأْجُوجَ وَمَأْجُوجَ مُفْسِدُونَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَهَلْ نَجْعَلُ لَكَ خَرْجًا عَلَىٰٓ أَن تَجْعَلَ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَهُمْ سَدًّۭا ٩٤
18:94 | They said, "O Dhul-Qarnayn, indeed Gog and Magog ¹ are [great] corrupters in the land. So may we assign for you an expenditure that you might make between us and them a barrier?"
Footnote 18:94 (1):🅧
Savage tribes who had ravaged large parts of central Asia, committing every kind of atrocity.
قَالَ مَا مَكَّنِّى فِيهِ رَبِّى خَيْرٌۭ فَأَعِينُونِى بِقُوَّةٍ أَجْعَلْ بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَهُمْ رَدْمًا ٩٥
18:95 | 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.
ءَاتُونِى زُبَرَ ٱلْحَدِيدِ ۖ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا سَاوَىٰ بَيْنَ ٱلصَّدَفَيْنِ قَالَ ٱنفُخُوا۟ ۖ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا جَعَلَهُۥ نَارًۭا قَالَ ءَاتُونِىٓ أُفْرِغْ عَلَيْهِ قِطْرًۭا ٩٦
18:96 | 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 ٱسْطَـٰعُوٓا۟ أَن يَظْهَرُوهُ وَمَا ٱسْتَطَـٰعُوا۟ لَهُۥ نَقْبًۭا ٩٧
18:97 | So they [i.e., Gog and Magog] were unable to pass over it, nor were they able [to effect] in it any penetration.