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The name of Hazrat Dhul Qarnain is Sikandar (Alexandra).  He is Hazrat Khizr’s cousin.  Hazrat Khizr – peace be upon Him – has been very helpful to him in all his endeavours.  He is from the children of Hazrat Saam Ibn Nooh – peace be upon Him – and the only son of an elderly woman.  He embraced Islam on the blessed hands of Hazrat Ibraheem – peace be upon Him – and stayed in his company for years and Hazrat Ibraheem – peace be upon Him – also gave him some wise words of advice.  According to sound narrations, he is not a Nabi but a very pious man who has been established on the station of Wilaayah.

(Saawi Vol. 4, p. 1214)

 

Why Is He Called “Dhul Qarnain”?

The Holy Prophet – may Allah send peace and blessings upon Him – stated that he is famous with title of Dhul Qarnain  (One who possesses two horns) because he has visited both horns i.e. polls of the world.

Some said that since two generations were elapsed during his era.  Each generation consisted of 100 years.

Some said that he had two locks which is why he was called Dhul Qarnain.

There is this quote also that his crown had two horns.

Some even said that there were bumps on his forehead which resembled two horns.

Some said that since both his parents were from noble families that is why he was called Dhul Qarnain.

And Allah Almighty knows best!

(Madaarik Al-Tanzeel Vol. 3, p. 222)

Allah Almighty had blessed him with the kingdom of the entire world.  There were only four kings that ruled over the whole world.  Two of them were believers and the other two were non-believers.  The two believers were Hazrat Sulaiman – peace be upon Him – and Hazrat Dhul Qarnain – may Allah be pleased with Him.  The two non-believers were Bukht Nasr and Namrood.  There is going to be the fifth global king from this Ummah whose name is Hazrat Imam Mahdi – may Allah be pleased with Him.

(Saawi Vol. 4, p. 1216)

 

The Three Journeys Of Hazrat Dhul Qarnain:

All three journeys of his are mentioned in the Holy Quran in Surah Kahf.  We will analyse all of those journeys which are wonderful and strange:

 

The First Journey:

Hazrat Dhul Qarnain had studied in ancient texts that one man from amongst the descendants of Hazrat Saam Ibn Nooh – peace be upon Him – will drink the nectar and then he will not die, therefore Hazrat Dhul Qarnain travelled towards the west.  Hazrat Khizr – peace be upon Him – also joined him.  He approached the spring of nectar and also drank its water but it was not destined for Hazrat Dhul Qarnain, and he was deprived of it.  During his journey towards the west he passed through all the places that were populated by humans and at the end he reached a place where he witnessed, at the time of sunset as if it were drowning into a dark spring, as the sailors of the ship noticed that the sun is setting into the black water of the ocean.

They found a people there that were wearing animal skins and did not have anything else to cover their bodies.  This nation is called Naasik.  Hazrat Dhul Qarnain saw that they have a massive army and their people are very strong and skilful.  He surrounded them with his army and defeated them, as a result of which, some brought Imaan and some were slain by his army.

 

The Second Journey:

After that, he undertook a journey towards the east till he reached the point from where the sun rises and saw that there are a people who did not have any houses or shelter.  They would hide in the caves of mountains or underground tunnels at the time of sunrise and as the sun would begin to set they used to come out of the caves and searched for their sustenance.  This nation was called Munsik.  Hazrat Dhul Qarnain defeated them as well and treated the ones who embraced Imaan with goodness and the ones that were persistent on their kufr were slain.

 

The Third Journey:

And then, he travelled towards the north and reached a place situated between two mountains.  People there spoke a strange language.  He could barely communicate with them in sign language.  They complained to him about Yajooj-Majooj and their oppression, and sought his help.

 

Yajooj-Majooj:

They are a terrorist group from the descendants of Yaafath Ibn Nooh – peace be upon Him – and they are very large in number.  They are very fearsome fighters and completely animalistic and wild, and live like animals.  In the harvest seasons they come out of their caves and eat up all the crops and vegetables and would take away all the dry things.  They even eat the humans, beasts, snakes, scorpions and chameleon and all the small and big animal species.

 

The Sikandari (Alexandrian) Wall:

They requested Hazrat Dhul Qarnain to protect them from Yajooj-Majooj and their oppression, and that they will give him some valuables in return.  Hazrat Dhul Qarnain said, “I do not need your assets.  Allah Almighty has given me everything.  You just need to assist me with your physical strength.  He dug a foundation between the two mountains and when the water began to spring up they filled it with stones and poured melted copper, and then they placed iron sheets from both sides from the bottom going upwards and filled them with burning coal and wood and then set fire on it, and the wall was erected in this manner till completion and the wall was erected to the height of the other two mountains without leaving any gap between them and then again melted copper was poured into the wall which made the wall very tough and solid.

(Khazaain Al-Irfan p. 545-547)

 

The first journey is mentioned in the following verses of the Holy Quran:

حَتّٰۤی اِذَا بَلَغَ مَغْرِبَ الشَّمْسِ وَجَدَہَا تَغْرُبُ فِیۡ عَیۡنٍ حَمِئَۃٍ وَّوَجَدَ عِنۡدَہَا قَوْمًا ۬ؕ قُلْنَا یٰذَا الْقَرْنَیۡنِ اِمَّاۤ اَنۡ تُعَذِّبَ وَ اِمَّاۤ اَنۡ تَتَّخِذَ فِیۡہِمْ حُسْنًا ﴿۸۶﴾

Till when he reached the place of sun’s setting, he found it setting in a spring of black mud, and he found a people there. We said, ‘O Zulqarnain, either you punish them or do good to them’.
قَالَ اَمَّا مَنۡ ظَلَمَ فَسَوْفَ نُعَذِّبُہٗ ثُمَّ یُرَدُّ اِلٰی رَبِّہٖ فَیُعَذِّبُہٗ عَذَابًا نُّکْرًا ﴿۸۷﴾

He submitted, ‘As one who did injustice, we shall punish him soon, then he will be returned towards his Lord, He will strike him with an evil striking’.
وَ اَمَّا مَنْ اٰمَنَ وَعَمِلَ صٰلِحًا فَلَہٗ جَزَآءَۨ  الْحُسْنٰی ۚ وَ سَنَقُوۡلُ لَہٗ مِنْ اَمْرِنَا یُسْرًا ﴿ؕ۸۸﴾

And one who believed and did good deeds then the recompense for him is the good; and soon We shall speak to him easy affair.

(Al-Kahf 18, Verse 86-88)

The second journey is mentioned in the following Quranic verses:

ثُمَّ اَتْبَعَ سَبَبًا ﴿۸۹﴾

Again he followed a way.
حَتّٰۤی اِذَا بَلَغَ مَطْلِعَ الشَّمْسِ وَجَدَہَا تَطْلُعُ عَلٰی قَوْمٍ لَّمْ نَجْعَلۡ لَّہُمۡ مِّنۡ دُوۡنِہَا سِتْرًا ﴿ۙ۹۰﴾

Until, when he reached the place of sun rising he found it rising on a people for whom We had not put any shelter against the sun.
کَذٰلِکَ ؕ وَقَدْ اَحَطْنَا بِمَا لَدَیۡہِ خُبْرًا ﴿۹۱﴾

So is the talk. And whatever he had, Our knowledge encompasses all.

(Al-Kahf 18, Verse 89-91)

The third journey is mentioned in the following verses:

ثُمَّ اَتْبَعَ سَبَبًا ﴿۹۲﴾

Again he followed a way.
حَتّٰۤی اِذَا بَلَغَ بَیۡنَ السَّدَّیۡنِ وَجَدَ مِنۡ دُوۡنِہِمَا قَوْمًا ۙ لَّا یَکَادُوۡنَ یَفْقَہُوۡنَ قَوْلًا ﴿۹۳﴾

Until when he reached between two mountains, he found inside them some such people who deemed not to understand any word.
قَالُوۡا یٰذَا الْقَرْنَیۡنِ اِنَّ یَاۡجُوۡجَ وَمَاۡ جُوۡجَ مُفْسِدُوۡنَ فِیۡ الْاَرْضِ فَہَلْ نَجْعَلُ لَکَ خَرْجًا عَلٰۤی اَنۡ تَجْعَلَ بَیۡنَنَا وَ بَیۡنَہُمْ سَدًّا ﴿۹۴﴾

They said, ‘O Zulqarnain, undoubtedly, Yajuj (Gog) and Majuj (Magog) create mischief in the earth, should we then fix some tribute for you on the condition that you may set up a wall between us and them.’
قَالَ مَا مَکَّنِّیۡ فِیۡہِ رَبِّیۡ خَیۡرٌ فَاَعِیۡنُوۡنِیۡ بِقُوَّۃٍ اَجْعَلْ بَیۡنَکُمْ وَبَیۡنَہُمْ رَدْمًا ﴿ۙ۹۵﴾

He said, ‘that upon which my Lord has given me control is better, then help me with strength, I may make a strong barrier between you and them.’
اٰتُوۡنِیۡ زُبَرَ الْحَدِیۡدِ ؕ حَتّٰۤی اِذَا سَاوٰی بَیۡنَ الصَّدَفَیۡنِ قَالَ انۡفُخُوۡا ؕ حَتّٰۤی اِذَا جَعَلَہٗ نَارًا ۙ قَالَ اٰتُوۡنِیۡۤ اُفْرِغْ عَلَیۡہِ قِطْرًا ﴿ؕ۹۶﴾

Bring to me the pieces of iron, Till when he levelled the wall upto the sides of the two mountains, he said, ‘blow’, till when he made it a fire, said he, ‘Bring me, that I may pour molten copper on it’.
فَمَا اسْطٰعُوۡۤا اَنۡ یَّظْہَرُوۡہُ وَمَا اسْتَطٰعُوۡا لَہٗ نَقْبًا ﴿۹۷﴾

Then Yajuj and Majuj could neither climb over it, and nor could make a hole in it.

 

قَالَ ہٰذَا رَحْمَۃٌ مِّنۡ رَّبِّیۡ ۚ فَاِذَا جَآءَ وَعْدُ رَبِّیۡ جَعَلَہٗ دَکَّآءَ ۚ وَکَانَ وَعْدُ رَبِّیۡ حَقًّا ﴿ؕ۹۸﴾

He said, ‘This is a mercy from my Lord, ‘then when the promise of my Lord will come, He will break it into pieces, and the promise of my Lord is ever true.’

(Al-Kahf 18, Verse 92-98)

 

When Will The Sikandari Wall Be Demolished?:

It is mentioned in Hadeeth Shareef that Yajooj-Majooj attempted to break the wall every day and when they are exhausted of all the days hard work and just close to demolishing it one of them says, “Leave it, we will break the rest tomorrow.”

When they come the next day the wall becomes stronger than it was.  When the time will come for the demolition of the wall, one of them will say, “Leave it, we will IN SHA ALLAH break the rest tomorrow.”  Through the blessings of them saying InshaAllah as a result, the wall will break the next day and it will the time near Qiyamah.  Yajooj-Majooj will emerge after the wall will be demolished and they will cause bloodshed and disruption all over the earth.  They will drink all the water of ponds, lakes and springs and will eat the trees and animals.  They will spread all over the earth but they will not be able to enter three Holy Cities; Makkah Mukarramah, Madinah Munawwarah and Baitul Maqdis.  Hazrat ‘Isa – peace be upon Him – will then make Du’a and a worm will be born in their necks and all of them will be perished.

It is mentioned in the Holy Quran as follows:

حَتّٰۤی اِذَا فُتِحَتْ یَاۡجُوۡجُ وَمَاۡجُوۡجُ وَ ہُمۡ مِّنۡ کُلِّ حَدَبٍ یَّنۡسِلُوۡنَ ﴿۹۶﴾

Until when Yajuj and Maujuj would be let loose and they will be coming down from every height.

(Al-Ambiya 21, Verse 96)

(Ajaibul Quran 163-167)