AL-KAHF   18

 

18:65-100

So they came upon a servant of Ours whom We had given him mercy from Us and We had taught him knowledge from Us.

 

Moses said to him:

“Can I follow you so that you will teach me from the guidance you have been taught?”

 

He said:

“You will not be able to have patience with me.

And how can you be patient about that which you have not been given any news?”

 

He said:

“You will find me, God willing, to be patient.

And I will not disobey any command of yours.”

 

He said:

“If you follow me, then do not ask about anything until I relate it to you.”

 

So they ventured forth until they rode in a boat and he made a hole in it.

 

He said:

“Have you made a hole in it to drown its people?

You have done something dreadful!”

 

He said:

“Did I not tell you that you will not be able to have patience with me?”

 

He said:

“Forgive me for what I forgot, and do not be hard upon my request with you.”

 

So they ventured forth until they came upon a youth, and he killed him.

 

He said:

“Have you killed an innocent person without justice?

You have done something awful!”

 

He said:

“Did I not tell you that you will not be able to have patience with me?”

 

He said:

“If I ask you about anything after this, then do not keep me in your company. You will then have a reason over me.”

 

So they ventured forth until they came to the people of a town.

They requested food from its people but they refused to host them. Then they found a wall which was close to collapsing, so he built it.

 

He said:

“If you had wished, you could have asked a wage for it!”

 

He said:

“For this, we will now part ways. I will inform you of the meanings of those things that you could not have patience over.”

“As for the boat, it belonged to some poor people who were working the sea, so I wanted to damage it as there was a king coming who takes every boat by force.”

“And as for the youth, his parents were believers, so we were concerned that he would oppress them by his transgression and disbelief. So we wanted their Lord to replace for them

with one who is better than him in purity and closer to mercy.”

“And as for the wall, it belonged to two orphaned boys in the city, and underneath it was a treasure for them, and their father was a good man, so your Lord wanted that they reach their independence and bring out their treasure as a mercy from your Lord.

And none of what I have done was of my own accord.

That is the meaning of what you could not have patience for.”

 

And they ask you about the Dhul Qarnayn, 

say: 

"I will recite to you a remembrance of him."

 

We had facilitated for him in the land, and We had given him the means to all things. So he followed the means.

Until he reached the setting of the sun; he found it setting at a hot spring, and he found a people near it. 

 

We said: 

"O Dhul Qarnayn, either you shall punish, or you shall do them good."

 

He said: 

"As for he who has done wrong, we will punish him then he will be returned to his Lord and He will punish him an awful punishment."

"And as for he who believes and does good, then he will have the reward of goodness, and we will speak to him simply of our plan."

 

Then he followed the means.

So when he reached the rising of the sun, he found it rising on a people for whom We did not make any cover except it.

So it was, and We knew ahead of time about what he intended.

Then he followed the means.

Until he reached the area between the two barriers, he found no one besides them except a people who could barely understand anything said.

 

They said:

"O Dhul Qarnayn, Gog and Magog are destroyers of the land, so shall we make a tribute for you that you will make between us and them a barrier?"

 

He said: 

"What my Lord has given me is far better. So help me with strength and I will make between you and them a barrier."

"Bring me iron ore." 

 

Until he leveled between the two walls, 

he said: 

"Blow," 

 

until he made it a furnace, 

 

he said: 

"Bring me tar so I can pour it over."

 

So they could not come over it, and they could not make a hole in it.

 

He said: 

"This is a mercy from my Lord. But when the promise of my Lord comes, He will make it rubble. And the promise of my Lord is truth."

 

And We left them until that day to surge like waves on one another. And the horn was blown so We gathered them together. And We displayed Hell on that Day to the rejecters openly.