Allah tells us that Dhul-Qarnayn then traveled from the west of the earth
towards the east. Every time he passed a nation, he subjugated the people and
called them to Allah. If they obeyed him, all well and good, otherwise he would
humiliate them and take their wealth and possessions. From every nation he took
what his armies needed to fight the next nation. When he reached the place where
the sun rises, as Allah says,
[وَجَدَهَا تَطْلُعُ
عَلَى قَوْمٍ]
(he found it rising on a people) meaning a nation,
[لَّمْ نَجْعَل
لَّهُمْ مِّن دُونِهَا سِتْراً]
(for whom We (Allah) had provided no shelter against the sun.) meaning, they
had no buildings or trees to cover them and shade them from the heat of the sun.
Qatadah said, "It was mentioned to us that they were in a land where nothing
grew, so when the sun rose they would go into tunnels until it had passed its
zenith, then they would come out to go about their daily lives and earn
themselves a living.''
[كَذَلِكَ وَقَدْ
أَحَطْنَا بِمَا لَدَيْهِ خُبْراً ]
(So (it was)! And We knew all about him.) Mujahid and As-Suddi said, "This
means that Allah knew everything about him and his army, and nothing was hidden
from Him, even though they came from so many different nations and lands. For,
[لاَ يَخْفَى
عَلَيْهِ شَىْءٌ فِي الاٌّرْضِ وَلاَ فِى السَّمَآءِ]
(Truly, nothing is hidden from Allah, in the earth or in the heaven.)[3:5]''
[ثُمَّ أَتْبَعَ
سَبَباً حَتَّى إِذَا بَلَغَ بَيْنَ السَّدَّيْنِ وَجَدَ مِن دُونِهِمَا قَوْماً
لاَّ يَكَادُونَ يَفْقَهُونَ قَوْلاً قَالُواْ يذَا الْقَرْنَيْنِ إِنَّ يَأْجُوجَ
وَمَأْجُوجَ مُفْسِدُونَ فِى الاٌّرْضِ فَهَلْ نَجْعَلُ لَكَ خَرْجاً عَلَى أَن
تَجْعَلَ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَهُمْ سَدًّا قَالَ مَا مَكَّنِّى فِيهِ رَبِّى خَيْرٌ
فَأَعِينُونِى بِقُوَّةٍ أَجْعَلْ بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَهُمْ رَدْمًا ءَاتُونِى
زُبَرَ الْحَدِيدِ حَتَّى إِذَا سَاوَى بَيْنَ الصَّدَفَيْنِ قَالَ انفُخُواْ
حَتَّى إِذَا جَعَلَهُ نَاراً قَالَ آتُونِى أُفْرِغْ عَلَيْهِ قِطْراً ]
(92. Then he followed (another) way,) (93. Until, when he reached between two
mountains, he found before them a people who scarcely understood a word.) (94.
They said: "O Dhul-Qarnayn! Verily, Ya'juj and Ma'juj are doing great mischief
in the land. Shall we then pay you a tribute in order that you might erect a
barrier between us and them'') (95. He said: "That in which my Lord had
established me is better. So help me with strength, I will erect between you and
them a barrier.'') (96. "Give me Zubar of iron;'' then, when he had filled up
the gap between the two mountain-cliffs, he said: "Blow;'' then when he had made
them (red as) fire, he said: "Bring me Qitran to pour over them.'')