Tafsir Surah Al-Kahf: Ayah 96-100

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Al-Kahf - 18:96

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اتُونِي زُبَرَ الْحَدِيدِ 

I will erect between you and them a barrier. Give me Zubar of iron

Zubar is the plural of Zubrah. Which means pieces or chunks of something.

This was the view of Ibn Abbas, Mujahid and Qatadah.

These pieces were like bricks or blocks, and it was said that each block weighed one Damascene Qintar or more.


حَتَّى إِذَا سَاوَى بَيْنَ الصَّدَفَيْنِ 

Then, when he had filled up the gap between the two mountain-cliffs

Means, he put the blocks on top of one another, starting at the bottom, until he reached the tops of the mountains, filling the width and height of the gap.

The scholars differed about the precise width and height.


قَالَ انفُخُوا   

He said: "Blow!" 

Means, he lit a fire until the whole thing was burning hot.


حَتَّى إِذَا جَعَلَهُ نَارًا 

Then when he had made them (red as) fire


قَالَ اتُونِي أُفْرِغْ عَلَيْهِ قِطْرًا 

He said: "Bring me Qitran to pour over them."

Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, 'krimah, Ad-Dahhak, Qatadah and As-Suddi said: it was copper.

Some of them added that it was molten.


This is similar to the Ayah:

وَأَسَلْنَا لَهُ عَيْنَ الْقِطْرِ 

And We caused a fount of Qitran to flow for him. 

(34:12)

So it resembled a striped cloak


Al-Kahf - 18:97



The Barrier restrains Them, but It will be breached when the Hour draws night 

Allah tells us that Ya'juj and Ma'juj could not climb over the barrier or penetrate its lower portion. Varying forms of the verb are used here in the Arabic text to reflect the difficulty of the action referred to.


فَمَا اسْطَاعُوا أَن يَظْهَرُوهُ وَمَا اسْتَطَاعُوا لَهُ نَقْبًا 

So they (Ya'juj and Ma'juj) could not scale it or dig through it

This indicates that they could not penetrate it or dig through it.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Zaynab bint Jahsh, the wife of the Prophet said, "The Prophet woke from sleep, and he was red in the face.


He said,

لَاا إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللهُ وَيْلٌ لِلْعَرَبِ مِنْ شَرَ قَدِ اقْتَرَبَ فُتِحَ الْيَوْمَ مِنْ رَدْمِ يَأْجُوجَ وَمَأْجُوجَ مِثْلُ هَذَا 

La ilaha illallah! Woe to the Arabs from the evil that has approached (them). Today a hole has been opened in the barrier of Ya'juj and Ma'juj like this

And he made a circle with his index finger and thumb. I (Zaynab) said, 'O Messenger of Allah, will we be destroyed even though there will be righteous people among us?'

He said:

نَعَمْ إِذَا كَثُرَ الْخَبَث 

Yes, if evil increases."

This is a Sahih Hadith, both Al-Bukhari and Muslim recorded it.


Al-Kahf - 18:98



قَالَ هَذَا رَحْمَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّي 

(Dhul-Qarnayn) said:"This is a mercy from my Lord..." 

Meaning, after it was built by Dhul-Qarnayn.


قَالَ هَذَا رَحْمَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّي 

He said: This is a mercy from my Lord

For the people, when he placed a barrier between them and Ya'juj and Ma'juj, to stop them from spreading evil and corruption on earth.


فَإِذَا جَاء وَعْدُ رَبِّي 

But when the promise of my Lord comes

Means, when the true promise comes.


جَعَلَهُ دَكَّاء 

He shall Dakka' it down to the ground

Means, will make it flat.

The Arabs use Dakka' to describe a female camel whose back is flat and has no hump.


And Allah says:

فَلَمَّا تَجَلَّى رَبُّهُ لِلْجَبَلِ جَعَلَهُ دَكًّا 

So when his Lord appeared to the mountain, He made it Dakkan

(7:143) 

Meaning, level to the ground.


وَكَانَ وَعْدُ رَبِّي حَقًّا 

And the promise of my Lord is ever true

Means, it will come to pass without a doubt.


Al-Kahf - 18:99



وَتَرَكْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ 

We shall leave some of them

Meaning mankind, on that day, the day when the barrier will be breached and these people (Ya'juj and Ma'juj) will come out surging over mankind to destroy their wealth and property.


وَتَرَكْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ يَوْمَيِذٍ يَمُوجُ فِي بَعْضٍ 

We shall leave some of them to surge like waves on one another

As-Suddi said: "That is when they emerge upon the people."


All of this will happen before the Day of Resurrection and after the Dajjal, as we will explain when discussing the Ayat:

حَتَّى إِذَا فُتِحَتْ يَأْجُوجُ وَمَأْجُوجُ وَهُمْ مِّن كُلِّ حَدَبٍ يَنسِلُونَ

وَاقْتَرَبَ الْوَعْدُ الْحَقُّ

Until, when Ya'juj and Ma'juj are let loose, and they swoop down from every Hadab

And the true promise shall draw near.

(21:96-97)


وَنُفِخَ فِي الصُّورِ 

And As-Sur will be blown

As-Sur, as explained in the Hadith, is a horn that is blown into. The one who will blow into it is (the angel) Israfil, peace be upon him, as has been explained in the Hadith quoted at length above, and there are many Hadiths on this topic.

According to a Hadith narrated from Atiyah from Ibn Abbas and Abu Sa`id, and attributed to the Prophet,


كَيْفَ أَنْعَمُ وَصَاحِبُ الْقَرْنِ قَدِ الْتَقَمَ الْقَرْنَ وَحَنَى جَبْهَتَهُ وَاسْتَمَعَ مَتَى يُوْمَرُ

How can I relax when the one with the Horn has put the Horn in his mouth and has knelt down, listening out for the command to be given to him?

They said, "What should we say?"

He said:

قُولُوا 

حَسْبُنَا اللهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ عَلَى اللهِ تَوَكَّلْنَا

Say: "Allah is Sufficient for us and the best Disposer of affairs, in Allah have we put our trust."


فَجَمَعْنَاهُمْ جَمْعًا 

And We shall collect them (the creatures) all together

Means, 'We shall bring them all together for Reckoning.'


قُلْ إِنَّ الاٌّوَّلِينَ وَالاٌّخِرِينَ

لَمَجْمُوعُونَ إِلَى مِيقَـتِ يَوْمٍ مَّعْلُومٍ

Say:"(Yes) verily, those of old, and those of later times. 

All will surely be gathered together for appointed meeting of a known Day.

(56:49-50) 


وَحَشَرْنَـهُمْ فَلَمْ نُغَادِرْ مِنْهُمْ أَحَداً 

And we shall gather them all together so as to leave not one of them behind. 

(18:47)


Al-Kahf - 18:100



Hell will be displayed before the Disbelievers on the Day of Resurrection 

Allah says:

وَعَرَضْنَا جَهَنَّمَ يَوْمَيِذٍ لِّلْكَافِرِينَ عَرْضًا 

And on that Day We shall present Hell to the disbelievers, plain to view

Allah tells us what He will do to the disbelievers on the Day of Resurrection. He will show Hell to them, meaning He will bring it forth for them to see its punishment and torment before they enter it. This will intensify their distress and grief.


In Sahih Muslim it is recorded that Ibn Mas'ud said, "The Messenger of Allah said,

يُوْتَى بِجَهَنَّمَ تُقَادُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ بِسَبْعِينَ أَلْفَ زِمَامٍ مَعَ كُلِّ زِمَامٍ سَبْعُونَ أَلْفَ مَلَك

Hell will be brought forth on the Day of Resurrection, pulled by means of seventy thousand reins, each of which will be held by seventy thousand angels


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