This is the third part in a series looking at Surah Al-Kahf. 86.

The first part can be found here and the second part here (links open a separate window/tab). To have a full understanding of what is being discussed the reader is advised to read the parts one and two first.

 

In an attempt to explain this ayah apologists have divided their work into four main areas as follows:

1. How the phrase is understood
   1. The first appeal is made to Native Arabic-speakers. The claim is that native Arabic speakers automatically recognise that the verse is speaking figuratively and so this is only a problem for non-Arabic-speaking non-Muslims. This defence makes no sense as all the early tafsir writers were native Arabic-speaking Muslims and they interpreted the verse literally. In fact you have to ignore all the early tafsirs of the first 600 years of Islam until you reach Islamic writers of the 13^th century before it is suggested that this verse is not literal. Al-Tabari in the 10^th century even elaborates on the verse to inform us that there are 180 different springs into which the sun sets – and a further 180 springs from which the sun rises in the morning. So, native Arabic speakers understood this verse to be literal.
   2. There is an appeal to the figurative meaning of the words. It is stated that wajadah means “it appeared to him” rather than “he found it” and that الشَّمْسِ بَلَغَ مَغْرِبَ balagha maghriba al shamsi (he reached the setting place of the sun) means “he arrived at the time of the setting of the sun”. Whilst this may seem a reasonable explanation of these words it does call into question why the translations of the Qur’an (including quran.com) translate these words literally and then rely on someone else having to explain what the Qur’an actually means. In other words, either surah al-Kahf is clear and needs no explanation or it is not.
   3. Another figurative argument is that the scene is being described from Dhul Qarnayn’s viewpoint. The problem is that there is nothing to suggest in the text that this is so. Verse 83 establishes that Muhammad is reciting a report that has been revealed to him from Allah. Verse 85 begins the recitation by saying, “So he followed a way”. This is not from Dhul Qarnayn’s viewpoint but rather it states that he followed a way until he found the sun setting in a spring. It then continues that he found وَجَدَ a people living nearby yet no-one claims that it only appeared to him that he found a people there. Similarly, the same word, he found وَجَدَ is used in verse 90 and verse 93.
   4. Applying meaning retrospectively: it is only possible to say this verse is figurative if you know, of a certainty, that it is. Science today knows what the simple Bedouin of the 7th century didn’t and so scientific truth is applied to the Qur’an retrospectively. As we have seen, the sahabah and early tafsir writers were not looking at this retrospectively and they had no reason to doubt what the Qur’an says, so they accepted this verse as meaning what it says. Rather than the Qur’an being a book of scientific miracles it is exposed as a book in need of correction, or at the very least explanation, by modern science.
   5. Spiritual rather than physical meaning: in an attempt to excuse the plain wording of this verse, some (e.g. Imran Hosein, quoted above) have attempted to spiritualise the words away as having a deep spiritual meaning rather than the plain meaning of the words. This goes against the Qur’an’s claim that it is a clear revelation in need of no explanation.                                                                   
2. Location of muddy spring
   1. According to Alexander the Great model: initially it was claimed that Dhul Qarnain is Alexander the Great (see e.g. Tabari). However, due more to the enthusiasm of the commentators that identification is disputed as Alexander was clearly not a monotheist. It remains the more popular interpretation.
   2. According to Cyrus model: there are others who, due to the problem of Alexander’s professed beliefs, identify Cyrus as the king. However, the problem with monotheism remains as does the question of whether, and how far, Cyrus’ kingdom stretched from the east to the west.
   3. Other models – Hosein’s Black Sea interpretation: more recently Imran Hosein has allegorised the wording: hamiyah (muddy) to mean Black and aynin (spring) to mean bahr (sea). The problem with this model is that it takes away the Qur’anic claim to being a clear book. If the verse needs to be re-worded to make sense then the Qur’an has failed in its claim for clarity.                                  
3. Evidence of the tafsirs

   Muslim apologists are forced to ignore the chronologically first 19 tafsirs in relation to this ayat and cling to the later tafsirs. The first 20 tafsirs are:

   Tafsir Mujahid	104 AH
   Tafsir Ghareeb al-Quran	120 AH
   Muqatil bin Sulaiman	150 AH
   Tafsir Sufyan al-Thawri	161 AH
   Tafsir Abdul Razaq al-Sanaani	211 AH
   Tafsir al-Quran – Al-Tustari	283 AH
   Tafsir al-Hibri	286 AH
   Tafsir Furat al-Kufi	3rd C. AH
   Tafsir al-Hiwari	3rd C. AH
   Tafsir al-Nisa’i	303 AH
   Tafsir al-Tabari	310 AH
   Tafsir Nazhat al-Quloub	330 AH
   Ta’wilat Ahlul Sunnah	333 AH
   Tafsir Bahr el-uloum	375 AH
   Tafsir Ibn Abi Zamanayn	399 AH
   Tafsir Ali Ibrahim al-Qimmi	4th C. AH
   Haqa’iq al-Tafsir-Al-Silmi	412 AH
   Tafsir al-Kashf wal bayan	427 AH
   AlHidaya ila bulugh alNihaya	437 AH
   Tafsir al-Mawirdi	450 AH

   Even one of the most famous and most widely quoted as authentic tafsirs (Al-Tabari) has to be ignored to follow the more recent interpretation of this verse. It is not until the 11^th century, 400 years after the death of Muhammad that we are presented with the thought that the Qur’an does not mean exactly what it says in Tafsir al-Mawirdi. In other words the idea that this ayah is not clear is an innovation that entered Islam 400 years after the death of the prophet (see below on Who was Dhul Qarnayn?). Whilst most of the tafsir writers conform to the literal translation there is tendency with modern tafsir writers to “correct” the wording of the Qur’an. This reinterpretation of this surah makes a lie of any claim that the Qur’an is a clear book that needs no explanation.

4. Rejection of ahadith

The ahadith are rejected on two bases: firstly, that they are not sahih. “Sahih” ahadith are the most trusted of hadith, they are “authentic”, not fabricated, and are the most trustworthy ahadith. According to Abu Dawood’s Sunan (quoted above) one of the hadith is sahih whist the other is da’if, or weak in its chain of transmission. Some apologists appear to confuse the two and claim that neither are authentic but this is clearly incorrect. Surely one of Muhammad’s sahih statements is as authentic as any other, so to ignore both of these ahadith is to ignore a clear teaching of the prophet and of the Sunnah.

It is claimed that when Muhammad spoke it was also allegorical and he did not really mean that the sun sets in a muddy spring. This is a claim that could only be made about a hadith as the Qur’an is supposed to be God’s word not Muhammad’s. Therefore to test Muhammad’s words (hadith) they must be tested by Allah’s words (the Qur’an). It is a fundamental teaching in Islam that the Qur’an corrects the ahadith, never the other way around. So, when there is a dispute between ahadith and the Qur’an it is always the Qur’an which is correct. In this instance there is no dispute between ahadith and the Qur’an, they both agree: the Qur’an says that the sun sets in a muddy spring and that was what Muhammad believed. Modern apologists have to correct both the ahadith and the Qur’an if they are correct. In other words, in an attempt to reconcile the problem of Surah Al–Kahf.86 apologists deny both the ahadith and the Qur’an.

Who was Dhul Qarnayn?

Ibn Kathir informs us of the, quite important, background to this part of the Qur’an. He states that members of the Meccan tribe of the Quraysh (the same tribe that Muhammad’s family belonged to) wanted a means to be able to test whether Muhammad was a prophet or not. In the early 7^th century there were many different people claiming to be prophets of God. The Meccans, more likely than not, were seeking a way of putting a stop to Muhammad’s claim to prophethood. They sent a message to the Jewish Rabbis in Yathrib (later called Medina) asking what they could put to Muhammad to test whether he really was a prophet or not.

“We have mentioned above the report from Ibn ` Abbas that the Quraysh sent a message to the Jewish rabbis in Al-Madinah to ask them for things with which they could test the Messenger of Allah , and they told them to ask him about these young men, and about Dhul-Qarnayn (the man who traveled much) and about the Ruh. This indicates that this story was something recorded in the books of the People of the Book, and that it came before Christianity.”

(Ibn Kathir, Tafsir Compilation of Volumes 1-10, p.2924).

Ibn Kathir refers to,

“The Story of Dhul Qarnayn, Allah says to His prophet” (p.2997). Quoting Surah Al-Kahf Ibn Kathir states,

“(And they ask you) O Muhammad, (about Dhul-Qarnayn. ) i.e. , about his story. We have already mentioned how the disbelievers of Makkah sent word to the People of the Book and asked them for some information with which they could test the Prophet . They (the People of the Book) said, ‘Ask him about a man who travelled extensively throughout the earth, and about some young men who nobody knows what they did, and about the Ruh (the soul),’ then Surat Al-Kahf was revealed. Dhul-Qarnayn had great Power (Verily, We established him in the earth,) means, ‘We have given him great power, so that he had all that kings could have of might, armies, war equipment and siege machinery.’  So he had dominion over the east and the west , all countries and their kings submitted to him, and all the nations, Arab and non-Arab, served him. Some of them said he was called Dhul-Qarnayn (the one with two horns) because he reached the two “Horns” of the sun, east and west , where it rises and where it sets. (and We gave him the means of everything. ) Ibn ‘Abbas, Mujahid, Sa’id bin Jubayr, ‘Ikrimah, As-Suddi, Qatadah, Ad-Dahhak and others said, ‘This means knowledge.’ Qatadah also said, (and We gave him the means of everything. ) ‘The different parts and features of the earth.’

Concerning Bilqis, Allah said, (she has been given all things) (27:23), meaning all things that monarchs like her are given. Thus too was Dhul-Qarnayn: Allah gave him the means of all things, meaning the means and power to conquer all areas, regions and countries, to defeat enemies, suppress the kings of the earth and humiliate the people of Shirk. He was given all that a man like him would need.” (Ibn Kathir, ibid, p.2997/8)

Conclusion

In Surah Al-Furqan there is a report that Muhammad was accused of fabricating the stories in the Qur’an. The Qur’anic response is to assert that this information was sent down from heaven.

وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا إِنْ هَذَا إِلا إِفْكٌ افْتَرَاهُ وَأَعَانَهُ عَلَيْهِ قَوْمٌ آخَرُونَ فَقَدْ جَاءُوا ظُلْمًا وَزُورًا

وَقَالُوا أَسَاطِيرُ الأوَّلِينَ اكْتَتَبَهَا فَهِيَ تُمْلَى عَلَيْهِ بُكْرَةً وَأَصِيلا

قُلْ أَنْزَلَهُ الَّذِي يَعْلَمُ السِّرَّ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأرْضِ إِنَّهُ كَانَ غَفُورًا رَحِيمًا

But the misbelievers say: “Naught is this but a lie which he has forged, and others have helped him at it.” In truth it is they who have put forward an iniquity and a falsehood.

And they say: “Tales of the ancients, which he has caused to be written: and they are dictated before him morning and evening.”

Say: “The (Qur’an) was sent down by Him who knows the mystery (that is) in the heavens and the earth: verily He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”

(Al-Furqan.4-6)

That being so (that the information revealed comes from heaven) one would expect this information to be accurate. Ayat 4-6 tells us that Allah reveals the tales of the ancients as an admonition to doubters (note also Al-Kahf ayah 1).

If this information has come from Him who knows the mysteries of heaven and earth one would expect it to be accurate. Ayat 4-6 tells us that Allah reveals the tales of the ancients as an admonition to doubters (ayah 1), not as a confusion.

We are left with two choices:

1. If Surah Al-Kahf.86 is a clear revelation then it should be understood as the prophet Muhammad understood it and as confirmed by the early Tafsir writers such as Al-Tabari: the Qur’an reveals that the sun literally sets in a muddy spring.
2. If the sun does not set in a muddy spring then Surah Al-Kahf is not clear and needs interpretation. It also means that a response that is supposed to be a proof or confirmation of Muhammad’s role as prophet is exactly the opposite. 

Imam Yahya 2018

 

Additional resources

1. An example of the use of the word شُبِّهَ (shubbiha) in the Qur’an to mean “appear (to be)”: 

 وَقَوْلِهِمْ إِنَّا قَتَلْنَا الْمَسِيحَ عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ وَمَا صَلَبُوهُ وَلَكِنْ شُبِّهَ لَهُمْ وَإِنَّ الَّذِينَ اخْتَلَفُوا فِيهِ لَفِي شَكٍّ مِنْهُ مَا لَهُمْ بِهِ مِنْ عِلْمٍ إِلا اتِّبَاعَ الظَّنِّ وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ يَقِينًا

 

Waqawlihim inn[a] qataln[a] almasee[h]a AAees[a] ibna maryama rasoola All[a]hi wam[a] qataloohu wam[a] [s]alaboohu wal[a]kin shubbiha lahum wa-inna alla[th]eena ikhtalafoo feehi lafee shakkin minhu m[a] lahum bihi min AAilmin ill[a] ittib[a]AAa a(l){thth}anni wam[a] qataloohu yaqeen[a](n)

That they said (in boast), “We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah”;- but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not:-

(Surah An-Nisa.157)

2. Extract from Budge’s history showing that Alexander the Great was supposed to have travelled to the place where the sun sets:

And he said to me, ‘Who is Alexander?’ I said, ‘He is a Macedonian, the lord of the world, and the bearer [of the sovereignty] of the Persians and Indians.’ And he said to me, ‘Where is the land of Macedonia?’ I said, ‘In the western quarter of the world, at the place where the sun sets.’

(The History of Alexander the Great by Wallis Budge, 1889, p.110)

3. Budge again, relating two horns (dhul qarnain) to Alexander and referring to surah Al-Kahf as being the source of the tradition:

“King of Upper and Lower Egypt, the chosen one of Ra, the beloved of Amen, son of the Sun, Alexander, son of Amen.” Being the son of the god Amen, who was frequently represented on the sculptures by a ram, it was only natural that the two horns of this animal should be made attributes of Alexander the Great, and that he should be called “two-horned.” In the Book of Daniel*, though compared to a goat, he has only one horn; the writer of the book must, however, have been acquainted with the Egyptian notions concerning Alexander. According to Arabic tradition he was called Two-Horned because of his having captured the two horns of the sun, that is, the East and the West³.

³See also Kor’an surah xviii” (ibid., p.li)

4. Budge on Alexander the Great again. This time he is relating the tradition of Alexander forging two iron doors to imprison Gog and Magog:

“From there he travels east and west and flies through the air, higher than the eagle, and sees all the stars of heaven: he writes a book about all these things (foL 115 6, coL 1). He next sets up a great furnace and casts a door and walls of iron to keep out Gog and Magog (foL 116 a, coL 1),..”

(Ibid., p.cvi)

This was taken from the Ethiopic version of the story of Alexander the Great. Notably in this story Alexander is described as “doing God’s will”, which, presumably, refers to the Christian concept of God. This may have led to the Islamic description of Dhul Qarnain as a Muslim and a prophet (possibly using the Islamic argument that those prior to Islam who followed the Judeo-Christian God were Muslims).

5. Dhul Qarnain is referenced in the following poem from Yemen, reproduced by Nicholson. Note that it refers to him watching the sun sink into an “ocean-spring”:

“Ours the realm of Dhu ‘l-Qarnayn the glorious,

Realm like his was never won by mortal king.

Followed he the Sun to view its setting

When it sank into the sombre ocean-spring ;

Up he clomb to see it rise at morning,

From within its mansion when the East it fired ;

All day long the horizons led him onward,¹

All night through he watched the stars and never tired.

Then of iron and of liquid metal

He prepared a rampart not to be o’erpassed,

Gog and Magog there he threw in prison

Till on Judgment Day they shall awake at last.” ²

 

 ¹Dhu ‘l-Qarnayn is described as “the measurer of the earth” (Massdhu ‘l-ard) by Hamdani, yaziratu ‘l-‘Arab, p. 46, 1. 10. If I may step for a moment outside the province of literary history to discuss the mythology of these verses, it seems to me more than probable that Dhu ‘l-Qarnaj’n is a personification of the Sabasan divinity ‘Athtar, who represents “sweet Hesper-Phosphor, double name” (see D. H. Miiller in S.B.W.A., vol. 97, p. 973 seq.). The Minasan inscriptions have ” ‘Athtar of the setting and ‘Athtar of the rising ” (ibid., p. 1033). Moreover, in the older inscriptions ‘Athtar and Almaqa are always mentioned together ; and Almaqa, which according to Hamdani is the name of Venus [al-Zuham), was identified by Arabian archaeologists with Bilqis. For qarn in the sense of ‘ ray ‘ or ‘beam’ see Goldziher, Abhand. zur Arab. Philologie, Part I, p. 114. I think there is little doubt that Dhu ‘l-Qarnayn and Bilqis may be added to the examples (ibid., p. in sqq.) of that peculiar conversion by which many heathen deities were enabled to maintain themselves under various disguises within the pale of Islam.

² The Arabic text will be found in Von Kremer’s AUarabische GedichUueber die Volkssage von Jemen, p. 15 (No. viii, 1.6 sqq.). Hassan b.Thabit, the author of these lines, was contemporary with Muhammad, to whose cause he devoted what poetical talent he possessed. In the verses immediately preceding those translated above he claims to be a descendant of Qahtan.”

(Literary History of the Arabs by R. A. Nicholson, 1907)

6. A quotation from a Christian Legend regarding Alexander the Great and him reaching the place where the sun enters the “window of heaven”:

“And the men went, and came to the shore of the sea. Now Alexander thought within himself, “If it be true as they say, that everyone who comes near the foetid sea dies, it is better that these who are guilty of death should die,” and when they had gone, and had arrived at the shore of the sea, they died instantly. And Alexander and his troops were looking at them when they died, for he and his nobles had ridden to see what would happen to them, and they saw that they died the moment that they reached the’ sea. And king Alexander was afraid and retired, and he knew that it was impossible for them to cross over to the place where were the ends of the heavens. So the whole camp mounted, and Alexander and his troops went up between the foetid sea and the bright sea to the place where the sun enters the window of heaven; for the sun is the servant of the Lord, and neither by night nor by day does he cease from his travelling.”

(A Christian Legend Concerning Alexander in Budge, History of Alexander p.148)

7. From Ibn Al-Talabi (11^th century) in regard to the sun literally setting in a muddy spring:

Then he set out to see the nation that was at the setting-place of the sun, for that is His word: Till when he reached the setting-place of the sun, he found it setting in a pool of black mud (ham?a), (18:86) that is to say, full of mud, while when one reads hamiya with an alif without hamza (3), its meaning is “patroness.” ‘Abdallah b. Hamid al-Isfaham related to us with his authorities from Ibn ‘Abbas, who said, “Ubayy b. Ka’b taught me its reading as the Messenger of Allah had taught him to read it “in a pool of hamya.” So I said, “We only read it as hamya.” And Mu’awiya said, ‘”Abdallah b. ‘Umar, how do you read it?” He replied, “I read it as you did, Commander of the Faithful.” Ibn ‘Abbas said, “Then I prolonged the argument with the two of them, so Mu’awiya sent for Ka’b. When he came to him he said to him, “Where do you find the sun setting in the Torah, Ka’b?” He replied, “As for Arabic, you are all more learned in it than I, but as for the sun, I find in the Torah that it sets in water and mud. I will recite to you something you will reflect on more and more. It is the work of Tubba’:¹²

Dhu al-Qarnayn was a Muslim before me,

a king to whom kings professed faith and bowed down.

He reached the place of dawn and of sunset,

seeking the causes of a thing from a wise leader

Then he saw the disappearance of the sun at its setting

in a spring full of (khulub) and (tha’t harmad).

Mu’awiya said, “What is khulub, Ka’b?” “It is ‘mud’ in their language.”¹³ he said. “And what is tha’t?” He said, “It is ‘mire’.” He said, “And what is harmad?”” He said, “Black slime.” So he called a man and told him, “Write down what he said.”

When he reached the setting-place of the sun, he found there a crowd and numbers that only God could count, and strength and courage that only God could master. He saw differing languages and dubious desires, for that is His word: He found a people thereabouts, (18:86)—meaning people.

 ¹² The name of one of the ancient kings of Yemen.

¹³ I.e., the South Arabian language of Yemen.

(Arais Al-Majalis [Lives of the Prophets] Ibn al-Thalabi, p.612 : Brill 2002, from 11^th century orig.)

8. A 16^th century quote re: Dhul Qarnain:

Then the Jews came to the presence of the Prophet (a.s). The Prophet (a.s) said, “Do you want to put the question to me or would like me to tell you about what is in your minds!” They requested the Prophet to speak first. The Prophet (a.s) said, “The purpose of your visit to me is to ask about Dhual Qarnain!” The Jews admitted that their purpose of coming was to ask about that person. The Prophet (a.s) then rejoined saying, “Dhual Qarnai was a native of the city of Rome. When he grew up, he became the suzerain of the East and the West. In the end he constructed a huge wall which is famous even now!” The Jews were very much impressed and embraced Islam.

(Ain al-Hayat/Essence of Life – Mohammed Baqir Majlisi [17^th century], p.72)

9. Nicholson quote re: Dhul Qarnain being a personification of the Sabaean god ‘Athtar (the Sabaean kingdom died out around 400 years before Islam and is referred to in Surah Al-Naml):

Ours the realm of Dhu ‘l-Qarnayn the glorious, ; Realm like his was never won by mortal king. ; Followed he the Sun to view its setting ; When it sank into the sombre ocean-spring; ; Up he clomb to see it rise at morning, ; From within its mansion when the East it fired; ; All day long the horizons led him onward,¹ ; All night through he watched the stars and never tired. ; Then of iron and of liquid metal ; He prepared a rampart not to be o’erpassed, ; Gog and Magog there he threw in prison ; Till on Judgment Day they shall awake at last.

¹Dhu ‘l-Qarnayn is described as ” the measurer of the earth ” (Massdhu’l-ard) by Hamdani, Jaziratu ‘l-‘Arab, p. 46, 1. 10. If I may step for a moment outside the province of literary history to discuss the mythology of these verses, it seems to me more than probable that Dhu ‘l-Qarnayn is a personification of the Sabaean divinity ‘Athtar, who represents “sweet Hesper-Phosphor, double name” (see D. H. Miiller in S.B.W.A.% vol. 97, p. 973 seq.). The Minaean inscriptions have ” ‘Athtar of the setting and ‘Athtar of the rising” {ibid., p. 1033). Moreover, in the older inscriptions ‘Athtar and Almaqa are always mentioned together ; and Almaqa, which according to Hamdani is the name of Venus (al-Zuhara), was identified by Arabian archaeologists with Bilqis. For qarn in the sense of ‘ray’ or ‘beam’ see Goldziher, Abhand. zur Arab. Philologie, Part I, p. 114. I think there is little doubt that Dhu ‘l-Qarnayn and Bilqis may be added to the examples (ibid., p.1033) of that peculiar conversion by which many heathen deities were enabled to maintain themselves under various disguises within the pale of Islam.

(A Literary History of the Arabs by Reynold A. Nicholson, Scribner’s Sons, New York 1907)