Al-Kahf 18:71–110

(So the twain set out) so both Khidr and Moses (pbut) set out (till, when they were in the ship) to cross over, (he made a hole therein) Khidr made a hole in the ship. ((Moses) said) to him: (Hast thou made a hole therein to drown the folk thereof? Thou verily hast done a dreadful thing) towards the people of the ship.

(He said) Khidr said to him: (Did I not tell thee) O Moses (thou couldst not bear with me?)

((Moses) said: Be not wroth with me that I forgot) your advice, (and be not hard upon me for my fault) do not tax me severely for my fault.

(So the twain journeyed on till, when they met a lad) between two townships, (he slew him) Khidr killed him. ((Moses) said: What! Hast thou) O Khidr (slain an innocent soul who hath slain no man? Verily thou hast done a horrid thing) you have committed a horrendous, evil act.

(He said) Khidr said: (Did I not tell thee) O Moses (that thou couldst not bear with me? Did I not tell you that you might see me doing something that you will not be able to tolerate?

((Moses) said: If I ask thee) O Khidr (after this) after killing this soul (concerning aught, keep not company with me. Thou hast received an excuse from me) you have an excuse to part company with me.

(So they twain journeyed on till, when they came unto the folk of a certain township) Antioch, (they asked its folk for food) they asked its inhabitants for bread, (but they refused to make them guests) they refused to give them food. (And they found therein a wall upon the point of falling into ruin, and he repaired it) Khidr repaired it. ((Moses) said: If thou hadst wished) O Khidr, (thou couldst have taken payment for it) in the form of bread that we could eat.

(He said) Khidr said: (This is the parting between thee and me) O Moses! (I will announce unto thee the interpretation of that thou couldst not bear with patience).

(As for the ship) in which I made a hole, (it belonged to poor people working on the river) transporting people across the river, (and I wished to mar it) I wished to damage it, (for there was a king) called Jalandi (behind them) ahead of them (who is taking every ship by force) and this is why I damaged it.

(And as for the lad) whom I killed, (his parents were believers) and of the greatest people of that township (and We feared lest he should oppress them) and your Lord Knew that he will overburden them (by rebellion and disbelief) by means of his rebellion and disobedience, and by lying in oath and so He killed him.

(And We intended that their Lord should change him for them for one) another child (better in purity) righteous (and nearer to mercy) who is more keen to keep ties of kinship. Allah gave them instead of him a girl who later married a prophet and from whom she gave birth to a prophet at whose hand a great number of people were guided. The son killed by Khidr, whose name was Jaysur, was, on the other hand, a disbeliever, a thief and a murderer. This is why Khidr killed him.

(And as for the wall) which I repaired, (it belonged to two orphan boys) called Asram and Suraym (in the city) of Antioch, (and there was beneath it a treasure belonging to them) it was a tablet of gold containing knowledge and wisdom and written on it: �In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. I am really amazed regarding a person who believes in death: how could he ever be happy; and amazed at a person who believes in the evanescence of this worldly life and the fluctuation of its people: how he can find tranquillity in it; there is no deity except Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah (pbuh)� (and their father had been righteous) he was a trustworthy man called Kashih, (and your Lord intended that they should come to their full strength) that they should reach the age of puberty (and should bring forth their treasure) i.e. their golden tablet (as a mercy from their Lord) as a blessing from your Lord; it is also said that this means: as an inspiration from your Lord; (and I did it not upon my own command) I did not do it from my own initiative. (Such is the interpretation of that wherewith thou couldst not bear).

(They) the people of Mecca (will ask thee) O Muhammad (of Dhu'l-Qarnayn) about the event of Dhu'l-Qarnayn. (Say) to them, O Muhammad: (I shall recite unto you a remembrance of him) I shall recite to you an explanation of his event.

(Lo! We made him strong in the land and gave unto every thing a road) the knowledge of the roads and constellation.

(And he followed a road) he set out on a road,

(Till, when he reached the setting place of the sun) where the sun sets, (he found it setting in a muddy spring) a blackened, muddy and stinking spring; it is also said that this means: a hot spring, (and found a people thereabout) these people were disbelievers: (We said: O Dhu'l-Qarnayn!) We inspired him (Either punish) either kill them until they accept to believe that there is no deity except Allah (or show them kindness) or you pardon them and let them be.

(He said: As for him who doth wrong) as for him who disbelieves in Allah, (we shall punish him) in this worldly life by killing him, (and then he will be brought back unto his Lord) in the Hereafter, (who will punish him) by means of the Fire (with awful punishment!) with a severe punishment.

(But as for him who believeth) in Allah (and doeth right) sincerely to Allah, (good will be his reward) Paradise will be his reward in the Hereafter, (and We shall speak unto him a mild command) we shall speak to him in a kind manner.

(Then he followed a road) toward the East.

(Till, when he reached the rising place of the sun, he found it rising on a people for whom We had appointed no helper therefrom) these people had no shelter to protect them from the sun, they had no mountains, trees or clothes. They were naked creatures who were blind to the Truth.

(So (it was)) just as he reached the West, so did he reach the East. (And We knew all concerning him) We knew what he had of information and exposition.

(Then he followed a road) he set out towards the East, to Byzantium.

(Till, when he came between the two mountains, he found upon their hither side) between the two mountains (a folk that scarce could understand a saying) from other people.

(They said) to the interpreter: (O Dhu'l-Qarnayn! Lo! Gog and Magog are spoiling the land) they are destroying our land, they eat our dates, loot our crops and kill our offspring; it is also said that this means: they devour people, for Gog and Magog were two men from the descendent of the children of Yapheth; it is also said that they were called Gog and Magog due to their sheer number. (So may we pay thee tribute) a reward; and it is also said that this means a wage, according to a different reading, (on condition that thou set a barrier between us and them?)

(He said: That wherein my Lord hath established me) the dominion that my Lord has given me is (better) than your reward or wage. (Do but help me with strength) they said: �which strength do you want from us� and he said: �the strength of blacksmiths�, (I will set between you and them a bank) a barrier.

(Give me pieces of iron till, when he had levelled up (the gap) between the cliffs, he said: Blow!) and so they blew into the Fire (till, when he had made it a fire) He says: when the iron became as hot as the Fire and thus melted, (he said: Bring me molten copper to pour thereon) to pour on the wall.

(And (Gog and Magog) were not able to surmount) to climb over it, (nor could they pierce (it)) from beneath.

(He said: This) wall (is a mercy from my Lord) to you; (but when the promise of my Lord cometh to pass) and Gog and Magog break free, (He will lay it low) He will break it, (for the promise of my Lord) that they will break free (is true) and this will surely take place.

(And on that day) the day when Gog and Magog break free; and it is also said: the day of return from Byzantium in that they were not able to defeat it, (We shall let some of them surge against others, and the Trumpet will be blown. Then We shall gather them together in one gathering).

(On that day) the Day of Judgement (We shall present hell) We shall reveal hell (to the disbelievers) before they enter it, (plain to view) clear for them to see,

(Those whose eyes were hoodwinked) those whose eyes were blind (from My reminder) to My divine Oneness and Scripture, (and who could not bear to hear) the recitation of the Qur'an due to their hatred of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

(Do the disbelievers) in Muhammad (pbuh) and in the Qur'an (reckon that they can choose My bondmen) can worship My servants (as protecting friends beside Me?) think that they can choose my servants as deities beside Me; thinking that they will help them in this life and in the Hereafter? It is also said that this means: is it enough that the disbelievers choose to worship My servants as deities? (Lo! We have prepared hell as a welcome for the disbelievers).

(Say) O Muhammad: (Shall We inform you who will be the greatest losers by their works) in the Hereafter?

(Those whose effort goeth astray) those whose works are thwarted (in the life of the world) these are the Kharijites; and it is also said that this refers to anchorites, (and yet they reckon that they do good work) and yet think that they are doing righteous works.

(Those are they who disbelieve in the revelations of their Lord) they disbelieve in Muhammad (pbuh) and in the Qur'an, (and in the meeting with Him) i.e. in resurrection after death. (Therefore their works) their good works (are vain) are thwarted, (and on the Day of Resurrection We assign no weight to them) to their works; it is also said that this means: not an atom weight of their works will be weighed on the Day of Judgement.

(That is their reward: hell, because they disbelieved) in Muhammad (pbuh) and in the Qur'an, (and made a jest) and mockery (of Our revelations) Our Scripture (and Our messengers) Muhammad (pbuh) and others.

(Lo! those who believe) in Muhammad (pbuh) and in the Qur'an (and do good works) acts of obedience, secretly between themselves and their Lord, (theirs are the Gardens of Paradise) the highest rank therein, (for welcome) as a dwelling for them,

(Wherein they will abide, with no desire to be removed from thence) to another place.

(Say) O Muhammad to the Jews: (Though the sea became ink for the Words of my Lord) for the knowledge of my Lord, (verily the sea would be used up before the Words of my Lord were exhausted) it is also said that 'the Words of my Lord' means: the disposition of my Lord, (even though We brought the like thereof to help) as an addition.

(Say) O Muhammad: (I am only a mortal like you) I am a human being like you. (My Lord inspireth in me) through Gabriel (that your God is only One God) and He has no son or partner. (And whoever hopeth for the meeting with his Lord) whoever fears resurrection after death, (let him do righteous work) sincerely, and secretly between him and his Lord, (and make none sharer of the worship due unto his Lord) he should not show off or associate in the worship of his Lord anything or anyone; it is also said that this means: he should not associate in his obedience of his Lord anything or anyone. This verse was revealed about Jundub Ibn Zuhayr al-'Amiri'.