As-salaam wa-alaikum, brothers and sisters.
Summary
Today’s selection concludes Surah 18, Al-Kahf or the Cave, verses 83-110. These verses tell the story of King Zul-Qarnain then discuss the fates of the mushrikin and the believers of the Day of Judgment and end by reminding us the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is a human being like all of us.
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Verses
Bis-millahi ar-rahman, ar-raheem.
In the name of Allah, most gracious, most merciful.O Muhammad, they ask you about Zul-Qarnain. Say “I will recite to you some of his story.”[83] Indeed We established his power in the land and We gave him all kinds of ways and means.[84] So one time he followed a certain expedition towards the West and he marched on[85] till he reached the end of the land and the start of an ocean, where the Sun was setting, he noted that it was setting in a mucky spring and found by it a people. We said: “O Zul-Qarnain! You have the option to either punish them or to show them kindness.”[86] He said: “Anyone Who will do wrong shall be punished; then will he return to his Lord and be sternly punished by Him.[87] As for him who believes and does good deeds, he will have a good reward and will be assigned an easy task by our command.”[88] Then he set out on another expedition towards the East and marched on[89] till he came to the rising of the Sun, he noted it rising on a people for whom We had not provided any shelter from it (they were so backward that they did not even know how to make houses or tents for their living).[90] He left them as they were: We had full knowledge what priority was before him.[91] Then he set out on another expedition and marched on[92] till he reached between two mountains where he found a people who could hardly understand his language.[93] They requested: “O Zul-Qarnain! People of Gog and Magog ravage this land; should we pay you tribute in order for you to build a wall barrier between us and them?”[94] Zul-Qarnain said: “That which my Lord has granted me is more than enough, just help me with strength (and labor) and I will erect a fortified barrier between you and them.[95] Bring me panels of iron.” Finally when he had dammed up the space between the two mountains, he said: “Ply your bellows.” They did so until the iron wall became red hot, then he said: “Bring me some molten brass to pour over it.”[96] This became such a barrier that Gog and Magog could not scale it or to dig through it.[97] He said: “This is a blessing from my Lord. But you should know that when the promise of my Lord shall come to pass, He will level it to the ground, for the promise of my Lord is ever true.”[98] On that Day We shall let the people loose to surge like waves on one another. The trumpet will be blown and We shall assemble mankind all together.[99] We shall spread Hell out on display before the unbelievers,[100] who had turned a blind eye to My admonition and a deaf ear to My warning.[101]
18:[83-101]Do the unbelievers think that they can take my servants as protectors, to save themselves from Hell, instead of Me? Certainly We have prepared Hell for the entertainment of such unbelievers.[102] O Muhammad tell them: “Should we tell you the worst kind of losers relating to their deeds?[103] Those whose all efforts in this worldly life had gone astray from the Right Way, but all along they were under the delusion that they were doing good deeds;[104] they are the ones who are disregarding the revelations of their Lord and the fact that they will meet Him for accountability of their deeds in the Hereafter, so their deeds will become null and will not carry any weight on the Day of Judgment.[105] Thus the reward of such people will be Hell; because they had no faith and because they took My revelations and My Messengers as a joke.[106] However, those who believe and do good deeds, they will be entertained with the Gardens of Paradise[107] to live therein for ever and they will never desire to go anywhere else.[108] 18:[102-108] O Muhammad tell them: “If the ocean were ink with which to write the words of my Lord, the ocean would surely be consumed before the words of my Lord are finished, even if We brought similar quantity of ink to replenish it.[109] 18:[109]
O Muhammad, tell them: “I am but a human being like you; the revelation is sent to me to declare that your God is One God; therefore, whoever hopes to meet his Lord, let him do good deeds and join no other deity in the worship of his Lord.”[110] 18:[110]
Ameen.
This concludes today’s episode of the 17 Verses Podcast. I hope that this selection has helped increase your understanding of the holy Qur’an just a little bit.
Thank you and be well.