Al-Jalalayn

Al-Jalalayn — Al-Jalalayn

until when he reached the setting of the sun the place where it sets he found it setting in a muddy spring ‘ayn hami’a a spring containing ham’a which is black clay its setting in a spring is described as seen from the perspective of the eye for otherwise it is far larger in size than this world; and he found by it that is by the spring a folk of disbelievers. We said ‘O Dhū’l-Qarnayn — by means of inspiration — either chastise the folk by slaying them or treat them kindly’ by merely taking them captive.

Al-Jalalayn — Al-Jalalayn

He said ‘As for him who does wrong by way of practising idolatry we shall chastise him We shall slay him. Then he shall be returned to his Lord and He shall chastise him with an awful chastisement read nukran or nukuran that is a severe one in the Fire.

Al-Jalalayn — Al-Jalalayn

But as for him who believes and acts righteously he shall have the fairest reward namely Paradise the annexation construction jazā’u l-husnā ‘the fairest reward’ is explicative; a variant reading has jazā’an al-husnā ‘he shall have as a requital that which is fairest’; al-Farrā’ said that this accusative reading of jazā’an is intended as an explanation of the nature of the requital by way of attribution to ‘that which is fairest’; and we shall speak to him mildly in our command’ that is to say we shall command him with what he will find easy to bear.

Al-Jalalayn — Al-Jalalayn

Then he followed a way towards the east

Al-Jalalayn — Al-Jalalayn

until when he reached the rising of the sun the place where it rises he found it rising on a folk namely Negroes zanj for whom We had not provided against it that is against the sun any form of cover in the way of clothing or roofing as their land could not support any structures; they had underground tunnels into which they would disappear at the rising of the sun and out of which they would emerge when it was at its highest point in the sky.