Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged)

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

His Journey to the Land of Ya'juj and Ma'juj, and building the Barrier Allah says of Dhul-Qarnayn: ثُمَّ أَتْبَعَ سَبَباً (Then he followed (another) way) meaning, he traveled from the east of the earth until he reached a place between the two mountains which were next to one another with a valley in between, from which Ya'juj and Ma'juj (God and Magog) will emerge into the land of the Turks and spread mischief there, destroying crops and people. Ya'juj and Ma'juj are among the progeny of Adam, peace be upon him, as was recorded in the Two Sahihs; «إِنَّ اللهَ تَعَالَى يَقُولُ: يَا آدَمُ فَيَقُولُ: لَبَّيْكَ وَسَعْدَيْكَ فَيَقُولُ: ابْعَثْ بَعْثَ النَّارِ، فَيَقُولُ: وَمَا بَعْثُ النَّارِ؟ فَيَقُولُ: مِنْ كُلِّ أَلْفٍ تِسْعُمِائَةٍ وَتِسْعَةٌ وَتِسْعُونَ إِلَى النَّارِ وَوَاحِدٌ إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ، فَحِينَئِذٍ يَشِيبُ الصَّغِيرُ وَتَضَعُ كُلُّ ذَاتِ حَمْلٍ حَمْلَهَا. فَقَالَ: إِنَّ فِيكُمْ أُمَّتيْنِ مَا كَانَتَا فِي شَيْءٍ إِلَّا كَثَّرَتَاهُ يَأْجُوجَ وَمَأْجُوج» "Allah said: "O Adam." Adam said, "Here I am at Your service." Allah said, "Send forth the group of Hellfire." Adam said, "What is the group of Hellfire" Allah said: "Out of every thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine will go to Hell and one will go to Paradise." At that time young men will turn grey and every pregnant female will drop her load. Among you are two nations who never come to anything but they overwhelm it with their huge numbers. (They are) Ya'juj and Ma'juj." وَجَدَ مِن دُونِهِمَا قَوْماً لاَّ يَكَادُونَ يَفْقَهُونَ قَوْلاً (he found before them a people who scarcely understood a word. ) he could not understand their speech, because they were so isolated from other people. قَالُواْ يذَا الْقَرْنَيْنِ إِنَّ يَأْجُوجَ وَمَأْجُوجَ مُفْسِدُونَ فِى الاٌّرْضِ فَهَلْ نَجْعَلُ لَكَ خَرْجاً (They said: "O Dhul-Qarnayn! Verily, Ya'juj and Ma'juj are doing great mischief in the land. Shall we then pay you a tribute") Ibn Jurayj reported from `Ata' from Ibn `Abbas that this meant a great reward, i.e., they wanted to collect money among themselves to give to him so that he would create a barrier between them and Ya'juj and Ma'juj. Dhul-Qarnayn said with kindness, righteousness and good intentions, مَا مَكَّنِّى فِيهِ رَبِّى خَيْرٌ (That in which my Lord had established me is better (than your tribute).) meaning, the power and authority that Allah has given me is better for me than what you have collected. This is like when Sulayman (Solomon), peace be upon him, said: أَتُمِدُّونَنِ بِمَالٍ فَمَآ ءَاتَـنِى اللَّهُ خَيْرٌ مِّمَّآ ءَاتَـكُمْ (Will you help me in wealth What Allah has given me is better than that which He has given you!) 27:36 Similarly, Dhul-Qarnayn said: `What I have is better than what you want to give me, but help me with strength,' i.e., with your labor and construction equipment, أَجْعَلْ بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَهُمْ رَدْمًاءَاتُونِى 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 انفُخُواْ (he said: "Blow;") means, he lit a fire until the whole thing was burning hot. قَالَ آتُونِى أُفْرِغْ عَلَيْهِ قِطْراً (he said: "Bring me Qitran to pour over them.") Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, `Ikrimah, 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. Then Allah said:

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

The Barrier restrains Them, but It will be breached when the Hour draws nigh 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 اسْطَـعُواْ أَن يَظْهَرُوهُ وَمَا اسْتَطَـعُواْ 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, «لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا 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. قَالَ هَـذَا رَحْمَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّى ((Dhul-Qarnayn) said: "This is a mercy from my Lord...") meaning, after it was built by Dhul-Qarnayn. قَالَ هَـذَا رَحْمَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّى (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 جَآءَ وَعْدُ رَبِّى (but when the promise of my Lord comes) means, when the true promise comes جَعَلَهُ دَكَّآءَ (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 رَبِّى حَقّاً (And the promise of my Lord is ever true.) means, it will come to pass without a doubt. 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 يَوْمَئِذٍ يَمُوجُ فِى 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 فِى 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 يُؤْمَرُ؟» (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.") فَجَمَعْنَـهُمْ جَمْعاً (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

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

The Barrier restrains Them, but It will be breached when the Hour draws nigh 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 اسْطَـعُواْ أَن يَظْهَرُوهُ وَمَا اسْتَطَـعُواْ 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, «لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا 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. قَالَ هَـذَا رَحْمَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّى ((Dhul-Qarnayn) said: "This is a mercy from my Lord...") meaning, after it was built by Dhul-Qarnayn. قَالَ هَـذَا رَحْمَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّى (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 جَآءَ وَعْدُ رَبِّى (but when the promise of my Lord comes) means, when the true promise comes جَعَلَهُ دَكَّآءَ (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 رَبِّى حَقّاً (And the promise of my Lord is ever true.) means, it will come to pass without a doubt. 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 يَوْمَئِذٍ يَمُوجُ فِى 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 فِى 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 يُؤْمَرُ؟» (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.") فَجَمَعْنَـهُمْ جَمْعاً (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

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

The Barrier restrains Them, but It will be breached when the Hour draws nigh 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 اسْطَـعُواْ أَن يَظْهَرُوهُ وَمَا اسْتَطَـعُواْ 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, «لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا 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. قَالَ هَـذَا رَحْمَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّى ((Dhul-Qarnayn) said: "This is a mercy from my Lord...") meaning, after it was built by Dhul-Qarnayn. قَالَ هَـذَا رَحْمَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّى (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 جَآءَ وَعْدُ رَبِّى (but when the promise of my Lord comes) means, when the true promise comes جَعَلَهُ دَكَّآءَ (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 رَبِّى حَقّاً (And the promise of my Lord is ever true.) means, it will come to pass without a doubt. 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 يَوْمَئِذٍ يَمُوجُ فِى 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 فِى 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 يُؤْمَرُ؟» (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.") فَجَمَعْنَـهُمْ جَمْعاً (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

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

Hell will be displayed before the Disbelievers on the Day of Resurrection 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 ﷺ said, «يُؤْتَى 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.) Then Allah says of them: الَّذِينَ كَانَتْ أَعْيُنُهُمْ فِى غِطَآءٍ عَن ذِكْرِى ((To) those whose eyes had been under a covering from My Reminder,) meaning, they neglected it, turning a blind eye and a deaf ear to it, refusing to accept guidance and follow the truth. As Allah says: وَمَن يَعْشُ عَن ذِكْرِ الرَّحْمَـنِ نُقَيِّضْ لَهُ شَيْطَاناً فَهُوَ لَهُ قَرِينٌ (And whosoever turns away blindly from the remembrance of the Most Gracious, We appoint for him a Shaytan to be a companion for him.) 43:36 And here Allah says: وَكَانُواْ لاَ يَسْتَطِيعُونَ سَمْعاً (and they could not bear to hear (it). ) meaning, they did not understand the commands and prohibitions of Allah. Then He says: أَفَحَسِبَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ أَن يَتَّخِذُواْ عِبَادِى مِن دُونِى أَوْلِيَآءَ (Do then those who disbelieved think that they can take My servants as Awliya' protectors besides Me) meaning, do they think that this is right for them and that it is going to benefit them كَلاَّ سَيَكْفُرُونَ بِعِبَـدَتِهِمْ وَيَكُونُونَ عَلَيْهِمْ ضِدّاً (Nay, but they will deny their worship of them, and become opponents to them) 19:82. Allah says that He has prepared Hell as their abode on the Day of Resurrection.