حَتّىٰ إِذا بَلَغَ مَغرِبَ الشَّمسِ وَجَدَها تَغرُبُ في عَينٍ حَمِئَةٍ وَوَجَدَ عِندَها قَومًا ۗ قُلنا يا ذَا القَرنَينِ إِمّا أَن تُعَذِّبَ وَإِمّا أَن تَتَّخِذَ فيهِم حُسنًا
When he reached the place where the sun sets, he found it setting in a muddy spring, and by it he found a people. We said: ‘O Dhū al-Qarnayn! You may either punish them, or treat them with kindness.’
EXEGESIS
ʿAyn (spring) has many meanings, one of which is a flowing body of water, such as a river, stream, or spring, like in the verse, In it there is a flowing spring (ʿaynun jāriyah) (88:12). See also verses such as 2:60, 7:160, 19:25-26, and 76:6, where it is clearly used for a flowing spring.
Some have said that ʿayn here can mean any body of water and can therefore mean the sea, but this would be the only place in the Quran where it is used in such a sense, with the possible exception of 54:12. The literal meaning of the word also belies this understanding, as ʿayn refers to that which flows out from a source.
Ḥamiʾah (muddy) means blackened mud (ṭīn), like in the verse, We created man out of a dry clay [drawn] from an aging mud (ḥamaʾ) (15:26). The expression ḥamaʾat al-biʾr is used to describe a well which has dried, turning its contents into blackened mud. The difference between turāb (dust/dirt) and ṭīn (mud) and ḥamaʾ, is that ḥamaʾ refers to wet and odorous mud, whereas turāb is dry dust.
EXPOSITION
The first of Dhū al-Qarnayn’s travels that we are told about is his journey towards the west.
When he reached the place where the sun sets: no doubt, some classical commentators had understood this literally as the very edge of the world, and that the sun literally set in a muddy spring. This was not however a universally accepted worldview and cosmology. Even in that era many had – what we today know to be – a more accurate understanding. Thus, for example, Jubbāʾī, Balkhī, and others have said that ‘he found it as if it was setting in a muddy spring, even though it was actually setting behind it … because the sun is actually far larger than the earth’. So ‘when Dhū al-Qarnayn reached that place, the sun seemed as if it was setting in a spring, just like the one who is out at sea, it will seem as if the sun sets in the sea, or the one who is on land, the sun seems as if it is setting into the earth’. Later commentators, such as Rāzī, were even more explicit in their demand that the earth is in fact round and surrounded by the atmosphere of the sky, and the far larger sun is outside all of that.
In any case, such expressions were common in those times, for example in the Bible we read: ‘Thus said Jehovah of Hosts: Lo, I am saving My people from the land of the rising, and from the land of the going in, of the sun.’ This is a reference to Egypt and Babylon. And there are many other such passages.
As we mentioned earlier, the Book of Isaiah also uses the similar expression when speaking of Cyrus: ‘I have raised up one from the north, and he shall come; from the rising of the sun he shall call on My name.’ If Dhū al-Qarnayn is indeed Cyrus then that could be one possible explanation for the utilisation of this expression, i.e. it was showing familiarity with the Jewish texts to the Jews who had posed the question.
Finally, we could mention that even the expression ‘sunset’ is one that cannot be taken literally, as the sun does not actually set anywhere, but it is the earth that rotates around itself (in fact verse 70:40 may be a reference to this). As such, while the expressions sunrise and sunset are factually incorrect, they are culturally and linguistically valid and thus we may use them without any indication that we actually believe the sun sets or rises.
For more on Quranic expressions regarding the sun and its cosmology, see the commentary on verses such as 36:38, 36:40, 21:33, 55:17, 37:5, 70:40, 13:2, 31:29, 39:5, and 7:54.
He found it setting in a muddy spring: as discussed, this expression has caused some confusion for some early exegetes, but the correct understanding that some of them have also suggested is that the verb wajada (he found) here indicates that it only appeared and seemed as if the sun was setting in a muddy spring, just like one who may be looking at a sunset, it would appear to them as if it is setting in a forest, or in a mountain, or an ocean, etc. Importantly, God did not say ‘it set in a muddy spring’, but uses the word wajada.
And by it he found a people: it is not clear what nation is being spoken of here, however there are several historical possibilities, some of which have been discussed in this commentary.
We said: ‘O Dhū al-Qarnayn: this can either be taken as indication that he was a prophet, or that God inspired him through inspiration (ilhām), like the inspiration afforded to the mother of Moses (a) (28:7). Most scholars seem to have preferred the latter. It may also refer to a revealed command that is relayed to a person, such as in the verse, And when We said: ‘Enter this town, and eat thereof freely’ (2:58). It could also be that a prophet accompanying Dhū al-Qarnayn told him this. In any case, as such this verse cannot be used as definitive proof that Dhū al-Qarnayn was a prophet, although it does allow for that possibility.
You may either punish them, or treat them with kindness: the apparent meaning of this is that Dhū al-Qarnayn had conquered these people through military force, and was now in a position to decide their fate. The fact that God proclaims one of the options was to punish them means that these people had done wrong and were deserving of punishment. However, the second option to treat them with kindness is also made available, a result of the merciful nature of God.
We may wonder: if they deserved punishment, why would God not simply order them to be punished? Or if they deserved forgiveness, why would God not order them to be forgiven? Why has He left the decision to Dhū al-Qarnayn? Nevertheless, it is not unusual for God to leave the judgement of an issue up to His trusted servant; similar is the choice afforded the Holy Prophet in the verse, if they come to you, judge between them, or disregard them (5:42). In this sense, as we said, those people deserved punishment, but God has given His servant the choice to also act with mercy towards them if he so chooses. In this way the event is a trial for the servants of God, both Dhū al-Qarnayn and his followers, and for the enemies they had conquered. This becomes clearer when compared to the following verse about captives of war: Thereafter either oblige them [by setting them free] or take ransom till the war lays down its burdens. That [is Allah’s ordinance], and had Allah wished He could have taken vengeance on them, but that He may test some of you by means of others (47:4).
However, there is another, more preferable understanding; if we consider Dhū al-Qarnayn to be Cyrus II, then this should refer to any region to the west of where he originated (modern-day Iran). The most obvious point of reference would be Cyrus’ first conquest, when he took control of Elam (Susiana), as referenced in the Book of Daniel: ‘In my vision I saw myself in the citadel of Susa in the province of Elam; in the vision I was beside the Ulai Canal. I looked up, and there before me was a ram with two horns, standing beside the canal, and the horns were long. One of the horns was longer than the other but grew up later.’ Note the similarity between the Quranic muddy spring that was located in the west, and the Biblical Ulai Canal, located in Elam, west of where Cyrus originated.
Other options are also possible. It might be a reference to the conquest of Lydia, when he captured their ruler after conquering their capital, and then after taking him captive he freed him. In this case the coast might be the western coasts of Asia Minor, as suggested by some.
Subḥānī suggests it could be the Sea of Marmara which flows into the Black Sea, which might fit with the description of blackened mud (ḥamiʾah).
Alternatively, the verse could be a reference to the conquest of Babylon, which had the river Euphrates running through it. This option is a more suitable understanding as the word ʿayn (spring) is more appropriate for a river rather than a coast. In fact, Herodotus describes how, when Cyrus came upon the river Gyndes in Babylon, he spent many months with his army to dig channels to divert the flows of the river ‘by dividing it into three hundred and sixty channels’. When he then marched on the city of Babylon, he utilised this technique that his forces had now mastered to divert the Euphrates into a lake, ‘he conducted the river by a channel into the lake, which was at that time a swamp, and so made the former course of the river passable by the sinking of the stream. When this had been done in such a manner, the Persians who had been posted for this very purpose entered by the bed of the river Euphrates into Babylon, the stream having sunk so far that it reached about to the middle of a man’s thigh’. As one can see, this fits strikingly well with the description of ḥamiʾah, blackened mud found in a dried up well. It would also explain why the muddy spring is mentioned; it was significant as it played a critical role in the capture of the up to then impregnable Babylon.
After the conquest of the city, Cyrus freed the captive Israelites and that was the event which earned him the respect of the Jews. Since the freeing of the Jews was also the reason why Cyrus became important to them, it makes sense that this event would be the first thing about Dhū al-Qarnayn to which the Quran refers.
The option of him either punishing or being merciful also fits in quite nicely with this. As a conquering king, Cyrus could have acted like previous kings and kept the captive Jews captive. However, it seems that God inspired him to act mercifully towards them. This would then be the meaning of We said: ‘O Dhū al-Qarnayn! You may either punish them, or treat them with kindness’; God guided the heart of the king to act in that manner which was correct according to His plan. Cyrus then decided to allow them to return and rebuild the temple in Jerusalem, and we will speak to him gently of our command (verse 88). This is also a suitable meaning considering the main theme of the surah. Like with the story of Khiḍr (a), by the slightest of nudges God would alter the course of history according to His plan. Similarly, with the story of the People of the Cave, all it took was for one emperor to choose faith and the whole course of the Roman Empire was altered.
INSIGHTS FROM HADITH
- In a long hadith, Imam al-Ṣādiq (a) was asked where the sun sets, to which he replied: ‘Some scholars say that when it reaches the lowest point of the dome, the orbit takes it up to the belly of the sky until it reaches the place where it must rise again. This means: it disappears into a muddy spring, then travels through the earth, returning to where it rises. It wanders restlessly under the Throne until it is permitted to rise. Every day its light is taken from it, until it appears once again with a new light.’
Note: Tabatabai posits the statement ‘some scholars say’ refers to Ptolemy’s geocentric view that the celestial bodies all rotated the earth, a view that was still popular at the time of the Imams. He also says that what follows after ‘this means’ is the interpolation of the narrator himself, who is attempting to explain what had been said. Tabatabai also points out that by saying ‘some scholars say’ the Imam has distanced himself from that opinion, however he does not say what the actual truth is, because it is far removed from the conceptual framework of his audience. The interpolation of the narrator is evidence itself of the fantastic worldview that people had at that time. To explain then the truth of the matter would be something inconceivable to the audience of the time. We may imagine, if the Imam were to declare a heliocentric view and speak of a spherical earth, his enemies and detractors would only use it to declare him a madman and tarnish his reputation.
REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE
There are many fantastic tales related by some exegetes about the supposed travels of Dhū al-Qarnayn to the land of the setting sun that do not bear repeating. For the sake of example only, amongst these tales attributed to Dhū al-Qarnayn is that the place he visited was a legendary city named Jāburs, or Jābulqā, that had 12,000 gates and would ring with the roaring sound of the sun as it set.
Ṭabrisī has said that Dhū al-Qarnayn reached the furthest reach of the west, ‘beyond which no one lives, but that is not actually where the sun sets, because no one has reached that. He found it setting, means he found it as if it was setting’. A more modern take on this has been that he reached as far as he could go towards the west because of a natural barrier, such as water that he could not cross.
Regarding the statement We said, Ālūsī prefers the opinion that there was a prophet accompanying him. He also relates some other opinions in this regard, such as that it is possible Dhū al-Qarnayn’s soldiers said it, or some scholars who were with him. But this is highly unlikely. Ṭabrisī relates that some have said the command of God cannot be known with certainty except by receiving revelation. Some have claimed We said refers to general commands that had reached Dhū al-Qarnayn through a previous prophet or prophets.
[1] Qurtubi, 11/50; Alusi, 8/354; Mizan, 13/360.
[2] Tahqiq, 8/282. Even 54:12 refers to water flowing out from the depths of the earth.
[3] Tabrisi, 6/757; Tabari, 16/9.
[4] Tantawi, 8/571; Tahqiq, 2/278.
[5] Tahqiq, 2/279.
[6] For example, Qurtubi, 11/45. This opinion is also found in some narrations attributed to the Prophet or the Imams, see for example Nur, 3/296-297.
[7] Tibyan, 7/86. Ṭūsī attributes this opinion to Ibn al-Ikhshīd. Some other reports attribute this to the Prophet, for example Thalabi, 6/190; Razi, 21/495; Suyuti, 4/248. This is apparently the opinion adopted by Baghawi, 3/212-213.
[8] Tibyan, 7/86.
[9] Tabrisi, 6/757.
[10] Razi, 21/496. See also Qurtubi, 11/49-50.
[11] Zechariah 8:7. Māḅōʿ in Hebrew. The translation is from Young’s Literal Translation. Most modern translations simply render it as east and west.
[12] For example, Deuteronomy 4:41, 4:47, 11:30; Joshua 1:4, 1:15, 12:1, 23:4.
[13] Isaiah 41:25.
[14] See for example Tibyan, 7/86; Razi, 21/496; Alusi, 8/354; Mizan, 13/360; Nemuneh, 12/527; Fadlallah, 21/496; Munyah, 17/77; Mudarrisi, 6/476-477.
[15] This is the opinion preferred in Muhit, 7/222; Nemuneh, 12/527.
[16] Tabrisi, 6/757; Baghawi, 3/213; Qurtubi, 11/52.
[17] Qurtubi, 11/52; Mizan, 13/361; Alusi, 8/355-356.
[18] See also Qurtubi, 11/52.
[19] Daniel 8:2-3.
[20] Mizan, 13/394. Abū al-Kalām Āzād, Kūrosh-e Kabīr, trans. Bāstānī Pārīzī (Tehran: Tābān, 1342 AHS), p. 234. Āzād points out that eastern coasts of Asia Minor are dotted with rivers and small peninsulas, which might be the sight that Cyrus saw when witnessing the sun set. See also the description given by Herodotus of the conquest of the Lydians: ‘So when the armies had met in that plain which is in front of the city of Sardis, – a plain wide and open, through which flow rivers (and especially the river Hyllos).’ Herodotus, The History of Herodotus, (trans. G. C. Macaulay) Book 1, p. 80. Accessed at: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/2707/2707-h/2707-h.htm. See also Herodotus, The History of Herodotus, (trans. G. C. Macaulay) Book 1, p. 86. Accessed at: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/2707/2707-h/2707-h.htm.
[21] Munyah, 17/78.
[22] Herodotus, The History of Herodotus, (trans. G. C. Macaulay) Book 1, p. 191. Accessed at: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/2707/2707-h/2707-h.htm.
[23] Which was according to the Cyrus Cylinder remarkably captured in this way without significant combat or damage to the city: ‘He made him enter his city Babylon without fighting or battle; he saved Babylon from hardship.’ See: https://www.livius.org/sources/content/cyrus-cylinder/cyrus-cylinder-translation/.
[24] See the Introduction.
[25] Ihtijaj, 2/99-100.
[26] Mizan, 13/375-376.
[27] For some of these see Qurtubi, 11/50-52; Nur, 3/297-306.
[28] Qurtubi, 11/50; Alusi, 8/355.
[29] Ayyashi, 2/350; Nur, 3/305. In some others it is said that Jābulqā was the city located in the east of the earth (Qurtubi, 11/53).
[30] Baghawi, 3/213. He does not name the city, but seems to be referring to it.
[31] Tabrisi, 6/757.
[32] Fadlallah, 14/384.
[33] Alusi, 8/355-356.
[34] Tabrisi, 6/757.
[35] This is the opinion preferred by Fadlallah, 14/385.