قالَ ما مَكَّنّي فيهِ رَبّي خَيرٌ فَأَعينوني بِقُوَّةٍ أَجعَل بَينَكُم وَبَينَهُم رَدمًا

He said: ‘What my Lord has furnished me is better. Yet help me with some power, and I will make a bulwark between you and them.

EXEGESIS

Makkannī (furnished me) – originally makkananī with the two nūn letters merged together – is from tamkīn, which was discussed in verse 84.

Radm (bulwark) is a noun from the verb radama which means to block an opening or doorway with stones.^{‎[1]Raghib, p. 350, r-d-m; Tahqiq, 4/109, r-d-m.} It is said to be the most intense covering.^{‎[2]Tibyan, 7/90; Tabari, 16/20.} In this sense it is like a sadd (barrier), but stronger and more fortified.^{‎[3]Tabari, 16/20; Zamakhshari, 2/747; Alusi, 8/361.}

EXPOSITION

What my Lord has furnished me is better: this is Dhū al-Qarnayn’s reply to what he was told in the previous verse and can be understood in one of two ways. The first possibility is that he says it in reply to their offer of paying him tribute for the construction, saying that the wealth given to him by God is better than any reward they could offer, similar to what Prophet Solomon (a) said: What Allah has given me is better than what He has given you (27:36).^{‎[4]Tibyan, 7/90; Tabrisi, 6/763; Zamakhshari, 2/747; Razi, 21/499.} The second is that Dhū al-Qarnayn says this as a reply to their suggestion of building a barrier, saying the knowledge taught to him by God allows him to build something far better than a barrier; he will construct for them a bulwark of iron and copper.

In either case, this is an example of the humility of Dhū al-Qarnayn and his understanding that the power and knowledge given to him were gifts bestowed by his Lord. Compare this to the attitude of the man with two gardens mentioned earlier in the surah.

Yet help me with some power: this is generally said to mean manpower,^{‎[5]Tibyan, 7/90; Tabrisi, 6/763; Tabari, 16/20; Zamakhshari, 2/747; Razi, 21/499.} although some have added to that things such as resources^{‎[6]Tabrisi, 6/763.} or tools.^{‎[7]Zamakhshari, 2/747; Razi, 21/499.}

By having them participate in the construction of the wall he was teaching them how to build it (as is clarified by the upcoming verse).^{‎[8]Sharawi, p. 8990.}

And I will make a bulwark between you and them: although he has just asked them to participate in building the wall (and he no doubt had his own engineers and soldiers help too), Dhū al-Qarnayn says I will make, instead of ‘we will make’. Perhaps this is to emphasise his personal involvement in the whole affair, evident also from the expression, Bring me molten copper that I may pour over it in the next verse. In other words, he could have simply left a contingent of soldiers to complete the task and moved on, but chose to stay and pay personal attention to the matter. This also reminds us of the strategic importance of the wall (see the discussion on the historical context in the previous verse).

INSIGHTS FROM HADITH

1. In some reports, bulwark has been interpreted to mean taqiyyah (dissimulation).^{‎[9]Ayyashi, 2/351.} This is of course not tafsīr, but an application of the verse to another situation.^{‎[10]Mizan, 13/377.}

[1] Raghib, p. 350, r-d-m; Tahqiq, 4/109, r-d-m.
[2] Tibyan, 7/90; Tabari, 16/20.
[3] Tabari, 16/20; Zamakhshari, 2/747; Alusi, 8/361.
[4] Tibyan, 7/90; Tabrisi, 6/763; Zamakhshari, 2/747; Razi, 21/499.
[5] Tibyan, 7/90; Tabrisi, 6/763; Tabari, 16/20; Zamakhshari, 2/747; Razi, 21/499.
[6] Tabrisi, 6/763.
[7] Zamakhshari, 2/747; Razi, 21/499.
[8] Sharawi, p. 8990.
[9] Ayyashi, 2/351.
[10] Mizan, 13/377.