النص المفهرس

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things which seemed to highlight his matter to proportions of a great
trial to the extent that we thought he was present close to us in the
grooves of the date-palms!' Then he said, 'Not just the Dajjal, there are
other trials I fear may afflict you more (that is, the trial of Dajjal is not
as great as you have taken it to be). If he appears - and I am among you
- I shall confront him personally without you. And if he appears - and I
am not among you - everyone will try to confront him in terms of his
courage. And Allah is, in my absence, the guardian and protector of all
Muslims. (You will recognize him as) a young man - hard curly hair, one
eye protruding upwards (blind in the other as in other narratives). And
if I can liken him (in this ugly profile) with someone, it is 'Abd al-'Uzza
ibn Qatan (an ugly person from the tribe of Banu Khuza'ah during the
Jahiliyyah). If a Muslim from among you runs into him, he should recite
the initial verses of Surah al-Kahf against him (which will keep him
protected from Dajjal). Dajjal will emerge from the empty space between
Syria and 'Iraq creating havoc right and left. O servants of Allah, you
then stay firm against him.' We said, 'Ya Rasulallah, and how long will
he tarry on the Earth?' He said, 'Forty days. But, the first day will be
equal to one year, and the second day to one month, and the rest of the
days equal to the usual.' We said, 'Ya Rasulallah, so on that day which
will be equal to one year, shall we be offering (the five-timed) Salah for
one day only?' He said, 'No. You will, rather, go by estimating time and
offering prayers for the whole year.' We said, 'Ya Rasulallah, how fast
will he be moving about the Earth?' He said, 'Fast like the cloud being
followed by wind. Then he will pass by a people and ask them to rally
round his false beliefs. They will believe in him and respond to his call.
Then he will commission the clouds. They will start raining. He will
order the Earth. It will turn green and verdant (and herds of cattle will
graze therein) and when they return in the evening, their humps shall
be much higher than before and their udders shall be full of milk and
their waists shall be plumb. Then, Dajjal will pass by another people
and invite them to his disbelief. But, they will turn down his invitation.
Losing hope, when he goes away from them, these believers will be
stricken with famine and nothing of what once belonged to them will
remain in their hands. And when Dajjal will walk by this wasteland, he
will address it, saying: 'Bring your treasures out.' So, its treasures will
start following him like the honeybees follow their queen. Then Dajjal

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will call a man whose youth shall be in full bloom, strike him with a
sword and cut him into two pieces and the two pieces will be placed as
far apart as the distance between an archer and his target. Then he will
call him. He will come (alive) to Dajjal beaming with joy over his feat. In
the meantime, Allah Ta'ala will send down Al-Masih ibn Maryam
(Sayyidna 'Isa (l). He will alight at the white tower in the eastern
part of Dimashq (Damascus) clad in two colored sheets with both hands
resting on the wings of angels. When he bows his blessed head, drops of
water will drip down from there (as if one has just come out of the
shower). And when he raises his head up, from it drop silvery globules
like genuine pearls. Any disbeliever who breathes the air from his
breath will die that very instant and his breath will reach as far as
reaches his glance. Then he will look for him until he will overtake him
at the gate of Ludd (still there in Baytul-Maqdis by the same name) and
kill him. After that, 'Isa ibn Maryam will come to people whom Allah
protected from Dajjal. He will then touch their faces (with compassion
for them) and give them the good news of having high ranks in Paradise.
While he would still be in the same state, Allah will reveal to 'Isa:
'Verily, I am going to send forth the kind of men from among servants be-
longing to Me against whom no two hands will dare fight. So, you assem-
ble and take My servants to the sanctuary of Mount Tur (which
Sayyidna 'Isa will do) and would send out Ya'juj and Ma'juj and they will
be seen hurtling down from every side. The first wave of them will pass
by Buhairah Țabariyyah. They would drink out everything in it and
when others of them will pass by it, (and seeing it dry) they will say:
'Surely, in this, there must have been water earlier in time.'
The prophet of Allah, 'Isa, and his companions will take refuge on
the Mount Tur. Other believers will find sanctuaries in their own for-
tified places. Food supplies will be there, but it would run short where-
upon the head of a bull will be considered better than a hundred dinar.
Then, the prophet of Allah, 'Isa, and his companions will turn to Allah
(and pray for the removal of their distress which will be answered) and
He will send an epidemic (worm in neck) and they will be annihilated en
masse to the last person. Then, the prophet of Allah, 'Isa, and his com-
panions will come down from the Mount of Tur and see not a hand-span
worth of land remaining unfilled with corpses and (because of their de-

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Surah Al-Kahf : 18 : 92 - 98
composition) the place will be reeking with a strong stench. (Seeing this
state of affairs) the prophet of Allah, 'Isa, and his companions will turn
to Allah (praying for the removal of this distress as well which Allah will
answer). He will send birds with necks like the neck of a camel. They
will haul these corpses and throw them at the place where Allah wills
(according to some narratives, they will put them away into the sea).
After that, Allah Ta'ala will send rains. No clay home in the villages
and no Bedouin tent in the desert will remain without it. Lands will be
washed clean and left like mirror. Then, Allah Ta'ala will tell the Earth,
'Grow your fruits and unravel the abundance of your blessings.' (And so
it shall be and such shall be the bliss of increase that) one pomegranate
will suffice as food for a group of people. And its shell will be used to
make canopies for protection against the Sun and milk will be so blessed
as to suffice for a large number of people. Milk from one cow will be
enough for everyone in a tribe and milk from one goat will be adequate
for a whole clan. (After forty years of this period of extra-ordinary abun-
dance, peace and protection, when the time due for Qiyamah will draw
near) Allah Ta'ala will send a pleasant wind which will cause their arm-
pits to be benumbed and the soul of every believer and every Muslim will
be taken away. Left there will be the worst among human beings, the
wicked and the disbelieving ones, who will indulge in shame and outrage
on the Earth like donkeys. And it is against them that the Hour will
stand activated.'
As for the story of Ya'juj and Ma'juj, the narration of Sayyidna 'Abd
al-Rahman ibn Yazid 4ge deals with it in greater detail. It says that once
they pass by Buhairah Țabariyyah, Ya'juj and Ma'juj will climb Jabal
al-Khamar, a mountain from among the mountains of Baytul-Maqdis,
and say, 'We have killed whoever there was on the Earth. Come, let us
now kill whoever there is out in the skies." So they will shoot their ar-
rows towards the sky and Allah will make their arrows return back to
them smeared with blood (so that those dim-witted people are pleased
with the prospect that they have done away with whoever there was in
the skies).
About the story of Dajjal, the narration of Sayyidna Abu Saidal-Khu-
dri 4
se adds that Dajjal will stay away from al-Madinah al-Munawwa-
rah. When it will not be possible for him to reach even the link roads

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leading to it, he will come to a saline tract of land close to Madinah. At
that time, a man will come out to confront him and this man will be the
best of men at that time (or, among the best of men). Addressing him, he
will say, 'I am certain that you are the Dajjal about whom the Holy
Prophet had told us.' (Hearing this), Dajjal will start saying, 'Tell me,
O people, if I kill this man, then make him alive, will you still doubt the
thing (about my being God)?' They said, 'No.' So he will kill him and then
bring him back to life whereupon he will tell Dajjal, 'By Allah, now I
have become more certain that you are the Dajjal.' Hence, Dajjal would
want to kill him (all over again), but he will remain unable to enforce it.
(Şahiņ Muslim)
According to a narration of Sayyidna Abu Said al-Khudri 4% appear-
ing in the Şahin of al-Bukhari and Muslim, the Holy Prophet
said,
"On the day of Qiyamah, Allah Ta'ala will ask Sayyidna Adam Mal,
'raise the Hell-bound from your progeny.' He will wonder, 'my Lord, who
are they?' Then, the Divine command will go forth that nine hundred
and ninety nine of every one thousand are Hell-bound with only one
bound to go to Paradise. Scared, the noble Şahabah asked, 'Ya Rasulal-
lah, 'who from among us shall be the one bound to go to Paradise?' There-
upon, he said, 'do not worry because out of these nine hundred and nine-
ty nine Hell-bound people, there will be only one from among you while,
ratio-wise, there will be a thousand from among the Ya'juj Ma'juj.' Ac-
cording to a narration of Sayyidna 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar 4ee in the Musta-
drak of al-Hakim, the Holy Prophet
É said that Allah Ta'ala divided all
human beings into ten parts. Nine of these belong to Ya'juj Ma'juj while
the remaining one part covers the human beings of the whole world. (Ruh
al-Ma'ani)
After having quoted these narrations in al-Bidayah wa an-Nihayah,
Ibn Kathir has written that it tells us that the number of Ya'juj Ma'juj is
significantly higher than the entire human population.
According to a narration of Sayyidna Abu Hurairah
appearing in
the Musnad of Ahmad and Abu Dawud with sound chains of authority,
the Holy Prophet
said that 'Isa Seal will live on the Earth for forty
years after his descension. As for the narration in Muslim which puts
this duration of stay at seven years, it has been rated as less in strength
or having some unapparent meaning (marjuh or mu'awwal) by Hafiz in

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Surah Al-Kahf : 18 : 92 - 98
Fath al-Bari who has declared the very period of forty years as correct.
Then there are clarifications in Ahadith which report that this whole pe-
riod will be marked with peace and blessings. Absolutely no malice and
hostility will exist among people, none even between any two of them.
(Muslim and Ahmad)
Al-Bukhari reports from Sayyidna Abu Sa'id al-Khudri
that the
Holy Prophet
said that the Hajj and 'Umrah of Baytullah will contin-
ue even after the emergence of Ya'juj Ma'juj. (Tafsir Mazhari)
Al-Bukhari and Muslim report from Umm al-Mu'minin, Sayyidah
Zainab bint Jahsh that one day the Holy Prophet > woke up from sleep
with his blessed face red while he was saying:
لا اله إلاَّ الله ويل للعرب من شرقد اقترب فتح اليوم من ردم يأجوج ومأجوج مثل
هذه وحلّق تسعین
'La ilaha illallah. Alas for Arabia! Evil is drawing near. To-
day, a part of the Wall of Ya'juj Ma'juj has opened up like this'
and he made a ring by joining the tips of his thumb and index
finger (to indicate the size of the hole in the Wall).
Umm al-Mu'minin, Sayyidah Zainab Que JU , says that following
his statement, we submitted, 'Ya Rasulallah, is our destruction possible
even when we have righteous people among us?' He said, 'Yes, it is - (par-
ticularly) when evil (khabath) abounds' (similar reports appear in the
two Sahins from Sayyidna Abu Hurairah 4ge, as in al-Bidayah wa an-Ni-
hayah of Ibn Kathir). That a hole was made into the Wall of Ya'juj
Ma'juj to the measure shown in the Hadith could be taken in the real
sense and also in a figurative one which would indicate the weakening of
the Wall made by Dhul-Qarnain. (Ibn Kathir, Abu Hayyan)
The Musnad of Ahmad, Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah report from a narra-
tion of Sayyidna Abu Hurairah 4
that the Holy Prophet
said: Ya'juj
Ma'juj keep digging through the Wall of Dhul-Qarnain. Doing it every-
day they reach the farthest part of this iron Wall so close as would make
the light on the other side become visible to them. But, at that point,
they say that they would dig all the way through it the next day, and re-
turn. However, Allah Ta'ala makes it as strong as it was all over again.
Then comes the next day and they start anew to dig through it. This
cycle of their effort to dig and demolish and that of mending and fortify-

664
Surah Al-Kahf : 18 : 92 - 98
ing from Allah's side will continue until such time up to which Allah
Ta'ala intends to hold back Ya'juj Ma'juj. And when He intends to re-
lease them, they will dig, reach the farthest limit and say, 'If Allah wills,
we shall go across it tomorrow.' (By making their effort dependent on the
name and will of Allah, they will have the taufiq to succeed) So, when
they return the next day as usual, they will find the remaining non-dug
portion of the Wall as they had left it and this they will demolish and go
across.
Tirmidhi has reported this narration on the authority of Abu 'Awa-
nah, Qatadah, Abi Rafi‘, Abu Hurairah, in that order, and then he has
said: "غريب لا نعرفه الا من هذا الوجه" (Unfamiliar. We do not know it except from
this source). Ibn Kathir has also reported this narration in his Tafsir
and then he has this to say:
اسناده جيّد قوى ولكن متنه فى رفعه نكارة
Its chains of narrators are good and strong, but its text in the
matter of its ascension (the effort to raise the channel of trans-
mission up to attribute it the Holy Prophet % is not supported
by stronger sources).
Ibn Kathir comments on this Hadith in al-Bidayah wa an-Nihayah:
If it is held to be correct that this Hadith is not marfu' (traceable in as-
cending order to the Holy Prophet ), instead, is a narration from Ka'b
al-Ahbar, then, it becomes clear that it is not worthy of trust. Now there
is another possibility. The narration is regarded to be free from any error
made by the narrator. It is given the status of the very saying of the
Holy Prophet g, then, it would mean that this action of digging the
Wall by Ya'juj Ma'juj will start at the time when the hour of their emer-
gence draws close. And as for the statement of the Qur'an, that is, no
hole can be made in this Wall, it refers to the time when Dhul-Qarnain
had made it. This leaves no contradiction here. Moreover, it could also be
said that breaking a hole into the Wall means a hole which goes all the
way through it - and this narration states it clearly that this hole does
not go all the way through it. (Al-Bidayah, p. 12, v. 2)
In Fath al-Bari, Hafiz ibn Hajar has reported this Hadith with refer-
ence to 'Abd ibn Humaid and Ibn Hibban as well and said that they all
narrate from Qatadah and some of their narrators are the authorities of

665
Surah Al-Kahf : 18 : 92 - 98
the Şahin of al-Bukhari. Then, he has not entertained any doubt about
the Hadith being rated as marfu' (ascending to the Holy Prophet ).
Then he says with reference to Ibn al-'Arabi that this Hadith contains
three Divine signs, that is, miracles: (1) That Allah Ta'ala did not let
their minds think of the alternative of continuing their digging operation
round the clock including the day and night both. If so, it would have not
been at all difficult for a people with so many of them to work in shifts of
day and night with specified assignment of duties. (2) That their minds
were turned away from taking the option of scaling over the Wall by
using artifices and devices. Although, from a narration of Wahb ibn Mu-
nabbih, it becomes clear that these people tilled the land which also
yielded fruits and they used instruments of many kinds in this process.
It should have not been difficult for them under these circumstances to
assemble together the means of scaling the Wall. (3) That for such a long
time it never occurred to them that they should have said, Insha'Allah:
If Allah wills, and that this statement will issue forth through their
speech only when the time of their emergence will come close.
Ibn al-'Arabi has said that this Hadith also tells us that there are
people among the Ya'juj Ma'juj who believe in the existence of Allah and
in His Will. Then, it is also possible that Allah Ta'ala may cause this
statement to issue forth through their speech without having any belief
and they find their job all done with its barakah (ashrat as-sa'ah by as-Sayy-
id Muhammad, p. 154). But, what is obvious here is that they too have re-
ceived the call of the blessed prophets. Otherwise, according to the textu-
al authority of the Qur'an (nass), they should not be subjected to the
punishment of Jahannam: ◌ًوَمَا كُنَّا مُعَذِّبِينَ حَتَّى نَبعَثَ رَسُولا (And it is not Our way
to punish [anyone] unless We send a messenger - al-Isra', 17:15). This
tells us that the invitation to believe has reached them too. But, they
chose to stick by their denial. However, there will also be some people
among them who would be subscribing to the view that Allah exists and
that He has intention and will - though, having this much of a belief is
not sufficient for 'Iman or faith, unless there is the essential faith in
Prophet-hood and Hereafter. However, the saying of 'Insha'Allah': If
Allah wills, despite Kufr (disbelief), is not a far out possibility.
Conclusions drawn from the narrations of Hadith
That which stands proved about Ya'juj Ma'juj from the statements of

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Surah Al-Kahf : 18 : 92 - 98
the Holy Prophet
¿ as in the Ahadith cited above is given below:
(1) Ya'juj Ma'juj are the progeny of Sayyidna Nuh &del like the rest
of human beings. The majority of Hadith experts and historians identify
them as the progeny of Yafith, the son of Nuh &Cel. And it is also obvious
that the progeny of Yafith son of Nuh had spread itself out far and wide
among different tribes, nationalities and many a populated areas
between the period of Sayyidna Nuh &M and that of Dhul-Qarnain.
Thus, it is not necessary that the races known as Ya'juj Ma'juj were
pinned down as a whole exclusively behind the Wall of Dhul-Qarnain.
There must have been some of their tribes and nationalities living on the
other side of the Wall of Dhul-Qarnain. However, it can be said that the
savage killers and destroyers among them were restrained through the
Wall of Dhul-Qarnain. Historians refer to them generally as Turks,
Mangkhol or Mongols. But, from among these, the name of Ya'juj Ma'juj
applies only to the savage, uncivilized, blood-thirsty tyrants who re-
mained untouched by civilization. The Turks, Mangkhols or Mongols
who became civilized stand unsubstantiated by this name.
(2) The number of Ya'juj Ma'juj is several times higher than the num-
ber of the human beings of the whole world, at least at the ratio of one to
ten. (Hadith #2)
(3) The tribes and nationalities of Ya'juj Ma'juj stopped from crossing
over to the other side of the Wall of Dhul-Qarnain will remain so re-
strained right through the close of the zero Hour of the Last Day of
Qiyamah. The time destined for their emergence will be preceded by the
appearance of Mahdi and Masih JI Lo,le and that of Dajjal (the
anti-Christ). They will be released exactly after 'Isa dal has descended
and has killed Dajjal. (Hadith #1)
(4) At the time Ya'juj Ma'juj are to be released, the Wall of Dhul-Qar-
nain will crumble down all leveled to the ground (verse 18:98). The merciless
hordes of Ya'juj Ma'juj would present an spectacle when, coming down
from the mountain slopes all simultaneously, the speed of their descent
would give the impression that they are sliding down to the ground en
masse. These countless savage humans will hit the whole earth and its
population. No one would be able to stand up against the killing and
plunder by them. The apostle of Allah, Sayyidna 'Isa Scel will, under Di-

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Surah Al-Kahf : 18 : 92 - 98
vine command, take refuge on Mount Tur along with his believing com-
panions. People in other habitations of the world will seek asylum in
available safe places. When supplies run out, necessities of life will be-
come highly expensive. As for the rest of human population, these sav-
ages will finish them off and lick out their rivers. (Hadith #1)
(5) Then, it will be through the prayer of Sayyidna 'Isa
and his
companions that these countless locust like peoples will be destroyed si-
multaneously. The earth will be covered up with their dead bodies and
the stench from which would make human rehabilitation on the earth
difficult. (Hadith #1)
(6) Then, it will be through the prayer of Sayyidna 'Isa Seal and his
companions once again that their dead bodies would be disposed of into
the sea or made to disappear altogether and the whole earth will be
washed clean through a universal rain. (Hadith #1)
(7) After that, there shall come a reign of peace lasting for nearly
forty years. The earth will open the gates of its blessings. No one will re-
main poor and needy. No one will hurt or harass anyone. Peace and com-
fort shall prevail universally. (Hadith #3)
(8) During this period of peace, the Hajj and 'Umrah of Baytullah
will continue. (Hadith #4) As for the death of Sayyidna Isa Seal and his
burial in the Sacred Mausoleum, it already stands proved from the nar-
rations of Hadith. This too will transpire when he will travel to Hijaz for
Hajj or 'Umrah. (As reported by Muslim from Sayyidna Abu Hurairah
- explanatory note). After that, he will die in al-Madinah al-Țaiyyi-
bah and buried in the Sacred Mausoleum.
(9) During the later period of the life of the Holy Prophet 3, he was
shown a dream activated through a revelation (wahy) that a hole had
opened up in the Wall of Dhul-Qarnain, which he declared to be a sign of
impending evil for Arabia. Some Hadith experts (al-muhaddithin) have
interpreted the opening of a hole in this Wall as real. Some others have
taken it figuratively in the sense that this Wall of Dhul-Qarnain has be-
come weak, the time of the emergence of Ya'juj Ma'juj has come close
and its effects will show up in the form of Arab decline. Allah knows
best.

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(10) After his descent, he will stay on the earth for forty years. (Ha
dith #3) Earlier than him, the period of Mahdi & will also be that of
forty years, part of which will feature the confluence and cooperation of
both. In his book, Ashrat al-Sa'ah (p.145), Sayyid Sharif Barzanji has said
that the period of Sayyidna 'Isa &e will follow the killing of Dajjal and
the peace prevailing thereafter and extend to forty years. This will make
his total stay in the world for a period of forty-five years. And, it has
been mentioned on page 112 that Mahdi Ses
will appear a thirty plus
years before Sayyidna 'Isa Mal and the total period credited to him will
be that of forty years. Thus, the presence of the two blessed souls shall
coincide for a number of five, or seven years, and both their periods will
be marked by a reign of justice throughout the world. The earth will
open up the gates of its blessings, neither will anyone remain poor, nor
will anyone bear malice and hostility against anyone else. Of course, the
great trial of the appearance of Dajjal will hit the whole world during
the later period of Mahdi šel - with the exception of Makkah, Madinah,
Baytul-Maqdis and the Mount of Tur. This trial will be the greatest as
compared to the rest of the trials the world has faced. Dajjal and his dis-
order will last for forty days only. But, out of these forty days, the first
day will be that of one year, the second day that of one week and the rest
of days will be like they usually are. One way this can happen is that
these days are really made to be that long - because, during those later
times, nearly all events will be extraordinary and miraculous in nature.
Then, it is also possible that the days and nights keep alternating as
they usually do. But, it stands proved from Hadith that Dajjal would be
a great magician. When so, it is also possible that, under the spell of his
magic, common people remain unable to notice this revolutionary change
in the alternation of days and nights and continue seeing this phenome-
na as nothing but one usual day. As for the injunction in Hadith of per-
forming Salah during that day on the estimated analogy of usual days, it
also seems to support the assumption that the days and nights would be
changing really, but people would not realize it cognitively. Therefore, in
this day of one year, the order given was to perform Salah for three hun-
dred sixty days. Otherwise, had the day been really one day only, the
rules of the Shari'ah would have required only five Salahs as obligatory
for one day as such. In short, the total period of Dajjal will have forty
such days.

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Surah Al-Kahf : 18 : 92 - 98
After that, Sayyidna 'Isa Meal will descend, kill the Dajjal and put an
end to the disorder created by him. However, quite close to that the
Ya'juj Ma'juj will emerge unleashing another spate of disorder, pillage
and killing. But, the period of their presence will not go beyond a few
days when they too will be destroyed all simultaneously as a result of
the prayer of Sayyidna 'Isa Meal. In short, there will be two ominous
trials of Dajjal and Ya'juj Ma'juj during the later period of Sayyidna
Mahdi Cal and the early period of Sayyidna 'Isa & which will shake
the people of the entire earth upside down. Before and after these
counted few days, however, the whole world will experience justice,
peace and blessings. During the period of Sayyidna 'Isa el, there will
remain on the earth no creed and religion other than Islam. The earth
will start sending forth its hidden treasures. No one will remain poor
and needy. Even beasts and poisonous life forms will not hurt anyone.
An essential point of guidance:
As far as the information given above about the Ya'juj Ma'juj and the
Wall of Dhul-Qarnain, these have been communicated to the Muslim
Ummah by the Qur'an, and the Ahadith of the Holy Prophet . Believ-
ing in it as such is necessary and opposition, impermissible. Now there
remains the area of geographical and racial investigation as to questions
like - Where is the wall of Dhul-Qarnain located? Who are these people
called Ya'juj Ma'juj? Where do they live now? Here, it can be said that
no Islamic 'Aqidah (article of faith) depends on knowing this, nor does
the understanding of any verse of the Qur'an hinge on it. But, the relig-
ious scholars of the Muslim Ummah, only in order to answer the absur-
dities dished out by antagonists and to provide additional insight, have
discussed this subject in details. A part of it is being reported here.
Views of Muslim scholars
In his Tafsir, al-Qurtubi has reported from as-Suddiyy that twen-
ty-one of the twenty-two tribes of Ya'juj Ma'juj were shut off by the Wall
of Dhul-Qarnain. One of their tribes was left out on the inner side of the
Wall of Dhul-Qarnain. They are Turks. After that, al-Qurtubi says that
the sayings of the Holy Prophet & about the Turks resemble the Ya'juj
Ma'juj and that the incidence of a war between them and Muslims dur-
ing the later times appears in a hadith of the Sahip of Muslim. At pre-
sent, he continues: A large number of Turk people are arrayed against

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Surah Al-Kahf : 18 : 92 - 98
Muslims. Only Allah knows their exact number and only He can save
Muslims from their evil. It appears as if they are the Ya'juj Ma'juj - or,
at least, are their forerunners. (Al-Qurtubi, p. 58, v.11) (Al-Qurtubi belongs
to the sixth century of Hijrah when the Tatar onslaught came and de-
stroyed the Islamic Caliphate. This great upheaval is well known in Is-
lamic history and the Tatars are reputed to be from the Mogol or Mongk-
hol Turks). But, as for al-Qurtubi, he has simply said that they
resembled the Ya'juj Ma'juj and could be their forerunners. He has not
identified the havoc caused by the Tatars as the emergence of the Ya'juj
Ma'juj which is one of the signs of the coming of the last day of Qiyamah.
The reason is that the Hadith of the Şahin of Muslim mentioned above
makes it clear that this emergence will come to pass after the descent of
Sayyidna 'Isa Call during his period.
Therefore, 'Allamah 'Alusi has, in his Tafsir Ruh al-Ma'ani, strongly
refuted the position of those who have taken the Tatars as the Ya'juj
Ma'juj. According to him, the very thought is a flagrant error and certain-
ly an opposition to the textual authority of Hadith. However, this much
he too said that this havoc, no doubt, did resemble the havoc to be
caused by the Ya'juj Ma'juj. (Ruh, p. 44, v. 16) It proves that the view of
some contemporary historians who take modern Russia or China or both
as the Ya'juj and Ma'juj would have not been really wrong. However, the
condition is that they should have meant by it the same thing said by
al-Qurtubi and al-'Alusi, that is, the upheaval caused by them resembled
that of the Ya'juj and Ma'juj. But, declaring it to be the very emergence
of the Ya'juj Ma'juj - something reported in the Qur'an, and Hadith as
signs of Qiyamah and which was due to come after the descent of Sayyid-
na 'Isa šta - is absolutely wrong. The approach is erroneous and it
betrays a rejection of the textual authority (nusus) of Hadith.
Famous historian, Ibn Khaldun has taken up this subject in the pro-
legomena of his history. As part of his description of the sixth kingdom,
he has alluded to the geographical location of the Ya'juj Ma'juj and the
Wall of Dhul-Qarnain as follows:
"Inhabiting towards the west, in the ninth part of the seventh
kingdom, there are tribes of Turks called Ja (qinjaq) [Qipcaq
or Qypchaq as in Bertold Spuler] and ~~ (Cherkess) [Circas-
sians, the Caucasian people, as in Spuler]. The eastern side is

671
Surah Al-Kahf : 18 : 92 - 98
populated by the Ya'juj Ma'juj. In between the two, Mount Cau-
casus draws the line of demarcation. It has been mentioned ear-
lier that it begins from al-bahr al-muhit located in the east of
the fourth kingdom and goes up to the northern end of the king-
dom. Then, receding away from al-bahr al-muhit, it continues
in a north-western direction and enters the ninth part of the
fifth kingdom. From here, it reverts to its first direction until it
enters the ninth part of the seventh kingdom. Once it reaches
there, it goes from the south in a north-western direction.
Located in between this mountain range is the 'Wall of Alex-
ander.' It is situated in the middle of the ninth part of the
seventh kingdom as we have identified earlier and the Qur'an
too informs us about it.
In his book of geography, 'Abdullah ibn Khurdazbih has reported the
dream of the 'Abbasi Khalifah, Wathiq Billah in which he had seen that
the Wall had opened up. As a result, he woke up all upset and sent his
emissary, Sallam on a fact-finding mission. On his return, he reported
the condition and distinct features of this very Wall." (Muqaddimah ibn
Khaldun, p. 79)
That Wathiq Billah, the Abbasi Khalifah sent an observer group to
investigate the Wall of Dhul-Qarnain and that it did return after having
made the investigation has been mentioned by Ibn Kathir too in
al-Bidayah wa an-Nihayah. Also said there is that this Wall has been
made in iron with huge locked gates and is located towards the
north-east. After narrating the event, Tafsir Kabir and al-Tabari add:
One who comes back after having seen the Wall reaches the barren
fields facing Samarkand in the company of guides. (Tafsir Kabir, v. 5, p. 513)
The great scholar of Islam and my revered teacher, Maulana Anwar
Shah Kashmiri has mentioned Ya'juj Ma'juj and the Wall of Dhul-Qar-
nain in his book, عقيدة الإسلام فى حياة عيسى عليه السلام. Though it is an adjunct of
his book yet, whatever he has mentioned there measures up to the high-
est level of investigation and Tradition. He said: To remain protected
against the plunder and devastation by mischievous and savage human
beings walls have been built on the earth, not simply at one place but at
several places. Different kings have built these at various places during
different ages. Most famous and the largest among these is the Great
Wall of China. Its length given by Abu Hayyan al-Andulusi (the royal
historian of the Iranian Court) is twelve hundred miles. It was founded

672
Surah Al-Kahf : 18 : 92 - 98
by Faghfur, the Emperor of China, and that the date of its inception goes
back to three thousand four hundred and sixty years after the advent of
Sayyidna Adam &dell, and also that the Moghul people (Mongol or
Mongkhol) call this Great Wall, 'atkuwah', and the Turks, 'burqurqah.
Then he has acknowledged that several walls of this nature are found at
other places as well.
Our leading fellow-servant of the Faith, Maulana Hifzur-Rahman
Sihwarwi, may he rest in peace, has given a well-documented historical
detail elaborating the statement of Shaykh Kashmiri in his well-known
book, Qaşaş al-Qur'an. A gist is given below:
The range of the evil savagery of Ya'juj Ma'juj was so extensive that,
on the one hand, the people of southern Caucasia suffered from their ty-
rannical onslaughts while, on the other hand, the inhabitants of Tibet
and China also served as sitting targets of their savagery. It was to stay
safe from these very Ya'juj Ma'juj that protective walls were built at vari-
ous place during different ages. The largest among these is the Great
Wall of China mentioned earlier.
The second Wall is located near Bukhara and Tirmidh in Central
Asia. It is situated at a place called Darband (meaning 'blocked pas-
sage'). This Wall was there during the time of the famous Moghul king,
Taimur Lang (Timur, the Lame; Tamerlane). The German confidant of
the Roman King, Cella Berger, has mentioned him in his book. Kilafchu,
the emissary of Castille, the King of Andulusia has also referred to him
in his travelogue. When he presented himself as the emissary of his King
before Taimur, he had passed by this spot. He writes that the Wall of
Bab al-Hadid (Iron Gate) is situated on the route coming from Mousel
and which lies in between Samarkand and India. (From Tafsir Jawahir
al-Qur'an by al-Țanțawi, v. 9. p. 198)
The third Wall is located in Daghistan in Russia. This too is famous
by the name of Darband (blocked passage) and Bab al-Abwab (The Gate
of gates). Yaqut al-Hamawi in Mu'jim al-Buldan, al-Idrisī in al-Jughrafi-
ah and Bustani in Dairatul-Ma'arif have described these in great details,
a gist of which is as follows:
"In Daghistan, 'Darband' is a Russian city. It is situated on the west-
ern shore of Bahr Khadir (Caspian Sea), latitude 43.3 North and longi-

673
Surah Al-Kahf : 18 : 92 - 98
tude 48.15 east. It is also called 'Darband Nausherwan'. Another name
for it, 'Bab al-Abwab,' is also famous."
The fourth Wall is located in the higher parts of Caucasia towards
the west of this very 'Bab al-Abwab where, in between two mountains,
there is a pass well known as the Daryal Pass. This fourth Wall is right
here and is known as the Wall of Qafqaz or Mount Qoqa or Koh Qaf
(Caucasus). About it, Bustani writes:
"And close to it (the Wall of Bab al-Abwab), there is another Wall
which goes on extending towards the West. In all likelihood, this may
have been built by the people of Faris (Persia) as a measure of defense
against the northern Berbers. Since the identity of its founder was not
authentically known, some people have attributed it to Alexander while
some others have ascribed it to Cyrus and Nausherwan. And Yaqut says
that it has been constructed with molten copper." (Da'iratul-Ma'arif, v. 7, p.
651; Mu'jimul-Buldan, v. 8, p. 9)
Since all these Walls are in the North and have been built for a sin-
gle need, therefore, difficulties have come up in determining as to which
of these is the Wall of Dhul-Qarnain. And the major confusion has
showed up in the case of the last two Walls because the name of both the
places is Darband and there is a Wall also present at both. Out of the
four Walls mentioned above, the Great Wall of China is the longest and
the oldest. About it, no one says that it is the Wall of Dhul-Qarnain.
Then, instead of being in the North, it is in the Far East - and that it is
in the North is clear as indicated by the Qur'an al-Karim.
Now, the thing revolves between the remaining three Walls which
happen to be but in the North. Out of these, speaking generally, histo-
rians - Masūdi, Istakhri, Hamawi and others - identify the Wall located
in Daghistan, or at Darband in the Caucasian territory of Bab al-Abwab
by the Caspian Sea as the Wall of Dhul-Qarnain. Historians who have
called the Wall and Darband of Bukhara and Tirmidh as being the Wall
of Dhul-Qarnain have, most likely, been confused because of the common
factor of the word, Darband. At this point, its location stands nearly
fixed. Now, it can be said that it is situated in Bab al-Abwab by the Dar-
band of Caucasia in the territory of Daghistan, or is located even at a
higher altitude of the Mountain of Qafqaz or Qaf (Caucasus). As for a

674
Surah Al-Kahf : 18 : 92 - 98
Wall being there on both these places is a fact proved by historians.
By way of further refinement in between the two probabilities given
above, my revered teacher, Maulana Sayyid Muhammad Anwar Shah
has, in 'Aqidatul-Islam,' given preference to the Wall of Koh Qaf (Qafqaz:
Caucasus) as being the Wall built by Dhul-Qarnain. ('Aqidatul-Islam, p. 297)
The Wall of Dhul-Qarnain: Is it still there? Will it be there until
Qiyamah? Or, has it disintegrated?
Historians and geographers of Europe do not recognize the presence
of any of these northern Walls in our time, nor do they admit that the
passage of the Ya'juj and Ma'juj is still blocked. On that basis, some Mus-
lim historians have also started saying and writing that the event of the
emergence of the Ya'juj and Ma'juj mentioned in the Qur'an, and Hadith
has already taken place. Some of them have declared the great on-
slaught of Tatars in the sixth century Hijrah as being the emergence of
Ya'juj and Ma'juj mentioned by the Qur'an and Hadith. Still others have
found it sufficient to equate the contemporary rise of the Russian, Chi-
nese and European peoples with the emergence of the Ya'juj and Ma'juj
and have thereby closed the case conveniently. But, all this is - as stated
earlier with reference to Ruh al-Ma'ani - totally wrong. To say that the
particular emergence of the Ya'juj and Ma'juj mentioned by the Qur'an
was a sign of Qiyamah translates as a denial of Sahih Ahadith. The
Şahin Hadith of Muslim narrated by al-Nawwas ibn Sam'an 40, and oth-
ers says that Qiyamah will come after three events have taken place.
These events will be the emergence of Dajjal (anti-Christ), the descent of
Sayyidna 'Isa Meal and the killing of Dajjal. How can it be said that it
has already come to pass! The reason is obvious. The Dajjal has not
emerged. Sayyidna 'Isa Meal has yet to descend. And there is no doubt
about it.
Nevertheless, it is not counter to any textual authority (naşs) of
Qur'an, and Sunnah that the Wall of Dhul-Qarnain may have disinte-
grated now and some people from among the Ya'juj Ma'juj may have
come on this side. However, this will remain subject to the condition that
one admits that their last and the most massive onslaught, which will
prove to be the destroyer of the entire human population, has not come
yet. In fact, it will come after the great manifestation of the signs of
Qiyamah mentioned earlier, that is, the appearance of the Dajjal and

675
Surah Al-Kahf : 18 : 92 - 98
the descent of Sayyidna 'Isa &&dl etc.
The considered view of 'Allamah Kashmiri 'Je Ul de, in this matter
is that the European assertion that they have scanned the whole world
and have found no trace of this Wall bears no weight. First of all, the re-
ason is that they themselves have clearly admitted that, despite having
reached the zenith of travel and research, there remain many forests, riv-
ers and islands about which they had been unable to collect information.
Then, not too remote is the probability that the Wall, despite being pre-
sent, may now have taken the form of a mountain because of mountains
crumbling and joining together. But, no absolute textual authority (nass)
contradicts the fact of this Wall disintegrating before Qiyamah, or of
some people from the Ya'juj Ma'juj crossing over to this side by taking
some distant and long-winding route.
The strongest argument put forward in favor of this Wall of
Dhul-Qarnain surviving until the last day of Qiyamah is based on the
statement of the Quran: ◌َ98) فَإِذَا جَاءَ وَعُدُ رَبِّىُ جَعَلَه، دَكَّاء). Here, Dhul-Qarnain
says, 'when the promise of my Lord will materialize (that is, the time
will come for the Ya'juj Ma'juj to appear), Allah Ta'ala will make this
Wall crumble down to ground level.' The proponents of this argument
have interpreted the words: 'e, (the promise of my Lord) in this verse
in the sense of Qiyamah, the Last Day - although, the words of the
Qur'an are not definite and categorical about it. The reason is that the
Qur'anic words: se, (the promise of my Lord) carry a very clear sense
of their own. So, what is meant here is that the arrangement made by
Dhul-Qarnain to block the entry of the Ya'juj Ma'juj may not necessarily
remain there, as is, forever. When Allah Ta'ala wills to have the passage
open to them, this Wall will lie demolished. Therefore, it is not necessary
that it would happen precisely close to the Qiyamah. Accordingly, all
commentators have mentioned both probabilities in the sense of: 2 de,
(the promise of my Lord). It appears in Tafsir al-Bahr al-Muhit:
وَالوعد يحتمل ان يراد به يوم القيمة، وان يرادبه وقت خروج ياجوج وماجوج
And the promise has the probability that meant by it is the
Day of Qiyamah and that meant by it is the time of the emer-
gence of the Ya'juj and Ma'juj.
One way of verifying this could be the eventuality that the Wall lies

676
Surah Al-Kahf : 18 : 92 - 98
demolished, the passage has opened up and the onslaught of the Ya'juj
and Ma'juj has begun. It does not matter whether its beginning is taken
to be from the havoc caused by the Tatar in the sixth century Hijrah, or
from the present ascendancy of the peoples of Europe, Russia and China.
But, it is evident that the aggressive emergence of these civilized peoples
- something taking place in a constitutional and legal framework - can-
not be classed as rank disorder which is being particularly pointed out
by the Qur'an and Hadith. The anatomy of havoc given there is that it
will unfold in the form of such a magnitude of merciless bloodshed and
devastation that it will eliminate the entire human population. Rather,
the outcome will, then, be that some nationalities of these very Ya'juj
Ma'juj had turned civilized after having moved to this side. They certain-
ly turned out to be the source of great disorder and trial for Islamic coun-
tries. But, till now, their savage counterparts who know nothing but
bloodshed have not come to this side as destined - and the majority of
them are of that kind. These will emerge very close to Qiyamah.
The source of the second argument is the Hadith of Tirmidhi and the
Musnad of Ahmad where it is said that the Ya'juj Ma'juj keep digging
this Wall everyday. But, first of all, Ibn Kathir has declared this Hadith
to be malul (defective despite its apparently correct chain of narrators).
Secondly, in the Hadith itself, there is no clarification that the day Ya'juj
and Ma'juj will cross over the Wall by virtue of saying Insha'Allah the
thing will happen necessarily close to the Qiyamah. Then, the Hadith
does not provide any proof either that the whole lot of the Ya'juj and
Ma'juj will remain restrained behind the Wall. Even if some groups, or
nationalities, from among them were to come to this side by taking some
distant and long-winding route, it will still not be too far out an eventual-
ity in the presence of powerful modern ships. In fact, some historians
have mentioned that the Ya'juj Ma'juj have found the way to reach this
side via long sea travel. If so, the Hadith does not contradict that either.
In short, there is no clear and definite proof in the Qur'an and Sun-
nah that goes on to establish that the Wall of Dhul-Qarnain will remain
standing right through the last day of Qiyamah. Or, their elementary
and insignificant attacks against the human population on this side will
not be possible. However, in all certainty, the time of that horrific and

677
Surah Al-Kahf : 18 : 99 - 101
devastating onslaught which will destroy the entire human population
will be but close to the Qiyamah as has been mentioned repeatedly. To
sum up, it can be said that based on the textual authority (nusus) of the
Qur'an, and Sunnah, it is not possible to give an absolute verdict that
the Wall against the Ya'juj and Ma'juj has disintegrated leaving the pas-
sage open. Nor can it be said that, according to the Qur'an, and Sunnah,
it is necessary that it survives up to the Qiyamah. Both probabilities ex-
ist. And Pure and High is Allah who knows reality best.
Verses 99 - 101
وَتَرَكُنَا بَعُضَهُمُ يَوْمَئِذٍ يَّمُوُجُ فِىُ بَعْضِ وَّنُفِخَ فِى الصُّورِ فَجَمَعُنُهُمُ
جَمْعًا ﴿٢﴾ وَعَرَضْنَا جَهَنَّمَ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِلْكُفِرِيْنَ عَرْضًا ﴿١١﴾ ◌ِالَّذِيْنَ
كَانَتُ اَعْيُنُهُمُ فِىُ غِطَّآءٍ عَنُ ذِكْرِىُ وَكَانُوا لاَيَسْتَطِيْعُوْنَ سَمُعًا
ع
$1.18
And on that day, We will leave them (Ya'juj and Ma'juj)
surging over one another. And the Horn shall be blown
then We shall gather them together. [99] And on that day
We will bring Jahannam fully exposed before the infid-
els [100] whose eyes were under a cover against My re-
minders, and they were not able to listen. [101]
Commentary
بَعْضَهُمُ يَوْمَئِذٍ يَّمُوُجُ فِى ba dahum) in) بَعْضَهُمُ: As for the pronoun of the word
JAN (And on that day, We will leave them [Ya'juj and Ma'juj] surging
over one another - 99), it is obvious that it reverts back to Ya'juj Ma'juj.
Then, as for their condition described therein - 'surging over one another'
- it is also obvious that this will be their state when the passage lies
open for them and they will be hastening their way from the hilly
heights down to the ground. Commentators have suggested other pro-
babilities as well.
The pronoun in: "das ( fajama'nahum: Then We shall gather them
together - 99) is reverting back to the creation at large, human beings
and the Jinn. The sense is that the entire creation of human beings and
the Jinn who have been obligated with the percepts of the Shari'ah (mu-

678
Surah Al-Kahf : 18 : 102 - 108
kallaf) shall be gathered together on the plains of Resurrection
(al-Hashr).
Verses 102 - 108
أَفَحَسِبَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا أَنْ يَتَّخِذُوْا عِبَادِىُ مِنْ دُوُنِىُّ أَوْلِيَآءَ ﴿ إِنَّا
أَعْتَدْنَا جَهَنَّمَ لِلْكُفِرِيْنَ نُزُلاً ﴿١٠٢) قُلُ هَلُ نُنِئُكُمُ بِالْآَخُسَرِيْنَ
أَعُمَالاً ﴿١٠٣) الَّذِيْنَ ضَلَّ سَعْيُهُمُ فِى الْحَيْوةِ الدُّنْيَا وَهُمُ يَحُسَبُوُنَ
أَّهُمُ يُحُسِنُونَ صُنْعًا ﴿١٠٤) أُولِئِكَ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوا بِأَيْتِ رَبِّهِمُ وَلِقَآئِه
فَحَبِطَتُ أَعْمَالُهُمُ فَلاَ نُقِيُمُ لَهُمُ يَوْمَ الْقِيْمَةِ وَزْنَا ﴿١٠٥) ذُلِكَ
جَزَآؤُهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ بِمَا كَفَرُوا وَأَتَّخَذُوَّا أَنِىُ وَرُسُلِىُ هُزُوًا ﴿ ١٠٦﴾ إِنَّ
الَّذِيْنَ امَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصُّلِحْتِ كَانَتُ لَهُمُ حَنْتُ الْفِرُدَوْسِ نُزُلاً
﴿١٠٧﴾ خْلِدِيْنَ فِيهَا لاَ يَبْغُوُنَ عَنْهَا حِوَلاً ﴿١٠٨﴾
Do, then, the disbelievers deem (it fit) that they take My
servants as patrons beside Me? Surely, We have pre-
pared Jahannam as entertainment for the disbelievers.
[102]
Say, "Shall We tell you about the greatest losers in re-
spect of (their) deeds? [103] Those are the ones whose ef-
fort in the worldly life has gone in vain while they think
they are doing well. [104] Those are the ones who disbe-
lieved in the signs of their Lord and in the meeting with
Him, so their deeds have gone waste and We shall not as-
sign to them any weight. [105] That is their punishment,
the Jahannam, for they disbelieved and made My signs
and My messengers a mockery. [106]
Surely those who believed and did righteous deeds
theirs are the Gardens of Firdaus as entertainment [107]
where they will live forever and will not wish to move
from there." [108]
Commentary
According to Tafsir al-Bahr al-Muhit, in the first verse (102):
[Do, then, the disbelievers deem [it fit) الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوًا أَنْ يَّتَّخِذُوا عِبَادِىُ مِنْ دُوُنِىَّ أَوْلِيَاءَ