Al Kahf

إِنَّا مَكَّنَّا لَهُ فِي الأَرْضِ وءَاتَيْنَاهُ مِن كُلّ‌ِ شَيْءٍ سَبَباً

فَاَتْبَعَ سَبَباً

84. “Verily We did make him mighty in the earth, and We granted him the means (of access) to every thing.
85. “So he followed a course.”

Ali-ibn-Abitalib (as) taught a young man from Balkh a supplication, the Mashlul Supplication, wherein he says:

“O He Who helped Zul-Qarnayn against the tyrannical kings (to overcome them)!”

Again, a tradition from him (as) denotes that Zul-Qarnayn is the one who has the sign of kingdom and prophecy, and who is aware of every thing so that he recognizes the right from wrong; and Allah caused the cities and hearts to be submitted to him.² Zul-Qarnayn and Solayman (Solomon) were two believers who governed the earth, and Nebuchadnezzar (Bukht-un-Nasr) and Namrood were two disbelievers who governed the earth, too.³ The power which Allah (s.w.t.) gives to His saints, (such as Solayman, Yusuf, and some believers) is for using it in Allah’s way.

Concerning the good servants of Allah, the Qur’an says:

The holy Qur’an also criticizes those who use their power alongside the way of evil, where it says:

They used to misuse their power and governnment. ⁵ The verse itself says:

Upon the commentary of the second verse mentioned in the above, it has been cited that Allah gave Zul-Qarnayn both power and government in the earth, and he tried to improve the earth. It has been narrated from Hadrat Ali (as) who said:

“Allah made clouds timid for him in a manner that he could ride on it; and He granted him the means of everything; and He made everywhere bright for him so that the night and the day became the same for him. This is the meaning of making him mighty in the earth.” ⁶

Thus, the verse means that Allah also gave him a knowledge to perform any affair by means of its course in order to obtain his aim. And, he followed the courses that Allah had taught him to reach the aim, including that he took the way of West to pave. The verse says: