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ḥattā ʾidhā balagha maṭliʿa sh-shamsi wajadahā taṭluʿu ʿalā qawmin lam najʿal lahum min dūnihā sitran
When he reached the place where the sun rises, he found it rising on a people for whom We had not provided any shield against it.
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah Al-Kahf – Verses 89 - 91
89. “Then he followed (another) course.”
90. “Until when he reached the rising-place of the sun, he found it rising upon a people for whom We had appointed no shelter therefrom.
91. “So (it was), and We encompassed in knowledge whatever was with him.”
After his journey to the West and establishing a just religious system there among the inhabitants of the seaside, Zul-Qarnayn made a journey toward the East, too. The holy verse says:
Zul-Qarnayn continued his journey until when he reached the last flourishing point of that land, where there was no mountain, no tree, and no building. When the sun rose there, the existing people of that place did refuge into depths of water and places of refuge, and when the sun set, they came out and began working. The purpose of the sentence saying ‘they had not any canopy save the sun’, is that they lived with passing their lives primitively and without facilities.
As Imam Baqir (as) and Imam Sadiq (as) said, they did not know how to build a house, nor did they how to sew. The sun was shining upon them directly and without any barrier, in a manner that their faces had become black. 7 The verse says:
Yes, it was such the affair of Zul-Qarnayn, and Allah was well aware of the means he had for the progression of his aims, and the forces, the arms and the troops Zul-Qarnayn possessed. The verse says:
In other words, Allah (s.w.t.) was aware of the works of Zul-Qarnayn, and, before he could do anything and reach any place, Allah knew his fate and taught him and lead him what to do. Thus, Allah admires the actions of Zul-Qarnayn and He shows that He is pleased with his deeds.
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