Who was Dhul Qarnayn?
Background to Surat al-Kahf
Surat al-Kahf was revealed in the fifth year of revelation. The Quraysh wanted to discredit Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, so they went to the Jews in Yathrib to ask them for some difficult questions they could use to challenge him.
They were told to ask three questions: about the youngsters who left their community and escaped; about the ruler who travelled the world; and about what the ruh (soul) is. The first two questions were answered in Surat al-Kahf with the stories of the people of the cave and Dhul Qarnayn, and the third was answered in Surat al-Isra’.
وَيَسْـَٔلُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلرُّوحِ ۖ قُلِ ٱلرُّوحُ مِنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّى وَمَآ أُوتِيتُم مِّنَ ٱلْعِلْمِ إِلَّا قَلِيلًۭا
And they ask you about the soul. Say, ‘The soul is part of my Lord’s domain. You have only been given a little knowledge.’ [17:85]
Who was Dhul Qarnayn?
There has always been great debate among scholars over who Dhul Qarnayn was. Lots of early scholars said it was Alexander the Great. However, the Quran describes Dhul Qarnayn as a believer, a pious person who spread justice, which doesn’t match the qualities we know of Alexander the Great. This theory has therefore been discounted.
There was another opinion by Ibn Ashur who said it was a particular Chinese king. ‘Dhul Qarnayn’ means ‘the one who had two horns’, but Ibn Ashur interpreted it as someone with two plaits, which matched a particular king. But again, when you look into it, this king does not really match the Quranic attributes.
A third opinion is that it was the Persian emperor Cyrus the Great, who ruled around 559-530 BCE. He was someone who spread justice, and matches the qualities described more closely than the other options, but we have no authentic evidence to tell us for sure.
Was Dhul Qarnayn a prophet?
This is another debate among scholars. Some have said he must be a prophet, on the basis that Allah spoke to him, and He only speaks to prophets.
قُلْنَا يَـٰذَا ٱلْقَرْنَيْنِ إِمَّآ أَن تُعَذِّبَ وَإِمَّآ أَن تَتَّخِذَ فِيهِمْ حُسْنًۭا
We said, “O Dhul-Qarnain, either punish them or adopt good behaviour with them.” [18:86]
Some scholars have said he was not a prophet, but instead the ‘We said’ in the Quran refers to a prophet of his time receiving revelation and communicated it to him. But like his name, this is irrelevant to the point of the story.
The test of power
In the end, it doesn’t matter who he was. Allah did not identify Dhul Qarnayn, but emphasised his attributes and actions because that is the part that forms a lesson for us, if we are tested with the same thing.
The main test discussed in his story is what to do when you have been given power. Power itself is neutral, so its value depends on how you use it. It could be a blessing that brings you closer to Allah, or it could be a means for you to destroy yourself.
Dhul Qarnayn was a just ruler. In the story, he moves from place to place, spreading justice and goodness and helping people against their oppressors. He was given power, and used it in the right way. Compare that with today’s world, where those who have power use it to oppress and kill people.
A just ruler is one of the seven categories of people who will receive the shade of Allah’s Throne on the Day of Judgement.
“There are seven whom Allah will shade on a day when there is no shade but His. They are a just ruler, a youth who grew up in the worship of Allah, one whose heart is attached to the mosques, two who love each other, meet each other, and depart from each other for the sake of Allah, a man who is tempted by a beautiful woman of high status but he rejects her, saying , ‘I fear Allah,’ and one who spends in charity and hides it such that his right hand does not know what his left hand has given, and one who remembered Allah in private and he wept.” [Bukhari]
We ask Allah to enable us to learn from the stories in the Quran and apply them in our life, and to utilise what He has given us to spread justice and goodness.
Ameen.
Based on the Ramadan Reflection Night 15 by Shaykh Haytham Tamim. Transcribed by Hana Khan.
Dhul Qarnayn and the test of power
By Samia Ahmed
On the fifteenth night of Ramadan, Shaykh Haytham took us to the story of Dhul Qarnayn in Surah al-Kahf.
Allah says:
“And they ask you about Dhul Qarnayn. Say, I will recite to you about him a report.”
(Surah al-Kahf 18:83)
From the earliest generations, there have been differences of opinion regarding who Dhul Qarnayn was. Some identified him as Alexander the Great. Others suggested a Persian ruler from around 400 BC. Some pointed towards Cyrus, whose attributes appear closer to the Qur’anic description. The title itself, Dhul Qarnayn, the possessor of two horns, has been interpreted in different ways, even linked to historical depictions of rulers with two plaits or horn-like symbols.
Yet despite these discussions, something becomes clear.
The Qur’an does not emphasise exact dates.
It does not anchor the story in precise historical timelines.
It does not resolve every biographical detail.
Because the lesson is greater than the identity.
This is a pattern in the Qur’an. Exact historical data is often not the focus. The aim is guidance, not archival record. Knowing names and dates does not necessitate faith. One can memorise history and still remain unmoved.
What we do know is what Allah tells us.
Dhul Qarnayn was a ruler whom Allah empowered.
“Indeed, We established him upon the earth, and We gave him to everything a way.”
(Surah al-Kahf 18:84)
He was given authority. Resources. Means. Strategy. Influence.
And the critical detail is not that he had power.
It is how he used it.
When he encountered wrongdoing, he did not abuse his position. He established justice. He differentiated between the oppressor and the righteous.
He said:
“As for the one who wrongs, we will punish him, then he will be returned to his Lord, and He will punish him with a terrible punishment. But as for the one who believes and does righteousness, he will have a good reward.”(Surah al-Kahf 18:87 to 88)
Power alone does not define righteousness. Power combined with justice does.
Some scholars held that Dhul Qarnayn was a prophet because Allah says:
“We said, O Dhul Qarnayn…”
But whether he was a prophet or a righteous king is not agreed upon. And again, the Qur’an does not make that the centre.
The centre is justice.
The centre is responsibility.
The centre is the ethical use of authority.
And this is where the reminder turns inward.
We may not be rulers of nations. But each of us holds some form of power.
Influence over children.
Authority at work.
Intellectual ability.
Financial capacity.
Physical strength.
Gifts are a form of power.
And power is always a test.
Courage can be used to commit wrong or to uphold truth.
Intelligence can be used purely for dunya or directed toward service and goodness.
Wealth can corrupt or uplift.
The Prophet ﷺ said, “Each of you is a shepherd, and each of you is responsible for his flock.” Narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim.
Responsibility accompanies position.
Being a ruler is not enough. Being influential is not enough. Being gifted is not enough.
It must be coupled with justice.
Allah commands:
“Indeed, Allah commands justice and excellence.” (Surah an-Nahl 16:90)
Justice is not optional in leadership. It is the core.
The Prophet ﷺ also said, “The just will be upon pulpits of light on the right of the Most Merciful, and both His hands are right hands, those who are just in their rulings and with their families and those under their authority.” Narrated in Sahih Muslim.
Justice elevates.
So the story of Dhul Qarnayn is not a history lesson. It is a mirror.
How do we use the power we have been given.
Do we use influence to dominate.
Or to protect.
Do we use knowledge for status.
Or for service.
Do we use authority for ego.
Or for justice.
This is the test.
Allah established him and gave him means. And then observed how he acted.
And Allah has given each of us means.
May Allah grant us justice in whatever authority we hold.
May He allow us to use our gifts in ways that uphold truth.
May He protect us from misapplying power and grant us sincerity in responsibility.
Ameen.
Samia