Al-Kahf 18:90 · The Cave · Arabic, translation, recitation

Other English translations

Abdel Haleem (Oxford)+

"then, when he came to the rising of the sun, he found it rising on a people for whom We had provided no shelter from it."

Pickthall (classic)+

"Till, when he reached the rising-place of the sun, he found it rising on a people for whom We had appointed no shelter therefrom."

Yusuf Ali (classic)+

"Until, when he came to the rising of the sun, he found it rising on a people for whom We had provided no covering protection against the sun."

Tafsīr · classical commentary

Ibn Kathir

Abridged English, public domain

His Journey East

Allah tells us that Dhul-Qarnayn then traveled from the west of the earth towards the east. Every time he passed a nation, he subjugated the people and called them to Allah. If they obeyed him, all well and good, otherwise he would humiliate them and take their wealth and possessions. From every nation he took what his armies needed to fight the next nation. When he reached the place where the sun rises, as Allah says,

وَجَدَهَا تَطْلُعُ عَلَى قَوْمٍ

(he found it rising on a people) meaning a nation,

لَّمْ نَجْعَل لَّهُمْ مِّن دُونِهَا سِتْراً

(for whom We (Allah) had provided no shelter against the sun.) meaning, they had no buildings or trees to cover them and shade them from the heat of the sun. Qatadah said, "It was mentioned to us that they were in a land where nothing grew, so when the sun rose they would go into tunnels until it had passed its zenith, then they would come out to go about their daily lives and earn themselves a living."

كَذَلِكَ وَقَدْ أَحَطْنَا بِمَا لَدَيْهِ خُبْراً

(So (it was)! And We knew all about him.) Mujahid and As-Suddi said, "This means that Allah knew everything about him and his army, and nothing was hidden from Him, even though they came from so many different nations and lands. For,

لاَ يَخْفَى عَلَيْهِ شَىْءٌ فِي الاٌّرْضِ وَلاَ فِى السَّمَآءِ

(Truly, nothing is hidden from Allah, in the earth or in the heaven.)3:5"

Tafsir Saʿdi

English translation, public domain

Достигнув земель, где закатывалось солнце, Зуль-Карнейн повернул обратно и отправился на восток. Пользуясь теми возможностями, которыми его одарил Аллах, он достиг земель, откуда восходило солнце, и увидел, что оно восходит над людьми, которые не способны укрыться от палящего зноя. Это могли быть одичавшие племена варваров, которые не умели строить жилища, либо народы, которые проживали в тех областях, где солнце не заходит в течение продолжительного времени, как это происходит на юго-востоке Африки. Зуль-Карнейн достиг земель, о которых люди того времени не имели никакого представления, не говоря уже о том, что никто другой раньше не посещал эти уголки земли. Безусловно, все это произошло в соответствии с Божьим предопределением. И поэтому далее Всевышний сказал: