Sai waɗansu mutane suka tambayi Manzon Allah ﷺ game da Dhul-Qarnaini, sai Allah ya saukar masa da abin da wannan sūrah ta ƙunsa game da tarihinsa da ayyukansa. Ba mu da wata majiya in ban da Alƙur'ani da za ta ba mu ƙarin bayani. Saboda haka, ba za mu yi ƙoƙarin faɗaɗawa ko yin ƙari ba, domin hakan ba zai dogara ga ingantaccen bayani ba.
Some people, then, asked God’s Messenger about Dhu’l-Qarnayn, and God revealed to him what this sūrah contains about his history and actions. We have no source other than the Qur’ān to give us further information. Hence, we will not try to expand or elaborate, because that would not be based on any accurate information.
Tafsīrai sun ƙunshi labarai da bayanai masu yawa, amma babu ɗaya daga cikin waɗannan da yake da tushe abin dogara. Saboda haka, ya kamata a karɓe su da matuƙar taka-tsantsan, musamman domin sun haɗa da labaran Isra'iliyyāt da sauran tatsuniyoyi.
Commentaries on the Qur’ān provide many accounts and plenty of information, but none of these has any reliable basis. Hence, they should be approached very cautiously, particularly because they include Israelite reports and other legends.
Daga cikin tarihin Dhu’l-Qarnayn, Alƙur’ani ya ambaci tafiye-tafiye uku: ɗaya zuwa yamma, ɗaya zuwa gabas, sannan na uku zuwa wani wuri da aka siffanta da cewa yana ‘tsakanin tsaunuka biyu’. Bari yanzu mu duba wannan labari na Alƙur’ani.
Of the history of Dhu’l-Qarnayn the Qur’ān mentions three journeys, one to the west, one to the east and the third to a place described as an area ‘between two mountains’. Let us now consider this Qur’ānic account.
Labarin Dhul-Qarnaini, kamar yadda aka bayar a cikin wannan surah, yana farawa ne da takaitaccen gabatar da mutumin kansa: "Mun kafa masa iko a bisa duniya, kuma Mun ba shi hanyoyin cimma komai." (Aya ta 84) Don haka Allah ya kafa masa iko a bisa duniya, yana ba shi mulki wanda babu mai hamayya da shi. Haka kuma ya ba shi hanyoyin mulki da nasara, da kayan aikin gina wayewa, da jin daɗin ni'imomin da Allah ya sanya wa bil'adama, da duk abin da ke sa rayuwar ɗan adam a duniya ta tabbata kuma ta wadata.
The story of Dhu’l-Qarnayn, as given in this sūrah, begins with a brief introduction of the man himself: “We established his power on earth, and gave him means to achieve anything.” (Verse 84) God then has established his power on earth, giving him uncontested authority. He has also given him the means of government and victory, the facilities to build civilization, enjoy the blessings God has made available to mankind, and all that make human life on earth steady and prosperous.
Sai ya bi wata hanya.” (Aya ta 85) Don haka ya bi wata hanya wadda aka sauƙaƙa masa, yana nufar yamma: “Sa’ad da ya kai wurin faɗuwar rana, sai ya gan ta tana faɗuwa cikin ruwa mai duhu, mai ƙazanta; kuma kusa da wurin ya sami wasu mutane. ‘Ya Dhul-Qarnaini,’ muka ce, ko dai ka hukunta su, ko kuma ka yi musu alheri.
So he followed a certain way.” (Verse 85) Thus, he went along one way which was made easy for him, aiming westwards: “When he came to the setting of the sun, it appeared to him that it was setting in dark, turbid waters; and nearby he found a certain people. Dhu’l-Qarnayn,’ We said, you may either punish them or treat them with kindness.
Ya ce: "Duk wanda ya yi zalunci, to za mu azabtar da shi. Sannan zai koma wurin Ubangijinsa, kuma Shi zai azabtar da shi azaba mai tsanani. Amma wanda ya yi imani kuma ya aikata aiki nagari, to yana da lada mai kyau, kuma za mu ba shi aiki mai sauƙin cikawa."" (Ayoyi 86-88)
‘He replied: ‘The one who does wrong we shall punish. Then he will return to his Lord and be sternly punished by Him. But the one who believes and does righteous deeds shall have a goodly reward, and we shall assign to him a task that is easy to fulfil.’ (Verses 86-88)
Ma'anar isa zuwa wurin faduwar rana shi ne wurin da mutum yake ganin rana tana faduwa bayan sararin sama. Wannan yana bambanta gwargwadon wurin ƙasa. A wasu wurare muna ganin rana tana faduwa bayan wani dutse, yayin da a wasu kuma muna ganin tana nutsewa cikin ruwa, kamar yadda yake idan muka kalli teku ko babban teku. A wasu wurare kuma, rana tana kama da tana faduwa cikin yashi, kamar lokacin da muke cikin hamada babu tudu ko duwatsu a kewaye.
Reaching the setting of the sun means the place where a person feels that the sun sets beyond the horizon. This varies according to geographic location. In some places we may feel that the sun sets beyond a mountain, while in others we feel that it goes down into the water, as is the case when we look at the sea or ocean. In other places still, the sun seems to set in the sand, as when we are in a desert with no hills or mountains around.
يبدو من النص أن ذا القرنين سار نحو الغرب حتى وصل إلى نقطة على ساحل المحيط الأطلسي كان الناس يعتقدون أنها نهاية اليابسة. فرأى الشمس تغرب في البحر. والأرجح أكثر من ذلك أن هذا كان عند مصب نهر، حيث تكثر الأعشاب وتكون المنطقة طينية. وتتكون في مثل هذه الأوضاع بحيرات صغيرة قد تبدو كينابيع ماء. فرأى الشمس تغرب هناك، تغيب في عين من ماء عكِر. لكن لا يمكننا تحديد المنطقة، لأن السورة لا تعطينا أي دليل على ذلك. وليس لدينا مصدر موثوق آخر. ولذلك لا يمكن اعتبار أي رأي غير هذا دقيقاً، لأنه لا يقوم على أساس موثوق.
It appears from the text that Dhu’l-Qarnayn went westwards until he reached a point on the Atlantic coast which people believed to be at the end of dry land. He saw the sun setting in the sea. It is even more likely that this was at a river mouth, where there would be plenty of weeds and the area muddy. Little lakes form in such situations and may look like water springs. He saw the sun setting there, going down in a spring of murky water. But it is impossible for us to define the area, because the sūrah does not give us any clue. We have no other reliable source. Hence, every view other than this cannot be considered accurate because it has no reliable basis.
A wannan tafki mai ruwa mai laka da duhu, Dhu'l-Qarnayn ya sami wata al'umma, sai Allah ya ba shi zaɓi: "Ya Dhu'l-Qarnayn, mu ne muka ce: ko dai ka azabtar da su, ko kuwa ka yi musu kyautatawa." (Ayah ta 86) To, yaya Allah ya faɗa wa Dhu'l-Qarnayn wannan? Shin wahayi ne, ko kuwa kawai bayanin halin da ake ciki ne, wanda ya samo asali daga gaskiyar cewa Allah ya ba shi iko a kan waɗannan mutane, har ya iya yanke shawara kan abin da yake so ya yi da su? A wannan yanayin, zai zama kamar an ce masa: Ga su nan a ƙarƙashin umarninka: za ka iya zaɓar ka azabtar da su, ko ka bi hanya mai sauƙi. Duk biyun suna yiwuwa. Babu abin da zai hana mu fahimtar nassin ta hanyar nan ko ta can. Abin da ya dace a gane shi ne cewa Dhu'l-Qarnayn ya bayyana manufarsa a yankunan da suka shiga ƙarƙashin mulkinsa, kuma al'ummarsu suka zama masu biyayya ga ikonsa.
At this lake of turbid and murky waters, Dhu’I-Qarnayn found a community and God gave him a choice: “Dhu’l-Qarnayn, We said, you may either punish them or treat them with kindness.” (Verse 86) Now, how did God say this to Dhu’l-Qarnayn? Was it revelation, or a mere statement of the situation, resulting from the fact that God had given him power over those people, so that he could determine whatever he wished to do with them. In this case, it would be just as if it was said to him: Here they are at your command: you may choose to punish them or to follow a lenient course of action. Both are possible. There is nothing to stop us understanding the text in either way. What is important to realize is that Dhu’l-Qarnayn declared his policy in the areas that came under his rule and their population became subject to his authority.
Ya ce: ‘Duk wanda ya aikata zalunci, za mu azabtar da shi. Sannan zai koma wurin Ubangijinsa, kuma zai sha azaba mai tsanani daga gare Shi. Amma wanda ya yi imani kuma ya aikata ayyuka nagari, zai sami lada mai kyau, kuma za mu ba shi aiki mai sauƙi da zai iya cikawa.’ (Ayoyi 87-88)
He replied: ‘The one who does wrong we shall punish. Then he will return to his Lord and be sternly punished by Him. But the one who believes and does righteous deeds shall have a goodly reward, and we shall assign to him a task that is easy to fulfil.’(Verses 87-88)
Wannan sanarwa ce cewa waɗanda suka ƙetare iyakokin adalci za a hukunta su da hukuncinsu a wannan rayuwa. Sa'an nan za su koma wajen Ubangijinsu wanda tabbas zai ƙaddamar musu da azaba mai tsanani wadda ba ta da misali a abin da aka sani a rayuwar ɗan adam. A ɗaya ɓangaren kuma, masu taƙawa da muminai na gaskiya za su samu kyakkyawar mu'amala, lada mai girma, girmamawa da taimako a dukkan al'amuransu.
This is a declaration that those who transgress the bounds of justice will be subject to their own punishment in this life. Then they will return to their Lord who is certain to inflict on them severe punishment that has no parallel in what is known in human life. On the other hand, pious and true believers will receive kindly treatment, generous reward, honour and help in all their affairs.
Waɗannan su ne tushen adalci da gaskiya a mulki. Mumini na gaskiya ya kamata ya sami daga masu mulki kowane irin kyakkyawan hali da lada mai yawa, yayin da masu keta haddi, waɗanda suke zalunci ga 'yan'uwansu mutane, ya kamata a hukunta su sosai. Idan waɗanda suke yin nagarta a cikin al'umma, suna bin hanya madaidaiciya a dukan ayyukansu, suka sami kyakkyawan lada saboda ayyukansu, kuma idan azzalumai da masu zalunci suka sami hukunci na adalci da wulakanci, to dukan al'umma za ta sami kwarin gwiwar bin hanyar alheri. Amma idan al'amura suka lalace, idan azzalumai, masu zalunci da miyagu su ne suke samun tagomashi daga wurin mai mulki, yayin da masu nagarta da masu adalci ake tsananta musu, to ikon mai mulki ba ya zama wani abu face kayan aikin ɓarna da wahala ga dukan al'umma. Babu abin da zai rage cikin adalci.
These are the outlines of just and good government. A true believer should receive from rulers every sort of kindly treatment and generous reward, while transgressors who are unjust to their fellow human beings should be punished severely. When those who do well in the community, pursuing a fair line of action in all their pursuits, receive a good reward for their actions, and when the unjust and oppressors receive a fair punishment and humiliation, then the whole community is motivated to follow the line of goodness. But when matters go wrong, and the unjust, oppressor and corrupt people are the ones who enjoy favour with the ruler, while those who are good and fair are persecuted, then the ruler’s power becomes no more than a tool of corruption and misery for the whole community. Nothing remains fair.
Duk al'umma ta nutse cikin rikici.
The whole society sinks into chaos.
Bayan dawowar Dhul-Qarnayn daga tafiyarsa zuwa yamma, sai ya nufi gabas. Anan ma muna ganin cewa ikonsa yana da ƙarfi sosai, kuma an samar masa da dukkan hanyoyi.
After Dhu’l-Qarnayn’s return from his westward journey he took his way eastward. Again we realize that his authority was well established, and that all means were made available to him:
Sannan ya bi wata hanya, [ya nufi gabas] har sai da ya isa wurin fitowar rana, sai ya ga tana fitowa a kan wasu mutane da ba Mu ba su wani abin rufewa daga gare ta ba. Haka ne; kuma Mun sani sosai game da duk abin da yake da shi.
Then he followed another way and [marched eastwards] till, when he came to the rising of the sun, he found that it was rising on a people for whom We had provided no coverings against it. So he did; and We had All knowledge of all the means available to him. (Verses 89-91)
Abin da muka faɗa game da faɗuwar rana gaskiya ne haka ma game da wurin da take fitowa. Abin da ake nufi a nan shi ne wurin da take fitowa a gabas idan muka duba sama bayan sararin sama.
What we said about the setting of the sun is also true of its rising place. What is meant here is the point where it rises in the east as we look up beyond the horizon.
Haka kuma Alƙur'ani bai bayyana wurin ba. Kawai yana kwatanta shi da yanayin mutanen da Dhul-Qarnaini ya samu a wurin: "Sa'ad da ya kai wurin fitowar rana, sai ya samu tana fitowa a kan wasu mutane waɗanda Mu ba mu sa musu wani abin rufewa daga gare ta ba." (Aya ta 90)
Again the Qur’ān does not define the place. It simply describes it and the situation of the people Dhu’l-Qarnayn found there: “When he came to the rising of the sun, he found that it was rising on a people for whom We had provided no coverings against it.” (Verse 90)
Wannan yana nuna cewa filin yana a bude, babu tudu ko bishiya da ke kare shi daga rana.
This suggests that the land was open, unscreened from the sun by any hills or trees.
Saboda haka sa'ad da rana ta fito, mutane suna fuskantar ta kai tsaye. Wannan bayanin ya dace da hamada da manyan filaye. Bai ƙayyade wani takamaiman wuri ba. Abin da kawai za mu ce shi ne, yana yiwuwa wannan wuri yana a gabas mai nisa, inda rana take fitowa bisa filinsa a buɗe kuma a daidaice. Yana kuma iya kasancewa a gabar tekun gabashin Afirka.
Thus when the sun rose, the people were directly exposed to it. This description applies to deserts and vast plateaus. It does not specify a particular location. All that we say is that it is likely that this place was in the far east, where the sun rose over its open, flat land. It might have also been on the east coast of Africa.
Wata yiwuwar kuma ita ce cewa kalmar "waɗanda Mun ba su wani abin rufewa daga gare ta" tana nufin cewa waɗancan mutane koyaushe suna tsirara, ba sa amfani da tufafi. Saboda haka, ba a kare su daga rana ba.
Another probability is that the description, ‘for whom We had provided no covering against it,’ means that those people were always in the nude and did not employ clothing. Hence, they were not screened from the sun.
Tun da Dhul-Qarnaini ya riga ya bayyana manufar mulkinsa, surar ba ta maimaita ta a nan ba. Haka kuma ba a ambaci wani aiki na gaba ba, domin Allah, wato God, ya san cikakken niyyarsa da halayensa.
Since Dhu’l-Qarnayn had announced his policy of government, the sūrah does not repeat it here. Nor is any further action mentioned because God is fully aware of his intention and behaviour.
Duk da haka, yana da muhimmanci a yi tunani a takaice a nan game da wani taɓawar fasaha a cikin hoton da aka bayar. Yanayin da aka nuna mana a bayyane yake kuma a fili: rana mai haskakawa wacce ba ta ɓoye daga mutane ta kowace hanya.
It is important, however, to reflect very briefly here on an artistic touch in the image provided. The scene portrayed for us is open and clear: a blazing sun which is in no way screened from the people.
Haka kuma, niyyar Dhul-Qarnaini da lamirinsa a bayyane suke, sanannu ne cikakke ga Allah Maɗaukakin Sarki. Wannan yana kawo daidaito tsakanin yanayin halitta da lamirin mutum cikin salon Alqur'ani wanda babu mai iya yin irinsa.
Similarly, Dhu’l-Qarnayn’s conscience and intentions are open, known ‘ fully to God Almighty. This provides harmony between the natural scene and man’s conscience in the inimitable style of the Qur’ān.