Surah Kahf ayat 96 Tafsir Quran 18:96

﴿آتُونِي زُبَرَ الْحَدِيدِ ۖ حَتَّىٰ إِذَا سَاوَىٰ بَيْنَ الصَّدَفَيْنِ قَالَ انفُخُوا ۖ حَتَّىٰ إِذَا جَعَلَهُ نَارًا قَالَ آتُونِي أُفْرِغْ عَلَيْهِ قِطْرًا﴾
[ الكهف: 96]

18:96 Bring me sheets of iron" - until, when he had leveled [them] between the two mountain walls, he said, "Blow [with bellows]," until when he had made it [like] fire, he said, "Bring me, that I may pour over it molten copper."

Bring me ingots of iron!’ namely pieces thereof as large as the blocks of stone to be used in the construction; he used these ingots in his construction placing between them firewood and coal. Until when he had levelled up the gap between the two flanks read al-sudufayn or al-sadafayn or al-sudfayn meaning the two flanks of the two mountains he set up bellows and lit a fire around this construction — he said ‘Blow!’ and they blew until when he had made it namely the iron a fire that is like a fire he said ‘Bring me molten copper to pour over it’ the two verbs ātūnī ‘bring me’ and ufrigh ‘pour’ are in contention over this direct object qitran ‘molten copper’; it this direct object has been omitted before the first verb because it is being governed by the second verb. Thus he poured the molten copper over the hot iron so that it penetrated between the individual ingots making a solid single whole.

Bring me blocks or sheets of iron, he said, to fill up the space between the two natural barriers, then he said to them Now you may subject it to fire and use your bellows to make it red hot, and when it softened he asked them for molten brass to pour on the iron to weld in solid mass

His Journey to the Land of Ya'juj and Ma'juj, and building the Barrier Allah says of Dhul-Qarnayn: ثُمَّ أَتْبَعَ سَبَباً ( Then he followed (another ) way) meaning, he traveled from the east of the earth until he reached a place between the two mountains which were next to one another with a valley in between, from which Ya'juj and Ma'juj ( God and Magog ) will emerge into the land of the Turks and spread mischief there, destroying crops and people.
Ya'juj and Ma'juj are among the progeny of Adam, peace be upon him, as was recorded in the Two Sahihs;
«إِنَّ اللهَ تَعَالَى يَقُولُ: يَا آدَمُ فَيَقُولُ: لَبَّيْكَ وَسَعْدَيْكَ فَيَقُولُ: ابْعَثْ بَعْثَ النَّارِ، فَيَقُولُ: وَمَا بَعْثُ النَّارِ؟ فَيَقُولُ: مِنْ كُلِّ أَلْفٍ تِسْعُمِائَةٍ وَتِسْعَةٌ وَتِسْعُونَ إِلَى النَّارِ وَوَاحِدٌ إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ، فَحِينَئِذٍ يَشِيبُ الصَّغِيرُ وَتَضَعُ كُلُّ ذَاتِ حَمْلٍ حَمْلَهَا.
فَقَالَ: إِنَّ فِيكُمْ أُمَّتيْنِ مَا كَانَتَا فِي شَيْءٍ إِلَّا كَثَّرَتَاهُ يَأْجُوجَ وَمَأْجُوج»
"Allah said: "O Adam." Adam said, "Here I am at Your service." Allah said, "Send forth the group of Hellfire." Adam said, "What is the group of Hellfire" Allah said: "Out of every thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine will go to Hell and one will go to Paradise." At that time young men will turn grey and every pregnant female will drop her load.
Among you are two nations who never come to anything but they overwhelm it with their huge numbers.
( They are ) Ya'juj and Ma'juj." وَجَدَ مِن دُونِهِمَا قَوْماً لاَّ يَكَادُونَ يَفْقَهُونَ قَوْلاً ( he found before them a people who scarcely understood a word.
) he could not understand their speech, because they were so isolated from other people. قَالُواْ يذَا الْقَرْنَيْنِ إِنَّ يَأْجُوجَ وَمَأْجُوجَ مُفْسِدُونَ فِى الاٌّرْضِ فَهَلْ نَجْعَلُ لَكَ خَرْجاً ( They said: "O Dhul-Qarnayn! Verily, Ya'juj and Ma'juj are doing great mischief in the land.
Shall we then pay you a tribute" ) Ibn Jurayj reported from `Ata' from Ibn `Abbas that this meant a great reward, i.e., they wanted to collect money among themselves to give to him so that he would create a barrier between them and Ya'juj and Ma'juj.
Dhul-Qarnayn said with kindness, righteousness and good intentions, مَا مَكَّنِّى فِيهِ رَبِّى خَيْرٌ ( That in which my Lord had established me is better (than your tribute ).) meaning, the power and authority that Allah has given me is better for me than what you have collected.
This is like when Sulayman ( Solomon ), peace be upon him, said: أَتُمِدُّونَنِ بِمَالٍ فَمَآ ءَاتَـنِى اللَّهُ خَيْرٌ مِّمَّآ ءَاتَـكُمْ ( Will you help me in wealth What Allah has given me is better than that which He has given you! ) 27:36 Similarly, Dhul-Qarnayn said: `What I have is better than what you want to give me, but help me with strength,' i.e., with your labor and construction equipment, أَجْعَلْ بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَهُمْ رَدْمًاءَاتُونِى زُبَرَ الْحَدِيدِ ( I will erect between you and them a barrier.
Give me Zubar of iron, ) Zubar is the plural of Zubrah, which means pieces or chunks of something.
This was the view of Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid and Qatadah.
These pieces were like bricks or blocks, and it was said that each block weighed one Damascene Qintar or more. حَتَّى إِذَا سَاوَى بَيْنَ الصَّدَفَيْنِ ( then, when he had filled up the gap between the two mountain-cliffs, ) means, he put the blocks on top of one another, starting at the bottom, until he reached the tops of the mountains, filling the width and height of the gap.
The scholars differed about the precise width and height. قَالَ انفُخُواْ ( he said: "Blow;" ) means, he lit a fire until the whole thing was burning hot. قَالَ آتُونِى أُفْرِغْ عَلَيْهِ قِطْراً ( he said: "Bring me Qitran to pour over them." ) Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, `Ikrimah, Ad-Dahhak, Qatadah and As-Suddi said it was copper.
Some of them added that it was molten.
This is similar to the Ayah: وَأَسَلْنَا لَهُ عَيْنَ الْقِطْرِ ( And We caused a fount of Qitran to flow for him ) 34:12.
So it resembled a striped cloak.
Then Allah said:

His Journey to the Land of Ya'juj and Ma'juj, and building the Barrier Allah says of Dhul-Qarnayn: ثُمَّ أَتْبَعَ سَبَباً ( Then he followed (another ) way) meaning, he traveled from the east of the earth until he reached a place between the two mountains which were next to one another with a valley in between, from which Ya'juj and Ma'juj ( God and Magog ) will emerge into the land of the Turks and spread mischief there, destroying crops and people.
Ya'juj and Ma'juj are among the progeny of Adam, peace be upon him, as was recorded in the Two Sahihs; «إِنَّ اللهَ تَعَالَى يَقُولُ: يَا آدَمُ فَيَقُولُ: لَبَّيْكَ وَسَعْدَيْكَ فَيَقُولُ: ابْعَثْ بَعْثَ النَّارِ، فَيَقُولُ: وَمَا بَعْثُ النَّارِ؟ فَيَقُولُ: مِنْ كُلِّ أَلْفٍ تِسْعُمِائَةٍ وَتِسْعَةٌ وَتِسْعُونَ إِلَى النَّارِ وَوَاحِدٌ إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ، فَحِينَئِذٍ يَشِيبُ الصَّغِيرُ وَتَضَعُ كُلُّ ذَاتِ حَمْلٍ حَمْلَهَا.
فَقَالَ: إِنَّ فِيكُمْ أُمَّتيْنِ مَا كَانَتَا فِي شَيْءٍ إِلَّا كَثَّرَتَاهُ يَأْجُوجَ وَمَأْجُوج» "Allah said: "O Adam." Adam said, "Here I am at Your service." Allah said, "Send forth the group of Hellfire." Adam said, "What is the group of Hellfire" Allah said: "Out of every thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine will go to Hell and one will go to Paradise." At that time young men will turn grey and every pregnant female will drop her load.
Among you are two nations who never come to anything but they overwhelm it with their huge numbers.
( They are ) Ya'juj and Ma'juj." وَجَدَ مِن دُونِهِمَا قَوْماً لاَّ يَكَادُونَ يَفْقَهُونَ قَوْلاً ( he found before them a people who scarcely understood a word.
) he could not understand their speech, because they were so isolated from other people. قَالُواْ يذَا الْقَرْنَيْنِ إِنَّ يَأْجُوجَ وَمَأْجُوجَ مُفْسِدُونَ فِى الاٌّرْضِ فَهَلْ نَجْعَلُ لَكَ خَرْجاً ( They said: "O Dhul-Qarnayn! Verily, Ya'juj and Ma'juj are doing great mischief in the land.
Shall we then pay you a tribute" ) Ibn Jurayj reported from `Ata' from Ibn `Abbas that this meant a great reward, i.e., they wanted to collect money among themselves to give to him so that he would create a barrier between them and Ya'juj and Ma'juj.
Dhul-Qarnayn said with kindness, righteousness and good intentions, مَا مَكَّنِّى فِيهِ رَبِّى خَيْرٌ ( That in which my Lord had established me is better (than your tribute ).) meaning, the power and authority that Allah has given me is better for me than what you have collected.
This is like when Sulayman ( Solomon ), peace be upon him, said: أَتُمِدُّونَنِ بِمَالٍ فَمَآ ءَاتَـنِى اللَّهُ خَيْرٌ مِّمَّآ ءَاتَـكُمْ ( Will you help me in wealth What Allah has given me is better than that which He has given you! ) 27:36 Similarly, Dhul-Qarnayn said: `What I have is better than what you want to give me, but help me with strength,' i.e., with your labor and construction equipment, أَجْعَلْ بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَهُمْ رَدْمًاءَاتُونِى زُبَرَ الْحَدِيدِ ( I will erect between you and them a barrier.
Give me Zubar of iron, ) Zubar is the plural of Zubrah, which means pieces or chunks of something.
This was the view of Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid and Qatadah.
These pieces were like bricks or blocks, and it was said that each block weighed one Damascene Qintar or more. حَتَّى إِذَا سَاوَى بَيْنَ الصَّدَفَيْنِ ( then, when he had filled up the gap between the two mountain-cliffs, ) means, he put the blocks on top of one another, starting at the bottom, until he reached the tops of the mountains, filling the width and height of the gap.
The scholars differed about the precise width and height. قَالَ انفُخُواْ ( he said: "Blow;" ) means, he lit a fire until the whole thing was burning hot. قَالَ آتُونِى أُفْرِغْ عَلَيْهِ قِطْراً ( he said: "Bring me Qitran to pour over them." ) Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, `Ikrimah, Ad-Dahhak, Qatadah and As-Suddi said it was copper.
Some of them added that it was molten.
This is similar to the Ayah: وَأَسَلْنَا لَهُ عَيْنَ الْقِطْرِ ( And We caused a fount of Qitran to flow for him ) 34:12.
So it resembled a striped cloak.
Then Allah said:

( Give me pieces of iron till, when he had levelled up (the gap ) between the cliffs, he said: Blow!) and so they blew into the Fire ( till, when he had made it a fire ) He says: when the iron became as hot as the Fire and thus melted, ( he said: Bring me molten copper to pour thereon ) to pour on the wall.

"Give me pieces (blocks) of iron," then, when he had filled up the gap between the two mountain-cliffs, he said: "Blow," till when he had made it (red as) fire, he said: "Bring me molten copper to pour over it."

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