The Qur’an introduces the subject of Gog and Magog
Let us begin with the text of that critically important passage from Surah al-Kahf of the Qur’an (18:82-97) which has introduced the subject of Gog and Magog:
And they question you (Oh Muhammad) about Dhul Qarnain. Say: “I will narrate to you something about him.” (18:83)
• Commentary:
Dhul Qarnain literally means someone who possesses two ‘qarns’. The Arabic word ‘Qarn’ can have the meaning of ‘horn’ but it can also mean ‘epoch’ or ‘age’. Whenever the word occurs in the Qur’an however, it is always used in the latter sense. The implication is that Surah al-Kahf has here presented a narration that finds application in, or impacts upon, two ages. Our view is that they are an age in the past and another that would be the Last Age. The two ages would be so different that they would be opposite to each other.
The Jewish Rabbis in Yathrib (now renamed Madinah al-Nabi) had posed a question to Prophet Muhammad (sallalahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) concerning the great traveler who had traveled to the two ends of the earth. If he could answer this question (as well as two others) it would constitute conclusive proof that he was indeed a true Prophet of the One God. It is to this question that the Qur’an now responds in this passage.
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“Behold, We established him (with power) in the Earth and endowed him with the ways and means (i.e. capacity) for journeying therein in order to accomplish whatever he wanted to do . . . " (18:84)
• Commentary:
Dhul Qarnain was a man of faith, and his Divinely-ordained political and military power in his world-order (Pax Qarnain) rested on the foundations of faith. What is the most essential aspect of the relationship that should exist between politics and morality? When Divinely-ordained power in a world-order rests on the foundations of faith, what kind of a world-order would it establish and sustain? Surah al-Kahf proceeds to teach a lesson that makes it possible for us to recognize the reality of the second of the Qarnain (i.e. two ages) which would be exactly opposite to the one now described. Our view is that the second of the two ages is today’s world-order that Judeo-Christian modern European civilization has created.
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“(Here is an instance of how he used his power). He followed a way (by marching westwards and by choosing the right means to achieve a right end). (18:85)
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(He traveled) until, when he came to the setting sun, (since there was no land beyond, it appeared like the end of the Earth) and he found it setting in a dark, turbid sea; and nearby he found a people. We said, “O Dhul-Qarnain! (you have authority), either punish them, or treat them kindly.” (18:86)
• Commentary:
Power can be used to create and sustain a political culture that rests on the foundations of moral and spiritual values. It can be used to so assist and reward as to promote values. But power can also be used unjustly to punish and oppress. The purpose of the story of this journey is to demonstrate how power is used when it is founded on faith!
Many scholars of Islam have, over the ages, identified that the dark turbid sea described in the verse to be the Black Sea.
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He answered: “In time, (we will use our power) to punish he who is guilty of oppression, injustice, wrongdoing, etc. and when he returns to his Lord-God then He (Allah) would also inflict upon him terrible punishment . . . ” (18:87)
• Commentary:
When power is anchored in faith, it is used justly to punish the oppressor and those who act unjustly. Peace and happiness are not possible in an unjust world. In firmly establishing justice, Dhul Qarnain’s world-order would thus make peace and happiness on Earth possible. This is how the world could have been if mankind had accepted Prophet Muhammad (sallalahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) and followed him.
Surah al-Kahf thus makes it possible for us to recognize the reality of the second of the two ages (Qarnain) i.e. the Last Age, or the Age of Fitan. In that second age mankind which had rejected Prophet Muhammad pbuh and did not follow his way of life would experience the exact opposite of Dhul Qarnain’s world-order. Power in that age would eventually rest on foundations which would be godless (otherwise known as secular), and instead of being used to punish the oppressor, it would be used unjustly to oppress the innocent. Peace and happiness would disappear in such a world-order of universal oppression.
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“ . . . but as for him who has faith and whose conduct is righteous, he would have the ultimate good (of the life to come) as his reward; and we will use our power to ensure that he has ease (here in his life on Earth).” (18:88)
• Commentary:
When power is founded on faith it is also used to support and reward those living lives of faith and whose conduct is righteous. That would be the best of all worlds and it would deliver maximum peace and happiness to people living in it.
Secondly, when he uses power to punish the unjust and the oppressor and to reward and support those who lead lives of faith and righteous conduct, Dhul Qarnain points to the essential harmony that would then exist between his world-order (Pax Qarnain) here below and the heavenly world above.
Surah al-Kahf here delivers an ominous warning that the second of the Qarnain (i.e. two ages) would witness the emergence of a world-order in which power would rest on essentially godless foundations devoid of moral and spiritual values. Expediency, opportunism, oppression, a cynical disregard for the godly life of faith, mockery of piety and righteousness would characterize that world-order. Such a world-order would target and oppress those who sincerely follow the religious way of life. Indeed it would wage war on Islam and Muslims. In consequence such a world-order would display disharmony between the world hereunder and the heavenly world above. That is precisely the world in which we now live.
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“Again, (for a second time) he chose to pursue an objective (or a goal) through the right means . . . (18:89)
• Commentary:
Here is another instance of how he used his power. He marched eastwards and, once again, he chose the right means to achieve the right goal.
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“. . until when he (eventually) came to the rising sun (i.e. to the farthest point eastwards that he could go since there was no land beyond and it appeared like the end of the Earth and that the sun was rising from beyond that land); he found it rising on a people for whom We had provided no covering (for protection from sunshine, weather, environment) other than (the natural) covering. (18:90)
• Commentary:
The implication is that he encountered another large sea while traveling East, as he had done while traveling West, and it was from beyond that sea that he saw the sun rising. If the sea to the West was the Black Sea, it would imply that the sea to the East would be the Caspian Sea.
Surah al-Kahf now delivers a second lesson on the use of power. How would Dhul Qarnain use power when, for example, the rights of a primitive people stand in the way of such material progress as the exploitation of huge (Caspian) oil reserves that are located in their territory? Would he give preference to the material value of the oil or to the value of human rights of even a poor primitive people? Would he wage war and wreak havoc and destruction in order to gain control of Caspian oil or would he give priority to human rights over greed for oil resources?
The verse may also indicate that people living in that region of the Earth may one day need more protection from the elements (such as, for example, atmospheric pollution or fallout from nuclear warfare etc.) than that which was given by nature.
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“Thus (did he meet them and thus did he wisely and compassionately leave them undisturbed in their natural way of life); and We (i.e. Allah Most High) did encompass with Our knowledge his grasp of the situation (and his response to it). (18:91)
• Commentary:
When power rests on the foundations of faith, it upholds a standard of justice, wisdom, compassion and good sense that allows even those who live a primitive way of life, or who live contentedly in a state of bare subsistence (as the native tribes did in North America, Australia, etc. prior to the arrival of the modern European) to continue to do so undisturbed by the demands of modernization, industrialization and the exploitation of resources, etc.
Surah al-Kahf here delivers a profound warning of a second Qarn (i.e. age) of the Qarnain (i.e. two ages) when those who wield power in the world would be essentially godless and would act in a manner completely opposite to that of Dhul Qarnain. They will uphold no standard of justice, wisdom, compassion or even good sense except on the basis of expediency (i.e. when it is advantageous for them to do so). Those who relentlessly exploit the resources of the Earth in pursuit of even greater wealth than they already possess and to sustain a lifestyle they created, would mercilessly attack primitive people and destroy their way of life. They would do so in the name of godless modernity, globalization and economic demands that would take precedence over human rights. In addition, those who live contentedly in a subsistence economy would have their way of life attacked and destroyed and they would experience unimaginable suffering. Such is the fate that has already overtaken North America, Australia, Africa and indeed, most of the rest of the world and such is the fate that now awaits the oil-rich region of the Caspian basin.
Dhul Qarnain was, perhaps, also aware that the second of the two ages (Qarnain) would be an age in which great events would eventually occur in that Eastern location. Those events would be mysteriously linked to ‘Signs of the Last Day’. As a consequence he left the area undisturbed. It is possible that the struggle for control of Caspian oil would eventually lead to great wars that would be linked to Signs of the Last Day and Allah Knows best.
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“(Finally here is the third instance of how he used his power. He marched in a third direction and once again) he chose the right means (to achieve a right end). (18:92)
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“(And he marched on) till, when he reached (a pass) between the two mountain-barriers, he found before them a people who could scarcely understand anything spoken (i.e. any utterance in his language). (18:93)
• Commentary:
The implication of coming upon people who could not understand anything of the language spoken by the ruler of the world is either that they had a unique language not connected to other languages spoken in that part of the world, or that they lived in a state of isolation from the rest of the world.
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(Eventually, when they were able to communicate with each other) they said, “O Dhul Qarnain! Behold, Gog and Magog are corrupting (and destroying) this land (in which we live). May we offer (to pay) you tribute on the condition that you build a barrier (saddan) between us and them (to protect us from them)?” (18:94)
• Commentary:
Who are Gog and Magog, the two tribes that have descended from Nabi Adam (‘alaihi al-Salam)? Whoever they are, Gog and Magog are similar to Dhul Qarnain in respect of the power they possess. This is clear from the fact that the people who were under attack from Gog and Magog had to request Dhul Qarnain to build a barrier to protect them. That power which they possessed was also confirmed in a Hadith al-Qudsi recorded in the Sahih of Imam Muslim in which Allah Most High is reported to have said, “I have created creatures of mine (i.e. Gog and Magog) so powerful that none but I can destroy them.”
But Surah al-Kahf also delivered the extraordinary news that Gog and Magog used their power in exactly the opposite way from that of Dhul Qarnain. They inflicted Fasad fil Ard, i.e. they destroyed everything that they targeted with their indestructible oppressive power. Random murder, organized murder, spreading of fear, acts of terrorism, oppression, etc. are all recognized as Fasad fil Ard. Those convicted of Fasad fil Ard are to be punished in accordance with Allah’s decree, either by “being put to death, crucifying after cutting off hand and foot on opposite sides or by banishment from society” (Qur’an, alMaidah, 5:36). These punishments correspond to the different types of Fasad. This is by far the most severe of all divinely ordained punishments promulgated in the Qur’an.
The amazing implication of the above is that when Gog and Magog are finally released into the world, mankind would be subjected to a world-order that would be the opposite of that of Pax Qarnain. That second Qarn (i.e. age) of the Qarnain (i.e. two ages) would be one in which Gog and Magog would inflict universal Fasad upon mankind. This verse must qualify as one of the most important in Surah al-Kahf in so far as the Surah explains the modern age.
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He answered, “That wherein my Lord-God has so securely established me is better (than any tribute that you could offer me); hence, do but help me with (your) manpower, (and) I shall fill up a barrier between you and them!” (18:95)
• Commentary:
Dhul Qarnain agreed to construct a structure, which he described as Radmun. He thus gave a specific description of the kind of barrier (Saddun) he was going to build. The act of “filling up” describes perfectly the construction of a dam that would ‘fill up’ a narrow pass or defile in between mountains. He must have put the blocks of iron one on top of the other starting at the bottom until he reached the top of the mountains, filling the width and height of the gap.
In agreeing to ‘fill up’ a barrier that would contain Gog and Magog and so protect the people from their evil, Dhul Qarnain also provided further evidence confirming that they (i.e. Gog and Magog) were people with unique power which he could only endeavor to contain since even he could not destroy them.
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“Bring me ingots of iron!” Then, after he had (piled up the iron and) filled the gap between the two shell-shaped mountainsides, he said, “(Light a fire and) ply your bellows!” At length, when he had made it (glow like) fire, he commanded: “(Now place the copper in the fire and then) bring me molten copper, which I may pour upon it . . . ” (18:96)
• Commentary:
Only a barrier built of the strongest possible metal could contain Gog and Magog. The Qur’an confirmed in Surah al-Hadid (57:25) that iron was a metal that possessed such strength. After Dhul Qarnain built that iron barrier, he then poured molten copper on the iron in order, perhaps, to prevent rust.
The implication of the above is that when Gog and Magog are released by Allah Most High into the world in that second of the Qarnain (i.e. two ages) they would resume their Fitnah or evil reign of terror with which they would terrorize mankind. At that time believers would have to protect themselves behind very strong barriers that would keep them out. One possible further implication is that believers may have to build an invisible barrier with two things that would be analogous to iron and molten copper. The verses of the Qur’an would represent the ‘blocks of iron’ while the ‘Sunnah’ would be the ‘molten copper’ which would flow between the ‘blocks of iron’ and thus perfect the construction of that impregnable invisible barrier. We have suggested that such an invisible barrier be built around Muslim Villages located in the remote countryside.
The reference in this verse to the two shell-shaped mountain sides is a perfect geographical description of the two sides of the narrow pass or defile in the Caucasus Mountains. Those mountains are located between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea.
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“And thus (the barrier was built and Gog and Magog) were unable to scale it, and neither were they able to penetrate it (by digging through it. As a consequence, mankind was safe from their attacks).” (18:97)
• Commentary:
So long as that barrier built by Dhul Qarnain remained intact, mankind was safe from the ravages of Gog and Magog. We can now discern the two ages represented in the name Dhul Qarnain. The first is the age of safety from the ravages of Gog and Magog. It would last for as long as the barrier remained intact. The second would be the age of Fasad and Fitnah which would overwhelm mankind when Allah Most High chose to destroy/demolish/level the barrier and let Gog and Magog loose upon mankind. It is in that second Qarn (i.e. age) that ‘Signs of the Last Age’ would constantly unfold. The believers whose conduct is righteous would then have to shield themselves from Gog and Magog’s Fasad (i.e. universal corruption and destruction) with an invisible barrier built with the Qur’an and Sunnah.
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(Dhul Qarnain) said, “(Our success in constructing this barrier) is mercy from my Lord-God! Yet when the time appointed by my Lord-God has come (i.e. the Last Age), He would destroy/demolish/level it (i.e. make flat) (the natural implication being that He would reduce the barrier to ruins): and my Lord God’s promise (i.e. warning) would have come true . . . ” (18:98)
• Commentary:
Surah al-Kahf has here delivered the momentous warning that Allah Most High would Himself one day demolish or level the barrier and release Gog and Magog into the world. When He, Most High, does so, the implication would be that power in the world would eventually rest on godless foundations and that power would be used to oppress, corrupt, destroy and wage war on Islam. Such a world-order would be dual-poled, with Gog as one pole and Magog as the other. That is precisely the world-order in which we now live.
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“ . . . and on that Day We shall (begin a process which would eventually) cause some of them to surge like waves (that merge with or crash against) others of them and the trumpet (of judgment) would be blown, and We shall gather them all together.” (18:99)
• Commentary:
The Qur’an informs us that the blowing of the trumpet will take place on several occasions (18:99; 23:101; 36:51; 39:68 twice; 50:20; 69:13). The blowing of the trumpet in the above verse could indicate the commencement of the age of Fitan. It is more likely, however, that it indicates the arrival of the Sa‘ah’, i.e. the moment of general destruction followed by resurrection from graves. But this extraordinary verse of Surah al-Kahf may also anticipate universal conflict and strife caused by a voracious Gog and Magog world-order as well as the amazing spectacle of globalization.
Dr Tammam Adi, the Qur’an semanticist, is indeed very perceptive in his comment that “Gog and Magog would be unleashed as waves that later merge into each other and support each other - one wave fails, the next succeeds, describing precisely what has already happened. Gog and Magog infiltrated all nations and religions in waves after waves and those waves later came together as the victim nations were merged and mixed, often manipulated or so coerced as to migrate to godless melting pots set up by Gog and Magog. This points to America and other interracial mergers where the Khazars from different origins come together and collaborate with each other to accomplish nation wrecking.” (personal correspondence with this writer).
Finally, the verse can also mean that horrendous nuclear ‘star wars’ clashes between Gog and Magog would eventually take place, which would reduce large parts of the Earth to barren dust bowls (See Qur’an, al-Kahf, 18:8, “and verily, in time We shall reduce all that is on it to barren dust.”) That in turn, would lead to the end of the world and the resurrection. In fact the verse is specific in declaring that Gog and Magog would surge (as waves) against each other. The implication is that either Gog or Magog would not be content with a dual-poled world-order and would surge against the other in order to reduce it to a uni-polar world-order. Dajjal needs a uni-polar world-order under his control if he is to succeed in ruling the world. It is that conflict that would eventually lead to the blowing of the trumpet.
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“ . . . and on that Day (when the time comes for the horrendous Gog vs Magog clash to take place and for Dukhan or smoke in the form of nuclear mushroom clouds to appear in the sky) We shall place hell, for all to see, before those who denied the truth . . . ” (18:100)
• Commentary:
The verse indicates that very large numbers of people would perish in those wars and hence that the population of the Earth would be substantially reduced. Most of those who perish would be a people who would have Hell spread out before their horrified eyes. Muslims do not need any more evidence confirming that they now live in such a world and hence, they should now separate themselves from increasingly godless and decadent mainstream society that is doomed for horrific destruction when that momentous Gog vs Magog (Armageddon) clash takes place..
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“ . . . they (would be a people) whose eyes had been veiled against any remembrance of Me because they could not bear to listen (to the word of truth).” (18:101)
• Commentary:
The implication of this verse is that those who had eyes and yet could not see, ears and yet could not hear, hearts and yet did not comprehend, would have been unable to recognize the second of the Qarnain (i.e. two ages) and hence recognize the essentially godless and decadent reality of the world in which they lived. They would not recognize that second of two ages itself constituting a ‘Sign’ of the Last Day. (Qur’an, al-Kahf, 83-101)
It is from the above passage of the blessed Qur’an (with our commentary) as well as from relevant Ahadith quoted throughout the text of this book that we carefully extracted a profile of Gog and Magog. We discovered them to be ‘human beings’ who are ‘double-faced’ and are capable of swift motion. They possess extraordinary military “power” but they use ‘power’ to oppress. Of critical importance in identifying them is the very clear ‘Sign’ delivered in the Qur’an that Gog and Magog would make it possible for “people” who were expelled by divine decree from their ‘town’ (destroyed by Allah Most High) to one day return to that ‘town’ and reclaim it as their own (Qur’an, al-Anbiyah’, 21:95-6). Since Gog and Magog are a major Sign of the Last Day, and since this is the only Sign concerning their release into the world given in the Qur’an, it follows that the ‘town that was destroyed’, ‘the people who were expelled’ and the Gog-and Magog-assisted ‘return of those people to that town’, must also be connected to the subject of ‘Signs of the Last Day’.
In a crucially important chapter of this book devoted to methodology we explained that the system of meaning of the subject of ‘Signs of the Last Day’ must be grasped before we can interpret and understand any verse of the Holy Book or any Hadith which relates the Gog and Magog. In the previous chapter devoted to terminology we argued that the Qur’an had itself identified Jesus as the ‘Ilm of the Sa‘ah, or the ‘key’ to understanding the subject of the Last Hour.
There are those who adamantly refuse to accept our identification of the ‘town’, derived through the application of that methodology, to be Jerusalem. Hence they also refuse to recognize Gog and Magog as dominant actors in the restoration of a State of Israel in the Holy Land, and in the ever escalating oppression with which that imposter state seeks to achieve its rule over the world. They turn a blind eye to the obvious fact that the unfolding drama in the Holy Land will culminate with the return of Jesus (‘alaihi alSalam), and that his miraculous return is the ‘Ilm of the Sa‘ah’. Such doubters should be challenged to provide the explanation in the Qur’an with which it explains the unfolding drama in the Holy Land and thus fulfills its claim to “explain all things” (Qur’an, al-Nahl, 16:89).
