Quran Universe
18:83

وَيَسۡـَٔلُونَكَ عَن ذِي ٱلۡقَرۡنَيۡنِۖ قُلۡ سَأَتۡلُواْ عَلَيۡكُم مِّنۡهُ ذِكۡرًا

Wayasaloonaka AAan thee alqarnayni qul saatloo AAalaykum minhu thikran

And they ask you, [O Muhammad], about Dhul-Qarnayn. Say, "I will recite to you about him a report."

Word by word
  1. وَيَسۡـَٔلُونَكَAnd they ask you
  2. عَنabout
  3. ذِيDhul-qarnain
  4. ٱلۡقَرۡنَيۡنِۖDhul-qarnain
  5. قُلۡSay
  6. سَأَتۡلُواْI will recite
  7. عَلَيۡكُمto you
  8. مِّنۡهُabout him
  9. ذِكۡرًاa remembrance
Al-Kahf · 18:83Makkah

They asked about Dhul-Qarnayn. Here is his story.

The third question answered

The test question
Qurayshvia the rabbis
asked about
a great travelereast and west
answered by
revelationI will recite to you
Where the answer came from
his own researchwhat they expected
Allah's recitala report from Him

The disbelievers of Makkah had asked the People of the Book for questions to test the Prophet ﷺ. One was a man who traveled extensively throughout the earth. The answer came as revelation: say, I will recite to you something of his story.

You search for answers about life in ten browser tabs and three podcasts. The Quran says: I will recite to you. Some answers are given, not found.

I have to find every answer myself.

Allah has already recited some answers. I can start there.

Try this

Before searching online about a big question today, read what the Quran says on it first.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

And they ask you about Dhul-Qarnayn. Say: "I shall recite to you something of his story. (83)Verily, We established him in the earth, and We gave him the means of everything (84)

The Story of Dhul-Qarnayn

Allah says to His Prophet ﷺ,

وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ 

(And they ask you) O Muhammad ﷺ,

عَن ذِي الْقَرْنَيْنِ

(about Dhul-Qarnayn.) i.e., about his story. We have already mentioned how the disbelievers of Makkah sent word to the People of the Book and asked them for some information with which they could test the Prophet ﷺ. They (the People of the Book) said, 'Ask him about a man who traveled extensively throughout the earth, and about some young men who nobody knows what they did, and about the Ruh (the soul),' then Surat Al-Kahf was revealed.

Dhul-Qarnayn had great Power

إِنَّا مَكَّنَّا لَهُ فِي الْأَرْضِ

(Verily, We established him in the earth,) means, 'We have given him great power, so that he had all that kings could have of might, armies, war equipment and siege machinery.' So he had dominion over the east and the west, all countries and their kings submitted to him, and all the nations, Arab and non-Arab, served him. Some of them said he was called Dhul-Qarnayn (the one with two horns) because he reached the two "Horns" of the sun, east and west, where it rises and where it sets.

وَآتَيْنَاهُ مِن كُلِّ شَيْءٍ سَبَبًا

(and We gave him the means of everything.) Ibn 'Abbas, Mujahid, Sa'id bin Jubayr, 'Ikrimah, As-Suddi, Qatadah, Ad-Dahhak and others said, "This means knowledge." Qatadah also said,

وَآتَيْنَاهُ مِن كُلِّ شَيْءٍ سَبَبًا

(and We gave him the means of everything.) "The different parts and features of the earth." Concerning Bilqis, Allah said,

وَأُوتِيَتْ مِن كُلِّ شَيْءٍ

(she has been given all things)[27:23], meaning all things that monarchs like her are given. Thus too was Dhul-Qarnayn: Allah gave him the means of all things, meaning the means and power to conquer all areas, regions and countries, to defeat enemies, suppress the kings of the earth and humiliate the people of Shirk. He was given all that a man like him would need. And Allah knows best.