Surah Al-Kahf Ayat 86 in Arabic Text
English Translation
Here you can read various translations of verse 86
Until, when he reached the setting of the sun, he found it [as if] setting in a spring of dark mud, and he found near it a people. Allah said, “O Dhul-Qarnayn, either you punish [them] or else adopt among them [a way of] goodness.”
Until, when he reached the setting of the sun, he found it set in a spring of murky water: Near it he found a People: We said: “O Zul-qarnain! (thou hast authority,) either to punish them, or to treat them with kindness.”
until when he reached the very limits where the sun sets, he saw it setting in dark turbid waters; and nearby he met a people. We said: “O Dhu al-Qarnayn, you have the power to punish or to treat them with kindness.”
Until, when he reached the setting place of the sun, he found it setting in a spring of black muddy (or hot) water. And he found near it a people. We (Allah) said (by inspiration): “O Dhul-Qarnain! Either you punish them, or treat them with kindness.”
Till, when he reached the setting-place of the sun, he found it setting in a muddy spring, and found a people thereabout. We said: O Dhu’l-Qarneyn! Either punish or show them kindness.
Until, when he reached the setting of the sun, (The western part of the then known world) he found it setting in a muddy spring, and he found a people at it. We said, “O Thulqarnayn, either you will torment (them) or you will take to yourself towards them a fair (way).”
then, when he came to the setting of the sun, he found it [seemed to be] setting into a muddy spring. Nearby he found some people and We said, ‘Dhu ’l-Qarnayn, you may choose [which of them] to punish or show kindness to.’
یہاں تک کہ سورج ڈوبنے کی جگہ پہنچ گیا اور اسے ایک دلدل کےچشمے میں غروب ہوتا ہوا پایا اور اس چشمے کے پاس ایک قوم کو بھی پایا، ہم نے فرما دیا کہ اے ذوالقرنین! یا تو تو انہیں تکلیف پہنچائے یا ان کے بارے میں تو کوئی بہترین روش اختیار کرے
Quran 18 Verse 86 Explanation
For those looking for commentary to help with the understanding of Surah Kahf ayat 86, we’ve provided two Tafseer works below. The first is the tafseer of Abul Ala Maududi, the second is of Ibn Kathir.
Ala-Maududi
(18:86) until when he reached the very limits where the sun sets,[63] he saw it setting in dark turbid waters;[64] and nearby he met a people. We said: “O Dhu al-Qarnayn, you have the power to punish or to treat them with kindness.”[65]
63. “The setting place of the sun” does not mean the place of the setting of the sun. According to Ibn Kathir, it means that he marched to the west conquering one country after the other till he reached the last boundary of the land, beyond which there was ocean.
64. “He found it setting in a muddy spring”: If Zul Qarnain was Cyrus, then that place would be the western limit of Asia Minor and the black waters would be the Aegean Sea. This interpretation is supported by the use of the word ain instead of bahr in the Quran.
65. “We said” does not necessarily mean that Allah directly revealed to him these words, and that Zul-Qarnain was a Prophet or was the one who received inspiration from Allah, and the same is the reasonable conjecture. This concerns the time when Zul-Qarnain had taken possession of the land as a conqueror and the conquered people were utterly at your mercy. Then Allah posed a question before his conscience, as if to say: Now is the time of your trial. These people are utterly at your mercy, and you have the option either to behave unjustly towards them or to treat them generously.
Ibn-Kathir
The tafsir of Surah Kahf verse 86 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Kahf ayat 85 which provides the complete commentary from verse 85 through 88.
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