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Can the following statement about Zul-Qarnain found in the article “Who Was Zul-Qarnain” be expanded with more clarity?
‘The only place where he (Zul-Qarnain) apparently bypasses his great and vast journeys is an area that seemingly has a desert-like climate which would be, in all probability, in the Middle East and which he presumably would be a part of in the future’. As to the Quranic verses being discussed:
Then he {Zul-Qarnain} followed {yet} another way,
Until, when he came to the rising place of the sun, he found it rising on a people for whom WE had provided no shelter against the sun.
So (it was)! And WE {ALLAH} knew all about him {Zul-Qarnain as he was following OUR PLAN explicitly}. / (He left them) {those people that he found under those conditions} as they were: WE completely understood what was before him. Quran (18:89-91)
Around 25,000 years or so ago and ALLAH KNOWS BEST IN ALL THINGS, the building up of peoples in various areas began as in the recovering from the Great Flood during the time of Noah (pbh). One of these areas gave rise to the NAME of its ancient peoples. This name is ARAB. The word Arab originally stands for a peoples who live in an arid area with sparse vegetation and an area that is treeless.
So, ‘on a people’ (group or tribe) originally settling in an area that is sparse in vegetation and basically treeless they became known as ‘ARAB’. Hence, no shelter against the sunfor this settled tribe.
Later, as time marched on, those people split apart and grew into more tribes as they expanded their habitats all over the Middle East and became collectively known as the ARABS which form the majority of the Semitic peoples today.
The following statement made by ALLAH shows such awesome and dynamic power and knowledge of ALLAH that it becomes so overwhelming to the human mind:
So (it was)! And WE {ALLAH} knew all about him {Zul-Qarnain as he was following OURPLAN explicitly}. / (He left them) {those people} as they were: WE completely understood what was before him {Zul-Qarnain}. Quran (18:91)
ALLAH ‘knew all about him’ because HE is ALLAH, THE ALL-KNOWING, THE AWARE and HE is in control of all things being that HIS PLAN IS PERFECT AND SHOWS HIS DYNAMIC POWER OF CREATION AND MINDSET – Past, Present and Future!
So ALLAH is more, MUCH MORE, than we can imagine and the idea that Zul-Qarnain is the Christ-soul and perfectly placed and aided to eventually bear fruit to become that Messiah to oversee the Islamic paradise on Earth is just plain awesome!
When we combine these sayings found in the Quran with those verses discussed in the article ‘Who Was Zul-Qarnain’ concerning the knowledge of the Christ-soul, we find that things, even when they are beyond our perceiving knowledge, have been well laid out as in a PERFECT PLAN.
Such is shown when we read ‘WE completely understood what was before him/ knew all about him’. And this idea lends itself completely well to the notion of Depending upon the ONE GOD, Calling upon the ONE GOD and Turning to the ONE GOD (in Sincerity) and HE will provide the means (though we might not understand it) for our success!
What is success? What then is the SUPREME ACHIEVEMENT? It is not the fulfillment of any old desire of a selfish nature! Simply put it is the desire of those people who say:
- Going to the Source for success and being patient with it:
And for them {these people} there are some who say: “Our LORD! Give us in this world that which is good and in the Hereafter that which is good, AND save us from the torment of the FIRE!” Quran (2:201).
- Being desirous of being increased in our capacity in ways and means to acquire ALLAH’s Pleasure through praising HIM in the best of ways (generally in following the best of examples given to mankind) by following The Prophet: “Indeed! In theMessenger of ALLAH you have an excellent example to follow for him who {has}hopes in ALLAH and the Last Day and remembers ALLAH much.” Quran (33:21)
This man, Zul-Qarnain, was said by at-Tabari to have travelled to the farthest places (on a continuous land mass). That covered a lot of territory back then and of course under this definition (time-wise) the ‘Americas’ were not yet populated.
So, we have an indication of the ‘greatness of the man Zul-Qarnain’ and yet another reason to believe that his name carries the meaning of ‘master/lord ‘OF THE TWO AGES’ with one age already passed before father Abraham was born and the second age to come under the leadership of the Mahdi from the lineage of Hassan the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (pbh).
Such is the blessedness attributed to this man, for only a man he is, that prophet Isaiah (pbh) declared:
Therefore I {ALLAH} will give him {the Christ-soul} his portion among the many, and he shall divide the spoils with the mighty {AS THE RETURNING king by telling them of their places in Paradise after the destruction of the Gog and Magog by ALLAH (hadith)}, because he surrendered himself to death {took on man’s fate of being born and dying or one can say, became flesh even when he completed his perfection as a man and was that man/, prophet (Enoch, pbh), whom they say ‘walked with GOD’ Genesis (5:21-24); was counted among the transgressors {those who are born AFTER that AGE of DESTRUCTION, by becoming an example to many in undergoing trials such that he became THAT SIGN to mankind}; Bore the sins of many {as in SHOWING THE WAY to eternal life through examples only}, and interceded for the transgressors {by asking ALLAH to give them guidance and instruction for their salvation through his trials in ascending to the excellent office of Messiah under the TRUE GUIDANCE AND PROTECTION FROM his LORD – ALLAH }. Isaiah (53:12)
Such trials brings with it great rewards and rewarding this soul, as was deemed well in the beginning (for ALLAH is THE AWARE), can be further seen in the New Testament in the Book of Hebrews:
Therefore, when he {the Christ-soul} came into the world {so very long ago}, he said: “Sacrifice and offering YOU {OH! LORD} did not desire, but a body YOU have prepared for me.
In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin YOU had no pleasure.
Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come {in the fullness of time} — in the volume of the book {in previous scriptures} it is written of me — to do {but only} YOUR WILL, O GOD.’ ”
Previously saying, “Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and {as} offerings for sin YOU did not desire, nor had pleasure in them” (which are offered according to the law {for the laws sake, and NOT just for YOUR SAKE, as became abused by people as they also offer these things to idols in their falsehoods)},
Then he said, “Behold, I have come to do YOUR WILL, O GOD.” HE {GOD then} takes away the first {Law of development} that HE may establish the second {as also HE DID WHEN HE DESTROYED THE CIVILIZATIONS PRESENT DURING THE TIME OF NOAH}.
By that WILL {AS HE HAS MADE HAPPEN} we {who follow that way of the prophets in obedience to ALLAH} have been sanctified {blessed} through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ {showing to the world his appointed adornment by coming into the world in such a way as in the virgin birth}once for all {times as Judgment Day approaches}.
And every priest {religious leader} stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins {which only ALLAH can do}.
But this man {chosen by ALLAH from the beginning}, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of GOD {in a seat of power to return as an emissary of ALLAH to be king of the kingdom of paradise on Earth}.
From that time {of his being lifted up into the sky} waiting {patiently} till his enemies are made his footstool {are subdued by his GOD’s WILL}.
For by one {his continual} offering he has perfected forever {those who are being sanctified and chosen for this kingdom to come}.
But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after HE {the ONE GOD} had said before,
“This is {now} the covenant that I will make with them {the true believers} after those days {of reckoning and the ‘evil’ has been vanquished from the world}, says the LORD: I will put MY LAWS into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them.”
Then HE {GOD} adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds {of the past} I will remember no more {so that they may be purified for the KINGDOM of GOD which is not of this Earth}.” Hebrews (10:5-17)
And after the above description one can say with meaning that, therefore, is Isaiah Chapter 53 verse number 12 as one can understand it! Even though Isaiah Chapter 53 is very complex it is the truth for those who can read it. And the only one who can forgive sins as is proven again and again in the Holy Books is the Creator LORD – ALLAH WHO is our ONLY SAVIOR.
So, if man is wise, he will turn to HIM WHO gave him life, will cause him to die and will give him life again that he may appear in Judgment as to how he fulfilled his contract in being that special creation of ALLAH made with HIS OWN HANDS!
Abu Hurairah declared that the Prophet (pbh) said, “If ALLAH wants to do good to somebody, HE afflicts that person with trials.” (Bukhari)
This saying of Prophet Muhammad (pbh) concerns all of the sons of Adam including the Christ-soul and is testified to by this hadith as one can see when he or she reads Isaiah Chapter 53 but with knowledge.
But you, Daniel, roll up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many {in those times (decades)} will go here and there to increase knowledge {in the many disciplines including religious knowledge, sciences and other understandings}.” Daniel (12:4)
