METHODOLOGY FOR STUDY OF THE QUR'AN
by Sheikh Imran Nazar Hosein
Pax Qarnain – the journey to the East
After describing the journey to the West, Sūrah al-Kahf then proceeded to describe Dhūl Qarnain’s journey to the East, or to the ‘rising of the sun’. Since he travelled to two ends of the land, and the first journey ended at a body of water, the implication would be that the second journey also ended the same way. If the first journey ended at the Black Sea, it would be clear that the second journey in the opposite direction would have to end at the Caspian Sea.
There he found a people concerning whom Allah Most High declared, “We did not provide for them, as a covering, other than it.” The Qur’anic narrative described Dhūl Qarnain’s response to those people in language that is extremely difficult to interpret. “Kadhālika” was the first part of the response. And this could mean: thus did he find them and thus did he leave them (undisturbed).
The second part of the response described Allah’s response to Dhūl Qarnain’s conduct with those people. Allah Most High recognized (and approved of) Dhūl Qarnain’s wise and compassionate treatment of those people.
What was that ‘covering’ provided to the people by Allah Most High, other than which they had no other ‘covering’? And how do we interpret Dhūl Qarnain’s enigmatic response to their situation? Our view, which we venture to explain with the proviso that Allah Knows best, is that Sūrah al-Kahf is here preparing the believers for the age of Fitan, when the modern world’s hunger for exploitation of all resources of the earth and, in particular, oil, would result in callous disregard for human life and suffering. Primitive people, whose only possessions are land and homes, but whose territory is oil-rich (for example), would find themselves dispossessed of both land and homes. This blatant rape of innocent people who lived in wondrous harmony with the natural order had to take place in order for North America and Australia for example, to become a modern paradise.
What was that ‘covering’ provided to the people by Allah Most High, other than which they had no other ‘covering’? And how do we interpret Dhūl Qarnain’s enigmatic response to their situation? Our view, which we venture to explain with the proviso that Allah Knows best, is that Sūrah al-Kahf is here preparing the believers for the age of Fitan, when the modern world’s hunger for exploitation of all resources of the earth and, in particular, oil, would result in callous disregard for human life and suffering. Primitive people, whose only possessions are land and homes, but whose territory is oil-rich (for example), would find themselves dispossessed of both land and homes. This blatant rape of innocent people who lived in wondrous harmony with the natural order had to take place in order for North America and Australia for example, to become a modern paradise.
Dhūl Qarnain recognized the human person and human rights to be superior to resources, and so he left those people undisturbed in their possession of their land and homes. When the Last Age comes, and the masses are reduced through Ribā to biting poverty, the second of the two Qarns would be recognized through its respect for the human person and human rights while it seeks to exploit (for example) resources of the earth.
to be continued .....
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