The Story of Dhul Qarnain
Righteous Ruler and Defender of the Weak and Oppressed
Dhul Qarnain is a story found in the 18th Chapter of the Quran. With today’s conflicts and depravity of respect for life clearly demonstrated in the world, perhaps it is time that a closer look be taken at the story of this ruler and his travels. In chapter 18, Dhul Qarnain’s journey through his kingdom takes him west, east, and then another way.
Traveling West
Traveling west to where the sun set, Dhul Qarnain, came across a group of people near a spring of murky dark water; a pool obviously polluted from years of use. It was a well developed community with its own unique set of problems. It was given to Dhul Qarnain to punish them or treat them with kindness. In his God given wisdom he agreed to punish the guilty and show kindness to the innocent. Being a righteous man of God and ruler he insisted on not punishing the masses for the evil acts of a few. He refrained from killing thousands of people just to get at a few wrongdoers, realizing that such an act would make him more wicked and barbaric in the eyes of his Lord than those he sought to punish.
Traveling East
Dhul Qarnain then turned his attention to the east. Here he found people who were rising with the sun in their infancy, barely clothed. It can be imagined that Dhul Qarnain, the great conquerer, recognized the need to provide a primitive people the chance to thrive. What God has allowed, who is he to destroy. They were a simple people, innocent of all wrongdoing. They were simply desiring the one gift that was given to them: life. Dhul Qarnain granted them this and more.
Traveling in Another Direction
Dhul Qarnain traveled in another direction. The Quran does not say where. What it does say is that the people pleaded for help against the Gog and Magog people (Barbarians). They stated that they would pay him tribute. He informed them that what God had given him is better. He informed them that if they would help themselves then he would aid them. He instructed them to bring him blocks of iron and copper which he melted and poured in the space between two hills. This prevented the barbarians from digging through or scaling over. Thus, Dhul Qarnain demonstrated this third responsibility of rulers and mankind; protect the weak from undue punishment and oppression!
Travel Within
In the end analysis, and spiritually speaking, when you have finished traveling east and west, travel within and search your own soul to weed out all barbaric tendencies.
Dawn of the Civilized Ruler
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