Alexander the Great as a Mujahid!

Philip Daniel

http://western-civ-here-to-stay.blogspot.com/

Islam usurps historical figures such as Alexander the Great of Macedon and claims them as its own, in direct contradiction to the facts. In this case, Alexander the Great is reshaped as a hanif and mujahid named Dhu’l-Qarnayn, slaying and enslaving kuffar who persist in the perfidy of kufr (e.g., kufrul-istihaal and kufrul-istibdaal) and shirk and fisq and fasaad and taghut and al-munkar and fitna, who reject iman and tawhid and ibadah and taqwa and siratul-mustaqeem and al-ma’ruf, whose blood and property are thus rendered mubaa’ until their “willing submission” to the absolute suzerainty of al-dawla al-islamiyya as the humiliated and oppressed under-caste of ahl al-dhimma (or, in the case of outright mushrikun, reserved for al-sayf if they steadfastly reject “reversion” to al-deenu’l-sayf).

“And they ask you about Dhul-Qarnain. Say: “I shall recite to you something of his story.” Verily, We established him in the earth, and We gave him the means of everything. So he followed a way. 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.” He said: “As for him (a disbeliever in the Oneness of Allah) who does wrong, we shall punish him, and then he will be brought back unto his Lord, Who will punish him with a terrible torment (Hell).””–Qur’an 18:83-87, Translation of Muhammad Mohsin Khan

The Tafsir of the Two Jalals explains further; it casts the episode quoted above as a quintessential ghazw against the inhabitants of the dar al-harb…

“{ حَتَّىٰ إِذَا بَلَغَ مَغْرِبَ ٱلشَّمْسِ وَجَدَهَا تَغْرُبُ فِي عَيْنٍ حَمِئَةٍ وَوَجَدَ عِندَهَا قَوْماً قُلْنَا يٰذَا ٱلْقَرْنَيْنِ إِمَّآ أَن تُعَذِّبَ وَإِمَّآ أَن تَتَّخِذَ فِيهِمْ حُسْناً }

Until, when he reached the setting of the sun, the place where it sets, he found it setting in a muddy spring (‘ayn hami’a: [a spring] containing ham’a, which is black clay): its setting in a spring is [described as seen] from the perspective of the eye, for otherwise it is far larger [in size] than this world; and he found by it, that is, [by] the spring, a folk, of disbelievers. We said, ‘O Dhū’l-Qarnayn — by [means of] inspiration — either chastise, the folk, by slaying [them], or treat them kindly’, by [merely] taking them captive.”–Tafsir al-Jalalayn “Surah al-Kahf [Q 18]”

Notice that merely enslaving the kuffar, in contrast to spilling their blood, is considered an act of mercy, while we in the West would rightly condemn such an unprovoked act as one violating human rights. No wonder, since wanton mass-murder of “violable” kuffar and mushrikun and mufsidun and murtaddun is (strangely and disgustingly) considered an act of godly compassion, analogous to sedating an animal before killing it (c.f. Sunan Abu Dawud Book 14 Number 2660).

Ibn Kathir‘s seminal Tafsir is another invaluable source for interpreting this Qur’anic passage as well, and does not divert in any substantial fashion from Tafsir al-Jalalayn, in fact elaborating on Dhu’l-Qarnayn‘s extensive career conquering and Islamizing kaffir polities…

“The Story of Dhul-Qarnayn Allah says to His Prophet ,

[وَيَسْـَلُونَكَ]

(And they ask you) O Muhammad ,

[عَن ذِى 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 . 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 فِى الاٌّرْضِ]

(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.

[وَآتَيْنَـهُ مِن كُلِّ شَىْءٍ سَبَباً]

(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,

[وَآتَيْنَـهُ مِن كُلِّ شَىْءٍ سَبَباً]

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

[وَأُوتِيَتْ مِن كُلِّ شَىْءٍ]

(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.

[فَأَتْبَعَ سَبَباً – حَتَّى إِذَا بَلَغَ مَغْرِبَ الشَّمْسِ وَجَدَهَا تَغْرُبُ فِى عَيْنٍ حَمِئَةٍ وَوَجَدَ عِندَهَا قَوْماً قُلْنَا يذَا الْقَرْنَيْنِ إِمَّآ أَن تُعَذِّبَ وَإِمَّآ أَن تَتَّخِذَ فِيهِمْ حُسْناً – قَالَ أَمَّا مَن ظَلَمَ فَسَوْفَ نُعَذِّبُهُ ثُمَّ يُرَدُّ إِلَى رَبِّهِ فَيُعَذِّبُهُ عَذَاباً نُّكْراً – وَأَمَّا مَنْ آمَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَـلِحاً فَلَهُ جَزَآءً الْحُسْنَى وَسَنَقُولُ لَهُ مِنْ أَمْرِنَا يُسْراً ]

(85. So he followed a way.) (86. Until, when he reached the setting place of the sun, he found it setting in a spring of Hami’ah. And he found near it a people. We said: “O Dhul-Qarnayn! Either you punish them or treat them with kindness.”) (87. He said: “As for him who does wrong, we shall punish him, and then he will be brought back unto his Lord, Who will punish him with a terrible torment (Hell).”) (88. “But as for him who believes and works righteousness, he shall have the best reward, and we shall speak unto him mild words.”)”–Tafsir ibn Kathir “Surah al-Kahf [Q 18]”