Dhū al-Qarnayn: The Means We Were Given and the Task Upon Us

Occasion: Transcription of a Fajr khatira delivered on 26 August 2026 Source: A transcription of a video khatira by Dr. Ahmed Abouseif — Watch the original video on YouTube

O Allah, make us firm with the firm word in the worldly life and in the Hereafter and on the day the witnesses stand, honor our lodging, ease our affairs, arrange our livelihoods, and fulfill our needs.

The khatira was on the story of Dhū al-Qarnayn from Sūrat al-Kahf.^[1] In his recitation he passed over the rising place of the sun, its setting place, and what lies between the two barriers.

﴿وَآتَيْنَاهُ مِن كُلِّ شَيْءٍ سَبَبًا﴾ (“And We gave him from everything a means”)

Allah, Exalted, said: ﴿إِنَّا مَكَّنَّا لَهُ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَآتَيْنَاهُ مِن كُلِّ شَيْءٍ سَبَبًا﴾ (“Indeed, We established him upon the earth, and We gave him from everything a means”), then: ﴿حَتَّىٰ إِذَا بَلَغَ مَغْرِبَ الشَّمْسِ وَجَدَهَا تَغْرُبُ فِي عَيْنٍ حَمِئَةٍ وَوَجَدَ عِندَهَا قَوْمًا قُلْنَا يَا ذَا الْقَرْنَيْنِ إِمَّا أَن تُعَذِّبَ وَإِمَّا أَن تَتَّخِذَ فِيهِمْ حُسْنًا ۝ قَالَ أَمَّا مَن ظَلَمَ فَسَوْفَ نُعَذِّبُهُ ثُمَّ يُرَدُّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِ فَيُعَذِّبُهُ عَذَابًا نُّكْرًا ۝ وَأَمَّا مَنْ آمَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَلَهُ جَزَاءً الْحُسْنَىٰ وَسَنَقُولُ لَهُ مِنْ أَمْرِنَا يُسْرًا﴾ (“Until, when he reached the setting of the sun, he found it setting in a spring of murky water, and found near it a people. We said: O Dhū al-Qarnayn, either punish them or adopt among them a way of goodness. He said: As for one who wrongs, we shall punish him; then he will be returned to his Lord, and He will punish him with a terrible punishment. But as for one who believes and does righteousness, he will have a reward of the best, and we shall speak to him of what is easy from our command”).

Then he said: ﴿فَأَتْبَعَ سَبَبًا﴾ (“So he followed a way”). And the meaning of ﴿وَآتَيْنَاهُ مِن كُلِّ شَيْءٍ سَبَبًا﴾ is: We gave him the means by which he was able to do everything.

And I always say to people: in this land, Allah has given us from everything a means. However little the money, however hard life is, it is thousands of times easier than what others have, however the resources may be. In this land Allah has given us from everything a means, even this sitting we are sitting now, even the Fajr prayer. Glory be to Allah! ﴿آتَيْنَاهُ مِن كُلِّ شَيْءٍ سَبَبًا﴾ (“We gave him from everything a means”).

Between the Two Barriers

Then he recited: ﴿حَتَّىٰ إِذَا بَلَغَ بَيْنَ السَّدَّيْنِ وَجَدَ مِن دُونِهِمَا قَوْمًا لَّا يَكَادُونَ يَفْقَهُونَ قَوْلًا ۝ قَالُوا يَا ذَا الْقَرْنَيْنِ إِنَّ يَأْجُوجَ وَمَأْجُوجَ مُفْسِدُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَهَلْ نَجْعَلُ لَكَ خَرْجًا عَلَىٰ أَن تَجْعَلَ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَهُمْ سَدًّا﴾ (“Until, when he reached between the two barriers, he found beside them a people who could hardly understand speech. They said: O Dhū al-Qarnayn, indeed Gog and Magog are corrupters in the land, so may we assign to you an expenditure that you might make between us and them a barrier?”). And Dhū al-Qarnayn said: ﴿أَعِينُونِي بِقُوَّةٍ أَجْعَلْ بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَهُمْ رَدْمًا ۝ آتُونِي زُبَرَ الْحَدِيدِ حَتَّىٰ إِذَا سَاوَىٰ بَيْنَ الصَّدَفَيْنِ﴾ (“Assist me with strength; I will make between you and them a dam. Bring me sheets of iron — until, when he had leveled [the gap] between the two mountain sides”).

Then he returned to His saying, Exalted: ﴿ثُمَّ أَتْبَعَ سَبَبًا﴾ (“Then he followed a way”), and asked: I am here to carry out this task, and I have an addition, so what is this addition?

And the Doctor concluded by saying: May Allah bless you, may Allah reward you with good, and peace.

--- ^[1]: Editor's documentation: The transcript of this khatira is garbled in many places, and only what was clear has been transferred from it. The verses are from Sūrat al-Kahf [al-Kahf: 84–88, 92–96], and have been recorded as far as the speaker recited and as far as the transcript made clear. The question “What is this addition?” is cut off in the transcript, so no answer is attributed to it.