قَالُواْ يَٰذَا ٱلۡقَرۡنَيۡنِ إِنَّ يَأۡجُوجَ وَمَأۡجُوجَ مُفۡسِدُونَ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ فَهَلۡ نَجۡعَلُ لَكَ خَرۡجًا عَلَىٰٓ أَن تَجۡعَلَ بَيۡنَنَا وَبَيۡنَهُمۡ سَدّٗا
They said, "O Dhul-Qarnayn, indeed Gog and Magog[1] are [great] corrupters in the land. So may we assign for you an expenditure that you might make between us and them a barrier?"
1- Savage tribes who had ravaged large parts of central Asia, committing every kind of atrocity.
فَمَا ٱسۡطَٰعُوٓاْ أَن يَظۡهَرُوهُ وَمَا ٱسۡتَطَٰعُواْ لَهُۥ نَقۡبٗا
So they [i.e., Gog and Magog] were unable to pass over it, nor were they able [to effect] in it any penetration.
قَالَ هَٰذَا رَحۡمَةٞ مِّن رَّبِّيۖ فَإِذَا جَآءَ وَعۡدُ رَبِّي جَعَلَهُۥ دَكَّآءَۖ وَكَانَ وَعۡدُ رَبِّي حَقّٗا
[Dhul-Qarnayn] said, "This is a mercy from my Lord; but when the promise of my Lord[1] comes [i.e., approaches], He will make it level, and ever is the promise of my Lord true."
1- i.e., the Hour of Resurrection.
وَحَرَٰمٌ عَلَىٰ قَرۡيَةٍ أَهۡلَكۡنَٰهَآ أَنَّهُمۡ لَا يَرۡجِعُونَ
And it is prohibited to [the people of] a city which We have destroyed that they will [ever] return[1]
1- They cannot return to this world, nor can they repent to AllŒh.
حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا فُتِحَتۡ يَأۡجُوجُ وَمَأۡجُوجُ وَهُم مِّن كُلِّ حَدَبٖ يَنسِلُونَ
Until when [the dam of] Gog and Magog has been opened and they, from every elevation, descend
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