Dhul-Qarnayn= Alexander the Great?

[hissa]

Asalamalikum. I hope everyone is well insha'Allah.

I was reading things on the net, and i came across theories about Dhul-Qarnayn and his identity. What I found really interesting was that some scholars suggest that he was Alexander the Great. So apparently, some say that the description of Dhul-Qarnayn's character in the Quran corresponds to that of Alexander.

I mean I not sure if this is true or not, but if it was, does it mean that the wall that Dhul-Qarnayn built to protect the people from Gog and Magog are the gates of alexander?

I know this isn't really important, and that we should pay to more attention to more important things, but I'm just interested. :rollseyes

[Talha777]

The answer is no.

[Ibn Abi Ahmed]

:sl:

This is an interesting article, especially the section called 'The Wall':

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyrus_t...n_the_Qur%27an

[hissa]

The answer is no.

What makes u so sure?

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[Philosopher]

What makes u so sure?

http://www.answering-christianity.com/quran/5701.htm

[Isaac]

There is a great lecture by Shaykh Ahmad Ali on Gog and Magog, and he goes into some detailed explanations about who Dhul Qarnayn COULD have been and so on.

[ServantOfHeaven]

Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim.

Here is clear proof and pure truth that Alexander the Great (peace and blessings be upon him) is Hanif and Muslim:

«The only historical event connecting Alexander the Great with the Jews is his visit to Jerusalem, which is recorded by Josephus in a somewhat fantastic manner. According to "Ant." xi. 8, §§ 4-6, Alexander went to Jerusalem after having taken Gaza. Jaddua, the high priest, had a warning from God received in a dream, in which he saw himself vested in a purple robe, with his miter—that had the golden plate on which the name of God was engraved—on his head. Accordingly he went to meet Alexander at Sapha ("View" [of the Temple]). Followed by the priests, all clothed in fine linen, and by a multitude of citizens, Jaddua awaited the coming of the king. When Alexander saw the high priest, he reverenced God (Lev. R. xiii., end), and saluted Jaddua; while the Jews with one voice greeted Alexander. When Parmenio, the general, gave expression to the army's surprise at Alexander's extraordinary act—that one who ought to be adored by all as king should adore the high priest of the Jews—Alexander replied: "I did not adore him, but the God who hath honored him with this high-priesthood; for I saw this very person in a dream, in this very habit, when I was at Dios in Macedonia, who, when I was considering with myself how I might obtain dominion of Asia, exhorted me to make no delay, but boldly to pass over the sea, promising that he would conduct my army, and would give me the dominion over the Persians." Alexander then gave the high priest his right hand, and went into the Temple and "offered sacrifice to God according to the high priest's direction," treating the whole priesthood magnificently.»
[1906 Jewish Encyclopedia]

«It is told in the Christian Romance that Alexander, realizing he had been denied the Water of Life, appealed to God for a sign by which he would know when his death was near and might console his mother. The Holy Spirit replied that Alexander must anticipate death when the heavens above him appeared as brass and the stars as gold and silver. Anticipating his end, he now threw open his treasure-house, and called the poor and needy to take from it the gold and silver and costly apparel, even the precious stones set in the walls, and the lamps—all the possessions of his palace. Everyone marvelled, for the poor spared nothing, not even the paving stones, the walls or the roof; they left not even the smallest brass coin.

Alexander however declared that he had now found treasure which could never be stolen. Henceforth he lived like the prophets, eating only green herbs, patiently fasting, and praying throughout the night. "He fed the hungry and clothed the naked; no wrong was done by him to any man."

Nevertheless, though he is thus portrayed as a Christian ascetic, we are told, incongruously, that he still waged war, though it is said "only on the wicked, the soothsayers and the idolators".

On the instructions of Enoch, as it is said, Alexander wrote "a book of wisdom", giving advice to posterity. Herein he recalls that Moses told Joshua the son of Nun to give daughters their share of the inheritance. He advises parents to instruct their children in the Law, to teach them to read the Scriptures and to work with their hands. "Let women teachers instruct the virgins and men teachers the young men, and when the time of their full age hath arrived let them examine them according to the law." The need of educating women was therefore not ignored by the author of the Romance.

Alexander urges kings and governors to remember they are beings who will pass away and in the day of their death their riches will be vain. He warns them not to pervert justice, nor to persecute the poor, not to take the land of the orphans, or to refuse redress to the widow, but to give of their possessions to the needy and the stranger, in order that they may find wealth in "the storehouse of life, where there is no merchandise and no market." To kings he said: "To take vengeance is an accursed thing in a king, but to be long suffering and refrain from evil is blessed. Say not, O King, 'Who shall rebuke me? Who shall set himself in opposition to me? I am over and above all,' for when thou sayest these things an evil spirit draweth nigh unto thee."

At length God appeared to Alexander, and told him he had ended his fight. "And now come rest thyself in the habitation of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David and Solomon", for though he was "not of their race", he was "their kinsman" by his works of righteousness.»
[Ethiopia: A Cultural History; The Christian Romance of Alexander the Great]

'Alayhi al-salat wal-salam.

[Perseveranze]

Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim.

Here is clear proof and pure truth that Alexander the Great (peace and blessings be upon him) is Hanif and Muslim:

«The only historical event connecting Alexander the Great with the Jews is his visit to Jerusalem, which is recorded by Josephus in a somewhat fantastic manner. According to "Ant." xi. 8, §§ 4-6, Alexander went to Jerusalem after having taken Gaza. Jaddua, the high priest, had a warning from God received in a dream, in which he saw himself vested in a purple robe, with his miter—that had the golden plate on which the name of God was engraved—on his head. Accordingly he went to meet Alexander at Sapha ("View" [of the Temple]). Followed by the priests, all clothed in fine linen, and by a multitude of citizens, Jaddua awaited the coming of the king. When Alexander saw the high priest, he reverenced God (Lev. R. xiii., end), and saluted Jaddua; while the Jews with one voice greeted Alexander. When Parmenio, the general, gave expression to the army's surprise at Alexander's extraordinary act—that one who ought to be adored by all as king should adore the high priest of the Jews—Alexander replied: "I did not adore him, but the God who hath honored him with this high-priesthood; for I saw this very person in a dream, in this very habit, when I was at Dios in Macedonia, who, when I was considering with myself how I might obtain dominion of Asia, exhorted me to make no delay, but boldly to pass over the sea, promising that he would conduct my army, and would give me the dominion over the Persians." Alexander then gave the high priest his right hand, and went into the Temple and "offered sacrifice to God according to the high priest's direction," treating the whole priesthood magnificently.»
[1906 Jewish Encyclopedia]

«It is told in the Christian Romance that Alexander, realizing he had been denied the Water of Life, appealed to God for a sign by which he would know when his death was near and might console his mother. The Holy Spirit replied that Alexander must anticipate death when the heavens above him appeared as brass and the stars as gold and silver. Anticipating his end, he now threw open his treasure-house, and called the poor and needy to take from it the gold and silver and costly apparel, even the precious stones set in the walls, and the lamps—all the possessions of his palace. Everyone marvelled, for the poor spared nothing, not even the paving stones, the walls or the roof; they left not even the smallest brass coin.

Alexander however declared that he had now found treasure which could never be stolen. Henceforth he lived like the prophets, eating only green herbs, patiently fasting, and praying throughout the night. "He fed the hungry and clothed the naked; no wrong was done by him to any man."

Nevertheless, though he is thus portrayed as a Christian ascetic, we are told, incongruously, that he still waged war, though it is said "only on the wicked, the soothsayers and the idolators".

On the instructions of Enoch, as it is said, Alexander wrote "a book of wisdom", giving advice to posterity. Herein he recalls that Moses told Joshua the son of Nun to give daughters their share of the inheritance. He advises parents to instruct their children in the Law, to teach them to read the Scriptures and to work with their hands. "Let women teachers instruct the virgins and men teachers the young men, and when the time of their full age hath arrived let them examine them according to the law." The need of educating women was therefore not ignored by the author of the Romance.

Alexander urges kings and governors to remember they are beings who will pass away and in the day of their death their riches will be vain. He warns them not to pervert justice, nor to persecute the poor, not to take the land of the orphans, or to refuse redress to the widow, but to give of their possessions to the needy and the stranger, in order that they may find wealth in "the storehouse of life, where there is no merchandise and no market." To kings he said: "To take vengeance is an accursed thing in a king, but to be long suffering and refrain from evil is blessed. Say not, O King, 'Who shall rebuke me? Who shall set himself in opposition to me? I am over and above all,' for when thou sayest these things an evil spirit draweth nigh unto thee."

At length God appeared to Alexander, and told him he had ended his fight. "And now come rest thyself in the habitation of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David and Solomon", for though he was "not of their race", he was "their kinsman" by his works of righteousness.»
[Ethiopia: A Cultural History; The Christian Romance of Alexander the Great]

'Alayhi al-salat wal-salam.

السلام عليكم

Are you talking about Alexander the "Great" of Macedonia? If so, then this is not true. Dhul-Qarnayn was a believer, whilst Alexander of Macedonia was a disbeliever (pagan).

---

Ibn Katheer (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

“It was narrated that Qutaadah said: Alexander was Dhu’l-Qarnayn and his father was the first of the Caesars, and he was one of the descendants of Saam ibn Nooh (Shem the son of Noah). As for Dhu’l-Qarnayn, he was Alexander son of Philip… ibn Roomi ibn al-Asfar ibn Yaqaz ibn al-‘Ees ibn Ishaaq ibn Ibraaheem al-Khaleel. This is the genealogy of him given by al-Haafiz ibn ‘Asaakir in his Taareekh. (He is known as) the Macedonian, the Greek, the Egyptian, builder of Alexandria, on the events of whose life the Greeks based their calendar. He came much later than the first Alexander. This was approximately three hundred years before the Messiah. The philosopher Aristotle was his minister and he is the one who killed Daar ibn Daar (Darius) and humiliated the kings of Persia and invaded their land.

We have drawn attention to him because many people think that they are one and the same and that the one who is mentioned in the Qur’aan is the one whose minister was Aristotle, which has resulted in a lot of mistakes and far-reaching corruption. The former was a righteous believing slave and a just king, and the latter was a mushrik and his minister was a philosopher. There were more than two thousand years between the two, so what comparison can there be between them? They are not alike at all and they have nothing in common, except in the mind of a fool who does not know anything.”

- [al-Badaayah wa’l-Nahaayah (1/493)]

---

[greenhill]

Ibn Katheer (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

“It was narrated that Qutaadah said: Alexander was Dhu’l-Qarnayn and his father was the first of the Caesars, and he was one of the descendants of Saam ibn Nooh (Shem the son of Noah). As for Dhu’l-Qarnayn, he was Alexander son of Philip… ibn Roomi ibn al-Asfar ibn Yaqaz ibn al-‘Ees ibn Ishaaq ibn Ibraaheem al-Khaleel. This is the genealogy of him given by al-Haafiz ibn ‘Asaakir in his Taareekh. (He is known as) the Macedonian, the Greek, the Egyptian, builder of Alexandria, on the events of whose life the Greeks based their calendar. He came much later than the first Alexander. This was approximately three hundred years before the Messiah. The philosopher Aristotle was his minister and he is the one who killed Daar ibn Daar (Darius) and humiliated the kings of Persia and invaded their land.

We have drawn attention to him because many people think that they are one and the same and that the one who is mentioned in the Qur’aan is the one whose minister was Aristotle, which has resulted in a lot of mistakes and far-reaching corruption. The former was a righteous believing slave and a just king, and the latter was a mushrik and his minister was a philosopher. There were more than two thousand years between the two, so what comparison can there be between them? They are not alike at all and they have nothing in common, except in the mind of a fool who does not know anything.”

- [al-Badaayah wa’l-Nahaayah (1/493)]

This is something I have been wanting to get to the bottom off for sometime, (quite a long time, actually) since the two does not fit as one of the same no matter how you tried to do it. And in just a few short lines, the two have been positively differentiated and given a time span of how far they were separated as well. I can subscribe to this. It makes more sense.