أَمَّا السَّفينَةُ فَكانَت لِمَساكينَ يَعمَلونَ فِي البَحرِ فَأَرَدتُ أَن أَعيبَها وَكانَ وَراءَهُم مَلِكٌ يَأخُذُ كُلَّ سَفينَةٍ غَصبًا

As for the ship, it belonged to poor people working at sea. So I intended to cause defect in it as there was after them a king who seized every [good] ship by force.

وَأَمَّا الغُلامُ فَكانَ أَبَواهُ مُؤمِنَينِ فَخَشينا أَن يُرهِقَهُما طُغيانًا وَكُفرًا

And as for the boy, his parents were believers, and we feared that he would overburden them by transgression and disbelief.

فَأَرَدنا أَن يُبدِلَهُما رَبُّهُما خَيرًا مِنهُ زَكاةً وَأَقرَبَ رُحمًا

So we intended that their Lord should substitute for them one better than him in purity and nearer to mercy.

وَأَمَّا الجِدارُ فَكانَ لِغُلامَينِ يَتيمَينِ فِي المَدينَةِ وَكانَ تَحتَهُ كَنزٌ لَهُما وَكانَ أَبوهُما صالِحًا فَأَرادَ رَبُّكَ أَن يَبلُغا أَشُدَّهُما وَيَستَخرِجا كَنزَهُما رَحمَةً مِن رَبِّكَ ۚ وَما فَعَلتُهُ عَن أَمري ۚ ذٰلِكَ تَأويلُ ما لَم تَسطِع عَلَيهِ صَبرًا

And as for the wall, it belonged to two orphan boys in the city, and there was beneath it a treasure for them, and their father had been righteous. So your Lord intended that they reach maturity and extract their treasure, as a mercy from your Lord. And I did it not of my own accord. That is the interpretation of that about which you could not have patience."

وَيَسأَلونَكَ عَن ذِي القَرنَينِ ۖ قُل سَأَتلو عَلَيكُم مِنهُ ذِكرًا

And they ask you, [O Muhammad], about Dhul-Qarnayn. Say, "I will recite to you about him a report."

فَأَتبَعَ سَبَبًا

So he followed a way

حَتّىٰ إِذا بَلَغَ مَغرِبَ الشَّمسِ وَجَدَها تَغرُبُ في عَينٍ حَمِئَةٍ وَوَجَدَ عِندَها قَومًا ۗ قُلنا يا ذَا القَرنَينِ إِمّا أَن تُعَذِّبَ وَإِمّا أَن تَتَّخِذَ فيهِم حُسنًا

Until, when he reached the setting of the sun, he found it [as if] setting in a spring of dark mud, and he found near it a people. Allah said, "O Dhul-Qarnayn, either you punish [them] or else adopt among them [a way of] goodness."

قالَ أَمّا مَن ظَلَمَ فَسَوفَ نُعَذِّبُهُ ثُمَّ يُرَدُّ إِلىٰ رَبِّهِ فَيُعَذِّبُهُ عَذابًا نُكرًا

He said, "As for one who wrongs, we will punish him. Then he will be returned to his Lord, and He will punish him with a terrible punishment.

وَأَمّا مَن آمَنَ وَعَمِلَ صالِحًا فَلَهُ جَزاءً الحُسنىٰ ۖ وَسَنَقولُ لَهُ مِن أَمرِنا يُسرًا

But as for one who believes and does righteousness, he will have a reward of Paradise, and we will speak to him from our command with ease."

ثُمَّ أَتبَعَ سَبَبًا

Then he followed a way