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."
إِنّا مَكَّنّا لَهُ فِي الأَرضِ وَآتَيناهُ مِن كُلِّ شَيءٍ سَبَبًا
Indeed We established him upon the earth, and We gave him to everything a way.
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
حَتّىٰ إِذا بَلَغَ مَطلِعَ الشَّمسِ وَجَدَها تَطلُعُ عَلىٰ قَومٍ لَم نَجعَل لَهُم مِن دونِها سِترًا
Until, when he came to the rising of the sun, he found it rising on a people for whom We had not made against it any shield.
كَذٰلِكَ وَقَد أَحَطنا بِما لَدَيهِ خُبرًا
Thus. And We had encompassed [all] that he had in knowledge.
ثُمَّ أَتبَعَ سَبَبًا
Then he followed a way
حَتّىٰ إِذا بَلَغَ بَينَ السَّدَّينِ وَجَدَ مِن دونِهِما قَومًا لا يَكادونَ يَفقَهونَ قَولًا
Until, when he reached [a pass] between two mountains, he found beside them a people who could hardly understand [his] speech.