Al-Kahf (The Cave)

95. “He said: ‘(the power) in which my Lord has established me is better (than your tribute), so help me with strength (of men). I will make a barrier between you and between them’.”

96. “‘Bring me pieces of iron’. Until, when he had leveled up (the gap) between the two cliffs, he said: ‘Blow!’ Until, when he had made it (as) fire, he said: ‘Bring me molten copper to pour thereon’.”

97. “So they (Gog and Magog) were not able to scale it nor could they make a hole in it.”

The Arabic word /radm/ is used for ‘closing a gap’; the term /sadaf/ means: ‘side, edge’; the molten copper in Arabic is called /qitr/; and the Qur’anic term /zubur/ means: ‘some large pieces of iron’.

Imam Sadiq (as) in a tradition said:

“Precautionary dissimulation can be a barrier between you and your opponents which is not climbable, or penetrable.”1

But, in answer to them, Zul-Qarnayn said such like:

“He said: ‘(the power) in which my Lord has established me is better (than your tribute), so help me with strength (of men). I will make a barrier between you and between them’.”

Then, Zul-Qarnayn ordered them as follows:

“‘Bring me pieces of iron’...”

When the pieces of iron were made ready, he issued the order of arranging them over each other.

The verse continues saying:

“…Until, when he had leveled up (the gap) between the two cliffs…”

The third order Zul-Qarnayn issued was that they should bring some material from wood and the like of it to be burnt, and put them in both sides of the barrier, and by means of what they had with them, they would blow in the fire, so that the pieces of iron became red and rather melted.

The verse, concerning Zul-Qarnayn’s order, says:

“…he said: ‘Blow!’ Until, when he had made it (as) fire…”

By that way, in fact, Zul-Qarnayn wanted to join the pieces of iron into each other in order to make a solid barrier. By that amazing design, he did the same thing that is practically done today by welding.

Finally, he issued the last order as follows:

“…he said: ‘Bring me molten copper to pour thereon’.”

Thus, he overlaid that iron collection, the barrier, with a cover of copper in order to protect it from penetration of weather and decay. He made such a barrier, at last, that the Gog and Magog could not climb and they were not able to make a hole in it either.

The verse says:

“So they (Gog and Magog) were not able to scale it nor could they make a hole in it.”