حَتَّىٰٓ
إِذَا
بَلَغَ
مَغۡرِبَ
ٱلشَّمۡسِ
وَجَدَهَا
تَغۡرُبُ
فِي
عَيۡنٍ
حَمِئَةٖ
وَوَجَدَ
عِندَهَا
قَوۡمٗاۖ
قُلۡنَا
يَٰذَا
ٱلۡقَرۡنَيۡنِ
إِمَّآ
أَن
تُعَذِّبَ
وَإِمَّآ
أَن
تَتَّخِذَ
فِيهِمۡ
حُسۡنٗا
٨٦
until he reached the setting ˹point˺ of the sun, which appeared to him to be setting in a spring of murky water, where he found some people. We said, “O Ⱬul-Qarnain! Either punish them or treat them kindly.”
— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran
Until, when he reached the setting of the sun [i.e., the west], he found it [as if] setting in a body of dark water,1 and he found near it a people. We [i.e., Allāh] said, "O Dhul-Qarnayn, either you punish [them] or else adopt among them [a way of] goodness."
— Saheeh International
Read Tafsir
Ibn Kathir (Abridged)
His traveling and reaching the Place where the Sun sets (the West)
فَأَتْبَعَ سَبَباً
(So he followed a way.) Ibn `Abbas said that he followed different routes to achieve what he wanted.
فَأَتْبَعَ سَبَباً
(So he followed a way.) Mujahid said that he followed different routes, east and west. According
…His traveling and reaching the Place where the Sun sets (the West)
فَأَتْبَعَ سَبَباً
(So he followed a way.) Ibn `Abbas said that he followed differen
…