Surah 18 · Juz 16

Al-Kahf · 18:86

حَتَّىٰ إِذَا بَلَغَ مَغْرِبَ الشَّمْسِ وَجَدَهَا تَغْرُبُ فِي عَيْنٍ حَمِئَةٍ وَوَجَدَ عِنْدَهَا قَوْمًا ۗ قُلْنَا يَا ذَا الْقَرْنَيْنِ إِمَّا أَنْ تُعَذِّبَ وَإِمَّا أَنْ تَتَّخِذَ فِيهِمْ حُسْنًا

(86) 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,[795] 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."
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[795]- Another meaning is "a body of hot water."

Tafsir

86. And he travelled on earth until he reached the end of the land towards the setting place of the sun, seeing it as though it was setting in a hot spring of black clay. And he found an unbelieving people by the setting place of the sun. So I said to him, to test him: “O Dhu’l-Qarnayn, you can either punish these people by killing them or through other means, or you can be good to them”.

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