Tarikh (al-Tabari) 348
the accounts of past peoples from the Israelites and others
ذِكْرُ أَشْيَاءَ جَرَتْ لِذِي الْقَرْنَيْنِ فِي الْمَسِيرِ عن صَفْوَانُ بْنُ عَمْرِو بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْخُزَاعِيِّ: أَنَّ ذَا الْقَرْنَيْنِ أَتَى عَلَى أُمَّةٍ مِنَ الْأُمَمِ لَيْسَ فِي أَيْدِيهِمْ شَيْءٌ مِمَّا يَسْتَمْتِعُ بِهِ النَّاسُ مِنْ دُنْيَاهُمْ، وَقَدِ احْتَفَرُوا قُبُورًا، فَإِذَا أَصْبَحُوا تَعَهَّدُوا تِلْكَ الْقُبُورَ وَكَنَسُوهَا وَصَلَّوْا عِنْدَهَا، وَرَعَوُا الْبَقْلَ كَمَا تَرْعَى الْبَهَائِمُ، وَقَدْ قُيِّضَ لَهُمْ فِي ذَلِكَ مَعَاشٌ مِنْ نَبَاتِ الْأَرْضِ، فَأَرْسَلَ ذُو الْقَرْنَيْنِ إِلَى مَلِكِهِمْ، فَقَالَ الرَّسُولُ: أَجِبِ الْمَلِكَ، فَقَالَ: مَا لِي إِلَيْهِ حَاجَةٌ، فَأَقْبَلَ إِلَيْهِ ذُو الْقَرْنَيْنِ فَقَالَ: إِنِّي أَرْسَلْتُ إِلَيْكَ لِتَأْتِيَنِي، فَمَا أَتَيْتَ، فَهَا أَنَا ذَا قَدْ جِئْتُكَ، فَقَالَ: لَوْ كَانَتْ لِي إِلَيْكَ حَاجَةٌ لَأَتَيْتُكَ، فَقَالَ لَهُ ذُو الْقَرْنَيْنِ: مَا لِي أَرَاكُمْ عَلَى الْحَالِ الَّتِي رَأَيْتُ، لَمْ أَرَ أَحَدًا مِنَ الْأُمَمِ عَلَيْهَا. قَالُوا: وَمَا ذَاكَ؟ قَالَ: لَيْسَ لَكُمْ دُنْيَا وَلَا شَيْءٌ، أَفَلَا اتَّخَذْتُمُ الذَّهَبَ وَالْفِضَّةَ وَاسْتَمْتَعْتُمْ بِهَا، فَقَالَ: إِنَّمَا كَرِهْنَا؛ لِأَنَّ أَحَدًا لَمْ يُعْطَ مِنْهَا شَيْئًا إِلَّا تَاقَتْ نَفْسُهُ إِلَى أَفْضَلَ مِنْهُ، فَقَالَ: مَا بَالُكُمْ قَدِ احْتَفَرْتُمْ قُبُورًا فَإِذَا أَصْبَحْتُمْ تَعَهَّدْتُمُوهَا وَكَنَسْتُمُوهَا وَصَلَّيْتُمْ عِنْدَهَا، قَالُوا: أَرَدْنَا إِذَا نَظَرْنَا إِلَيْهَا وَأَلْهَتْنَا الدُّنْيَا مَنَعَتْ قُبُورُنَا مِنَ الْأَمَلِ، قَالَ: وَأَرَاكُمْ لَا طَعَامَ لَكُمْ إِلَّا الْبَقْلَ مِنَ الْأَرْضِ، أَفَلَا اتَّخَذْتُمُ الْبَهَائِمَ مِنَ الْأَنْعَامِ فَاحْتَلَبْتُمُوهَا وَذَبَحْتُمُوهَا وَاسْتَمْتَعْتُمْ بِهَا، فَقَالُوا: رَأَيْنَا أَنَّ فِي نَبَاتِ الْأَرْضِ بَلَاغًا، ثُمَّ بَسَطَ مَلِكُ تِلْكَ الْأَرْضِ يَدَهُ خَلْفَ ذِي الْقَرْنَيْنِ، فَتَنَاوَلَ جُمْجُمَةً، فَقَالَ: يَا ذَا الْقَرْنَيْنِ أَتَدْرِي مَنْ هَذَا؟ قَالَ: لَا، مَنْ هُوَ؟ قَالَ: مَلِكٌ مِنْ مُلُوكِ الْأَرْضِ أَعْطَاهُ اللَّهُ سُلْطَانًا عَلَى أَهْلِ الْأَرْضِ فَغَشَمَ وَظَلَمَ وَعَتَى، فَلَمَّا رَأَى [اللَّهُ] ذَلِكَ مِنْهُ حَسَمَهُ بِالْمَوْتِ فَصَارَ كَالْحَجَرِ الْمُلْقَى، قَدْ أَحْصَى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ عَمَلَهُ حَتَّى يُجَازِيَهُ بِهِ فِي آخِرَتِهِ. ثُمَّ تَنَاوَلَ جُمْجُمَةً أُخْرَى إِلَيْهِ، فَقَالَ: يَا ذَا الْقَرْنَيْنِ، هَلْ تَدْرِي مَنْ هَذَا؟ قَالَ: لَا، مَنْ هَذَا؟ قَالَ: مَلِكٌ مَلَّكَهُ اللَّهُ بَعْدَهُ قَدْ كَانَ يَرَى مَا يَصْنَعُ الَّذِي قَبْلَهُ بِالنَّاسِ مِنَ الظُّلْمِ وَالْغَشْمِ وَالتَّجَبُّرَ، فَتَوَاضَعَ وَخَشَعَ لِلَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَعَمِلَ بِالْعَدْلِ فِي أَهْلِ مَمْلَكَتِهِ، فَصَارَ كَمَا تَرَى، قَدْ أَحْصَى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ عَمَلَهُ حَتَّى يَجْزِيَهُ بِهِ فِي آخِرَتِهِ، ثُمَّ أَهْوَى إِلَى جُمْجُمَةِ ذِي الْقَرْنَيْنِ، [وَقَالَ: وَهَذِهِ الْجُمْجُمَةُ تَصِيرُ إِلَى مَا صَارَتْ إِلَيْهِ هَذِهِ الْجَمَاجِمُ، فَانْظُرْ يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ مَا أَنْتَ صَانِعٌ]، فَقَالَ لَهُ ذُو الْقَرْنَيْنِ: هَلْ لَكَ فِي صُحْبَتِي فَأَتَّخِذَكَ وَزِيرًا وَشَرِيكًا فِيمَا أَنَا فِيهِ مِنْ هَذَا الْمَالِ، فَقَالَ: مَا أَصْلُحُ أَنَا وَأَنْتَ فِي مَكَانٍ، قَالَ: وَلِمَ؟ قَالَ: مِنْ أَجْلِ أَنَّ النَّاسَ كُلَّهُمْ لَكَ عَدُوٌّ وَلِي صَدِيقٌ، قَالَ: وَلِمَ ذَلِكَ؟ قَالَ: يُعَادُونَكَ لِمَا فِي يَدِكَ مِنَ الْمُلْكِ وَلَا أَجِدُ أَحَدًا يُعَادِينِي لِرَفْضِي ذَلِكَ، فَانْصَرَفَ عَنْهُ ذُو الْقَرْنَيْنِ. وَذَكَرُوا أَنَّ ذَا الْقَرْنَيْنِ لَمَّا رَجَعَ عَنْ سُلُوكِ الظُّلْمَةِ قَصَدَ بِلَادَ خُرَاسَانَ، فَلَمَّا صَارَ إِلَى نَهْرِ بَلْخٍ هَالَهُ أَمْرُهُ، فَأَمَرَهُمْ بِشَقِّ الْخَشَبِ الْغِلَاظِ وَتَرْقِيقِهَا، ثُمَّ أَمَرَ الْحَدَّادِينَ فَضَرَبُوا الْمَسَامِيرَ، ثُمَّ أَمَرَ بِثَلَاثِمِائَةِ سَفِينَةٍ فَصُنِعَتْ، وَأَمَرَ بِحِبَالٍ مِنْ لِيفٍ وَبِحِبَالٍ مِنْ قَنَبٍ فَنُصِعَتْ غِلَاظًا طِوَالًا، فَأَمَرَ بِبِنَاءِ [جِسْرٍ] مِنْ جَانِبَيِ النَّهْرِ، وَشُدَّتْ تِلْكَ الْحِبَالُ مِنْهُمَا مَمْدُودًا عَلَى الْمَاءِ عَرْضًا، وَجُعِلَتِ السُّفُنُ جِسْرًا بَيْنَ الْحِبَالِ فِي صُدُورِ السُّفُنِ وَفِي أَعْجَازِهَا لِتُمْسِكَهَا، ثُمَّ أَمَرَ بِالْخَشَبِ فَقُطِعَ بِمِقْدَارِ عَرْضِ السُّفُنِ، وَقُصِدَتْ سَقْفًا، وَهِيلَ عَلَيْهِ التُّرَابُ، وَلُبَّ بِالْمَاءِ حَتَّى اطْمَأَنَّ وَنَشَفَ، فَلَمَّا أَمْكَنَ الْعُبُورُ عَلَيْهِ عَبَرَهُ بِجُيُوشِهِ سَائِرًا إِلَى قُومِسَ، فَاشْتَكَى فَأَخَذَهُ الرُّعَافُ حَتَّى مَاتَ فِي طَرِيقِهِ، وَقَدْ كَانَ حِينَ بَلَغَ الصِّينَ أَمَرَ بِمُدُنٍ كَثِيرَةٍ فَبُنِيَتْ هُنَالِكَ، فَمِنْهَا: الدُّبْوَاسِيَةُ، وَحَمْدَانُ، وَشَيْرَكُ، وَبُرْجُ الْحِجَارَةِ، وَكَذَلِكَ أَمَرَ حِينَ بَلَغَ الْهِنْدَ فَبَنَى هُنَالِكَ مَدِينَةَ سَرَنْدِيبَ، وَلَهُ غَيْرُ هَذِهِ الْأَبْنِيَةِ فِي النَّوَاحِي الَّتِي طَافَهَا. وعن سَهْلُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ بُرَيْدَةَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ جَدِّهِ بُرَيْدَةَ، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ: "سَيَكُونُ بَعْدِي بُعُوثٌ كَثِيرَةٌ فَكُونُوا فِي بَعْثِ خُرَاسَانَ، ثُمَّ انْزِلُوا مَدِينَةَ مَرْوَ؛ فَإِنَّهُ بَنَاهَا ذُو الْقَرْنَيْنِ، وَدَعَا لَهَا بِالْبَرَكَةِ، وَلَا يُضَرُّ أَهْلُهَا بِسُوءٍ".
Translation
✧ Mention of things that happened to Dhū al-Qarnayn during his journeys From Ṣafwān b. ʿAmr b. ʿAbd al-Raḥmān b. ʿAbd Allāh al-Khuzāʿī: Dhū al-Qarnayn came upon a community among the nations who had in their hands nothing of what people enjoy of their worldly goods. They had dug graves, and when morning came they tended to those graves, swept them, and prayed at them. They grazed on wild herbs just as beasts graze, and they had been provided thereby a livelihood from the plants of the earth. Dhū al-Qarnayn sent for their king. The messenger said, "Answer the king." He said, "I have no need of him." So Dhū al-Qarnayn came to him and said, "I sent for you to come to me, but you did not come. Here I am now, having come to you." He said, "Had I had any need of you, I would have come to you." Dhū al-Qarnayn said to him, "Why do I see you in the state in which I saw you? I have not seen any of the nations upon it." They said, "And what is that?" He said, "You have no worldly goods and nothing. Would you not have taken gold and silver and enjoyed them?" He said, "We have only disliked them because no one is given anything of them but that his soul yearns for something better than it." He said, "What is the matter with you, that you have dug graves and when morning comes you tend to them, sweep them, and pray at them?" They said, "We intended that when we look at them and the world distracts us, our graves hold us back from hope." He said, "I see you have no food but wild herbs from the earth. Would you not have taken beasts from among the livestock and milked them and slaughtered them and enjoyed them?" They said, "We saw that in the plants of the earth there is sufficiency." Then the king of that land stretched out his hand behind Dhū al-Qarnayn and took hold of a skull and said, "O Dhū al-Qarnayn, do you know who this is?" He said, "No. Who is it?" He said, "A king among the kings of the earth. God gave him authority over the people of the earth, and he acted oppressively and wrongfully and tyrannically. When Allah saw that from him, He cut him off by death, and he became like a stone thrown away. Allah has counted his deeds against him so that He may recompense him for them in the Hereafter." Then he took hold of another skull and said, "O Dhū al-Qarnayn, do you know who this is?" He said, "No. Who is this?" He said, "A king whom Allah made king after him. He used to see what the one before him did to the people of oppression, wrongdoing, and tyranny, so he humbled himself and submitted to Allah, Mighty and Majestic, and acted justly among the people of his kingdom. So he became as you see. Allah has counted his deeds against him so that He may reward him for them in the Hereafter." Then he reached toward the skull of Dhū al-Qarnayn and said, "And this skull will become as these skulls have become. Consider, O servant of Allah, what you are doing." Dhū al-Qarnayn said to him, "Would you like to accompany me, that I may take you as a minister and partner in this wealth that I possess?" He said, "It is not fitting that I and you be in one place." He said, "Why?" He said, "Because all the people are enemies to you and friends to me." He said, "And why is that?" He said, "They are hostile to you because of the dominion you possess, and I find no one who is hostile to me because of my renouncing that." So Dhū al-Qarnayn departed from him. They have mentioned that when Dhū al-Qarnayn turned back from traversing the darkness, he headed for the lands of Khurāsān. When he reached the river of Balkh, its vastness alarmed him, so he ordered them to split thick timber and make it thin. Then he ordered the blacksmiths, and they forged nails. Then he ordered three hundred ships and they were built. He ordered ropes of palm fiber and ropes of hemp, and they were made thick and long. He ordered the building of a bridge from the two banks of the river, and those ropes were tied from them, stretched over the water across. The ships were made as a bridge between the ropes, at the prows of the ships and at their sterns, to hold them. Then he ordered the timber cut to the measure of the width of the ships and made into a deck, and earth was heaped upon it and soaked with water until it settled and dried. When crossing was possible upon it, he crossed with his armies, going on to Qūmis. He fell ill, and nosebleed took hold of him until he died on his way. When he reached China, he had ordered many cities to be built there, among them: al-Dubwāsiyya, Ḥamdān, Shayrak, and Burj al-Ḥijāra. Likewise, when he reached India, he ordered a city built there, Sarandīb. He has other buildings besides these in the regions he traversed. From Sahl b. ʿAbd Allāh b. Burayda, from his father, from his grandfather Burayda, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: "There will be after me many expeditions. Be in the expedition to Khurāsān, then settle in the city of Marw, for Dhū al-Qarnayn built it and prayed for blessing upon it, and its people will not be harmed by evil."
Grades by grader
No grade is recorded for this wording.