They ask thee concerning Zul-qarnain. Say, "I will rehearse to you something of his story." 83 Verily We established his power on earth, and We gave him the ways and the means to all ends. 84 He set out (westwards) on an expedition, 85 to the West where he found the sun setting into a warm source (spring) of water and a people living near by. We asked him, "Dhu 'l-Qarnayn, you may punish them or treat them with kindness?" 86 He said, "We shall certainly punish him who does wrong; then he shall be brought back to his Lord who will punish him with a grievous punishment, 87 "But whoever believes, and works righteousness,- he shall have a goodly reward, and easy will be his task as We order it by our Command." 88 Then he followed a way 89 until he reached the rising of the sun, he found it rising upon a nation for whom We provided no veil against it to shade them. 90 Even so! and We had a full knowledge of what he had. 91 Then he followed still another path, 92 Until, when he reached (a tract) between two mountains, he found, beneath them, a people who scarcely understood a word. 93 They said, 'O Dhool Karnain, behold, Gog and Magog are doing corruption in the earth; so shall we assign to thee a tribute, against thy setting up a barrier between us and between them?' 94 He said: "(The power) in which my Lord has established me is better (than tribute): Help me therefore with strength (and labour): I will erect a strong barrier between you and them: 95 "Bring me blocks of iron." At length, when he had filled up the space between the two steep mountain-sides, He said, "Blow (with your bellows)" Then, when he had made it (red) as fire, he said: "Bring me, that I may pour over it, molten lead." 96 So they were not able to scale it nor could they make a hole in it. 97 "This is the benevolence of my Lord," he said; "but when the promise of my Lord comes to pass, He will reduce it to a mound of dust; and the promise of my Lord is true." 98 ۞ And on that Day We shall let some of them surge like waves against others, and the Trumpet shall be blown. Then We shall gather them all together. 99 And on that Day We shall place hell, for all to see, before those who denied the truth 100 Unto those whose eyes had been under a covering from My remembrance, nor had they been able to hear. 101