They ask thee concerning Zul-qarnain. Say, "I will rehearse to you something of his story." 83 We established him in the land and gave him means to all things. 84 Then he followed a way. 85 Until when he reached the place where the sun set, he found it going down into a black sea, and found by it a people. We said: O Zulqarnain! either give them a chastisement or do them a benefit. 86 He said: As for him who doeth wrong, we shall punish him, and then he will be brought back unto his Lord, Who will punish him with awful punishment! 87 But as for him who believeth and doeth right, good will be his reward, and We shall speak unto him a mild command. 88 Then he followed the road, 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 thus [We had made them, and thus he left them; and We did encompass with Our knowledge all that he had in mind 91 Then he set out on another expedition 92 until he came between two mountains. He found beside them a people who could scarcely understand a word [of his language]. 93 They said: "O Dhu al-Qarnayn, Gog and Magog are spreading corruption in this land. So shall we pay you taxes on the understanding that you will set up a barrier between us and them?" 94 He said, "What My Lord has given me is better [than any tribute]. Help me with a force of labourers and I will erect a barrier between you and them: 95 Bring me ingots of iron!" Then, after he had [piled up the iron and] filled the gap between the two mountain-sides, he said: "[Light a fire and] ply your bellows!" At length, when he had made it [glow like] fire, he commanded: "Bring me molten copper which I may pour upon it." 96 (Thus he constructed the barrier which) neither Gog nor Magog were able to climb nor were they able to dig a tunnel through the iron and brass barrier. 97 He said: 'This is a mercy from my Lord. But when my Lord's promise is come, He will make it dust. 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 We will bring forth hell, exposed to view, on that day before the unbelievers. 100 Those whose eyes had been within a cover [removed] from My remembrance, and they were not able to hear. 101