They ask thee concerning Zul-qarnain. Say, "I will rehearse to you something of his story." 83 Verily We! We established him in the earth, and vouchsafed unto him of everything a way. 84 So he followed a way. 85 Till he reached the point of the setting sun, and saw it set behind a muddy lake, and near it found a people. We said: "O Dhu'l-Qarnain, you may either punish them or treat them with kindness." 86 He replied: 'The evildoer we shall punish. Then he shall return to his Lord and He will punish him with a stern punishment. 87 And as for him who believeth and worketh righteously, unto him shall be a goodly hire, and anon we shall speak unto him of our affair something easy. 88 Then he followed (another) course. 89 until he came to the rising-place of the sun, where he found it rising on a people for whom We had provided no shelter from it. 90 Thus it was. And surely We have encompassed all that was with him in knowledge 91 He again pursued a purpose. 92 Until when he arrived between the two mountains, he found beside them a people who well-nigh understood not a word. 93 They said: "O Zul-qarnain! the Gog and Magog (People) do great mischief on earth: shall we then render thee tribute in order that thou mightest erect a barrier between us and them? 94 He replied: 'That which my Lord has given me is better, therefore help me with all your power, and I will build a barrier between you and between 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 were they made powerless to scale it or to dig through 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 against others, and the Trumpet will be blown. Then We shall gather them together in one gathering. 99 On that Day We shall lay Hell bare before those who deny the truth, 100 whose eyes were covered against My remembrance, and they were not able to hear. 101