Tafseer of The Cave · Al-Kahf · 18:95
He said, "That in which my Lord has established me is better [than what you offer], but assist me with strength; I will make between you and them a dam.
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The discussion of the explanation of the word of Allah the Exalted: قَالَ مَا مَكَّنِّي فِيهِ رَبِّي خَيْرٌ فَأَعِينُونِي بِقُوَّةٍ أَجْعَلْ بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَهُمْ رَدْمًا (He said: That wherein my Lord has established me is better; so help me with strength, and I shall make between you and them a strong barrier) (verse 95)
Allah the Exalted said: Dhū al-Qarnayn said: What my Lord enables me to do — namely the building of the barrier that you have asked me for between you and this people — and what He has made easy for me of that and granted me strength for it, is better and more abundant and more pleasing than the recompense that you offer me for that building. But help me with strength: help me with skilled men and craftsmen who can build and work well.
As al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, on the authority of Mujāhid: قَالَ مَا مَكَّنِّي فِيهِ رَبِّي خَيْرٌ فَأَعِينُونِي بِقُوَّةٍ — he said: "with men." أَجْعَلْ بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَهُمْ رَدْمًا He said: "mā makkannī" with assimilation of the one nūn into the other; it is originally: "mā makkanī fīhi" (what enabled me therein). His word: أَجْعَلْ بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَهُمْ رَدْمًا — he says: I shall make between you and Yājūj and Mājūj a strong barrier. The radm (ردم) is a separating wall and barrier, but it is stronger and more robust. One says: "So-and-so applied radm to such-and-such place, yardimuhū, radman wa-rudāman." One also says: "he applied radm to his garment" — and that is a garment upon which many patches have been placed. Hence the word of ʿAntara:
"Have the poets left a single place to be repaired (mutataraddim)? Or did you recognize the abode after hesitation?"
In accordance with what we have said about this, the exegetes spoke.
Mention of who said that:
Muḥammad ibn Saʿd related to us, saying: my father related to me, saying: my uncle related to me, saying: my father related to me, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās concerning His word أَجْعَلْ بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَهُمْ رَدْمًا — he said: "That is like the strongest of separations."
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, who said: "It was mentioned to us that a man said: 'O Prophet of Allah, I have seen the barrier of Yājūj and Mājūj.' He said: 'Describe it for me.' He said: 'It is like an embroidered, striped mantle — a black stripe and a red stripe.' The Prophet ﷺ said: 'You have seen it.'"