Page 51 - True Wisdom Described in the Qur'an

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Examples of Wisdom in the Qur'an

Then he followed a path until he arrived between the
Two Mountains where he found a people scarcely able
to understand a word. They said, "Dhu’l-Qarnayn!
Yajuj (Gog) and Majuj (Magog) are ravaging the land.
Can we, therefore, pay tribute to you in return for your
constructing a barrier between us and them?" He said,
"The power my Lord has granted me is better than any
tribute. Just give me a strong helping hand and I will
build a solid barrier between you and them." (Surat al-
Kahf: 91-95)
As is seen in the verse, Dhu’l-Qarnayn (as) responds to the re-
quests of the local people. Then, Dhu’l-Qarnayn (as) builds the
barrier in such a clever way, to protect the people from Yajuj and
Majuj, that it has never been climbed over or breached:
"Bring me ingots of iron!" he said. Then, when he had
made it level between the two high mountain-sides, he
said, "Ply your bellows!" and when the iron blocks be-
came red-hot, he said, "Bring me molten brass to pour
over them". Yajuj and Majuj, therefore, were unable to
climb over it, nor were they able to make a breach in it.
(Surat al-Kahf: 96-97)
Dhu’l-Qarnayn (as)’s success is without a doubt the result of
his superior wisdom. To be able to create a barrier that cannot be
climbed over, he chooses to use the strongest material in the
most effective way possible. First, he puts in position the masses
of iron and then applies heat to them until they become red-hot.
But, very strong as the barrier now is, he doesn’t leave it like this.
To make it foolproof, he pours molten brass over it. Thus, he
makes the barrier strong enough to be quite unscalable and also
impenetrable.