Alexander the Great (Dhul-Qarnayn) and the Iron Wall: A Reflection of Post-Biblical Folklore
📖 Qur’anic Claim:
In Surah Al-Kahf (18:83–98), the Qur’an introduces a powerful ruler known as Dhul-Qarnayn, who is described as having traveled to the farthest reaches of the earth, where he encountered the destructive peoples of Gog and Magog. According to the Qur’an, Dhul-Qarnayn constructed a massive iron wall to trap these wild peoples:
“They said: ‘O Dhul-Qarnayn, indeed Gog and Magog are causing corruption in the land. So may we pay you tribute on the condition that you make between us and them a barrier?’ He said: ‘What my Lord has established for me is better [than your tribute].’” (Qur'an 18:94)
The wall built by Dhul-Qarnayn is often interpreted as a symbol of protection and control, trapping the chaotic forces of Gog and Magog behind it until the end times. The Qur'an’s portrayal of this event closely mirrors later Syriac legends involving Alexander the Great, especially in the context of building barriers against invading forces.
🏛️ Historical Problem:
The major historical issue here is the anachronistic nature of the story, as it is more closely aligned with Syriac legends from the 6th century CE than any known ancient historical events. Here are the key points of concern:
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Dhul-Qarnayn's Identity: The Qur'an does not name Dhul-Qarnayn explicitly as Alexander the Great, but the description strongly evokes Alexander's conquests. Alexander, who lived in the 4th century BCE, is sometimes connected to the Qur'anic Dhul-Qarnayn due to his famous military campaigns that reached the eastern and westernmost parts of the known world.
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The Iron Wall and Gog and Magog: The specific detail of Dhul-Qarnayn constructing an iron wall to imprison the destructive Gog and Magog echoes much more recent Syriac folklore involving Alexander, where a wall or barrier is said to have been built to contain these apocalyptic peoples. However, there is no record of Alexander the Great ever constructing such a wall in historical sources from his time.
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The Syriac Legends: The concept of a wall trapping Gog and Magog appears in later Syriac Christian traditions and is part of the Alexander Romance, a series of legends written centuries after Alexander’s death. These legends, dating back to the 6th century CE, describe Alexander building a wall to protect civilization from the wild and chaotic peoples of the north. These tales were popular in the Byzantine Empire and the Syriac-speaking world during the time the Qur'an was revealed (7th century CE).
🔍 Islamic Explanation:
Some Islamic scholars have suggested that the story of Dhul-Qarnayn is not meant to be a literal account of Alexander the Great, but rather a generalized narrative about a just and powerful ruler who protects his people from chaos. They argue that Dhul-Qarnayn is a generic name for any righteous conqueror rather than a direct historical figure.
However, the alignment between the Qur’anic narrative and the Syriac legends of Alexander is striking. The iron wall that traps Gog and Magog is almost identical to the descriptions found in the Alexander Romance. This suggests that the Qur'an may have drawn upon these later, non-biblical traditions that existed in the Byzantine world during the 6th and 7th centuries CE, rather than presenting an original or historically grounded account.
📚 Comparison with Biblical and Historical Accounts:
In the Bible, Gog and Magog are mentioned in Ezekiel 38–39, where they are prophesied as hostile forces to be defeated at the end of time. The Bible does not describe them as being trapped behind a wall, and there is no mention of Alexander the Great or any similar figure building such a barrier. The Qur'anic story seems to combine this biblical apocalyptic imagery with later Syriac Christian lore about Alexander, which places the wall of Gog and Magog into a historical and military context.
Thus, while biblical prophecies and Syriac legends about Gog and Magog exist, the specific details of Dhul-Qarnayn's wall are not supported by ancient historical records or biblical texts but reflect later folklore that was circulating in the 6th and 7th centuries CE.
🧩 The Likely Source:
The most plausible explanation is that the Qur’an adopted elements from the Syriac Alexander Romance. These legends were known in the Byzantine and Arab worlds by the 7th century and were often linked to Alexander the Great’s legendary status. The iron wall and Gog and Magog appear to be syncretic elements drawn from a mix of Jewish, Christian, and regional oral traditions that existed in the Arabian Peninsula during the time of the Qur’an’s composition.
The Qur'an does not provide historical or geographic details to ground the story of Dhul-Qarnayn in an historical reality—it instead aligns more closely with the mythological and legendary accounts that were circulating at the time. The Syriac legends surrounding Alexander were an established part of the culture in the Byzantine Empire and the wider Christian world, and it seems likely that the Qur’an incorporated this legend into its narrative.
⚖️ Theological Implications:
This anachronism raises several important theological issues:
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Divine Knowledge vs. Human Folklore: If the Qur’an is truly divine revelation, it should contain accurate, timeless knowledge that transcends human myths and legends. The reliance on a 6th-century Syriac legend suggests that the Qur’an is reflecting human traditions and folklore from its time rather than providing an eternal, infallible account of ancient history.
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Historical Accuracy: The Qur’an's narrative of Dhul-Qarnayn building an iron wall to trap Gog and Magog undermines its claims to historical accuracy. The text aligns more with later cultural stories than with the earliest known records of Alexander’s life or the biblical accounts of Gog and Magog. This further raises questions about the Qur’an's ability to accurately represent historical events.
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Incorporation of Contemporary Folklore: The Qur’an’s inclusion of these elements from Syriac folklore implies that it was influenced by the popular stories and myths circulating in the Byzantine world and Arabian Peninsula during the 7th century CE. This weakens the claim of the Qur’an being an independent and original revelation, as it draws heavily from existing cultural and religious narratives.
🔄 Conclusion: Post-Biblical Folklore vs. Divine Revelation
The story of Dhul-Qarnayn building an iron wall to trap Gog and Magog reflects a clear anachronism. The legend mirrors 6th-century Syriac folklore about Alexander the Great, rather than an accurate account of ancient events. This raises questions about the divine origins of the Qur'an, as it reflects post-biblical cultural folklore rather than divinely revealed history.
By incorporating such myths, the Qur'an seems to be more influenced by the cultural and historical context of its time rather than presenting a timeless, infallible account of ancient events. This is another example of how the Qur'an’s narratives can be explained through human traditions rather than being divinely inspired accounts of history.
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