HOW WAS THE IRON BARRIER CONSTRUCTED

      Zelgharnine proceeded on a third journey, and came between two mountains, where he found a people who could not understand the language of Zelgharnine and his hosts, except through interpretation. They were more developed than the other two kind of people that he had encountered before.

      The verses here imply that they were industrious a people, and to some extent skilled in the metal works. They could provide iron blocks or bricks, and have melted copper. They could make use of blowers, to increase the heat, and turn iron to red-hot or even melt it.

      They were a peaceful people too, and were willing to provide security and peace, by paying special taxes and tributes to their conquerors. They therefore made known to Zelgharnine that Gog and Magog made mischief in their land, and disturbed their security every now and then. They asked the king to close up the wide gap which was between the two mountains from where they were invaded by the wild tribes. They added that they were ready to pay special taxes, or tributes, for the construction of a barrier in the gap.

      Zelgharnine knew his power to have been given him through the Mercy and Grace of God; and that, his duty was to help and to protect his subjects without imposing heavy taxes and hard duties on them. He therefore considered their request, and said to them:ِ

      ``That in which my Lord has established me is better. Just give me a hand of power so as to build a protective barrier between you and between them.''

      He then managed to fill the gap between the two mountains with pieces of iron. By his order, fire was blown so that the iron pile turned red-hot and melted to a mixture, making out a firm wall; high enough not to be scaled. He then asked for melted copper, which was poured upon the red-hot barrier, to make it hard enough, not to be pierced through! It was finally finished to resist any attempt to climb it, or to dig it through.

      Zelgharnine did that great constructional work that his weak subjects needed, but claimed no credit for himself in doing that, as if he knew it to be his duty! He only tried to turn the attentions through the work, to God, who provided them with the necessary means and materials for their security and protection:ِ

      ``He said; This is a Mercy from my Lord. Then when the promise of my Lord comes to pass, He will level it with the ground.''

      In other word he said; what remains forever is God and God's Mercy; and even this iron barrier has a limited life, and when its hour comes, it will crumble to dust.

 

LESSONS TO BE LEARNED FROM THIS NARRATIVE

      The above mentioned three episodes of Zelgharnine's history, includes many useful lessons for us to learn, some of which are as follows:ِ

1- In this material world, no work can be done, and nothing can be made, without the use of necessary means, apparatus, and instruments.

2- the sun will not set in a dark muddy water, but a great personality may fall or set in a slimy swamp of sin and mistake. A piece of cloud may cover and conceal the glory of the sun, and in the same way, a sin, a slip, or even a mistake, may spoil reputation of a great man.

3- No ruler can rule well without punishing the evil doers, and rewarding the righteous subjects with utmost justice, and this is why Zelgharnine said:ِ

      ``As for he who has oppressed, I shall soon punish him....but as for he who believed and did righteous deeds, for him shall be good reward...''

4- Imposing heavy duties, and heavy taxes upon the subjects, will decrease the governor's popularity and lawfulness.

5- See that Zelgharnine listened and gave ear even to the people who knew not to speak, and could not express their feelings easily, and so should be a good and just ruler.

6- secyruty and safety is the first aid, and the most important necessity of life, which the ruler should give it the needed priority. Therefore, the ruler should construct the greatest barrier against the corruptors and evil doers of the land.

 

WHO WAS ZELGHARNINE?

      In Arabic language, ``GHARNINE'' literally means two horns, two mountain peaks, two epochs, two centuries, and also two RHINOCEROS. The prefix, ``ZEL'' will add ownership, and hence we may translate, ``Zelgharnine'', to the owner of two horns like a RAM.

      Sure enough Zelgharnine was a great king, but why was he called the owner of two horns? Some commentators believe that, the king has had two horns fixed in his crown, made of jewels and in the form of beautiful peacock's feather; or, perhaps in the form of the horns of a ram.

      As to the question that who was the king with such a crown, or having the marks given him by Qurän; some expounders have thought him to be Alexander the Great, but others have raised doubts about him, because, according to Qurän, Zelgharnine was a man of faith. He believed in God, as well as in Resurrection Day; while Alexander the great believed in idols, and Grecian gods.

      Many commentators, and in particular ABULKALÄM AZÄD, who was the minister of education in India; in his famous analytic book, gives clear evidences that, Zelgharnine of Qurän is the ancient king of Persian, known as Cyrus the Great.

      In the 19th century, in the excavations of MORGHÄB near the ESTAKHR of FARS, a statue of Cyrus the Great was discovered which was in the form of a Man, with two eagle wings, and a crown on his head, having two horns like that of a ram. Then a group of known excavators from Germany came to see and study the image, and made sure that what is written in the O.T. in the BOOK OF DANIEL, which will follow shortly, applies to Cyrus the Great, who had two born or something like that in his crown.

      In the old Testament, in DANِ8 we read thus:ِ

      1ِ``In the third year that BELSHAZZAR was king, I saw a second vision. In this vision I suddenly found myself in the walled city of SUSA in the province of ELAM. I was standing by the river ULAI, and there, beside the river I saw a ram that had two long horns, one of which was longer than the other. I watched the ram butting with his horns to the west, the north, and the south. No animal could stop him or escape his power. He did as he pleased and grew arrogant.

      5ِWhile I was wondering what this meant, a goat came rushing out of the West, moving so fast that his feet didn't touch the ground. He had one prominent horn between his eyes. He came towards the ram, which I had seen standing beside the river, and rushed at him with all his force. I watched him attack the ram. He was so angry that he smashed into him and broke the two horns. The ram had no strength to resist. He was thrown to the ground and trampled on, and there was no one who could save him.

      15ِI was trying to understand what the vision meant, when suddenly some one was standing in front of me. I heard a voice call out over the river ULAI, saying:ِ ``GABRIEL! Explain to him the meaning of what he saw. Gabriel came and stood beside me and I was so terrified that I fell to the ground.

      He said to me, ``Mortal man, understand the meaning:ِ''

      20-The ram you saw that had two horns represents the kingdom of Media and Persia. The goat represents the kingdom of Greece, and the prominent horn between his eyes is the first king.

      The verses of Qurän imply that Zelgharnine was a faithful believer, and very kind to all. He was very just in judgement and attracted God's special Mercy and Grace on himself. He was the friend of good doers, and the foe of evil and oppressor. He was not in love with wealth, and used his power for the good of people, and for the welfare of his subjects. He, sincerely believed in God, as well as in the Resurrection Day.

      He managed to construct the strongest of barriers without using mud and bricks, or stones, as was usual; and with the aim of providing security and safety for a group of weak people who wanted to leave in peace.

      HERODOTUS, the ancient Greek historian has written:ِ

      ``Cyrus the Great commanded his soldiers not to draw their sword, except against a warrior. He ordered that, any soldier who bent or cast down his spear

and sword should not be harmed. By such commandments Cyrus reduced much of the misfortunes and afflictions of the war. He was kind and generous and was not greedy. He was very wise and his main slogan was:ِ "SERVICE TO PEOPLE"''

 

WHO WERE THE GOG AND MAGOG?

      Gog and Magog are mentioned twice in the Holy Qurän. In the above verse (No.94) they have been introduced as a mischief maker people in the land, and also in S 21:96 we read:ِ

      ``Until the Gog and Magog are let through (THE BARRIER) and they shall break forth from every hill.''

      The two verses imply that they were a wild, lawless, cruel, and blood-thirsty people; who lived on plunder of other nations, and making trouble for neighbouring people.

      Almost all the commentators have agreed that they were the wild tribes of central ASIA, who made sudden and hostile incursion on settled kingdoms and empires, at various stages of the history. The Chinese Empire built the great wall of China to prevent the invasion and plunder of a group of them who were called the Mongols.

      The Persian Empire has also suffered from them at various time and place. The last of their raid was in the 12th century, leaded by GENGHIS KHAN in which they utterly destroyed many great cities like NISHÄBUR.

      We may conclude that the people of CAUCASIA were those who asked Cyrus in his journey, to build them a barrier to prevent the sudden attack of these wild and cruel people.