Dhul-Qarnayn (in Arabic ذو القرنين) is a figure who was well-known in the lore of the early medieval dwellers of the Arabian Peninsula, and is mentioned in the Qur'an, the sacred scripture of Islam. Dhul-Qarnayn is regarded by some Muslims as a prophet. The Qur'an indicates that the people, during Muhammad's time, already knew tales of a person of great power by the name of Dhul-Qarnayn. The Arabic language (; , less formally, ) is the largest member of the Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family (classification: South Central Semitic) and is closely related to Hebrew and Aramaic. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times. ... The Arabian Peninsula The Arabian Peninsula is a mainly desert peninsula in Southwest Asia at the junction of Africa and Asia and an important part of the greater Middle East. ... The Quran (Arabic: al-qurān, literally the recitation; also called Al Qurān Al KarÄ«m or The Noble Quran; or transliterated Quran, Koran, and less commonly Alcoran) is the holy book of Islam. ... Islām is described as a dÄ«n, meaning way of life and/or guidance. Six articles of belief There are six basic beliefs shared by all Muslims: 1. ... Muhammad is a common Muslim male name. ...

Many Muslims scholars of Islam identified the character of Dhul-Qarnayn with the ancient Greek conqueror Alexander the Great. Even some modern Muslim scholars make the same identification. It is not clear exactly why. Orientalist scholars, studying ancient Christian legends about Alexander the Great, independently came to the conclusion that Dhul-Qarnayn is an ancient epithet for Alexander the Great. As a result, the identity of Dhul-Qarnayn has become a matter of great controversy in modern times. Ancient Greek refers to the stage in the history of the Greek language corresponding to Classical Antiquity, which normally applies on two ancient periods of Greek history: Archaic and Classic Greece. ... A cartoon portraying the British Empire as an octopus, reaching into foreign lands A cartoon showing the U.S. growing up and growing girth. ... Alexander the Great fighting the Persian king Darius (Pompeii mosaic, from a 3rd century BC original Greek painting, now lost). ... Orientalism is the study of Near and Far Eastern societies and cultures, by Westerners. ... Beliefs Though enormous diversity exists in the beliefs of those who self-identify as Christian, it is possible to venture general statements which describe the beliefs of a large majority . ... Alexander the Great fighting the Persian king Darius (Pompeii mosaic, from a 3rd century BC original Greek painting, now lost). ... An epithet (Greek and Latin epitheton; literally meaning imposed) is a descriptive word or phrase. ... Alexander the Great fighting the Persian king Darius (Pompeii mosaic, from a 3rd century BC original Greek painting, now lost). ...

Dhul-Qarnayn in the Qur'an

Main article: Dhul-Qarnayn

Very little is written about Dhul-Qarnayn in the original sources of Islam, but he features prominently in the Qur'an, the sacred scripture believed by Muslims to have been revealed by God to Muhammad. He is commonly regarded as one amongst the prophets of Islam, but does not feature nearly as prominently in the Qur'an as prophets such as Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and other major Biblical characters. For this reason, there is uncertainty in Islam as to whether he is a prophet of Islam or only a person of power who was favored by God. The story of Dhul-Qarnayn appears in sixteen verses of the Qur'an, specifically verses 18:83-98. Consult the Dhul-Qarnayn page for more details. This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... The Quran (Arabic: al-qurān, literally the recitation; also called Al Qurān Al KarÄ«m or The Noble Quran; or transliterated Quran, Koran, and less commonly Alcoran) is the holy book of Islam. ... The word Allāh is the Arabic term for God. It is most commonly used in Islam and refers to the eternal monotheist Deity. ... Muhammad is a common Muslim male name. ... The Quran identifies a number of men as prophets of Islam. ... Abraham (אַבְרָהָם Father/Leader of many, Standard Hebrew Avraham, Latin Abrahamus, Tiberian Hebrew ʾAḇrāhām; Arabic ابراهيم IbrāhÄ«m) is the patriarch of Judaism, recognized by Christianity, and a very important prophet in Islam. ... Moses or Móshe (מֹשֶׁה, Standard Hebrew Móše, Latin Moyses, Tiberian Hebrew Mōšeh, Arabic موسى Musa), son of Amram (Imran in Arabic) and his wife, Jochebed, a Levite. ... Jesus, also known as Jesus of Nazareth, is the central figure of Christianity, in which context he is known as Jesus Christ (from the Greek Ιησούς Χριστός ; transliteration: Iesous Christos). He is also considered an important prophet in Islam. ... The Bible (From Greek βιβλια—biblia, meaning books, which in turn is derived from βυβλος—byblos meaning papyrus, from the ancient Phoenician city of Byblos which exported papyrus) is the sacred scripture of Christianity. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

Dhul-Qarnayn in early Islamic literature

12th century map by the Muslim scholar Al-Idrisi. Al-Idrisi was born in Al-Andalus (Muslim Spain) and spent his life in the service of the Norman King, Roger II of Sicily. Towards the edge of the world map, the words "Gog and Magog" can be seen written in Arabic script. This is a reference to the story of Dhul-Qarnayn in the Qur'an. [1]

The earliest mention of Dhul-Qarnayn, outside the Qur'an, is found in the works of the earliest Muslim historian and hagiographer, Ibn Ishaq, which form the main corpus of the Sira literature. Ibn Ishaq's Sira reports that the eighteenth chapter of the Qur'an (which includes the story of Dhul-Qarnayn) was revealed to Muhammad by God on account of some questions posed by the Jewish Rabbis residing in the city of Medina - the verse was revealed during the Meccan period of Muhammad's life. According to Ibn Ishaq, Muhammad's tribe, the powerfull Quraysh, were greatly concerned about their tribesman who had started claiming prophethood and wished to consult Jewish Rabbis about the matter. The Quraysh sent two men to the Jewish Rabbis of Medina, reasoning that the Rabbis had superior knowledge of the scriptures and about the prophets of God. The two Quraysh men described their tribesman, Muhammad, to the Rabbis. The Rabbis told the men to ask Muhammad three questions: Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... (11th century - 12th century - 13th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 12th century was that century which lasted from 1101 to 1200. ... Al-Idrisis world map from 1154. ... Al-Idrisis world map from 1154. ... Al-Andalus is the Arabic name given the Iberian Peninsula by its Muslim conquerors; it refers to both the Caliphate proper and the general period of Muslim rule (711–1492). ... Norman may refer to: the Normans, the Norman people. ... Roger II (1093-1154), son and successor of Roger I, began his rule in 1112. ... Sicilian disambiguates here; see also Sicilian language or Sicilian Defence. ... The tradition of Gog and Magog begins with cryptic Biblical references regarding apocalyptic prophecy in the Book of Ezekiel and the Book of Revelation. ... The Arabic language (; , less formally, ) is the largest member of the Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family (classification: South Central Semitic) and is closely related to Hebrew and Aramaic. ... The Quran (Arabic: al-qurān, literally the recitation; also called Al Qurān Al KarÄ«m or The Noble Quran; or transliterated Quran, Koran, and less commonly Alcoran) is the holy book of Islam. ... A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم) (sometimes also pronounced Moslem) is an adherent of Islam. ... Hagiography is the study of saints. ... Ibn Ishaq (or ibn Ishaq), (d. ... This article is not about the group of British engineering companies called Sira; see Sira (group of British companies). ... Muhammad is a common Muslim male name. ... The word Allāh is the Arabic term for God. It is most commonly used in Islam and refers to the eternal monotheist Deity. ... This article is about the city of Medina in Saudi Arabia. ... Quraish (sura) is also the name of a Surah in the Quran. ... Judaism is the religion of the Jewish people. ...

"They (the rabbis) said, `Ask him about three things which we will tell you to ask, and if he answers them then he is a Prophet who has been sent (by Allah); if he does not, then he is saying things that are not true, in which case how you will deal with him will be up to you. Ask him about some young men in ancient times, what was their story For theirs is a strange and wondrous tale. Ask him about a man who travelled a great deal and reached the east and the west of the earth. What was his story And ask him about the Ruh (soul or spirit) -- what is it If he tells you about these things, then he is a Prophet, so follow him, but if he does not tell you, then he is a man who is making things up, so deal with him as you see fit.'" [3]

The famous story, in the Sira, goes that when Muhammad was informed of the three questions from the Rabbis, he declared that he would have the answers in the morning. However, Muhammad did not give the answer in the morning. For fifteen days, Muhammad did not answer the question. Doubt in Muhammad began to grow amongst the people of Mecca. Then, after fifteen days, Muhammad recieved the revelation that is Surah Al-Kahf ("the Cave"), the eighteenth chapter of the Qur'an. Surah Al-Kahf mentions the "People of the Cave," a strange story about some young men in ancient times who slept in a cave for many years. Surah Al-Kahf also mentions the Ruh, or soul/spirit. Finally, the surah also mentions "a man who travelled a great deal and reached the east and the west of the earth" - namely, Dhul-Qarnayn. This article is about the holy city in Saudi Arabia. ... See also: Sura (disambiguation). ... Surat al-Kahf (The Cave) is the 18th sura of the Quran. ...

The 14th century scholar of Islam Ibn Kathir, reknowned for his tafsir (exegesis) of the Qur'an, mentioned (in regards to Dhul-Qarnayn) Ibn Ishaq's story about the Rabbis and their three questions. Ibn Kathir further elaborated on the meaning of the story of Dhul-Qarnayn. In particular, Ibn Kathir believed that the verses about Dhul-Qarnayn do not imply that the Sun literally sets into a sea, arguing that this was only a metaphore and that the "setting place of the Sun" is "the furthest point that can be reached in the direction of the sun's setting": This 14th-century statue from south India depicts the gods Shiva (on the left) and Uma (on the right}. It is housed in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. As a means of recording the passage of time, the 14th century was that century which lasted from 1301 to... Ibn Kathir (Arabic : بن كثير ) was an Islamic scholar born in Busra, Syria in 1301 CE. He was taught by the Islamic scholar Ibn Taymiyya in Damascus, Syria. ... A tafsir ( (Arabic: تفسير )tafsÄ«r, also transliterated tafseer, Arabic explanation) is Quranic exegesis or commentary. ...

"(Until, when he reached the setting place of the sun,) means, he followed a route until he reached the furthest point that could be reached in the direction of the sun's setting, which is the west of the earth. As for the idea of his reaching the place in the sky where the sun sets, this is something impossible ... (he found it setting in a spring of Hami'ah) meaning, he saw the sun as if it were setting in the ocean. This is something which everyone who goes to the coast can see: it looks as if the sun is setting into the sea but in fact it never leaves its path in which it is fixed." [4]

Ibn Ishaq's original work is lost, but it has been almost completely incorporated in Ibn Hisham, another early Muslim historian. Ibn Hisham collected Ibn Ishaq's Sira and added his notes to it; in regards to Dhul-Qarnayn, Ibn Hisham noted: Ibn Ishaq (or ibn Ishaq), (d. ... Ibn Hisham, Abu Muhammad Abd al-Malik (d. ... This article is not about the group of British engineering companies called Sira; see Sira (group of British companies). ...

"Dhu al-Qarnain is Alexander the Greek, the king of Persia and Greece, or the king of the east and the west, for because of this he was called Dhul-Qarnayn [meaning, 'the two-horned one']..."

The theme, amongst Islamic scholars, of identifying Dhul-Qarnayn with Alexander the Great appears to have originated here. Why Ibn Hisham made this identification is not entirely clear. Aristotelian Muslim philosophers, such as al-Farabi, Avicenna, and al-Kindi enthusiastically embraced the concept of Dhul-Qarnayn being an ancient Greek king. They stylized Dhul-Qarnayn as a Greek philosopher-king. Alexander the Great fighting the Persian king Darius (Pompeii mosaic, from a 3rd century BC original Greek painting, now lost). ... Aristotle, marble copy of bronze by Lysippos. ... Al Farabi (870-950) was born of a Turkish family and educated by a Christian physician in Baghdad, and was himself later considered a teacher on par with Aristotle. ... Avicenna was the greatest of the medieval Islamic physicians, whose work had a direct impact on the Renaissance. ... Abū-Yūsuf Ya’qūb ibn Ishāq al-Kindī (c. ... Ancient Greek refers to the stage in the history of the Greek language corresponding to Classical Antiquity, which normally applies on two ancient periods of Greek history: Archaic and Classic Greece. ... Philosopher-kings are the hypothetical rulers of Platos utopian Kallipolis. ...

Similarities to Alexander the Great

Orientalists, studying ancient Christian legends about Alexander the Great, have come to conclude that the Qur'an's stories about Dhul-Qarnayn closely parallel certain legends about Alexander the Great found in ancient Christian writings. There is some archeological evidence to identify the Arabic epithet "Dhul-Qarnayn" with Alexander the Great. There is also a long history of monotheistic religions coopting the historical Alexander. This leads to the theologically controversial conclusion that these legends are the source of the story of Dhul-Qarnayn in the Qur'an. Orientalism is the study of Near and Far Eastern societies and cultures, by Westerners. ... Beliefs Though enormous diversity exists in the beliefs of those who self-identify as Christian, it is possible to venture general statements which describe the beliefs of a large majority . ... Alexander the Great fighting the Persian king Darius (Pompeii mosaic, from a 3rd century BC original Greek painting, now lost). ... Archaeology or sometimes in American English archeology (from the Greek words αρχαίος = ancient and λόγος = word/speech) is the study of human cultures through the recovery, documentation and analysis of material remains, including architecture, artefacts, biofacts, human remains, and landscapes. ... An epithet (Greek and Latin epitheton; literally meaning imposed) is a descriptive word or phrase. ...

Historical background on religious Alexander legends

Alexander the Great was an immensely popular figure in the classical and post-classical cultures of the Mediterranean and Near East. Almost immediately after his death a body of legend began to accumulate about his exploits and life which, over the centuries, became increasingly fantastic as well as allegorical. Collectively this tradition is called the Alexander Romance and features such vivid episodes as Alexander ascending through the air to Paradise or journeying to the bottom of the sea in a glass bubble. It has been suggested that Greco-Roman be merged into this article or section. ... The Mediterranean Sea is an intercontinental sea positioned between Europe to the north, Africa to the south and Asia to the east, covering an approximate area of 2. ... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... The Alexander Romance is any of several collections of legends concerning the mythical exploits of Alexander the Great. ... Look up Paradise in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Paradise is also a title of a tv-series The word paradise is derived from the Avestan word of pairidaeza (a walled enclosure), which is a compound of pairi- (around), a cognate of the Greek peri-, and -diz (to create, make). ...

As the Alexander Romance persisted in popularity over the centuries, it was assumed by various neighboring peoples. Of particular significance was its incorporation into Jewish and later Christian legendary traditions. In the Jewish tradition Alexander was initially a figure of satire, representing the vain or covetous ruler who is ignorant of larger spiritual truths. Yet their belief in a just, all-powerful God forced Jewish interpreters of the Alexander tradition to come to terms with Alexander's undeniable temporal success. Why would a just, all-powerful God show such favor to an unrighteous ruler? This theological need, plus acculturation to Hellenism, led to a more positive Jewish interpretation of the Alexander legacy. In its most neutral form this was typified by having Alexander show deference to either the Jewish people or the symbols of their faith. In having the great conqueror thus acknowledge the essential truth of the Jews' religious, intellectual, or ethical traditions, the prestige of Alexander was harnessed to the cause of Jewish ethnocentrism. Eventually Jewish writers would almost completely co-opt Alexander, depicting him as a righteous gentile or even a believing monotheist. The Christianized peoples of the Near East, inheritors of both the Hellenic as well as Judaic strands of the Alexander Romance, further theologized Alexander until in some stories he was depicted as a saint. The Christian legends turned the ancient Greek conqueror Alexander III into Alexander "the Believing King", implying that he was a believer in monotheism (contrary to known historical facts).^[5] Judaism is the religion of the Jewish people. ... Beliefs Though enormous diversity exists in the beliefs of those who self-identify as Christian, it is possible to venture general statements which describe the beliefs of a large majority . ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... The term Hellenistic (established by the German historian Johann Gustav Droysen) in the history of the ancient world is used to refer to the shift from a culture dominated by ethnic Greeks, however scattered geographically, to a culture dominated by Greek-speakers of whatever ethnicity, and from the political dominance... Ethnocentrism (Greek ethnos (nation + -centrism) or ethnocentricity is the tendency to look at the world primarily from the perspective of ones own culture. ... Monotheism (in Greek monon = single and Theos = God) is the belief in a single, universal, all-encompassing deity. ...

The two-horned one

Silver tetradrachm (ancient Greek coin) issued in the name of Alexander the Great, depicting Alexander with the horns of Amon (242/241 BC, posthumous issue) Image File history File links Alexander-Coin. ... Drachma, pl. ... Ancient Greek refers to the stage in the history of the Greek language corresponding to Classical Antiquity, which normally applies on two ancient periods of Greek history: Archaic and Classic Greece. ... Alexander the Great fighting the Persian king Darius (Pompeii mosaic, from a 3rd century BC original Greek painting, now lost). ... Amun (also spelt Amon, Amoun, Amen, and rarely Imenand, and spelt in Greek as Ammon, and Hammon) was the name of a deity, in Egyptian mythology, who gradually rose to become one of the most important, before disappearing back into the shadows. ... Events Patriarch Titus succeeds Patriarch Eugenius I as Patriarch of Constantinople Births Cao Mao, emperor of the Kingdom of Wei (possible date) Deaths Xiahou Ba Categories: 242 ... Events Shapur I of Persia succeeds Ardashir I Births Deaths Ardashir I, first ruler of the Sassanids Categories: 241 ...

Imitation silver tetradrachm issued in the name of the Arab chieftain Abi’el, minted at the site of Mleiha in southeastern Arabia around 200 BC. This coin is an imitation based on coin types of Alexander the Great Image File history File links Abiel_coin. ... Drachma, pl. ... The Arabs ((Arabic: عرب Ê»arab) are a large ethnic group widespread in the Middle East and North Africa, originating in the Arabian Peninsula of southwest Asia. ... The Arabian Peninsula The Arabian Peninsula is a mainly desert peninsula in Southwest Asia at the junction of Africa and Asia and an important part of the greater Middle East. ... Alexander the Great fighting the Persian king Darius (Pompeii mosaic, from a 3rd century BC original Greek painting, now lost). ...

As said before, the "Dhul-Qarnayn" literally means "the two-horned one." Alexander the Great was often depicted as one possessing horns, in particular the horns of Amon. Ancient Greek coins minted in the name of Alexander the Great depict Alexander with the distinctive horns of Amon on his head. [6] The influence of Alexander the Great spread even to the coinage of ancient Arabia; in the late 2nd century BC, silver coins depicting Alexander with ram horns were used as a principal coinage in Arabia and were issued by an Arab ruler by the name of Abi'el who ruled in the south-eastern region of the Arabian Peninsula ^[7] This article is about the marine animal. ... (3rd century BC - 2nd century BC - 1st century BC - other centuries) (2nd millennium BC - 1st millennium BC - 1st millennium AD) // Events 175 BCE - Antiochus IV Epiphanes, took possession of the Syrian throne, at the murder of his brother Seleucus IV Philopator, which rightly belonged to his nephew Demetrius I Soter. ... Sharma Ram (disambiguation) Ram Sharma is an amazing, talented teenager that lives in Canada His talents include rapping, comedy, and cooking He is bound to success! ... The Arabs ((Arabic: عرب ʻarab) are a large ethnic group widespread in the Middle East and North Africa, originating in the Arabian Peninsula of southwest Asia. ... The Arabian Peninsula The Arabian Peninsula is a mainly desert peninsula in Southwest Asia at the junction of Africa and Asia and an important part of the greater Middle East. ...

The reason that Alexander the Great was depicted with the horns of Amon in ancient Greek coinage is that in ancient Egypt Alexander was received as the son of the ancient Egyptian god Amon, and the god Amon was depicted as ram-headed. Alexander then styled himself as the son of Amon; "He seems to have become convinced of the reality of his own divinity and to have required its acceptance by others ... The cities perforce complied, but often ironically: the Spartan decree read, 'Since Alexander wishes to be a god, let him be a god.'" ^[8] ... Amun (also spelt Amon, Amoun, Amen, and rarely Imenand, and spelt in Greek as Ammon, and Hammon) was the name of a deity, in Egyptian mythology, who gradually rose to become one of the most important, before disappearing back into the shadows. ... Sharma Ram (disambiguation) Ram Sharma is an amazing, talented teenager that lives in Canada His talents include rapping, comedy, and cooking He is bound to success! ... Divinity has a number of related uses in the field of religious belief and study. ... Spartan may refer to: An inhabitant of Sparta, a city in ancient (and modern) Greece. ...

In the Alexander Romance, a Christian legend has it that, in one of his prayers to God, Alexander said, "O God ... Thou hast made me horns upon my heads" and the translator adds in a footnote that in the Ethiopic version of this legend, "Alexander is always referred to as 'the two horned,'" ^[9] (p.146.) The Alexander Romance is any of several collections of legends concerning the mythical exploits of Alexander the Great. ... The Geez language (or Giiz language) is an ancient language that developed in the Ethiopian Highlands of the Horn of Africa as the language of the peasantry. ...

The Caspian Gates

In the Qur'an

The Qur'an describes a story about Dhul-Qarnayn building a gate near the "rising place of the Sun," between two mountains, in order to enclose the Gog and Magog people who "do great mischief in the earth." The relevant passages from Qur'an state: The Quran (Arabic: al-qurān, literally the recitation; also called Al Qurān Al Karīm or The Noble Quran; or transliterated Quran, Koran, and less commonly Alcoran) is the holy book of Islam. ...

"...when he [Dhul-Qarnayn] came to the rising of the sun, he found it rising on a people for whom We had provided no covering protection against the sun ... Then followed he (another) way. Until, when he [Dhul-Qarnayn] reached (a tract) between two mountains. He found, beneath them, a people who scarcely understood a word. They said: "O Dhul-Qarnayn! The Gog and Magog (people) do great mischief on earth: Shall we then render thee tribute in order that thou mightiest erect a barrier between us and them. He said: "(The power) in which My Lord has established me is better (than tribute): Help me therefore with strength (and labour): I will erect a strong barrier between you and them: Bring me blocks of iron. At length when he had filled up the space between the two steep mountain-sides, he said, "Blow (with your bellows)". Then when he had made it (red) as fire, he said: "Bring me, that I may pour over it molten lead." Thus were they made powerless to scale it or to dig through it." (Qur'an 18:90-98).

In the Christian legends

The Christian legends mention the Caspian Gates, also known as Alexander's wall, built by Alexander the Great to enclose the Gog and Magog hoard. Several variations of this legend can be found. In the legend, Alexander the Great builds a gate of iron between two mountains, at the end of the Earth, to prevent the armies of Gog and Magog from attacking. This legend about Alexander is remarkably similar to the story of Dhul-Qarnayn found in the Qur'an. An historian notes that: As a noun, Christian is an appellation and moniker deriving from the appellation Christ, which many people associate exclusively with Jesus of Nazareth. ... The Caspian Gates in Derbant, Russia are identified with the Gates of Alexander. ... The Caspian Gates in Derbant, Russia are identified with the Gates of Alexander. ... Alexander the Great fighting the Persian king Darius (Pompeii mosaic, from a 3rd century BC original Greek painting, now lost). ... The tradition of Gog and Magog begins with cryptic Biblical references regarding apocalyptic prophecy in the Book of Ezekiel and the Book of Revelation. ... The notion of a Flat Earth refers to the idea that the inhabited surface of the Earth is flat, rather than curved (see Spherical Earth). ...

"The episode of the building of the gate against Gog and Magog is found in the Christian legend concerning Alexander, and in the poetic version of Jacob of Serugh which was written not later than AD 521. The Koran was written over a century after this version." ^[10] (p. 201).

A Syriac version of the Christian legend describes an apocryphal letter from Alexander to his mother, wherein he writes: Events Future Byzantine emperor Justinian becomes consul. ... Syriac is an Eastern Aramaic language that was once spoken across much of the Fertile Crescent. ...

"I petitioned the exalted Deity, and he heard my prayer. And the exalted Deity commanded the two mountains and they moved and approached each other to a distance of twelve ells, and there I made .... copper gates 12 ells broad, and 60 ells high, and smeared them over within and without with ... so that neither fire nor iron, nor any other means should be able to loosen the copper; since fire was put out against it, and iron was shattered. Within these gates, I made another construction of stones, each of which was eleven ells broad, 20 ells high, and 60 ells thick. And having done this I finished the construction by putting mixed tin and lead over the stones, and smearing .... over the whole, so that no one might be able to do anything against the gates. I called them the Caspian Gates. Twenty and Two Kings did I shut up therein." ^[11](pp.177-178).

Several people in history have searched for Alexander's Gate, and legends about the gate itself grew;

"The gate itself had wandered from the Caspian Gates to the pass of Dariel, from the pass of Dariel to the pass of Derbend, as well as to the far north; nay, it had travelled even as far as remote eastern or north-eastern Asia, gathering in strength and increasing in size as it went, and actually carrying the mountains of Caspia with it. Then, as the full light of modern day come on, the Alexander Romance ceased to be regarded as history, and with it Alexander's Gate passed into the realm of fairyland." ^[12] (pp.103-104).

Gog and Magog

T-O map of the world by St. Isidore, (570-636 CE) from Etymologies. St. Isidor's conception of the world was a flat Earth surrounded by mountains, which in turn are surrounded by an ocean sea; a traditional, ecclesiastical view of the world. This was also the first printed map in Europe[2].

Image File history File links World_map_isidore. ... Image File history File links World_map_isidore. ... earliest printed example of a classical T and O map (by Guntherus Ziner, Augsburg, 1472), illustrating the first page of chapter XIV of the Etymologiae. ... This article or section should include material from Isidro Saint Isidore of Seville (560 - April 4, 636) was Archbishop of Seville for more than three decades and has the reputation of being one of the great scholars of the early middle ages. ... Events First mention of the Spear of Destiny (approximate date). ... Events April 20 - Battle of Yarmuk - Byzantine Empire loses Syria to the Arabs The Arabs invade Persia Rothari marries queen Gundeparga, becomes king of the Lombards city of Basra Iraq founded by caliph Omar on a canal. ... The notion of a Flat Earth refers to the idea that the inhabited surface of the Earth is flat, rather than curved (see Spherical Earth). ...

In the Qur'an

In the Qur'an, Dhul-Qarnayn encloses the Gog and Magog hoard behind a mighty gate between two mountains, preventing the Gog and Magog from invading the Earth. The Qur'an also explains that in the end times, the God will destroy this gate, allowing the Gog and Magog hoard to ravage the Earth; This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

"Thus were they [Gog and Magog] were made powerless to scale it or to dig through it [the gate]. He said this is a mercy from my Lord. But when the promise of my Lord comes to pass He will make it into dust. And the promise of my Lord is true ..." (Qur'an 18:98) and "...Until the Gog and Magog (people) are let through (the gate), and they swiftly swarm from every hill. Then will the True Promise draw nigh (of fulfilment). Then behold! The eyes of the Unbelievers will fixedly Stare in horror ..." (Qur'an 21:96-97)

In the Christian legends

In the Syriac version of the Christian legends, Alexander the Great encloses the Gog and Magog hoard behind a mighty gate between two mountains, preventing the Gog and Magog from invading the Earth. In addition, it is written in the Christian legend that in the end times God will cause the Gate of Gog and Magog to be destroyed, allowing the Gog and Magog hoard to ravage the Earth; Syriac is an Eastern Aramaic language that was once spoken across much of the Fertile Crescent. ... The tradition of Gog and Magog begins with cryptic Biblical references regarding apocalyptic prophecy in the Book of Ezekiel and the Book of Revelation. ... The Last Judgement - Fresco in the Sistine Chapel by Michelangelo The end times are, in one version of Christian eschatology and in Islam, a time of tribulation that will precede the Second Coming of Jesus. ...

"The Lord spake by the hand of the angel, [saying] ...The gate of the north shall be opened on the day of the end of the world, and on that day shall evil go forth on the wicked ... The earth shall quake and this door [gate] which thou [Alexander] hast made be opened ... and anger with fierce wrath shall rise up on mankind and the earth ... shall be laid waste ... And the nations that is within this gate shall be roused up, and also the host of Agog and the peoples of Magog shall be gathered together. These peoples, the fiercest of all creatures." ^[13]

In order to understand the legend of the Caspian Gates, that is in order to understand how a single gate between two mountains could prevent the Gog and Magog hoard from invading the world, one must understand that the Christian legend was written in a time when most people believed that the flat Earth theory is true. The Earth was described as being flat and surrounded by great mountains, and these mountains were in turn surrounded by some land followed by a treacherous, fetid ocean sea. It is this tract of land between the mountains and the ocean sea that Alexander enclosed Gog and Magog, so that they could not cross the mountains and invade the Earth. The legend describes "the old wise men" explaining this geography and cosmology of the Earth to Alexander, and then Alexander subsequently setting out to enclose Gog and Magog behind a mighty gate between a narrow passage at the end of the flat Earth: This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Magog (Bible) was one of the seven sons of Japheth mentioned in the Book of Genesis. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... The notion of a Flat Earth refers to the idea that the inhabited surface of the Earth is flat, rather than curved (see Spherical Earth). ... Cosmology, from the Greek: κοσμολογία (cosmologia, κόσμος (cosmos) world + λογια (logia) discourse) is the study of the universe in its totality and by extension mans place in it. ...

"The old men say, "Look, my lord the king, and see a wonder, this mountain which God has set as a great boundary." King Alexander the son of Philip said, "How far is the extent of this mountain?" The old men say, "Beyond India it extends in its appearance." The king said, "How far does this side come?" The old men say, "Unto all the end of the earth." And wonder seized the great king at the council of the old men ... And he had it in his mind to make there a great gate. His mind was full of spiritual thoughts, while taking advice from the old men, the dwellers in the land. He looked at the mountain which encircled the whole world ... The king said, "Where have the hosts [of Gog and Magog] come forth to plunder the land and all the world from of old?" They show him a place in the middle of the mountains, a narrow pass which had been constructed by God ..." ^[14] (pp.177-178).

The rising of the Sun from the fetid sea

Rendition of Homer's view of the world (prior to 900 BC). The Homeric conception of the world involved a flat, circular Earth, surrounded by mountains. The mountains are, in turn, surrounded by Oceanus. The Sun emerges from underneath the Earth, traveling along the fixed dome of the sky, and is shown rising from Oceanus.

Image File history File links Map_homer_world. ... Image File history File links Map_homer_world. ... Bust of Homer in the British Museum For other uses, see Homer (disambiguation). ... Oceanus or Okeanos refers to the ocean, which the Greeks and Romans regarded as a river circling the world. ...

In the Qur'an

A peculiar aspect of the story about Dhul-Qarnayn, in the Qur'an, is that it describes Dhul-Qarnayn travelling to the "the rising place of the Sun" and the "setting place of the Sun." Dhul-Qarnayn also finds a people living by the "rising place of the Sun," and explains that these people have no shelter from the Sun: The Sun (or Sol) is the star at the center of our Solar system. ...

"Then he [Dhul-Qarnayn] followed a way until, when he reached the rising of the Sun, he found it rising upon a people for whom We had not appointed any veil to shade them from it ... " (Qur'an 18:89-90).

The Qur'an also describes Dhul-Qarnayn travelling to the place where the sun sets into a murky spring:

"... Until when he [Dhul-Qarnayn] reached the setting of the Sun, he found it set in a spring of murky water. Near it he found a People ..." (Qur'an 18:86)

It may not be clear what these verses refer to. Ancient Muslim exegeses of the Qur'an, known as the tafsir (such as the tafsirs of Jalalan, Baidawi, Zamakhshari, Ibn Kathir, and Al-Tabari) understood these verses of the Qur'an to be literal descriptions of a cosmology of the universe wherein the Earth is flat and wherein the Sun rises and sets into a sea that is surrounding the flat Earth [15]. The cannonical hadith literature also contains a passage that, when taken literally, implies a similar cosmology (as shall be seen, this passage is remarkably similar to one found in the Christian legends about Alexander): This article discusses textual hermeneutics. ... A tafsir ( (Arabic: تفسير )tafsÄ«r, also transliterated tafseer, Arabic explanation) is Quranic exegesis or commentary. ... A tafsir ( (Arabic: تفسير )tafsÄ«r, also transliterated tafseer, Arabic explanation) is Quranic exegesis or commentary. ... Baidawi (Abdallah ibn Umar al-Baidawi), Muslim critic, was born in Fars, where his father was chief judge, in the time of the Atabek ruler Abu Bakr ibn Sad (1226-1260). ... Zamakhshari [Abu-1 Qasim Mahmud ibn Umar uz-Zamakhshari] (1070 (?)-1143) was a Persian learned man of medieval times. ... Ibn Kathir (Arabic : بن كثير ) was an Islamic scholar born in Busra, Syria in 1301 CE. He was taught by the Islamic scholar Ibn Taymiyya in Damascus, Syria. ... The name al-Tabari means simply from Tabaristan, thus more than one Muslim scholar is known by this designation: Ali ibn Sahl Rabban al-Tabari, Ali the scholar from Tabiristan (838-870 A.D.) was the writer of a medical encyclopedia and the teacher of the scholar physician Zakariya al... Hadith (Arabic: , Arabic pl. ...

Narrated Abu Dharr: "Once I was with the Prophet in the mosque at the time of sunset. The Prophet said, 'O Abu Dharr! Do you know where the sun sets?' I replied, 'Allah and His Apostle know best.' He said, 'It goes and prostrates underneath (Allah's) Throne; and that is Allah's Statement:— And the sun runs on its fixed course for a term (decreed). And that is the decree of All-Mighty, the All-Knowing...'" ^[16]

In the Christian legends

Perhaps unsurprisingly, an almost identical discourse is found in the Syriac Christian legends about Alexander the Great. The Christian legend about Alexander explains that when the Sun sets into the fetid sea, it enters into heaven and immediately bows down in obedience to God, In the legend, Alexander travels to the fetid sea at the end of the Earth. As mentioned the previous subsection, this legend was understood from a flat Earth theory point of view. The legend explained that "the old, wise men" told Alexander that at the ends of the flat Earth is a sea in which the Sun rises from the west and in which the Sun sets in the east. The waters of this sea were imagined as being fetid place and intensely hot from the heat of the Sun when it rose from the waters. Upon hearing about this cosmology from the wise men, the legendary Alexander sets out to the end of the flat Earth and witnesses the Sun rising from the fetid sea. According to the Christian legend, at this place, where the Sun risies out of a terrible sea, Alexander found a people who have no shelter from the Sun which is literally rising out of an intensely hot sea; Syriac is an Eastern Aramaic language that was once spoken across much of the Fertile Crescent. ... Alexander the Great fighting the Persian king Darius (Pompeii mosaic, from a 3rd century BC original Greek painting, now lost). ... The notion of a Flat Earth refers to the idea that the inhabited surface of the Earth is flat, rather than curved (see Spherical Earth). ... The Sun (or Sol) is the star at the center of our Solar system. ... Cosmology, from the Greek: κοσμολογία (cosmologia, κόσμος (cosmos) world + λογια (logia) discourse) is the study of the universe in its totality and by extension mans place in it. ...

" The place of his [the Sun's] rising is over the sea, and the people who dwell there, when he is about to rise, flee away and hide themselves in the sea, that they be not burnt by his rays; and he passes through the midst of heaven to the place where he enters the window of heaven; and wherever he passes there are terrible mountains, and those who dwell there have caves hollowed out in the rocks, and as soon as they see the Sun passing [over them], men and birds flee away from before him and hide in the caves ... And when the Sun enters the window of heaven, he [it] straight away bows down and makes obeisance before God his Creator; and he travels and descends the whole night through the heavens, until at length he finds himself where he [the Sun] rises ... So the whole camp mounted, and Alexander and his troops went up between the fetid sea and the bright sea to the place where the Sun enters the window of heaven; for the Sun is the servant of the Lord, and neither by night nor by day does he cease from his travelling." ^[17](p.148.)

Alexander's travels

Map of Alexander's empire. Alexander never marched far west of his native Macedonia, and his advances eastward ended at the fringes of India.

The Qur'anic and Christian legendary accounts both have it that Alexander the Great travelled to the ends of the Earth, in particular to the place on the Earth where the Sun sets (the west) and the place on the Earth where the Sun rises (the east). This allegory served the legendary accounts to convey the theme of Alexander's great exploits as a conqueror. In the context of the flat Earth theory, travelling to the places of the setting and rising of the Sun would imply having travelled accross the entire world. However, many modern Muslims insist that the Qur'an's descriptions of Dhul-Qarnayn travels are just allegorical references to Alexander's travels towards the east and the west, and do not imply Dhul-Qarnayn travelled to the ends of the flat Earth. Naturally, the stories about Alexander's travels to the eastern and western extents of the world are a legendary tradition, which built up over centuries throughout the lands conquered by Alexander and beyond, after his death. Download high resolution version (935x611, 97 KB)Map of empire of Alexander the Great From A History of the Ancient World by George Willis Botsford, Ph. ... Download high resolution version (935x611, 97 KB)Map of empire of Alexander the Great From A History of the Ancient World by George Willis Botsford, Ph. ... The notion of a Flat Earth refers to the idea that the inhabited surface of the Earth is flat, rather than curved (see Spherical Earth). ... The Sun (or Sol) is the star at the center of our Solar system. ... Earth, also known as Terra, and (mostly in the 19th century) Tellus, is the third-closest planet to the Sun. ...

Muslim veneration of Alexander the Great

15th century Persian miniature painting from Herat depicting Iskander, the Persian name for Alexander the Great

As it has been noted, the early Muslim scholars generally identified the Dhul-Qarnayn of the Qur'an with Alexander the Great. In the centuries that followed, Dhul-Qarnayn was often thought of by Muslims as a Prophet of Islam. Early Islamic civilization would produce its own legendary traditions about Alexander the Great, particularly in Persia. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (339x633, 105 KB) Summary 15th century Persian miniature painting from Herat depicting Iskander, the Persian name for Alexander the Great who venerated by Muslims as Dhul-Qarnayn. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (339x633, 105 KB) Summary 15th century Persian miniature painting from Herat depicting Iskander, the Persian name for Alexander the Great who venerated by Muslims as Dhul-Qarnayn. ... (14th century - 15th century - 16th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 15th century was that century which lasted from 1401 to 1500. ... The Persian Empire is the name used to refer to a number of historic dynasties that have ruled the country of Persia (Iran). ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Herāt (Persian هرات) is a city in western Afghanistan, in the valley of the Hari Rud river in the province also known as Herat, and was traditionally known for wine. ... Alexander the Great fighting the Persian king Darius (Pompeii mosaic, from a 3rd century BC original Greek painting, now lost). ... The Quran (Arabic: al-qurān, literally the recitation; also called Al Qurān Al KarÄ«m or The Noble Quran; or transliterated Quran, Koran, and less commonly Alcoran) is the holy book of Islam. ... Alexander the Great fighting the Persian king Darius (Pompeii mosaic, from a 3rd century BC original Greek painting, now lost). ... The Quran identifies a number of men as prophets of Islam. ...

With the Muslim-Arab conquest of Persia, the Alexander Romance found its way to an honored place in Persian literature—an ironic outcome considering pre-Islamic Persia's hostility to the national enemy who not only destroyed the glorious Achaemenid Empire, but was also directly responsible for centuries of Persian domination by Hellenistic foreign rulers. Islamic Persian accounts of the Alexander legend, known as the Iskandarnamah, combined the Pseudo-Callisthenes material about Alexander, some of which is found in the the Qur'an, with Sasanid Persian ideas about Alexander the Great. Persian sources on the Alexander legend devised a mythical genealogy for him whereby his mother was a concubine of Darius II, making him the half-brother of the last Achaemenid shah, Darius III, in a move to "appropriate" themselves of Alexander. By the 12th century such important writers as Nezami Ganjavi were making him the subject of their epic poems, and holding him up as the model of the ideal statesman or philosopher-king, an idea adopted from the Greeks and elaborated on by Muslim philosophers like al-Farabi. The Muslim traditions also elaborated the legend that Alexander the Great had been the companion of Aristotle and the direct student of Plato.


The Alexander Romance is any of several collections of legends concerning the mythical exploits of Alexander the Great. ... Persian literature is literature written in Persian, or by Persians in other languages. ... Achaemenid empire at its greatest extent The Achaemenid Dynasty (Hakamanishiya in the Old Persian (Avestan ??) language - transliterated Hakamanshee in Modern Persian) - was a dynasty in the ancient Persian Empire. ... After the death of Alexander the Great in the afternoon of 11 June 323 BC, his empire was divided by his generals, the Diadochi(successors). ... Callisthenes, or Kallisthenes, ( in Greek) of Olynthus (c. ... The Quran (Arabic: al-qurān, literally the recitation; also called Al Qurān Al KarÄ«m or The Noble Quran; or transliterated Quran, Koran, and less commonly Alcoran) is the holy book of Islam. ... Head of king Shapur II (Sasanian dynasty A.D. 4th century). ... The Pahlavi script was used broadly in the Sasanid Persian Empire to write down Middle Persian for secular, as well as religious purposes. ... The Pahlavi script was used broadly in the Sasanid Persian Empire to write down Middle Persian for secular, as well as religious purposes. ... Darius II, originally called Ochus and often surnamed Nothus (from Greek νοθος, meaning bastard), was emperor of Persia from 423 BC to 404 BC. Artaxerxes I, who died shortly after December 24, 424 BC, was followed by his son Xerxes II. After a month and a half Xerxes was murdered... Achaemenid empire at its greatest extent The Achaemenid Dynasty (Hakamanishiya in the Old Persian (Avestan ??) language - transliterated Hakamanshee in Modern Persian) - was a dynasty in the ancient Persian Empire. ... Darius III or Codomannus (c. ... (11th century - 12th century - 13th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 12th century was that century which lasted from 1101 to 1200. ... External links The Legend of Leyli and Majnun Nizami, Jamal al-Din Ilyas. ... Epic can mean: Epic poetry, a style of poetry EPIC, an abbreviation Epic Age, a time period in Indian history Epic, a series of wargames Epic Records, a record label Epic Comics, an imprint of Marvel Comics Epic Illustrated, an anthology series published by Marvel Comics Epic Games, a computer... Philosopher-kings are the hypothetical rulers of Platos utopian Kallipolis. ... Introduction The idea of an Islamic philosophy dates from the appearance of dissenting sects in Islam. ... Al Farabi (870-950) was born of a Turkish family and educated by a Christian physician in Baghdad, and was himself later considered a teacher on par with Aristotle. ... Alexander the Great fighting the Persian king Darius (Pompeii mosaic, from a 3rd century BC original Greek painting, now lost). ... Aristotle, marble copy of bronze by Lysippos. ... Plato (Greek: Πλάτων Plátōn) (ca. ...

Theological controversy

Though many Muslim scholars have traditionally identified Dhul-Qarnayn with Alexander the Great, this identification has today become subject among Muslim scholars of numerous attacks. Most of the factual details of the Alexander Romance, as those that appear to be included in the Qu'ran (Alexander's fantastic deeds as well as his implied monotheism), have little or none basis in historical fact; and if Dhul-Qarnayn is Alexander, this confusion between fact and legend can possibly be a source of embarass to some Muslim scholars, even if not to all. Alexander the Great fighting the Persian king Darius (Pompeii mosaic, from a 3rd century BC original Greek painting, now lost). ... The Alexander Romance is any of several collections of legends concerning the mythical exploits of Alexander the Great. ... The Quran ( Arabic al-qurʾān أَلْقُرآن; its literal meaning is the recitation and is often called Al Quran Al Karim: The Noble Quran, also transliterated as Quran, Koran, and less commonly Alcoran) is the holy book of Islam. ...

The historical personality of Alexander the Great was coopted by the legendary traditions of both Judaism and Christianity, which choosed to portray Alexander as "the Believing King" — a devout monotheist. It was in this Judeo-Christian context that the legends of Alexander the Great reached the Arabian Peninsula. Thus it is not difficult to understand how the pagan Alexander may have ended in the Qur'an's list of Islamic Prophets. The Arabian Peninsula The Arabian Peninsula is a mainly desert peninsula in Southwest Asia at the junction of Africa and Asia and an important part of the greater Middle East. ...

The identification of Dhul-Qarnayn with the Christian legends on Alexander also creates a controversy regarding the shape of the Earth, since one of the central themes of the Christian legend about Alexander is that is the earth is flat and is surrounded by mountains and a fetid sea into which the Sun sets. This has lead to allegations that the Qur'an's story about Dhul-Qarnayn implies a flat Earth; and some critics point out that reknowned, ancient scholars of Islam, such as Jalalan, Baidawi, Zamakhshari, Ibn Kathir, and Al-Tabari, all insisted that the Earth is flat. This was a convinction common in the Middle Ages (but by no means universal), especially in the 7th century. [18] Earth, also known as Terra, and (mostly in the 19th century) Tellus, is the third-closest planet to the Sun. ... The notion of a Flat Earth refers to the idea that the inhabited surface of the Earth is flat, rather than curved (see Spherical Earth). ... The Sun (or Sol) is the star at the center of our Solar system. ... The Quran (Arabic: al-qurān, literally the recitation; also called Al Qurān Al KarÄ«m or The Noble Quran; or transliterated Quran, Koran, and less commonly Alcoran) is the holy book of Islam. ... The notion of a Flat Earth refers to the idea that the inhabited surface of the Earth is flat, rather than curved (see Spherical Earth). ... Baidawi (Abdallah ibn Umar al-Baidawi), Muslim critic, was born in Fars, where his father was chief judge, in the time of the Atabek ruler Abu Bakr ibn Sad (1226-1260). ... Zamakhshari [Abu-1 Qasim Mahmud ibn Umar uz-Zamakhshari] (1070 (?)-1143) was a Persian learned man of medieval times. ... Ibn Kathir (Arabic : بن كثير ) was an Islamic scholar born in Busra, Syria in 1301 CE. He was taught by the Islamic scholar Ibn Taymiyya in Damascus, Syria. ... The name al-Tabari means simply from Tabaristan, thus more than one Muslim scholar is known by this designation: Ali ibn Sahl Rabban al-Tabari, Ali the scholar from Tabiristan (838-870 A.D.) was the writer of a medical encyclopedia and the teacher of the scholar physician Zakariya al... // Events Islam starts in Arabia, the Quran is written, and Syria, Iraq, Persia, North Africa and Central Asia convert to Islam. ...

The inclusion of religious folklore, rooted in scientific and historical errors and derived from a pagan (polytheistic) legendary tradition, in the Qu'ran, is believed by some to challenge the core doctrine of Islamic theology. Ancient Muslim scholars of the Islam were unaware of such theological controversies, but even in modern times, some influential mainstream Muslims (such as Yusuf Ali) have endorsed the traditional Islamic view which identified Dhul-Qarnayn with Alexander the Great, judging the theological problems that could be posed surmountable. Most secular scholars studying Islam have been concord in their view that there is strong evidence supporting the conclusion that Dhul-Qarnayn is none other than Alexander the Great. However, these theological controversies have made this position intenable in the opinions of many modern Muslim scholars. Some Muslims take the position that nothing about the identity of Dhul-Qarnayn is known except for solely what is in the Qur'an (in other words, they assert that there is no evidence linking the identity of Dhul-Qarnayn to a historical person). [19] Other Muslim scholars, such as Maududi and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, have suggested that Dhul-Qarnayn is Cyrus the Great and not Alexander the Great, though this theory has been proposed only recently and is not much considered by non-Islamic scholars. Other Muslims have suggested that Dhul-Qarnayn is the mysterious Tubba' of Yemen or Narmer. [20]. Folklore is the body of narratives, including tales, legends, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs current among a particular population, comprising the oral tradition of that culture, subculture, or group. ... Within a Christian context, paganism (from Latin paganus) and heathenry are catch-all terms which have come to connote a broad set of spiritual/religious beliefs and practices of a natural religion, as opposed to the Abrahamic religions based on scriptures. ... Polytheism is belief in, or worship of, multiple gods or divinities. ... Abdullah Yusuf Ali (1872-1952) was born in Bombay, India, to a wealthy merchant family. ... Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi (alternative spelling Syed; often referred to Maulana Maududi) was one of the most influential Muslim theologians of the 20th century and the founder of Jamaat-e-Islami (Islamic Party), an Islamist political party in Pakistan. ... Mawlana Abul Kalam Azad also Abul Kalam Ghulam Muhiyuddin (11 November 1888 - 22 February 1958) was a great scholar, a great orator and freedom fighter in Indias struggle for Independence. ... Cyrus the Great Cyrus II of Persia, widely known as Cyrus the Great or Cyrus the Elder, (ca. ... Front and Back Sides of the Narmer Palette Narmer was an Egyptian pharaoh who ruled in the 32nd century BC. Thought to be the successor to the pre-dynastic Serket, he is considered by some to be the founder of the First dynasty. ...

References

1. ^  Encyclopaedia Britannica, Alexander III, 1971
2. ^  "A Discource Composed by Mar Jacob upon Alexander, the Believing King, and upon the Gate which he made against Gog and Magog," in The History of Alexander the Great Being, the Syriac Version of the Pseudo-Callisthenes. Translated by E.A. W. Budge, 1889.
3. ^  Iskandarnamah - A Persian Medieval Alexander-Romance, Translated by Minoo D. Southgate, Columbia University Press, New York, 1978.
4. ^  "Alexander's Gate, Gog and Magog, and the enclosed nations," Andrew Runni Anderson, the Medieval Academy of America, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1932.
5. ^  The Impact of Alexander the Great’s Coinage in East Arabia [21]
6. ^  Sahih Bukhari, English Translation, Hadith number 6326

... Alexander III may refer to any of the following; Alexander III (emperor), Byzantine emperor (912-913) Pope Alexander III pope from 1159 to 1181 Alexander III of Russia (1845-1894), emperor of Russia Alexander III of Scotland (1241-1285), king of Scotland Alexander III of Macedon - Alexander the Great This... 1971 (MCMLXXI) is a common year starting on Friday (click for link to calendar). ... The tradition of Gog and Magog begins with cryptic Biblical references regarding apocalyptic prophecy in the Book of Ezekiel and the Book of Revelation. ... Syriac is an Eastern Aramaic language that was once spoken across much of the Fertile Crescent. ... Callisthenes, or Kallisthenes, ( in Greek) of Olynthus (c. ... 1889 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times. ... The Alexander Romance is any of several collections of legends concerning the mythical exploits of Alexander the Great. ... 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1978 calendar). ... 1932 (MCMXXXII) is a leap year starting on a Friday. ... Muhammad Ibn Ismail Ibn Ibrahim Ibn al-Mughirah Ibn Bardizbah al-Bukhari محمد بن اسماعيل بن ابراهيم بن المغيرة بن بردزبه البخاري (born (AD 810) - died (AD 870)), author of the most generally accepted collection of traditions (Hadith) from Muhammad, was born at Bokhara (Bukharä), of an Iranian family, in AH 194 (AD 810). ... Hadith (Arabic: , Arabic pl. ...

See also

• Dhul-Qarnayn
• Prophets of Islam
• Alexander the Great
• Cyrus the Great in the Quran (theory)

This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... The Quran identifies a number of men as prophets of Islam. ... Alexander the Great fighting the Persian king Darius (Pompeii mosaic, from a 3rd century BC original Greek painting, now lost). ... The two horned one is thought to refer to Cyrus by many Quranic commentators. ...

External links

• pothos.org - Legends (Marco Polo) - mentions Alexander's Gate