Surah Al-Kahf: Verse 93 - حتى إذا بلغ بين السدين... - English

Tafsir of Verse 93, Surah Al-Kahf

حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا بَلَغَ بَيْنَ ٱلسَّدَّيْنِ وَجَدَ مِن دُونِهِمَا قَوْمًا لَّا يَكَادُونَ يَفْقَهُونَ قَوْلًا

English Translation

Until, when he reached [a pass] between two mountains, he found beside them a people who could hardly understand [his] speech.

English Transliteration

Hatta itha balagha bayna alssaddayni wajada min doonihima qawman la yakadoona yafqahoona qawlan

Tafsir of Verse 93

until, when he reached between the two barriers, he found this side of them a people scarcely able to understand speech.

Until, when he reached (a tract) between two mountains, he found, beneath them, a people who scarcely understood a word.

Explanation of Difficult Words

1. The word السَّدَّ used in the expression: بَيْنَ السَّدَّيْنِ denotes what be-comes a barrier against something. It may be a wall or mountain and it may be natural or artificial. At this place, the word: السَّدَّيْنِ (as-saddain) means two mountains that stood as a barrier against the intrusion of Ya'juj and Ma'juj. But, they still attacked through the pass in between the two mountains and which was closed by Dhul-Qarnain.

2. The word: زُبَرَ‌ (zubar) in: زُبَرَ‌ الْحَدِيدِ (zubar al-hadid - 96) is the plural of: زُبرہ (zubrah) which means sheets in the sense of pieces, fragments or ingots of iron which were to be used in the wall designed to block the pass, obviously a stronger device as compared to bricks and rocks.

3. The word: الصَّدَفَيْنِ (as-sadafain - 96) signifies the two sides of the mountain facing each other.

4. According to most commentators, the last word: قِطْرً‌ا (qitr) in verse 96 means molten copper. There are some others who have explained 'qitr' as molten iron or pewter. (al-Qurtubi)

The expression: دَكَّاءَ (dakkaa'a - 98) used about the wall means what would crumble down to the level of the ground.

Verse 93 - Surah Al-Kahf: (حتى إذا بلغ بين السدين وجد من دونهما قوما لا يكادون يفقهون قولا...) - English