Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah

Alexander the Great, is he the Dhul Qarnayn mentioned in the Qur'aan?

· 5 Dhuʻl-Qiʻdah 1421 AH1 min readFatwa 2163English

Question

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Alexander the Great, is he the Dhul Qarnayn mentioned in the Qur'aan?

Answer

There were many famous historical personalities by the name of Alexander (Sikander). The one generally referred to as 'Alexander the Great' was a Greek commander who was a Mushrik (polytheist). He also was the student of the famous greek philosopher Aristotle.
It is established from the Qur'aan that Dhul-Qarnayn was a pious Muslim, and according to some, he was a Prophet. Therefore, Dhul Qarnayn was not 'Alexander the Great'. According to the renowned Mufassir, Ibn Kathir, Dhul Qarnayn was Alexander who appeared approximately 2000 years before 'Alexander the Great' (Ma'ariful Qur'aan vol.5 pg.618)

From: Al Mahmood 13 Q & A from the Darul Ifta
Mufti Ebrahim Desai

Answered by
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
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Where scholars differ, it’s safer to take the more cautious view.

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Source: Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah — https://askimam.org/public/question_detail/2163
Fatawa SA: https://fatawa.co.za/fatwa/askimam-2163

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