Quran 18:90 — Surah Al-Kahf Ayah 90 | Arabic, Translation & Tafsir

18:90

Al-Kahf

كَذَٰلِكَ وَقَدْ أَحَطْنَا بِمَا لَدَيْهِ خُبْرًۭا...

حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا بَلَغَ مَطْلِعَ ٱلشَّمْسِ وَجَدَهَا تَطْلُعُ عَلَىٰ قَوْمٍۢ لَّمْ نَجْعَل لَّهُم مِّن دُونِهَا سِتْرًۭا

Hattaaa izaa balagha matli'ash shamsi wajdahaa tatlu'u alaa qawmil lam naj'al lahum min doonihaa sitraa

Until, when he came to the rising of the sun, he found it rising on a people for whom We had not made against it any shield.

Related Tafsir

Ibn Kathir

His Journey East

Allah tells us that Dhul-Qarnayn then traveled from the west of the earth towards the east. Every time he passed a nation, he subjugated the people and called them to Allah. If they obeyed him, all well and good, otherwise he would humiliate them and take their wealth and possessions. From every nation he took what his armies needed to fight the next nation. When he reached the place where the sun rises, as Allah says,

وَجَدَهَا تَطْلُعُ عَلَى قَوْمٍ

(he found it rising on a people) meaning a nation,

لَّمْ نَجْعَل لَّهُمْ مِّن دُونِهَا سِتْراً

(for whom We (Allah) had provided no shelter against the sun.) meaning, they had no buildings or trees to cover them and shade them from the heat of the sun. Qatadah said, "It was mentioned to us that they were in a land where nothing grew, so when the sun rose they would go into tunnels until it had passed its zenith, then they would come out to go about their daily lives and earn themselves a living."

كَذَلِكَ وَقَدْ أَحَطْنَا بِمَا لَدَيْهِ خُبْراً

(So (it was)! And We knew all about him.) Mujahid and As-Suddi said, "This means that Allah knew everything about him and his army, and nothing was hidden from Him, even though they came from so many different nations and lands. For,

لاَ يَخْفَى عَلَيْهِ شَىْءٌ فِي الاٌّرْضِ وَلاَ فِى السَّمَآءِ

(Truly, nothing is hidden from Allah, in the earth or in the heaven.)3:5"

View Full Tafsir: His Journey EastAyahs 89–91

The last hour will not come before rising of the sun in its place of setting. When it rises (there) and the people see it, those who are on it (the earth) will believe. This is the time of which the Qur’anic verse says: “. . .no good will it do to a soul to believe in them then, if it believed not before nor earned righteousness through its faith."

Sahih Muslim #301It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

The (Last) Hour shall not came till the sun rises from the place of its setting And on the day when it rises from the place of its setting even if all the people together affirmed their faith, it would not be of any avail to one who did not believe previously and derived no good out of his belief.

Jami` at-Tirmidhi #897Amr bin Maimun narrated:

"We were halted at Jama when Umar bin Al-Khattab said: 'The idolaters would not depart until the sun had risen and they would say: "Let the sun shine on Thabir" and indeed the Messenger of Allah contradicted them.' So Umar departed before the rising of the sun."

Sahih Muslim #2924Ibn Umar (Allah be pleased with him) reported that Allah's Messenger may peace be upon him) spent the night at Dhi Tuwa till it was dawn and then entered Mecca. 'Abdullah (b. 'Umar) himself did like it. And in the narration transmitted by Ibn Sa'ld (the words are):

Until he obrerved the dawn prayer. Yahya (another narrator) said: Until it was dawn.

Sunan Abu Dawud #1185Narrated Samurah ibn Jundub:

When, a boy from the Ansar and I were shooting (arrows) towards two of our targets, the sun was sighted by the people at the height of two or three lances above the horizon. It became black like the black herb called tannumah. One of us said to his companion: Let us go to the mosque; by Allah, this incident of the sun will surely bring something new in the community of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). As we reached it, we suddenly saw that he (the Prophet) had already come out (of his house). He stepped forward for a long time as much as he could do so in the prayer. But we did not hear his voice. He then performed a bowing and prolonged it as much as he could do in the prayer. But we did not hear his voice. He then prostrated himself with us and prolonged it which he never did in the prayer before. But we did not hear his voice. He then did similarly in the second rak'ah. The sun became bright when he sat after the second rak'ah. Then he uttered the salutation. He then stood up, praised Allah, and extolled Him, and testified that there was no god but Allah and testified that he was His servant and apostle. Ahmad ibn Yunus then narrated the address of the Prophet (ﷺ).