Then summoned him to the first heaven.

Then summoned him to the first heaven. When the curtains were removed from his sight he beheld all that was in the earth, like the mountains, deserts and passes. Dhu’l-Qarnayn saw everything and the Almighty bestowed him complete knowledge and he could discriminate between right and wrong. Allah strengthened his horns with a part of a heavenly cloud that contained darkness, thunder and lightening.

Then he was sent back to the earth and commanded through revelation, “Roam in the east and the west, We made easy for you the travel between cities. And We made the people subservient to your commands and instilled your fear in their hearts.” Dhu’l-Qarnayn departed for the West end of the earth. As he traversed the lands he raised a loud scream like the roar of a lion.

His horns emitted darkness, thunder and lightening and all those who were inimical to him and tried to oppose were instantly killed. In a single day he reached to the end of the earth before the Sun could reach the West. (Before Sunset).

All the people of the East and the West became subservient to his command as mentioned by Allah: “Surely We established him in the land and granted him means of access to everything.” (18:84) When the sun reached west he saw that it was setting in a hot spring and 70000 angels are tugging at the Sun with fiery chains on the surface of the sea towards the lands of East, in the same manner as a boat is towed.

He went to the rising place of the sun and it began to shine on the people of the East as described by the Almighty. Amir al-Mu’minin ‘Ali says that he came across a people who were burnt by the Sun. Their bodies and skins were scorched by sunlight. From here he (Dhu’l-Qarnayn) proceeded towards darkness and desolation until he reached a place between two great walls as mentioned by the Holy Qur’an.

The inhabitants of that area complained to Dhu’l-Qarnayn that Gog and Magog lived between the two mountains and had wreaked havoc in the land. When the crops and orchards are ready for cultivation they crossed the barriers and devoured everything. The people offered Dhu’l-Qarnayn annual tithes if he could construct a barrier to prevent the mischief of the two giants. Dhu’l-Qarnayn said that he was in no need of their tithe, but they should provide him labor for constructing the barrier.

“Collect ingots of iron,” commanded Dhu’l-Qarnayn. The people mixed iron ingots from a mountain and with these iron bricks constructed a wall across the chasm.