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Dhul Qarnain ( ), Abyssinia (Ethiopia) and The People of Ᾱd

Preprint · April 2020

DOI: 10.31219/osf.io/prwqm

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 Dhul Qarnain (ባለ ሁለት ጋሜ), Abyssinia (Ethiopia) and The People of Ᾱd

Abdella Yimam Ali

Institute of Technology, Woldia University, Woldia, Ethiopia (abdellayimam1@gmail.com)

Abstract

This paper presents the similarities between Abyssinia (current name Ethiopia) and the people of
Ᾱd in the Quran. And Dhul Qarnain to be an Abyssinian king who is sent to the people of Ᾱd or
Abyssinia in east Africa, the people of Nuh in around the black sea, and the children of Israel in
Jerusalem.

1. Introduction

The story of Dhul Qarnain is found clearly in Sura al-kahf of the Quran. The Quran presents Dhul
Qarnain to be a man who has given by Allah extraordinary power. And He traveled from east to
west ends of the earth. He is mainly sent by Allah to stop gog and magog from mischiefing the
earth.

Although Dhul Qarnain is mentioned in sura al-kahf in relation with gog and magog, the three
journey of Dhul Qarnain presented in sura al-kahf represents the three missions of Dhul Qarnain.
In sura Hud, Allah presented the people of Ᾱd as the followers of the command of every proud,
obstinate and the people whom the people of Ᾱd follow their command might be gog and magog.
Further, in sura Isra’ Allah presented the children of Israel in relation with the people of Nuh before
mentioning the two fasad (mischiefing of the earth) committed by the children of Israel and this
might indicate the fact that another people who followed the commands of gog and magog to be
the children of Israel. Therefore, this three journeys of Dhul Qarnain might be directed to the
people of Ᾱd in around east Africa, the people of Nuh in around the black sea, and the children of
Israel in Jerusalem. This paper presents the relationship between the people of Ᾱd in the Quran
and Abyssinia (current name Ethiopia), and Dhul Qarnain to be an Abyssinian king.
2. Abyssinia (Ethiopia) and The People of Ᾱd

2.1 Numerical Analysis of the Quran regarding the People of Ᾱd

Allah said:

َ ‫ش ْيئًا إِ َّن َربِي َعلَى ُك ِل‬

‫ش ْيءٍ َح ِفيظ‬ ُ ‫فَإ ِ ْن ت ََولَّ ْوا فَقَدْ أ َ ْبلَ ْغت ُ ُك ْم َما أ ُ ْر ِس ْلتُ ِب ِه إِلَ ْي ُك ْم َويَ ْست َْخ ِل‬
َ ُ‫ف َربِي قَ ْو ًما َغي َْر ُك ْم َو ََل تَض ُُّرونَه‬

“So if you return away, still I have conveyed the massage with which I was sent to you. My Lord
will make another people succeed you, and you will not harm Him in the least. Surly, My Lord is
Guardian over all things.” (Quran 11:57)

The total verses from Sura al-Fatihah to Sura Hud of verse 57 where ‘‫ف َر ِبي قَ ْو ًما َغي َْر ُك ْم‬
ُ ‫’و َي ْست َْخ ِل‬
َ or
(My Lord will make another people succeed you) mentioned are 1529. And the battle of Shimbra
kure between the Imam of Adal Sultanate, Imam Ahmed Al-Ghazi and an Abyssinian emperor
Dawit II was held in 1529 and Imam Ahmed Al-Ghazi has prevailed.

2.2 The Discovery of the body of Ᾱd

Lucy or Australopithecus afarensis (this might be the body of ad) found in 1974 in Afar region of
Ethiopia (Johanson & Edey, 1981), the same year TLF (Tigray Liberation Front) and Derg (Ge’ez,
committee or council) founded and Ethiopian monarchy abolished. This might indicate the fact
that the time of the people of Ad has approached.

2.3 Famine

Analysis of the history of famine incidents in Ethiopia leads to the fact that mostly a regime change
occurs in Ethiopia following a widespread famine. (For example, when Imam Ahmed al-Ghazi
entered Tigray in around 1535, there were a wide spread drought in Tigray. When Menelik took
power in 1889, provinces of Begemder, Shewa, and around Harer were fallen into drought.
Hailesilassie took power following a drought in 1929. Derg took power following a widespread
famine in Amhara in 1973. EPDRF come to power following three years of drought from 1985-
88).

The above incidents are very similar to the story of the people of ad in the Quran that the people
of ad punished severely following a widespread famine. Allah said:
 َ ‫) تُدَ ِم ُر ُك َّل‬24( ‫ارض ُم ْم ِط ُرنَا َب ْل ه َُو َما ا ْست َ ْع َج ْلت ُ ْم ِب ِه ِريح فِي َها َعذَاب أ َ ِليم‬
ٍ‫ش ْيء‬ ِ ‫ارضًا ُم ْست َ ْق ِب َل أ َ ْو ِد َيتِ ِه ْم قَالُوا َهذَا َع‬
ِ ‫فَلَ َّما َرأ َ ْوهُ َع‬
َ‫سا ِكنُ ُه ْم َكذَلِكَ نَجْ ِزي ْال َق ْو َم ْال ُمجْ ِر ِمين‬ ْ َ ‫ِبأ َ ْم ِر َر ِب َها َفأ‬
َ ‫ص َب ُحوا ََل ي َُرى ِإ ََّل َم‬

“Then, when they saw it as a dense cloud coming towards their valleys, they said: "This is a cloud
bringing us rain!" Nay, but it is that (torment) which you were asking to be hastened! a wind
wherein is a painful torment! Destroying everything by the Command of its Lord! So they became
such that nothing could be seen except their dwellings! Thus do We recompense the people who
are Mujrimûn (polytheists, disbelievers, sinners, etc.)!”. (Quran 46:24-25)

2.4 Architecture

The Quran describes the people of ad to be effective in architecture. Abyssinians (axumites) are
also well known for building stone structures that are fully carved out from stone. Axum and Rock
hewn churches of Lalibela (built as symbolic representation of Jerusalem) are few examples found
in northern part of Ethiopia (Catwright, 2019).

(a) (b)

Figure 2. (a) Rock hewn churches of Lalibela, (b) Axum

As the Prophet (pbuh) said that Hud (a.s) to be an Arab prophet and Allah presents Hud to be the
brother of the people of Ᾱd, one may argue that the people of Ᾱd to be an Arab (and presenting
Abyssinia to be the people of Ᾱd contradicts with the above hadith of the Prophet). However, as
Axumites rule part of Arabiya including Yemen, southern Saudi Arabia, and northern Sudan
(Munro Hay, 1991). Therefore, presenting Hud (an Arab prophet) to be sent to non-Arab
Abyssinians is possible as Moses (a.s) is sent to Pharaoh and his people who were non-Israelites.

3. Reappearance of Dhul Qarnain

In the hadith narrated in Jami at-Tirmidhi, when the prophet (pbuh) asked about the best man
during the fitnah (tribulation) and he answered saying ‘a man among his livestock, who pays what
is due on them, and worships his Lord. And a man clutching the head of his horse, terrified of the
enemy, and they terrified of him’. The horse mentioned in the hadith refers to the technology of
Dhul Qarnain. Therefore, this hadith might indicate the second coming of Dhul Qarnain.

Furthermore, the characteristics of Dhul Qarnain described in the Quran is very similar with the
description of the last Abyssinian king as prophesied by famous Wollo sheik, Sheik Hussein Jibril.
The prophesy of Sheik Hussein Jibril assured that the last Abyssinian king to be the possessors of
two gammie (Amharic, gammie: synonym to ‘horn’), will be given an age of hundreds years from
Allah, and will emerge from the east. It is also evident that the Quran presentation of Dhul Qarnain
to be arrived in the rising place of the sun early during sun rise shows the fact that he (Dhul
Qarnain) is from the east.

Generally, Dhul Qarnain is an Abyssinian king who appeared at the beginning of human history
during the time of gog and magog and he will also be the last Abyssinian king during the time of
the Mahdi (a.s). As discussed in the Quran, he will drive the clouds in a good way and use wind
as a military weapon. Before the appearance of Dhul Qarnain, Ethiopia will be hit by a wide spread
famine. As Allah said ‘‫ص ًرا فِي يَ ْو ِم نَحْ ٍس ُم ْست َِم ٍر‬ َ ‫س ْلنَا َعلَ ْي ِه ْم ِري ًحا‬
َ ‫ص ْر‬ َ ‫ ِإ َّنا أَ ْر‬or We sent against them (the
people of ad or Abyssinians) a furious wind of harsh voice on a day of evil omen and continuous
calamity’ (Quran 54:19), there is no doubt that Dhul Qarnain will appear in Ethiopia in 2029 (the
day described as ‘a day of evil omen and continuous calamity’ is the same day where the first Dhul
Qarnain conquered Abyssinia, the battle of Shimbra kure taken place, and the second Dhul Qarnain
will appear in Abyssinia).

በጧት ጣይ ዘለቀ ወሬውን ሲሰማ ባለ ሁለት ጋሜ፤

ካላህ የተሰጠው የመቶ አመት እድሜ።

ተናግሬያለሁኝ እኔ ለሀበሻ፤
 አንድ እንኳ ሳይቀረኝ እስከመጨረሻ። (Sheik Hussein Jibril)

The following hadith of the Prophet might also indicate Allah sending of Dhul Qarnain in due
time.

“Beware the supplication of the oppressed, for it is carried above the clouds. Allah Almighty says:
By might and majesty, I will help you in due time.” (Al-Mu’jam al-Kabir 3630)

Reference
1. Al Hilali, M. T., & Khan, M. M. (1996). Interpretation of the meaning of the Noble Quran.
Darussalam.

2. Catwright, M. (2019, march 21). Encyclopedia. Retrieved from Encyclopedia:

https://www.ancient.et/kingdom-of-Axum

3. Johanson, D., & Edey, M. (1981). Lucy: The Beginning of Humankind. New York: Simon and
Schuster.

4. Munro Hay, S. (1991). Aksum: An African Civilization of Late Antiquity. Edinburgh: Edinburgh
University Press.

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