Is Alexander the Great Mentioned In the Qur’an?

Answered by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat

 

Question

Assalamu ‘alaykum.

Is there any mention of Alexander the great in Islam? I have heard people say he was a Prophet and the Quranic figure Dhu al Qarayan. Is this true?

Answer

Wa ‘alaykum assalam wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh.

I pray you are well.

There is much debate around the identity of the individual referred to in the Qur’an by the title ‘Dhu al Qarnayn.’ Some researchers and translators, such as the late Abdullah Yusuf Ali (May Allah have mercy on him), have suggested it could be Alexander the Great. Others have suggested he was the Persian ruler Cyrus II, also known as Cyrus the Great. 

However, as of yet, there is no decisive way to establish his identity. The research Shaykh Ali Hani had done led him to believe that it was most likely Cyrus II. Allah knows best. 

It’s worth noting that the Qur’an does not focus on such details lest they deter us from the lessons embedded within these narratives. We ask Allah to allow us to benefit from these lessons in this life and the next. Amin.

May Allah grant you the best of both worlds.

[Shaykh] Abdul-Rahim

 

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat began his studies in Arabic Grammar and Morphology in 2005. After graduating with a degree in English and History, he moved to Damascus in 2007, where, for 18 months, he studied with many erudite scholars. In late 2008 he moved to Amman, Jordan, where he continued his studies for the next six years in Sacred Law (fiqh), legal theory (Usul al-fiqh), theology, hadith methodology, hadith commentary, and Logic. He was also given licenses of mastery in the science of Quranic recital. He was able to study an extensive curriculum of Quranic sciences, tafsir, Arabic grammar, and Arabic eloquence.