Re: Who was Zul-Qarnain?

[Jafar]

IMHO Zul-Qarnain is actually Cyrus from Persia...

In the Bible, Cycrus was addressed as a MOSSIACH (The Choosen).
Cyrus is a monotheist, his God and only God is Ahura Mazda.
Which means Rightful/Great Wisdom... (Al-Hakeem).

He attacks Babylon and liberate many Jews under captivity there, he even advances up to the Kanaan / Palestine
today and liberate Jerusalem. Thus the Jews is returning back again to Jerusalem
(thus fulfilling God promise to the Jews of returning back to Jerusalem
and ending the first exodus).

Then after his death, the Persian people start to twist their own deen.
They create a statue of Ahura Mazda.
And beside Ahura Mazda there are also many deities such as
Mithra and Ahriman and they even start to worship fire..

And that's why the persian are being punished through Alexander onslaught,
just like the Jews being punished through Titus (Roman) and the "moslems"
through the mongols.

http://www.livius.org/be-bm/behistun/behistun03.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoroastrianism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahura_Mazda


Salam / Peace

[Al-Quraishi]

Hmmmmm! Very interesting brother! Very interesting indeed!

[maxq]

It doesn't end there.
The book of Daniel clearly states that he had a dream of a Ram with two horns who would be the saivour of the jews... and indeed it was Cyrus, the king of the two kingdoms who liberated the jews from the babylonians...

[maxq]

I have atached an image of a bas-releif engraved with a figure thought to be of Cyrus (Kourosh) discovered at Pasargade... you can clearly see the two horns depicted

[Pazuzu]

It doesn't end there.
The book of Daniel clearly states that he had a dream of a Ram with two horns who would be the saivour of the jews... and indeed it was Cyrus, the king of the two kingdoms who liberated the jews from the babylonians...

I have atached an image of a bas-releif engraved with a figure thought to be of Cyrus (Kourosh) discovered at Pasargade... you can clearly see the two horns depicted

Hi..

Very nice observation. The word "qarn" in the Quran doesn't actually mean "horn". If you check every single verse that has the word "qarn" (singular) or "quroun" (plural), you will notice that the word can actually mean "people" or "nation(s)".

Here are a few examples:

Did they not see how many nations (peoples) We have destroyed before them? We granted them dominance over the land more than what We granted you, and We sent  to them abundant rainfall, and We made rivers flow beneath them; then We destroyed them for their sins, and established after them a new nation (people) [6:6]

Then We established after them (Noah's people) another nation.
And We sent a messenger to them from amongst them: "Serve God, you have no other god besides Him. Will you not  heed?" [23:31,32].

Is it not a guide to them how many nations (peoples) We had destroyed before them; and that they now walk  in their very homes? In that are signs for those who understand. [20:128]

As yo ucan see, the title of "Zhulqarnayn" can be interpreted as "He of two nations" or, more appropriately, "King of two nations or peoples".

In all of history, there can only be one ruler whose description can match these verses.

The kings of the Achamenid dynasty of ancient Persia were actually holders of a dual throne. Cyrus ( or "Kurush" ), was originally, the King of the Persians as well as the Medes!! He was king of two distinct nations, each having a culture quite different from the other. The vision of the ram with two horns mentioned in the book of Daniel is in fact a symbolic representation of Cyrus the Great (580 BC - 529 BC ), the liberator of the Jews. ( To this day, the religious Jews rever him ).

It's interesting to note that the verses of the subject matter, in the chapter entitled "al-Kahf", begin with the phrase: "And they ask you (Muhammad) about Zhulkqarnayn....."

If we understand "they" in the verse as meaning the people of the Book (Jews particularly), we can conclude 2 things:

1- That Zhulqarnayn was known to the Jews, and was mentioned in their scriptures.
2- The question they were asking the prophet Muhammad was a sort of test to see what he knew about Zhulqarnayn. Therefore, the answer given by the prophet would have to contain proof of his prophecy. This proof would have to be in the form of some information about Zhulqarnayn that even they -the Jews- didn't know; information that would be validated by historical records as well as archeological discoveries..

This understanding of the verses in question rules out the theory that Zhulqarnayn was Alexander the Great , and this for a simple reason: Alexander is NOt mentioned anywhere in the old Jewish scriptures, nor did he have any close ties or relations with the Jews.

Cyrus, on the other hand, did... It was Cyrus who liberated the Jews from their slavery in Babylon, ended their exile, and allowed them to return home and rebuild their temple (the same temple which would be destroyed again in the year 70 A.D at the hands of Roman Emperor Titus).

History is a witness to this fact: Alexander conquered to destroy, while Cyrus conquered to liberate.
Alexander was a pagan who declared himself the Son of Zeus, and was later made Pharaoh of Egypt. Cyrus was a monotheist and a strict follower of  Zoroastrianism, the Religion of Light. It is worth mentioning that Zoroaster (628 BC - 551 BC) lived in around the same period as Cyrus.

It was Cyrus who issued the first ever "decree of human rights" known to man. ( only 25 centuries before the United Nations!! )  This declaration can be seen, in text, on an ancient round stone pillar lying in a museum somewhere in England.

There is no doubt in my mind, that the "Zhulqarnayn" of the Quran is none other than Cyrus, a prophet/king of the Persians and Medes, and establisher of the first true empire recorded in history.


http://www.art-arena.com/cyrus.htm