“In the Alexander Romances, Alexander sets out in search of the Fountain of Life, which is accidentally found ‘in the land of darkness’, but cannot be found again. A recension of this legend occurs in the Shah Nama (a famous Persian poem), where Alexander sets out in search of the Fountain of Life in the Land of Darkness beyond the place of the setting of the Sun in the western waters; Alexander is guided by Khidr, but when they come to a parting of the ways, each follows a different path, and Khidr alone accomplishes the quest. Those of Alexander’s followers who bring back with them stones from the Land of Darkness find on their return that these are precious stones”.
The Land of Darkness is a land enshrouded in perpetual darkness. It was usually said to be in Abkhazia, the Forest of Abkhaziaand was known as Hanyson or Hamson, the name comes from the Hamshen area of Turkey. This land has been described as the alchemical nigredo, In alchemy, nigredo, or blackness, means putrefaction or decomposition, alchemists believed all alchemical ingredients had to be cleansed and cooked extensively to a uniform black matter, so it was probably descriptive of the country side. Elsewhere this land is said to be to the far north beneath the Pole Star and may be descriptive of lands that see extended nights lasting for months at certain times of the year.
“In Nizami’s Iskandar Nama, (a persian poem by Jamal ad-Din Abu Muḥammad); here Alexander learns from an ancient man (most likely al Khidr) that ‘of every land, the Dark Land is best, in which is a Water that is a life-giver’ and that the source of this River of Life is in the North, beneath the Pole Star. On the way to the dark land, in every arid land the rain falls, and grass consequently springs up, ‘Thou wouldst have said: “The trace of Khidr was on that road; that verily, Khidr himself was with the king”. They reach the northern limit of the world, the sun ceases to rise, and the Land of Darkness lies before them”.
“Alexander makes the prophet Khidr his guide, and Khidr ‘moving with greenness leads the way, and presently discovers the fountain, from which he drinks, becoming immortal. He keeps his eye on the spring, while waiting for Alexander to catch up with him; but it disappears from sight, and Khidr himself vanishes, realizing that Alexander will not succeed in his quest. Jamal ad-Din goes on to relate another version according to the ‘account of the elders of Rum’ (Rome); here the quest is undertaken by Ilyas and Khizr, who sit down by a fountain to eat their repast, consisting of dried fish; the fish falling into the waters, comes to life, and thus the seekers are made aware that they have found the Fountain of Life, from which both drink”.
Historically Alexander the Great (356-323 BC) was depicted in Greek coinage as ram-headed, In Arabic, Dhul-Qarnain means the Lord of Two Horns, Islamicaly Scholars have understood the Horns to mean the lord of two Ages. Dhul Qarnian Influenced His age through his travels and later ages through the wall He built to stop Yajuj Wa Majuj (Gog and Magog) from oppressing people. The Idea of being two horned may have come from Dhul Qarnian who predates Alexander, and is similarly depicted with two horns, which in Alexanders case signifies immortality. Al Khidr could not have met Alexander because al Khidr met Musa (r.a) who lived 1000 years before Alexander, it is more likely that those who depicted Alexander sought to imitate the image of Dhul Qarniyan (The Two Horned one) mentioned in the Quran, Dhul Qarnian’s story probably inspired Alexander and He sought to imitate his travels and conquests in life.
Allah mentions Dhul Qarnyan in the Quran:
18:83. They ask thee concerning Dhul-Qarnain. Say, “I will rehearse to you something of his story.”
18.84. Verily We established his power on earth, and We gave him the ways and the means to all ends.
18.85. One (such) way he followed,
18.86. Until, when he reached the setting of the sun, he found it set in a spring of murky water (this isn’t understood literally), and found a people thereabout. We said: O Dhu’l-Qarneain! Either punish or show them kindness.
18:87 He said: As for him who doeth wrong, we shall punish him, and then he will be brought back unto his Lord, Who will punish him with awful punishment!
18:88 But as for him who believeth and doeth right, good will be his reward, and We shall speak unto him a mild command.
18:89 Then he followed a road
18:90 Till, when he reached the rising-place of the sun, he found it rising on a people for whom We had appointed no shelter therefrom.
18:91 So (it was). And We knew all concerning him.
18:92 Then he followed a road
18:93 Till, when he came between the two mountains, he found upon their hither side a folk that scarce could understand a saying.
18:94 They said: O Dhu’l-Qarneyn! Lo! Gog and Magog are spoiling the land. So may we pay thee tribute on condition that thou set a barrier between us and them?
18:95 He said: That wherein my Lord hath established me is better (than your tribute). Do but help me with strength (of men), I will set between you and them a bank.
18:96 Give me pieces of iron – till, when he had levelled up (the gap) between the cliffs, he said: Blow! – till, when he had made it a fire, he said: Bring me molten copper to pour thereon.
18:97 And (Gog and Magog) were not able to surmount, nor could they pierce (it).
18:98 He said: This is a mercy from my Lord; but when the promise of my Lord cometh to pass, He will lay it low, for the promise of my Lord is true.
Dhu’l Qarnayn travels the earth until he reaches “maghriba alshshamsi” (86) the setting place of the sun, and then he travels until he reaches “matli’aa al-shamsi” (90), the rising place of the sun. In Islam Maghrib is the time for the prayer that ends at the time of sunset, in ahadith it is also the end period of mans time on earth, for example we are in the maghrib of mans time on earth, the days final phase. Maghrib used elsewhere in the Qur’an and Ahadith is also a common Arabic idiom for the west. The Arabic name for north Africa and Morocco, is al-Mamlakah al-Magribiyya, commonly called al-Maghrib for short.
Imam al Qurtubi and other commentators understood the rising and setting to mean the extreme places of the west and east, Africa and China, beyond which is nothing but the ocean.
“he found it set in a spring of murky water’ means he saw the sun according to his vision setting in the ocean and this is the same with everyone (traveling) to the shore seeing it as if the sun sets inside it (i.e. the ocean)”.(Tafsir Ibn Katheer)
The sun rises towards the east (China) and sets towards the west (Africa), If it means the far east and west then, “he found it rising on a people for whom We had appointed no shelter therefrom,” means China’s deserts. Alexander could not have been Dhul Qarnian because in 485 BC the Waring States period of China had begun and he only traveled as far as India.
China has one of the largest deserts in the world, so his journey could have reached the Gobi desert and further and it is possible the people where the Chinese people, Beijing is near the Gobi desert and the Bohai Sea on China’s coast is near it. Dhu’l Qarnayn in Ibn Ishaqs (8th century CE) Sirat al Nabi (Life of the Messenger of God), describes the story of Dhu’l Qarnayn, the prophet Muhammad’s enemies challenged him to tell them about “the mighty traveler who reached the confines of both East and West. ” literally, “the easts of the Earth and the wests of it”… the prophet answered “Roads were stretched out before him until he traversed the whole earth, east and west. He was given power over every land he trod on until he reached the farthest confines of creation”.
Some people take the verses regarding the setting of the sun and its rising in the literal sense accusing the prophet of not knowing the movement of the sun, which isn’t correct and those more educated have written in many places regarding this. What the prophet (saws) literally understood and witnessed regarding the movement of the sun is clearly resolved by a long hadith mentioned by Imam Tabari in his history, describing the Sun’s physical movement and its spiritual existence.
Abu Dharr al Ghifari related, “I walked hand in hand with the prophet around evening until the sun was about to set. We did not stop looking at it until it had set. He continued, I asked the Messenger of Allah where does it set? He replied: It sets in the heaven (space) and is then raised from Heaven (Jannah) to Heaven (Jannah) until it is raised to the highest seventh heaven (firdaus). Eventually when it falls down underneath the throne of Allah (and) it prostrates itself, and the Angels who are in charge of it prostrate themselves together with it”(History of al Tabari vol 1,pg 231).
The first “Heaven” mentioned in this translation is the physical motion of the sun in space this is where it sets in the space, to understand what is meant by “it is raised” a description given to it after it sets, we need an understanding of the inner aspects of the universe, we have to ask where is Jannah (Allah’s heaven), yes it is literally in space but in the inner unseen aspects of our Universe behind a Barzakh (barrier, veil, field) Allah says in the Quran, “(But the unbelievers will persist) until when death comes to one of them he will say: “O Lord, send me back again, That I may do some good I did not do (in the world).” Not so. These are only words he utters. Behind them lies the intervening (Barzakh) barrier (stretching) to the day of their resurrection” (23:99-100). (it’s interesting Allah says the barazh stretches to the day of judgment and not across space, this reference to time rather than location has significance in physics, relating to relativity and time.)
“and is then raised from Heaven to Heaven”, raised here means spiritually the veils (barrier or field) between the sun and the first level of Jannah are removed, they continue to be removed until the sun reaches the seventh and highest Jannah, al Firdaus (The highest level of heaven), and then it prostrates itself under the throne of Allah.
This Hadith is speaking about intervals in its travel, the veils are removed and then placed back again, it travels a certain distance and then they are removed again, its prostration beneath Allah’s throne and its obedience to him is Allah mercy to creation that it, the sun will not harm us and is always obeying Allah’s command.
This Hadith after mentioning the physical Journey, talks about the inner reality of this universe, and it is clear from this and from the remainder of the Hadith, which mentions the change in the length of days throughout the year, that the prophet (saws) clearly understood the Sun’s path in space.
The Sun and Earth follow a specific path, from our perspective “In winter, the sun is relatively low in the sky with its lowest arc through the sky on the winter solstice, on December 21st. In summer, the sun travels a high path through the sky and is at its highest angle on the summer solstice, on June 21st.” this is why to the extreme North and South of the earth they see extended days and nights lasting for months at a time, the sun is either continuously high in their sky or extremely low.
The summer solstice occurs during a hemisphere’s summer and marks its longest Days, While the Winter Solstice occurs during a hemispheres winter and marks its longest nights. “As a hemisphere is tilted away from the sun, the length of a day becomes shorter. As it is tilted toward the sun, the length of a day becomes longer”.
The Prophet (saws) continued regarding the movement of the sun and its path in space… “Every day and night the sun has a new place where it rises and a new place where it sets. (He understood intrinsically that the sun doesn’t set in the same place and its orbit around the earth is changing. Then referring to our perspective of it and its path creating the summer and winter solstice he said) The interval between them from beginning to end is longest for the day in summer and shortest in winter. This is (meant by) Allah’s word: “The Lord of the two easts and the lord of the two wests”(55:17), meaning the last (position) of the sun here and the last there…All the other stars are suspended from Heaven as lamps are from mosques, and circulate together with the heaven praising and sanctifying Allah with prayer.
The Prophet then said: If you wish to have this made clear, look to the circulation of the sphere alternately here and there. It is the circulation of Heaven and the circulation of all the stars together with it except those five. Their (referring it seems to heaven and stars) circulation today is what you see and that is their prayer. Their circulation to the day of resurrection is as quick as the circulation of a mill because of the Dangers and tremors of the Day of Resurrection (here the end of the universe is tied to its movement, this has scientific implications). This is meant by Allah’s word: “On a day when the heaven sways to and fro and the mountains move. Woe on that day unto those who declare false (the Devine message). (52:9-11). (History of al Tabari vol 1, Pg 235-236).
From here the hadith goes on to describe the spiritual existence of the sun and how the Angels are responsible for governing creation by Allah’s command, and how the unseen world is connected to the physical world and impacts it, to understand the depths of this description we have to understand the works of scholars like Imam Ibn Arabi who wrote about Barzakh (the unseen world) and the nature of its existence.
Alexander is reported to have made a similar trip to Dhul Qarniyan, to explore the ends of the Earth, but he traveled a lesser distance from its east to its west, it is rumored that he went as far as the Indus river to the east, Germany to the north, Egypt to the south and to Sicily in the west. Dhul Qarnian is the first to whom Allah granted dominion over all the earth and Allah sets a sunnah (precedent) with his Prophets (saws) and Awliya (as) that others end up following and repeating in history.
“Who taught, [the art of] script, by the pen — the first to write with it was [the prophet] Enoch (Idris), peace be upon him” (96:4, Tafsir al Jalalayn), he was also one of the first men to observe the movement of the stars and set out scientific weights and measures”. In reality Alexander came after the time of Musa (as), closer to the time of Isa (Jesus), a time when Persia was an Empire, and China was at War so his dominion was challenged, most likely he was inspired by tales of Dhul Qarnian which is why he is depicted like him, the only thing that seems to be missing from Alexanders Historical depiction is Dhul Qarnians piety and religion which was his most import quality that Allah points towards in the Quran.
It is entirely possible that al Khidr met Dhul Qarnian (r.a.h), through out history he was known by different names, or rather the story of different figures correlate with his, The Greeks call al-Khadir, Hormux (Hermes), Hermes is known to the Arabs as Idris, and was called Enoch in Hebrew text. Idris, Enoch, al Khidr and Hermes to some seem to be one person but Scholars have said the prophet Idris (Enoch) (saws) is a different figure as Islamic texts record and lived during the time of Adam (as), Ibn Ishaaq narrated that he was the first man to write with a pen and that he was born when Adam still had 308 years of his life to live.