Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Kahf Verse 96

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Bring me big pieces of iron.” (They proceeded accordingly) until when he leveled up (the gap) between the two cliffs, he said, “Blow.” (They complied) until when he made it (like) fire, he said, “Bring me molten copper, and I will pour it upon this.”

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Bring me blocks of iron!” Then, when he had filled up ˹the gap˺ between the two mountains, he ordered, “Blow!” When the iron became red hot, he said, “Bring me molten copper to pour over it.”

Ruwwad Translation Center

Bring me iron blocks” – until when he leveled between the two mountain-sides, he said, “Blow [with bellows],” until when he fired them up to extreme heat, he said, “Bring me molten copper to pour over it.”

A. J. Arberry

Bring me ingots of iron!' Until, when he had made all level between the two cliffs, he said, 'Blow!' Until, when he had made it a fire, he said, 'Bring me, that I may pour molten brass on it.'

Abdul Haleem

bring me lumps of iron!’ and then, when he had filled the gap between the two mountainsides [he said], ‘Work your bellows!’ and then, when he had made it glow like fire, he said, ‘Bring me molten metal to pour over it!’

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Bring me lumps of iron. Then when he had evened Up between the two mountain-sides, he said: blow! Then when he had made it fire, he said: bring me and I shall pour thereon molten cOpper.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

"Bring me blocks of iron." At length, when he had filled up the space between the two steep mountain-sides, He said, "Blow (with your bellows)" Then, when he had made it (red) as fire, he said; "Bring me, that I may pour over it, molten lead."

Abul Ala Maududi

Bring me ingots of iron." Then after he had filled up the space between the two mountain-sides, he said: "(Light a fire) and ply bellows." When he had made it (red like) fire, he said: "Bring me molten copper which I may pour on it."

Ahmed Ali

Bring me ingots of iron," (which they did) until the space between two mountain sides was filled up. "Blow your bellows," he said; (and they blew) until it was red hot. "Bring me molten brass," he said, "that I may pour over it."

Ahmed Raza Khan

“Give me sheets of iron”; until when he had raised the wall equal to the edge of the two mountains, he said, “Blow”; to the extent that he made it ablaze – he said, “Bring me molten copper to pour upon it.”

Ali Quli Qarai

Bring me pieces of iron!’ When he had levelled up between the flanks, he said, ‘Blow!’ When he had turned it into fire, he said, ‘Bring me molten copper to pour over it.’

Ali Ünal

"Bring me blocks of iron." Then, after he had filled up (the space between) the two steep mountain-sides, he said: "(Light a fire and) work your bellows!" At length, when he had made it (glow red like) fire, he said: "Bring me molten copper that I may pour upon it."

Amatul Rahman Omar

(Then he said,) `Bring me ingots of iron.´ (So that when all was provided for and) he had filled the space between the two barriers, he said, `Now blow (with your bellows).´ (They blew) till when he had made it (- the ignots red hot as) fire, he said, `Bring me molten copper that I may pour (it) thereon.´

English Literal

Give/bring me the huge pieces of iron. Until when he straightened/leveled/equalized between the two sides/directions/mountain sides , he said: "Blow." Until when he made it a fire, he said: "Give/bring me, I pour on it molten copper/brass/iron ."

Faridul Haque

"Give me sheets of iron"; until when he had raised the wall equal to the edge of the two mountains, he said, "Blow"; to the extent that he made it ablaze - he said, "Bring me molten copper to pour upon it."

Hamid S. Aziz

He said, "The power my Lord hath established me in is better than tribute; help me, therefore, with strength (labour), and I will set a barrier between you and them.

Hilali & Khan

"Give me pieces (blocks) of iron," then, when he had filled up the gap between the two mountain-cliffs, he said: "Blow," till when he had made it (red as) fire, he said: "Bring me molten copper to pour over it."

Maulana Mohammad Ali

He said: That wherein my Lord has established me is better, so if only you help me with strength (of men), I will make a fortified barrier between you and them:

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Bring me blocks of iron; until when he had filled up the space between the two mountain sides, he said: Blow, until when he had made it (as) fire, he said: Bring me molten brass which I may pour over it.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

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.

Muhammad Sarwar

Bring me blocks of iron to fill up the passage between the two mountains." He told them to ply their bellows until the iron became hot as fire. Then he told them to pour on it molten brass."

Qaribullah & Darwish

Bring me ingots of iron' After he had leveled between the two cliffs, he said: 'Blow' And when he made it a fire, he said: 'Bring me molten copper so that I may pour over it'

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

"Give me Zubar of iron;" then, when he had filled up the gap between the two mountain-cliffs, he said: "Blow;" then when he had made them (red as) fire, he said: "Bring me Qitran to pour over them."

Wahiduddin Khan

bring me blocks of iron." Then, when he had filled the gap between the mountain sides [he said], "Now blow on the fire with your bellows." When the iron blocks were red with heat, he said, "Bring me molten brass to pour on them."

Talal Itani

“Bring me blocks of iron.” So that, when he had leveled up between the two cliffs, he said, “Blow.” And having turned it into a fire, he said, “Bring me tar to pour over it.”

Tafsir jalalayn

Bring me ingots of iron!', namely, pieces thereof, as large as the [blocks of] stone to be used in the construction; he used these [ingots] in his construction, placing between them firewood and coal. Until, when he had levelled up [the gap] between the two flanks (read al-sudufayn, or al-sadafayn or al-sudfayn, meaning, the two flanks of the two mountains) he set up bellows and [lit a] fire around this [construction] -- he said, `Blow!', and they blew, until, when he had made it, namely, the iron, a fire, that is, like a fire, he said, `Bring me molten copper to pour over it' (the two verbs [tn, `bring me', and ufrigh, `pour'] are in contention over this [direct object, qitran, `molten copper']; it [this direct object] has been omitted before the first [verb] because it is being governed by the second [verb]). Thus he poured the molten copper over the hot iron so that it penetrated between the [individual] ingots, making a [solid] single whole.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

اتُونِي زُبَرَ الْحَدِيدِ

I will erect between you and them a barrier. Give me Zubar of iron,
Zubar is the plural of Zubrah, which means pieces or chunks of something.

This was the view of Ibn Abbas, Mujahid and Qatadah.

These pieces were like bricks or blocks, and it was said that each block weighed one Damascene Qintar or more.

حَتَّى إِذَا سَاوَى بَيْنَ الصَّدَفَيْنِ

then, when he had filled up the gap between the two mountain-cliffs,

means, he put the blocks on top of one another, starting at the bottom, until he reached the tops of the mountains, filling the width and height of the gap.

The scholars differed about the precise width and height.

قَالَ انفُخُوا

he said;Blow;

means, he lit a fire until the whole thing was burning hot.

حَتَّى إِذَا جَعَلَهُ نَارًا

then when he had made them (red as) fire,

قَالَ اتُونِي أُفْرِغْ عَلَيْهِ قِطْرًا



he said;Bring me Qitran to pour over them.

Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, `krimah, Ad-Dahhak, Qatadah and As-Suddi said;

it was copper.

Some of them added that it was molten.

This is similar to the Ayah;

وَأَسَلْنَا لَهُ عَيْنَ الْقِطْرِ

And We caused a fount of Qitran to flow for him. (34;12)

So it resembled a striped cloak