The Real " The One With Two Horns"

EXCLUSIVE The real meaning of “The One with Two Horns (Dzulqarnain) “, and who is the most suitable candidate for the title Dzulqarnain.

Not Alexander the Great or Cyrus the Great

DZULQARNAIN SERIES PART #3

It was narrated by Ibn ‘Abbas that:

“The Quraysh sent An-Nadr bin Al-Harith and `Uqbah bin Abi Mu`it to the Jewish rabbis in Al-Madinah, and told them:

`Ask them (the rabbis) about Muhammad, and describe him to them, and tell them what he is saying. They are the people of the first Book, and they have more knowledge of the Prophets than we do.’ So they set out and when they reached Al-Madinah, they asked the Jewish rabbis about the Messenger of Allah.

They described him to them and told them some of what he had said.

They said, `You are the people of the Tawrah and we have come to you so that you can tell us about this companion of ours.’

They (the rabbis) said,

`Ask him about three things which we will tell you to ask, and if he answers them then he is a Prophet who has been sent (by Allah); if he does not, then he is saying things that are not true, in which case how you will deal with him will be up to you’.

Ask him about some young men in ancient times, what was their story, for theirs is a strange and wondrous tale.

Ask him about a man who travelled a great deal and reached the east and the west of the earth. What was his story.

And ask him about the Ruh (soul or spirit)

What is it If he tells you about these things, then he is a Prophet, so follow him, but if he does not tell you, then he is a man who is making things up, so deal with him as you see fit.’

So, An-Nadr and `Uqbah left and came back to the Quraysh, and said: `O people of Quraysh, we have come to you with a decisive solution which will put an end to the problem between you and Muhammad. The Jewish rabbis told us to ask him about some matters,’ and they told the Quraysh what they were.

Then they came to the Messenger of Allah and said, `O Muhammad, tell us,’ and they asked him about the things they had been told to ask.

The Messenger of Allah said,

(I will tell you tomorrow about what you have asked me.)

but he did not say `If Allah wills.’ So, they went away, and the Messenger of Allah stayed for fifteen days without any revelation from Allah concerning that, and Jibril, peace be upon him, did not come to him either.

The people of Makkah started to doubt him, and said, `Muhammad promised to tell us the next day, and now fifteen days have gone by and he has not told us anything in response to the questions we asked.’

The Messenger of Allah felt sad because of the delay in revelation, and was grieved by what the people of Makkah were saying about him.

Then Jibril came to him from Allah with the Surah about the companions of Al-Kahf, which also contained a rebuke for feeling sad about the idolaters.

The Surah also told him about the things they had asked him about, the young men and the traveller.

The above narration is mentioned by Ibn Kathir, al-Tabari, al-Qurtubi, Ibn ‘Atiyyah, Abu Hayyan, and many others as the Jews questioning the Prophet being the circumstance of its revelation

When the Jewish scholars proposed questions to the Quraysh to test the Prophet Muhammad saw, they likely chose stories and concepts that were obscure ant not widely known among the pagan Arabs.

For the question about the youth in ancient times, this was clearly from an external source. Not from their scripture.

This is because, there is no similar stories were found in their scripture.

The obvious source of this question was the tale of Seven Sleepers of Ephesus. The popular versions include a Latin account by St Gregory of Tours (538-594) and the Syriac version by the Jacob of Serugh(450-521).

The fact that they used an external source for the question about youth, it is also possible that they used another external source for the question about the “man who travelled to the east and the west of the earth”

And the obvious source is the mythical tale of Alexander the Great in The Alexander Romance/Pseudo-Callisthenes.

So, these two tales were the sources of their questions:

1. The Seven Sleepers of Ephesus

2. The Alexander Romance/Pseudo-Callisthenes

The Jewish scholars must be familiar with stories which were very well known at the time. When they ask the pagan Quraysh about Prophet Muhammad saw, the Quraysh might had told them about Prophet Muhammad saw who is not able to read and write. So, the Jewish in their opinion, Prophet Muhammad would never be able to answer the question.

What they expected the outcome was:

1. Prophet Muhammad saw would not be able to answer them or

2. Prophet Muhammad saw would just be copying and plagiarizing the tales with all the mythological elements

Obviously, they had Alexander the Great in their mind when they asked about a man who travelled to the east and the west of the world.

As noted in Islamic tradition, Jewish scholars in Medina asked the question to test whether the Prophet Muhammad’s saw answers aligned with the existing narratives.

If he mirrored the Alexander Romance, they could accuse him of borrowing stories rather than receiving divine revelation.

Why Did the Jewish Scholars Accept the Answers?

The complete silence of the Jewish scholars after the revelation of the Surah Al Kahf, indicates that they had accepted the answers.

But the question is why?

If the Jewish scholars expected the answer to the question about the man who travelled to the east and the west to be Alexander the Great, they were very much surprised.

Not just the Quran does not mention the name Alexander, but instead names the person as Dzulqarnain.

The story also devoid of any paganism, but instead Dzulqarnain was depicted as a monotheist.

Even the name Dzulqarnain is familiar to the Jewish people. The name Dzulqarnain is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, specifically in the Daniel 8.

Daniel 8 is the 8th chapter of the Book of Daniel

As can be seen, the term that had two horns or

“BA’AL HAQ QA RA NAYIM”

was mentioned in the Daniel 8 in the Hebrew Bible.

Imagine their surprise when they heard the Quranic narrative.

It was not as they expected , and the Quran mentioned something that was in their own scripture.

Surely in their minds that Prophet Muhammad saw would not had known about the information in their scripture without the divine intervention.

Their silence said it all.

Let us examine these elements in the Jewish scripture that really shocked the Jewish scholar.

Daniel 8 :

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“In the third year of Balshazzar's kingdom, a vision appeared to me

I, Daniel-after what had appeared to me in the beginning.

And I saw in the vision, and it came to pass when I saw-and I was in Shushan the capital, which is in the province of Elam-and I saw in the vision that I was beside the river Ulai.

And I lifted my eyes, and I saw, and behold a ram was standing before the river, and it had horns, and the horns were high, and one was higher than the other, and the higher one sprouted last.

I saw the ram goring westward, northward, and southward, and no beasts could stand before it, and no one could save [anyone] from its hand, and it did according to its will, and it grew.

And I was pondering, and behold a he-goat came from the west over the surface of the entire Earth, and it did not touch the ground, and the goat had a conspicuous horn between its eyes.

And it came to the horned ram that I saw standing before the river, and it ran toward it with the fury of its power.

And I saw it coming up to the ram, and it fought with it, and it struck the ram and broke both of its horns, and the ram had no strength to stand before it; so, it cast it to the ground and trampled it, and there was no one to save the ram from its hand.

And the he-goat waxed exceedingly huge, and when it became strong, the great horn broke, and an appearance of four sprouted in its stead, to the four directions of the heavens.

And from one of them emerged a small horn, and it became very great to the south and to the east and to the coveted land.

And it grew until the host of heaven, and it cast down to the ground some of the host and of the stars and trampled them.

And until the Prince of the host it grew, and through him the daily sacrifice was removed, and the base of His Sanctuary was cast down.

And a time will be given for the daily sacrifice because of transgression, and it will cast truth to the Earth, and it will do and prosper.

Then I heard one holy one speaking, and one holy one said to the anonymous one who was speaking, "How long will be the vision of the daily sacrifice and the mute abomination, permitting the Sanctuary and the host to be trampled?"

And he said to me, "Until evening and morning, two thousand and three hundred, and the holy ones shall be exonerated."

Now it came to pass when I, Daniel, perceived that vision, that I sought understanding, and behold, there stood before me one who appeared like a man.

And I heard the voice of a man in the midst of the Ulai, and he called and said, "Gabriel, enable this one to understand the vision."

And he came beside the place where I was standing, and when he came, I became frightened, and I fell upon my face. Then he said to me, "Understand, son of man, that the vision refers to the time of the end."

Now, when he spoke to me, I fell into a sound sleep upon my face to the ground, and he touched me and stood me up where I had been standing.

And he said to me, "Behold I am letting you know what will be at the end of the fury, for it is the end of the time.

The ram that you saw, the one with the horns, represents the kings of Media and Persia.

And the he-goat is the king of Greece, and the great horn that is between his eyes-that is the first king.

And the broken one, in whose stead stood four, represents four kingdoms [that] will rise from a nation, but not with its strength.

And at the end of their kingdom, when the transgressors have been destroyed, there will arise a brazen-faced king who understands riddles.

And his power will become strong, but not through his strength, and he will destroy wondrously, and he will prosper and accomplish, and he will destroy the mighty and the people of the holy ones.

And through his intellect, he will cause the deceit in his hand to prosper, and in his heart, he will become proud, and in tranquillity he will destroy many, and over the Prince of princes he will stand, and without strength he will be broken.

And the vision of the evening and the morning that was said is true, and you close up the vision, which will be for many days."

And I, Daniel, became broken and ill for days, but I rose and did the king's work, and I was terrified about the vision, but no one realized it.”

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The Summary of Daniel 8:

1. Daniel in his vision sees himself in Susa

2. He sees a ram with two horns, one greater than the other, and the longer one comes later

3. The Ram charges to the west, north and south, no other beast can stand it

4. Daniel then sees a male goat with a single horn came from the west without touching the ground.

5. It strikes the ram and destroys it

6. At the height of its power, the goat’s horn is broken and in its place four horns grow

7. The angel Gabriel appears and tells Daniel that the ram represents the Kings of Media and Persia

8. The male goat is the King of Greece, and the horn between his eyes is the first king

So, it can be said that the goat symbolise the King of Macedonian Empire and the horn is Alexander the Great.

As for the ram with the two horns, the traditional interpretation says that it is the Kings of Media and the Kings of Persia.

One horn is longer that represents the bigger influence of Persia later on.

However, this contradicts the passage itself.

“And I saw it coming up to the ram, and it fought with it, and it struck the ram and broke both of its horns, and the ram had no strength to stand before it; so, it cast it to the ground and trampled it, and there was no one to save the ram from its hand”.

In this passage, clearly it symbolises the defeat of Achaemenid King Darius 3 in the hand of Alexander the Great. It is the beginning of the collapse of the Achaemenid empire.

Therefore, the term “THE KINGS OF MEDIA AND PERSIA” clearly means the kings of Achaemenid Empire.

The unified Media and Persia empire. It symbolises a single king that rules Media AND Persia.

Not separate kings that rule Media and Persia separately. Cyrus the Great had unified Media and Persia, and ruled it as one kingdom.

So, what are the horns represent then?

As the single horn of the goat represent Alexander the Great, the first king of the Macedonian empire before it fells apart into four separate kingdoms (Ptolemaic, Seleucid, Pergamon, Antigonid), the two horns of the ram symbolise the succession of kings that rule the Achaemenid empire.

“……it had two horns, and the horns were high, and one was higher than the other, and the higher one sprouted last”.

To understand this statement in the Daniel 8, we have to take a look at the history of the Achaemenid kings.

Historical records show that Cyrus the Great (Cyrus II, 560-530 BC) founded the Achaemenid Empire by defeating the Median Empire and was succeeded by his son Cambyses II(530-522BC).

After Cambyses II, there was a brief reign by Bardiya (possibly Gaumata,522 BC), the imposter, and then Darius the Great ( Darius I, 522-486 BC) took power.

Darius the Great was not the direct descendant of Cyrus but from a different branch of the Achaemenid family.

The lineage of Cyrus includes only two kings; Cyrus the Great and Cambyses II. Ending with Cambyses II.

The lineage of Darius the Great, starting with Darius the Great, includes;

-Darius the Great (522-486BC)

-Xerxes I (486-465 BC)

-Artaxerxes I (465-424 BC)

-Xerxes II (424 BC)

-Sogdianus (424-423 BC)

-Darius II (423-405 BC)

-Artaxerxes II (405-358 BC)

-Artaxerxes III (358-338 BC)

-Arses (338-336 BC)

-Darius III (336-330 BC)

Totalling 10 kings

While the traditional interpretation of the passage “…..It had two horns, the one was higher than the other, and the higher ones sprouted last” symbolises the dual kingdoms, Media and Persia, with the longer horn indicating the Persia’s dominance later on, there is a new angle to interpret it.

The goat ------------ The Greek/Macedonian Empire

The single horn ------ The king of the Greek Empire (Alexander the Great)

The Ram ------------- The Unified Media and Persia Empire or the Achaemenid Empire

The two horns ------- The kings of the Achaemenid Empire.

But why two horns?

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Historically, the Achaemenid Empire was ruled by two different dynasties.

The dynasty of the founder Cyrus the Great which end after the Cambyses II, and the Darius’s dynasty which followed after that.

Darius’s dynasty is longer since it has more kings.

It can be said, that the two horns in Daniel 8 symbolise the two ruling dynasties of the Achaemenid Empire.

On horn represents Cyrus the Great’s dynasty and the other horn represents the Darius the Great’s dynasty.

Two different dynasty because Darius the Great and Cyrus the Great were from two separate lineages of the Achaemenid family.

Darius the Great possessed both horns because he inherited Cyrus’s empire and established his own dynasty.

Darius the Great embodying both the foundation (Cyrus’s empire) and the continuation (his own dynasty).

Horn #1 : Cyrus the Great's lineage dynasty ( 2 kings)- shorter

Horn #2 : Darius the Great's lineage dynasty(10 kings)-longer

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This interpretation fits with the Dzulqarnain’s symbolism.

"The One with Two Horns"

The One who rules over two dynasties

Therefore, Darius the Great is more suitable to the title “the One with Two Horns”, or the “The Possessor of Two Horns” or Dzulqarnain.

The real meaning of Dzulqarnain is, “THE RULER OF TWO DYNASTIES”

And the candidate for Dzulqarnain is, DARIUS THE GREAT, not Alexander the Great or Cyrus the Great

Who is Darius the Great?

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Darius I (Old Persian: Dārayavaʰuš; c. 550 – 486 BCE), commonly known as Darius the Great, was the third King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire, reigning from 522 BCE until his death in 486 BCE.

He ruled the empire at its territorial peak, when it included much of West Asia, parts of the Balkans (Thrace–Macedonia and Paeonia) and the Caucasus, most of the Black Sea's coastal regions, Central Asia, the Indus Valley in the far east, and portions of North Africa and Northeast Africa including Egypt (Mudrâya), eastern Libya, and coastal Sudan.

The meaning of his name is “Upholder of Good” or “Holder of Good”. It is a composite of name, combining “Daraya” meaning “to hold” or “to possess” with “vau” meaning “good”

The Achaemenid Empire reaches its peak during the rule of Darius the Great. The size of his empire is the largest in the world in that time.

The size of his empire even surpassed the size of Alexander the Great’s empire.

By comparison, these are the sizes of each empire:

Darius the Great ------------- 5.5 million square km

Alexander the Great -------- 5.2 million square km

Cyrus the Great -------------- 4 to 5 million square km

The Persian Empire under Darius the Great reached its peak size of approximately 5.5 million square kilometres, making it larger than Alexander the Great’s empire.

Cyrus the Great’s empire, while vast, was likely smaller as it did not include later conquests like Egypt and Indus Valley.

And the most important thing is, Darius the Great was a strict monotheist.

Based on historical records, Darius the Great was a strictly monotheistic king, who followed the ancient Zoroastrianism with Ahura Mazda as the supreme deity.

And his inscription ( Behistun inscription, Naqsh-e-Rostam , Persepolis), state that “By the Grace of Ahura Mazda, I am King: Ahura Mazda has granted me Kingdom”

The phrase was repeated in his inscription over and over again, emphasizing his devotion to Ahura Mazda as the supreme deity.

These are some of the achievements of Darius the Great:

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1. Empire expansion: Darius military achievements were central to expanding the Achaemenid Empire to its greatest territorial extent., covering West Asia, parts of Europe,(Thrace, Macedonia,Paenoia),the Caucasus, Black Sea coasts, Central Asia, The Indus Valley, and North/North East Africa(Egypt, eastern Libya, coastal Sudan.

Key campaigns include:

• Egypt and other regions: He defeated rebel forces in Egypt, incorporating into the empire by 519 BC and visited Egypt in 518 BC, addressing insubordination by executing Aryandes

(journey to the West????)

• Indus Valley conquest (515 BC): Darius conquered northern Punjab,India, making it the 20th satrapy,controlling regions from Gandhara to Karchi

(Journey to the east???)

• Scythian Campaign (513 BC) : He attacked the Scythians east of the Caspian Sea, subjugated eastern Thrace and Gate, and crossed the Danube into European Scythia, building 8 ports 8 miles apart at Oarus to secure frontiers against the nomadic tribes

( the land of Yajuj and Majuj???)

2. Administrative Reforms: Darius’s administrative genius was evident in his reorganization of the empire into 20 satrapies, each governed by a satrap or archon, with fixed tributes determined by a commission, totaling less than 15,000 silver talents. His system included checks and balances, with each satrap overseen by a secretary, treasurer, garrison commander, and royal inspectors known as "eyes and ears".

This decentralized yet coordinated administration was managed through chanceries in key cities like Persepolis, Susa, Babylon, Bactria, Ecbatana, Sardis, Dascylium, and Memphis

He also improved the legal system, with laws enforced by incorruptible judges, some of which influenced Iranian law until 218 BCE.

Aramaic was made a co-official language alongside Persian, and he created the Aryan script for official inscriptions, enhancing administrative efficiency

3. Economic Advancements : Darius revolutionized the economy by introducing the daric, a universal currency with gold and silver types, minted exclusively by the king before 500 BCE

This standardization facilitated trade across the empire, supported by the Royal Road, a 2,500-kilometer route from Susa to Sardis, equipped with a postal system for swift communication .He also built canals, underground waterways (qanats), and a navy, improving irrigation (e.g., in Egypt) and trade infrastructure

Economic policies included registering land for taxation, forming state banking systems like the Murashu Sons in Nippur, and enhancing trade with textiles, carpets, tools, and metal objects across Asia, Europe, and Africa.

Standardized weights and measures further boosted commerce, making the empire economically vibrant.

4. Religious Policies: As a firm believer in Ahura Mazda, Darius saw himself as divinely appointed, as evidenced by the Behistun Inscription: “By the grace of Ahura Mazda I am king”.

His religious policies reflected Zoroastrianism’s monotheistic tendencies, with all laws created in Ahura Mazda’s name, but he tolerated other religions if submissive

5. Construction Projects: Darius’s construction projects were monumental, symbolizing his power and legacy.

He founded Persepolis, the ceremonial capital, initiating its construction as a grand palace complex with military quarters, treasury, king’s quarters, and guest house.

He also built royal mansions in Susa and completed Cyrus’s unfinished projects in Pasargadae, including temples and restorations in Egypt.

The Darius Canal, connecting the Nile to the Red Sea and inaugurated in 497 BCE, enhanced trade and naval capabilities.

His inscriptions, such as the Behistun Inscription , recorded conquests and were crucial for deciphering Old Persian, akin to the Rosetta Stone .

Other monuments were inscribed in Old Persian, Elamite, Babylonian, and Egyptian hieroglyphs, reflecting the empire’s multilingual administration.

Legacy and Impact

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Darius’s reign is considered a golden age, marked by stability, prosperity, and cultural flourishing.

His internal reforms improved the empire’s vitality, with some laws forming the basis for current Iranian law.

His administrative and economic innovations, like the satrapy system and daric currency, set precedents for future governance, while Persepolis and the Royal Road symbolized his architectural and infrastructural legacy.

His reign was in contrast with Alexander’s reign who was driven by conquest instead of administrating the empire.

Alexander’s empire spread Greek culture widely, but its lack of administrative depth led to its rapid dissolution into successor states after his death in 323 BC.

WHY IS DARIUS THE GREAT NEVER BEEN CONSIDERED AS THE CANDIDATE FOR DZULQARNAIN?

Compared to Alexander the Great and Cyrus the Great,

He was always been overshadowed by Alexander the Great and Cyrus the Great.

In the early stage of Islamic era, due to lacks of resources, the Islamic scholar sometimes had to rely on Israi’liyats sources to interpret the Quran.

In the case of Dzulqarnain, Alexander the Great was the only serious contender for the title of Dzulqarnain. The popularity of the Alexander Romance enhanced this association.

Muslim historian, Quranic commentators latched into this legend, shaping the very criteria used to identify Dzulqarnain.

This Alexander obsession did not just influence interpretations, it defined them.

Any alternative had to compete with the shadow of a half-mythical conqueror, whose reputation was inflated by later romances.

Alexander the Great has cast a massive shadow over Dzulqarnain for centuries, distorting the search for his true identity.

Alexander’s own persona evolved over time, turning him into something far beyond the historical Macedonian king. The Syriac Alexander Legend and its various translations

reinforce his reputation as Dzulqarnain.

This ever-expanding legend did not just suggest Alexander as Dzulqarnain, it demanded it.

The more his image was glorified, the harder it became to see past him

Every new retelling reinforced the idea that Dzulqarnain had to be a warrior king world conqueror, a near mythical hero, whose reign were dominated by military conquest and world domination.

When it was finally admitted that Alexander’s paganism, arrogance, and lack of moral governance disqualified him as Dzulqarnain, an alternative was needed.

But in an actual sense, the search is not for the identity of Dzulqarnain, but for another Alexander.

The long association with Alexander had shaped the Dzulqarnain’s criteria in the mould of Alexander.

Enter Cyrus the Great: a just and noble ruler, monotheistic and a conqueror like Alexander. Just with a more acceptable reputation.

But the problem remained.

Instead of looking for the real Dzulqarnain, scholars simply swapped out one king for another. Cyrus was moulded into the role, not because he naturally fit all the Quranic description, but because he was the best available option that still kept the Alexander-like template intact.

This approach has locked the search for Dzulqarnain in a historical echo chamber. The truth is not about picking a better Alexander, it is about realizing that the real Dzulqarnain was never in that mould to begin with.

And since Darius the Great was not in the Alexander type mould, he was always been ignored as the suitable candidate for Dzulqarnain. He was never even been considered as a figure that fit the criteria of Dzulqarnain.

Or in other words, he has never even been considered since he does not have the Alexander' type criteria

He was not an empire founder like Alexander and Cyrus the Great.

His reign was not famous for military conquest, empire expansion, subjugating nations to his dominion.

He was not a warrior type king that been uplifted to the status of a mythical warrior hero.

Instead he was known as a just and fair ruler, excellent administrator, who was more concern about his kingdom protection, stability and prosperity.

That was the reason that Darius the Great was never been considered as the candidate for Dzulqarnain. He was not in the “Alexander-type” mould.

To be continued.....

In the next episodes:

DZULQARNAIN SERIES #4 : The secret of "Al Raqeem" in the Surah Al Kahf, and its connection to Dzulqarnain

DZULQARNAIN SERIES #5 : Darius the Great' s life and his journeys. Quranic comparison. The location of the ' spring with murky water' and the "land with no protection from the sun"

DZULQARNAIN SERIES #6: Yajuj and Majuj, the possible location of the 'barrier' ( not Darial Gorge) , the structure of the Yajuj and Majuj barrier.