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