Is Dhul-Qarnain the Same as Alexander the Great?
1. Weak Manuscript Evidence The Syriac Alexander Legend survives only in manuscripts from the 18th century—over 1000 years after the Qur’an. 1 Van Bladel generously dates it to around 630 CE 2 , but there’s no physical manuscript evidence from that period to support this. In contrast, Surah Al-Kahf, where Dhul-Qarnain is mentioned, was revealed in Mecca roughly 8 years before 630 CE 3 , as a response to Jewish rabbis' questions posed by the Quraysh. 2. Quranic Revelation Timeline Surah Al-Kahf was revealed before 622 CE (Hijrah) 3 . This is crucial—the Prophet ﷺ hadn’t yet migrated to Medina, and the Islamic state did not yet exist. Associating the Qur’an’s account of Dhul-Qarnain with later Christian or Syriac legends makes no chronological sense. 3. Historical Inaccuracy of the "Arab Kingdom" in the Legend The Alexander Romance mentions a prominent Arab Kingdom 4 , which didn’t exist during Alexander's time. Arabs were scattered tribes with no unified state. Howe...
