Tafsir of Al-Kahf 18:90

(Meaning: the location upon which the sun rises first from the inhabited earth, i.e., the extremity of the inhabited earth in the direction of the East.)

It is recited by Al-Hasan, ‘Isa, and Ibn Muhaysin as maṭla‘ with a fatḥah on the lam. It is also narrated from Ibn Kathir and the people of Makkah. According to the verifiers, it is a maṣdar mīmī (an infinitive noun starting with a mīm), and the discourse implies an omitted genitive, meaning: "the place of the rising of the sun." The intended meaning is a location upon which the sun rises. Al-Jawhari stated: "It is a noun of place, like miksar with a kasrah on the lam." Thus, the two recitations are in agreement without the need for an omitted genitive. Some masters of morphology have explicitly stated that maṭla‘ appears in both place and time in both fatḥah and kasrah. What the verifiers prefer is based on the fact that it has not appeared in the speech of the eloquent ones with a fatḥah except as an infinitive. There is no need to justify the Qur’an based on anomalous readings, for that might impair eloquence.

Abu Hayyan said: "The kasrah is transmitted by hearing (auditory tradition) in a limited number of letters, and it contradicts the analogy (qiyas), for the latter dictates that its imperfect tense be taṭlu‘ with a kasrah on the lam." Al-Kisa’i used to say: "This is a language that has died out among many of the Arabs." He meant that those among the Arabs who used to say taṭlu‘ with a kasrah on the lam have passed away, and maṭli‘ with a kasrah remained in the noun of time and place according to that analogy. End quote. Understand this.

Furthermore, what is apparent from the state of Dhu al-Qarnayn, and the fact that he was given a cause (means) for everything, is that he reached the rising of the sun in a short duration. It has been said: Rather, he reached it in twelve years. This is contrary to what is apparent, unless he stayed during his journey, for one traveling in a straight line covers the length of the inhabited earth in much less time than that, as is not hidden from those knowledgeable in surveying.

Ibn al-Mundhir, Ibn Abi Hatim, and Abu al-Shaykh extracted in Al-‘Aẓamah from Ibn Jurayj, who said: "It was narrated to me from Al-Hasan from Samurah ibn Jundab that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said regarding the verse { We had made no shield against it }: 'They were a people who never built a structure. Whenever the sun rose, they would enter tunnels (or burrows) of theirs until the sun passed its zenith.'"

A group extracted from Al-Hasan—mentioning that it is the Hadith of Samurah—that their land could not support construction; when the sun rose, they would dive into the water, and when it set, they would emerge to graze as cattle graze.

It is also said that the intended meaning is that they had nothing to shield them, neither clothing nor structure. They are, as is said, a people of the Zanj, and it is said: they are of the Indians. From Mujahid: they are the blacks at the rising of the sun who do not wear clothing, more so than the people of the earth.

From one of them: "I traveled until I passed China, then I asked about these people. They said: 'Between you and them is a journey of a day and a night.' So I reached them. One of them would spread one of his ears and cover himself with the other. I had a companion with me who knew their language. They said to him: 'Have you come to us to see how the sun rises?' While we were like that, we heard a sound like the clanging of metal, so I fainted. When I regained consciousness, they were wiping me with oil. When the sun rose over the water, it appeared above the water like the appearance of oil. They took us into a tunnel of theirs. When the day became high, they went out to the sea to catch fish, and they would cast it into the sun, and it would cook for them." End quote.

You know that such tales should not be turned to or relied upon; they are nothing but stories of Hayyan ibn Bayyan, narrated by old women and their likes among small children. It is narrated from Wahb ibn Munabbih that these people are called Manasak.

The apparent meaning of the verse—due to the indefinite noun occurring in a context of negation—dictates that they had nothing to shield them at all, and that contradicts the existence of a tunnel or the like for them. It has been answered that general expressions do not include rare cases; thus, the intent is to negate the conventional shield, and the tunnel and the like are not part of it. You know that the lack of inclusion is one of two opinions on the matter.

Ibn ‘Atiyyah said: "The apparent meaning is that the negation of making a shield for them from the sun is an expression of its closeness to them and its effect upon them through the power of Allah the Exalted. If they had tunnels, they would have a thick shield." End quote. In that case, the indefinite noun remains upon its generality. I choose this, until the authenticity of one of the aforementioned reports is proven.