Gog and Magog in Muslim tradition Gog and Magog

iskandar (alexander) builds wall seal yajuj , majuj; here aided dīvs (demons).





the monster of gog , magog, al-qazwini (1203–1283).

the conflation of gog , magog legend of alexander , iron gates disseminated throughout near east in centuries of christian era. in qu ran surah 18, yajuj , majuj (gog , magog) suppressed dhul-qarnayn two-horned 1 , legendary figure derived alexander great. dhul-qarnayn, having journeyed ends of world, meets people scarcely understood word seek in building barrier separate them people of yajuj , majuj great mischief on earth . agrees build them, warns when time comes (last age), allah remove barrier , yajuj , majuj swarm through.

the muslim traditions summarised zakariya al-qazwini (d. 1283) in 2 popular works called cosmography , geography. gog , magog, says, live near sea encircles earth , can counted god; half height of normal man, claws instead of nails , hairy tail , huge hairy ears use mattress , cover sleeping. scratch @ wall each day until break through, , each night god restores it, when break through numerous vanguard in syria , rear in khorasan .

various nations , peoples in history identified ya juj , ma juj. @ 1 point, turks, threatened baghdad , northern iran; later, when mongols destroyed baghdad in 1258, gog , magog. wall dividing them civilised peoples placed towards armenia , azerbaijan, in year 842 caliph al-wathiq had dream in saw had been breached, , sent official named sallam investigate. sallam returned little on 2 years later , reported had seen wall , tower dhul qarnayn had left building equipment, , still intact. not entirely clear sallam saw, may have reached jade gate, westernmost customs point on border of china. later 14th-century traveller ibn battuta reported wall sixty days travel city of zeitun, on coast of china; translator notes ibn battuta has confused great wall of china built dhul-qarnayn.