THEY WILL ASK YOU ABOUT DHU'L-QARNAYN. SAY, 'I WILL TELL YOU SOMETHING ABOUT HIM.' (Surat al-Kahf, 83)

Many of the hadith of our Prophet (saas) report that Surat al-Kahf of the Qur'an contains references to the End Times and to Hazrat Mahdi (as) bringing Islamic moral values to prevail across the world and his intellectual elimination of the Dajjal. Looked at in the light of these signs in the story of Kahf, it does indeed appear that the events described also contain important information regarding the End Times. One such piece of information is concealed inside the name of Hazrat Dhu'l-qarnayn (as), who appears in the story.

Islamic reference sources provide the following information about the name Hazrat Dhu'l-Qarnayn (as):

	The word Dhu'l-qarnayn is Arabic. It is made up of the words Dhu and Qarnayn. DHU MEANS OWNER AND RULER. QARN MEANS FRINGE OR TASSEL, TIME AND SUN. QARNAYN MEANS TWO OF QARN. (Al-Firuzabadî, Al-Qamus al-Muhit, Al-Qahira 1332, IV, 257 vd)

One of the names of Hazrat Mahdi (as) is "SAHIB AZ-ZAMAN." That means "OWNER OF TIME." The name Dhu'l-qarnayn consists of the words "Dhu: Owner", "Qarn: Time" and "Qarnayn: Two times." The name Dhu'lqarnayn therefore means "THE OWNER OF TWO TIMES." The fact that the names of Hazrat Mahdi (as) and Dhu'l-qarnayn mean the same thing is an important indication that the events described in the Qur'an in the story of Dhu'l-qarnayn also contain information about events in which Hazrat Mahdi (as) will be instrumental in his own time. Indeed, in one hadith our Prophet (saas) notes this fact by saying "The time of Hazrat Mahdi (as) will be like that of Dhu'l-qarnayn:"

	Ahmad Ibn Ishaq says: "I approached Imam Asqari ...And he said, O Ahmad Ibn Ishaq! HE [HAZRAT MAHDI (AS)] IS LIKE "KHIDR" AND "DHU'L-QARNAYN" TO THIS COMMMUNITY..." (Qamal ud Din Vol. 2 p. 384)

All this information shows that Dhu'l-qarnayn will be the owner of the time of the Prophet 'Isa (as) and of his own time.