What is the meaning of Dhul Qurnain in relation to Muhammad and the Promised Messiah?

Huzoor (rh): Now, Zulqarnain, as far as I am concerned, this is my unshakable fundamental view that whatever Hazrat Masih Mau’ud (as) derives, derives 100% from Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa S.A.W. peace be upon him and not in his individual capacity as such. So, originally,Huzoor S.A.W. is Zulqarnain according to my reading of the Holy Quran because he is the one who brought two ages together. He was at the juncture of two ages. He divides the past with the future and he was to last till the end of the time. So, his age has not ended. So, whatever age man will find himself in, would be the age of Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa S.A.W. So, the ages behind are the dark ages or the undeveloped ages or ages still passing through lesser development stages. And this is the age which has advanced now into a great, glorious, ultimate age where mankind will be brought together as one people. And that golden era will dawn under Islam, under the cover of Islam and under the acceptance, I should say, the banner of Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa S.A.W. So, initially he is the Zulqarnain, the one who stood at the Sangham, as we call it in Urdu, or the juncture of the two ages. Now, Hazrat Masih Mau’ud (as) is also at a juncture, where he is to bring people from various ages together under the banner of Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa S.A.W. People of the past and people of the future, they are going to be merged together as one people under the Holy Prophet (sa). So, in effect, in practical values, he would achieve what was meant for the Holy Prophet (sa) to achieve on his behalf, for his sake, as service to him. This is exactly the position of Hazrat Masih Mau’ud (as) that should be understood by every Ahmadi. So, like he is not an independent prophet, but a prophet after the Holy Prophet (sa), his follower prophet or subordinate prophet is the best word because this is the word used by the Qur’an itself.وَمَنۡ یُّطِعِ اللّٰہَ وَالرَّسُوۡلَ. You know, that means that from now on only a subordinate can come, not an independent person. So, because he was a subordinate prophet to the Holy Prohpet (sa), he was subordinating everything, even this respect. He was subordinate to him, that is, he learned this from him and because of his subordination to him, he was given this status. And when you analyse things, this is exactly what it amounts to. His bringing about all the religions of the previous age together, merge them with the religion of Islam, which is the religion of the last age. Practically, this is being achieved by Masih Mau’ud (as) and his followers, of course. And this is bringing about the two ages together. So, because it will be in subordination of the Holy Prophet (sa), to serve his purpose. So, I am quite right, literally right when I say that this status was granted to Masih Mau’ud (as) in subordination of the Holy Prophet (sa), not independently.

Questioner: But in status quo also, ذوالقرنین Zulqarnain?

Huzoor (rh): Yes. You know, this is a beauty of the Holy Qur’an. The Holy Qur’an relates historical incidents. Noah (as) and Abraham (as) and Moses (as) and other prophets, Lot and so many other prophets. Now, why are they related? All the knowledgeable people who deal with the subject of commentary of the Holy Qur’an agree that these incidents are quoted and preserved in the Holy Qur’an to denote that things like this are going to happen either toHuzoor S.A.W. or to his followers. So, these قصص kasas are not just like stories, tales, which are things of the past. They are tales which are to be fulfilled in future. So,Huzoor S.A.W. himself put his stamp upon this interpretation. This angle of vision has been approved byHuzoor S.A.W. So, when it was said about Prophet Joseph, that you will pass through, it appeared that he would pass through the same conditions, he agreed. In fact, he used the very words, لَا تَثۡرِیۡبَ عَلَیۡکُمُ الۡیَوۡمَ

(No blame shall lie on you this day), when he (sa) returned to Makkah. And again, you see famine. Again, at his hands, people of Mecca are fed, because he permits their caravans to pass through Madinah, had he refused, they could have been totally destroyed by famine. So, there are so many things. And as Hazrat Yusuf (as) was thrown in a well and abandoned, so he was encircled in a valley called Shaybab-e-Talib and abandoned there. So, of course, similarities do not mean that they are yard to yard or inch for inch similarities. They are general similarities. So, that shows that although Zulqarnain is a real story of an old king, whose name was Darius. Darius was it? No, Cyrus. It doesn’t mean that the Holy Qur’an only wanted to relate the tale of Cyrus. It had a significance. So, when people say who was real, Zulqarnain, they mean, they of course, they sometimes know that it was Cyrus, but they mean what was the significance of this. So, when I said the Holy Prophet (sa), I only meant in interpretation, in true significance, he was the one who in the eyes of Allah was to be the bringer of two ages together, Zulqarnain.