The sunsetless North Pole Quran-Miracle:

"Dhil Qarnayn" ذي القرنين in Noble Verse 18:83 means "one with the two horns".  We read about his story in more details in Noble Verses 18:83-100:

Dhil = one with.

قرنين Qarnayn = two horns.

‏18:90 حتى اذا بلغ مطلع الشمس وجدها تطلع على قوم لم نجعل لهم من دونها ستر

"Until he reached near حتى اذا بلغ where the sun is up مطلع الشمس, he found it above وجدها تطلع على people قوم whom We made no cover for them from it لم نجعل لهم من دونها ستر.  (The Noble Quran, 18:90)"  

They also spoke unintelligibly, the Quran says.  They hardly spoke intelligibly (18:93).  Historians have proven that the Barbarians of the North used to speak unintelligibly.  The description of the people of the North, whose North Pole is truly sunsetless (see ample pictures), perfectly fits the Barbarians of the Vikings in the Scandinavian and other Barbarians in the near by lands:

Only said for the sun-up:

Allah Almighty did not say that He made "no cover" for them from it for the sunset.  He said it for the sun-up only, which further proves that indeed the sun being always up, in Noble Verse 18:90 below, is referring to a geographical area in the North, since so much geographical proofs, and 1000-year old maps below, also point to that location as well.

"Until he reached near حتى اذا بلغ where the sun is up مطلع الشمس, he found it above وجدها تطلع على people قوم whom We made no cover for them from it لم نجعل لهم من دونها ستر.  (The Noble Quran, 18:90)"  

"We made no cover...." was never mentioned for sunset.  Only to "where the sun is up...." مطلع الشمس in Noble Verse 18:90, which further supports that "We made no cover...." is indeed talking about the Northern territories near the North Pole.  See ample pictures of the sun never sets at the North Pole.  See below.

Remember that they are located near where the sun never sets.  In the north, no shade was made from it for them.  It is almost always shining on them: لم نجعل لهم من دونها ستر.  "We made no cover for them from it" (18:90).  In other words, it never sets.  Night almost never comes:

(Click to play clip)

Late Dr. Mustafa Mahmoud, may Allah Almighty rest his soul and grant him Paradise, - Ameen, - gave old Islamic maps (video) that date 1000+ old that estimate that Dhil Qarnayn reached all the way north, near the North Pole, where the sun is always up, and reached the Black Sea for sunset, the body of water that is dark and murky.  The Black Sea is also not very far from the northern parts of Russia and the North Pole:

(Click to play video and to enlarge pictures)

"We made no cover...." was never mentioned for sunset.  Only to "where the sun is up...." in Noble Verse 18:90, which further supports that "We made no cover...." is indeed talking about the Northern territories near the North Pole.  See ample pictures of the sun never sets at the North Pole.

They also almost spoke unintelligibly: "...people who almost spoke unintelligibly" (18:93) لايكادون يفقهون قولا.  See the references below about the Vikings' language, and similar people of the North, when they were Barbarians.  Historians precisely say they spoke unintelligibly [1].

In either case, the Glorious Quran is the Divine and Miraculous Book of Allah Almighty.  The Holy Book is filled with thousands of Numerical and Scientific Miracles.  We have listed them here.  So it should be of no surprise to anyone, at all, to see the Glorious Quran's description of the sun's rising and setting to be scientifically accurate.

At the top of the North Pole, the sun never sets, and shown in this video.  I also quoted the scientific sources from Wikipedia.  Also in the lands near by, the sun almost never sets either, and I quoted sources for that as well, and also showed pictures of the "polar night" skies on these lands.  See ample pictures.

*** Never mentioned for Sunset:

"Until he reached near حتى اذا بلغ where the sun is up مطلع الشمس, he found it above وجدها تطلع على people قوم whom We made no cover for them from it لم نجعل لهم من دونها ستر.  (The Noble Quran, 18:90)"  

"We made no cover...." was never mentioned for sunset.  Only to "where the sun is up...." مطلع الشمس in Noble Verse 18:90, which further supports that "We made no cover...." is indeed talking about the Northern territories near the North Pole.  See ample pictures of the sun never sets at the North Pole.  See below.

Reaching Gog and Magog:

Allah Almighty in Noble Verses 18:83-100 mentioned three different geographic locations that Dhil Qarnayn marched to:

1-  The place where the sun never sets.
2-  The two barriers and a tribe from Gog and Magog.
3-  The murky body of water that resembles an eye.

Lake Issk Kul or the Black Sea or a similar body: بلغ when used physically or geographically, it means reaching near the area/land, or in it.  This is for Noble Verse 18:86.  For example: اذ جاؤوكم من فوقكم ومن اسفل منكم واذا زاغت الابصار وبلغت القلوب الحناجر وتظنون بالله الظنونا    [033:010] When they came upon you from above you and from below you, and when the eyes grew wild and the hearts reached (بلغت balaghat) to the throats, and you were harbouring doubts about Allah.    The hearts didn't literally reach the throats.  بلغ is clearly metaphoric, and it means coming near to.  Ample other examples from the Glorious Quran on بلغ  Balagha at: www.answering-christianity.com/sunrise_sunset.htm#balagha    Let us now look at the top candidates for the body of water in Noble Verse 18:86: 1-  Lake Issk Kul: عين حمئة AYN HAME'AH in Noble Verse 18:86 means Murky and/or muddy water [1] [2] [3].  Some Muslims read it as AYN HAAMIYAH عين حامية, which means hot water [1].  This is based on Ibn Masood and Ibn Al-Zubayr's reading.  See below.  Interestingly, lake Issyk Kul, for example, which is shaped like an eye, and is murky and muddy, is also nicknamed the "hot lake" because it never freezes: ""Issyk-Kul" means "hot lake" in Kyrgyz, as it never freezes." (Source) "Issyk Kul lake is the second-largest alpine lake in the world....and though temperatures do dip significanty in the winter, the lake never freezes. The reason for this is its high salt content, which has also endowed it with its name, which translates to ‘hot lake’." (Source, 2) "About 118 rivers and streams flow into the lake; the largest are the Djyrgalan and Tyup. It is fed by springs, including many hot springs, and snow melt. The lake has no current outlet, but some hydrologists hypothesize[7] that the lake's water filters deep underground into the Chu River. The bottom of the lake contains the mineral monohydrocalcite: one of the few known lacustrine deposits." (Source) حمئة is murky and/or muddy [1] [2] [3]. "وجَدها تَغْرُب في عَيْنٍ حَمِئةٍ، وقرأَ ابن مسعود وابن الزبير: حاميةٍ", translates as "He found it setting in a body of water that is HAME'AH حمئة , is read by Ibn Masood and Ibn Al-Zubayr as: HAAMIYAH حاميةٍ"    Why حمئة and not حاميةٍ: The hotness of the lake here is symbolic, which is perhaps why Allah Almighty chose حمئة and not حامية, which the latter literally means "hot".  So حمئة is symbolically hot, and it is actually murky and/or muddy.  And Allah Almighty always Knows Best. Lake Issyk Kul is indeed both murky and muddy [2]: (Click on image) Lake Issyk Kul here gives us a beautiful natural description on what the body of water that Dhil Qarnayn ذي القرنين  and his army reached was like.  It could very well be indeed lake Issyk Kul itself.  Or it could be a similar body of water with similar features.  Only Allah Almighty Knows.    2-  The Black Sea: Late Dr. Mustafa Mahmoud, may Allah Almighty rest his soul and grant him Paradise, - Ameen, - gave old Islamic maps (video) that date 1000+ old that estimate that Dhil Qarnayn reached all the way north, near the North Pole, where the sun is always up, and reached the Black Sea for sunset, the body of water that is dark and murky.  The Black Sea is also not very far from the northern parts of Russia and the North Pole: (Click to play video and to enlarge pictures) "We made no cover...." was never mentioned for sunset.  Only to "where the sun is up...." in Noble Verse 18:90, which further supports that "We made no cover...." is indeed talking about the Northern territories near the North Pole.  See ample pictures of the sun never sets at the North Pole. They also almost spoke unintelligibly: "...people who almost spoke unintelligibly" (18:93) لايكادون يفقهون قولا.  See the references below about the Vikings' language, and similar people of the North, when they were Barbarians.  Historians precisely say they spoke unintelligibly [1]. At the top of the North Pole, the sun never sets, and shown in this video.  I also quoted the scientific sources from Wikipedia.  Also in the lands near by, the sun almost never sets either, and I quoted sources for that as well, and also showed pictures of the "polar night" skies on these lands.  See ample pictures.    *** Thousands of Miracles: In either case or in any case regarding Noble Verse 18:86's body of water, the Glorious Quran is the Divine and Miraculous Book of Allah Almighty.  The Holy Book is filled with thousands of Numerical and Scientific Miracles.  We have listed them here.  So it should be of no surprise to anyone, at all, to see the Glorious Quran's description of the sun's rising and setting to be scientifically accurate, and very beautiful.

Regarding the two barriers and a tribe from Gog and Magog:

[018:094] They said, `O Dhu'l Qarnain, verily, Gog and Magog are creating disorder in the earth; shall we then pay tribute on condition that thou set up a barrier between us and them ?'

The following historical account seems to describe this event accurately:

"The Gates of Alexander was a legendary barrier supposedly built by Alexander the Great in the Caucasus to keep the uncivilized barbarians of the north (typically associated with Gog and Magog [1]) from invading the land to the south. The gates were a popular subject in medieval travel literature, starting with the Alexander Romance in a version from perhaps the 6th century.

The wall, also known as the Caspian Gates, has been identified with two locations: the Pass of Derbent, Russia or with the Pass of Dariel, west of the Caspian Sea. Tradition also connects it to the Great Wall of Gorgan (Red Snake) on its south-eastern shore.

Historically, these fortifications were part of the defence lines built by Sasanians of Persia. The Great Wall of Gorgan may have been built by the Parthians.

The name Caspian Gates originally applied to the narrow region at the southeast corner of the Caspian Sea, through which Alexander actually marched in the pursuit of Bessus, although he did not stop to fortify it. It was transferred to the passes through the Caucasus, on the other side of the Caspian, by the more fanciful historians of Alexander.

Josephus, a Jewish historian in the 1st century, is known to have written of Alexander's gates, designed to be a barrier against the Scythians. According to this historian, the people whom the Greeks called Scythians were known (among the Jews) as Magogites, descendants of Magog in the Hebrew Bible. These references occur in two different works. The Jewish War states that the iron gates Alexander erected were controlled by the king of Hyrcania (on the south edge of the Caspian), and allowing passage of the gates to the Alans (whom Josephus considered a Scythic tribe) resulted in the sack of Media. Josephus's Antiquities of the Jews contains two relevant passages, one giving the ancestry of Scythians as descendants of Magog son of Japheth, and another that refers to the Caspian Gates being breached by Scythians allied to Tiberius during the Armenian War. [a][2]" (Source)

References:

1. Apocalypse of Pseudo-Methodius 8; Alexander Romance, epsilon recension 39.

a. Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews 1.123 and 18.97; The Jewish War 7.244-51.

2. Bietenholz, Peter G. (1994). Historia and fabula: myths and legends in historical thought from antiquity to the modern age. Brill. ISBN 9004100636.

Historians and archeologists are now discovering that the ancient Vikings have discovered and reached vast lands on earth, including being the first to discover the lands of Canada and America.  So there is so much that remains unknown about the Barbarians of the Vikings and other similar tribes from other nations.

Again, visit: 

Some of his stories:

Keep in mind that Allah Almighty began Noble Verses 18:83-100 by saying that He will tell us some of the stories of Dhil Qarnayn.  So there is a lot more to Dhil Qarnayn and his people than what is mentioned in the Noble Verses:

ويسألونك عن ذي القرنين قل ساتلو عليكم منه ذكرا

[018:083] They ask thee concerning Dhil Qarnayn. Say, "I will rehearse to you something of his story منه ذكرا."

Key Words:

Allah Almighty in the Glorious Quran, in Noble Verses 18:83-100, said the following key Words about Dhul or Dhil Qarnayn:

1. بلغ

2. مطلع الشمس

3. لم نجعل لهم من دونها ستر

4. مغرب الشمس

5. وجدها تغرب في عين حمئة

بلغ when used physically or geographically, it means reaching near the area/land, or in it.  This is for Noble Verse 18:86.  For example:

اذ جاؤوكم من فوقكم ومن اسفل منكم واذا زاغت الابصار وبلغت القلوب الحناجر وتظنون بالله الظنونا
  
[033:010] When they came upon you from above you and from below you, and when the eyes grew wild and the hearts reached (بلغت balaghat) to the throats, and you were harbouring doubts about Allah.
  
The hearts didn't literally reach the throats.  بلغ is clearly metaphoric, and it means coming near to.  Ample other examples from the Glorious Quran on بلغ  Balagha at: www.answering-christianity.com/sunrise_sunset.htm#balagha

‏مطلع الشمس.  Again, see ample pictures of the sun never sets at the North Pole.

18:90 حتى اذا بلغ مطلع الشمس وجدها تطلع على قوم لم نجعل لهم من دونها ستر

"Until he reached near حتى اذا بلغ where the sun is up مطلع الشمس, he found it above وجدها تطلع على people قوم whom We made no cover for them from it لم نجعل لهم من دونها ستر.  (The Noble Quran, 18:90)"

مطلع الشمس where the sun is up.  It does not mean sunrise.  In Arabic, sunrise is مشرق الشمس, where مشرق  is derived from  شرق  east.  See ample examples from the Glorious Quran about sunrise and sunset.  مغرب الشمس is sunset.  مغرب is derived from غرب  west.  But here, Allah Almighty used مطلع الشمس , which literally here means where the sun is always up.   مطلع is derived from طلع which means going up, which is why some Muslims a few centuries after Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, believed that Dhul Qarnyn reached up north, not east.  Late Dr. Mustafa Mahmoud, may Allah Almighty rest his soul, presented these maps.

See ample examples from the Glorious Quran about sunrise.
See ample examples from the Glorious Quran about sunset.

Also, let us look at Noble Word طلع in depth:

طلع , which is what مطلع is derived from, means that something (the sun in our case here) appears from somewhere, such as from behind a big object, such as a chain of mountains or clouds, or when the sun is always up.  For example:

  
The sun never sets at the North Pole:

"The midnight sun is a natural phenomenon that occurs in the summer months in places north of the Arctic Circle or south of the Antarctic Circle, when the sun remains visible at the local midnight.  Around the summer solstice (approximately 21 June in the Northern Hemisphere and 22 December in the Southern Hemisphere), the sun is visible for the full 24 hours, given fair weather. The number of days per year with potential midnight sun increases the closer towards either pole one goes. Although approximately defined by the polar circles, in practice the midnight sun can be seen as much as 55 miles (90 km) outside the polar circle, as described below, and the exact latitudes of the farthest reaches of midnight sun depend on topography and vary slightly year-to-year." (Source)

(Click to play clip)

Polar Nights in lands near by the North Pole:

"While the Sun doesn't rise above the horizon, it does come close to doing so. Instead of the pitch black many imagine it to be like, you get a blue light much of the time during the days of the polar night." (Sources: 1, 2)    "Polar night on Nordkinn Peninsula in Norway, mainland Europe's northernmost peninsula." (Sources: 1, 2)    Polar Night at Russia: "Polar night in Naryan-Mar, Russia. December 23, 2014, 11:27 (noon)" (Sources: 1, 2)

Polar night in Stockholm, Sweden.  Click on image.    Polar nights in the Arctic Circle.  Click on image.    Sources: 1, 2

Again, Allah Almighty didn't say مشرق الشمس sunrise, which is the term that counters مغرب الشمس sunset.  مغرب is derived from غرب  west.  No, instead, the Almighty used مطلع الشمس.  The Noble Verses were talking about near by lands to the North Pole.

  
They almost spoke unintelligibly:

"...people who almost spoke unintelligibly" (18:93) لايكادون يفقهون قولا. 

This perfectly fits the Vikings when they were considered barbarians.  They were brute, uncivilized, very primitive, disconnected from other civilizations, and didn't have a fully developed and intelligible language.  In fact, the word itself, barbarian, originates from Greek, and it means one who speaks unintelligibly:

1-  "The word barbarian conjures up more forus than the original Greek notion of someone whose unintelligible non-Greek language sounds like “bar-bar-bar..." (Source)

2-  Also from Indiana University: "....And finally, Maurice F. Hurley considers "Craft and Handiwork: Wood, Antler and Bone as an Everyday Material in Viking-Age Waterford and Cork," reminding us that most of the raw materials for urban crafts came from the surrounding hinterlands, even when these were marked by disparate political allegiances, mutually unintelligible languages or sharp differences in ethnicity...." (Source)
  

3-  "So what happened in the Northern Isles?

I don’t think that the Picts were ‘absorbed’ in Viking Shetland, or Viking Orkney, ...... I don’t think the Picts were just ‘overwhelmed’, or ‘submerged’, as Wainwright put it, while continuing to practise their religion and speak an unintelligible language at home." (Source)

Dhil Qarnayn ذي القرنين (one with the double horns):

Again, "Dhil Qarnayn" ذي القرنين in Noble Verse 18:83 means "one with the two horns".  We read about his story in more details in Noble Verses 18:83-100:

Dhul or Dhil = one with.

قرنين Qarnayn = two horns.

They also spoke unintelligibly, the Quran says.  They hardly spoke intelligibly (18:93).  Historians have proven that the Barbarians of the North used to speak unintelligibly.  The description of the people of the North, whose North Pole is truly sunsetless (see ample pictures), perfectly fits the Barbarians of the Vikings in the Scandinavian and other Barbarians in the near by lands:

Only said for the sun-up:

Allah Almighty did not say that He made "no cover" for them from it for the sunset.  He said it for the sun-up only, which further proves that indeed the sun being always up, in Noble Verse 18:90 below, is referring to a geographical area in the North, since so much geographical proofs, and 1000-year old maps below, also point to that location as well.

"Until he reached near حتى اذا بلغ where the sun is up مطلع الشمس, he found it above وجدها تطلع على people قوم whom We made no cover for them from it لم نجعل لهم من دونها ستر.  (The Noble Quran, 18:90)"  

"We made no cover...." was never mentioned for sunset.  Only to "where the sun is up...." مطلع الشمس in Noble Verse 18:90, which further supports that "We made no cover...." is indeed talking about the Northern territories near the North Pole.  See ample pictures of the sun never sets at the North Pole.  See below.

Remember that they are located near where the sun never sets.  In the north, no shade was made from it for them.  It is almost always shining on them: لم نجعل لهم من دونها ستر.  "We made no cover for them from it" (18:90).  In other words, it never sets.  Night almost never comes:

(Click to play clip)

The infidels' nonsense:

So the sun sets inside a body of water? [1]  And how exactly does it rise back up again according to the anti-Islamics?

1. First of all, the Arabic Quran doesn't have the word PLACE (MAKAAN) in the Noble Verse.  Anti-Islamics such as David Wood deliberately use a wrong translation to prove their falsehood.
     
2. BALAGHA (reached) is used for time and place approximation and estimation. ADRAKA would've been literal, and that's not in the Noble Verses.  Again, for example:
     
   اذ جاؤوكم من فوقكم ومن اسفل منكم واذا زاغت الابصار وبلغت القلوب الحناجر وتظنون بالله الظنونا
     
   [033:010] When they came upon you from above you and from below you, and when the eyes grew wild and the hearts reached (بلغت balaghat) to the throats, and you were harbouring doubts about Allah.
     
   The hearts didn't literally reach the throats.  Ample more Noble Verses on BALAGHA are listed in this article.
     
     
     
3. MAGHREB (sunset) is also used for time and not actual place.  The Glorious Quran speaks about the earth's SUNRISES and SUNSETS.  The same Noble Words used in but in the plural:
   
   7:137 واورثنا القوم الذين كانوا يستضعفون مشارق الارض ومغاربها
   [007:137] And We made the people who were deemed weak to inherit the eastern lands and the western ones مشارق الارض ومغاربها
     
   37:5 رب السماوات والارض ومابينهما ورب المشارق
   [037:005] Lord of the heavens and of the earth and all between them, and Lord of every point at the rising of the sun! المشارق
     
   ‏70:40 فلا اقسم برب المشارق والمغارب انا لقادرون
   [070:040] And I need not swear by the Lord of the easts and the wests المشارق والمغارب; verily, we are able
     
   
     
   "Until he reached near حتى اذا بلغ where the sun is up مطلع الشمس, he found it above وجدها تطلع على people قوم whom We made no cover for them from it لم نجعل لهم من دونها ستر.  (The Noble Quran, 18:90)"  

   "We made no cover...." was never mentioned for sunset.  Only to "where the sun is up...." مطلع الشمس in Noble Verse 18:90, which further supports that "We made no cover...." is indeed talking about the Northern territories near the North Pole.  See ample pictures of the sun never sets at the North Pole.  See below.

     
     

4. The context of the Noble Verses speak about Dhul-Qarnayn marching with his army and he reached people during sunset in a mountainous area:

   
     
     
     

5. Sunset مغرب الشمس:
     
   Lake Issk Kul or the Black Sea or a similar body:

     
     
   Like an eye عين:
     
   
   (Click to play video)
     
   Dr. Zaghloul Al-Najjar talks about the muddy pool of water that also happens to look like an eye.
   This is a picture of the Issyk Kul lake in Kyrgyzstan.  It has muddy waters, and it looks like and eye
   as Allah Almighty in the Glorious Quran described.  And Allah Almighty always Knows Best.  And
   again, عين means both an eye and a body of water in Arabic.
     

   Lake Issk Kul or the Black Sea or a similar body: بلغ when used physically or geographically, it means reaching near the area/land, or in it.  This is for Noble Verse 18:86.  For example: اذ جاؤوكم من فوقكم ومن اسفل منكم واذا زاغت الابصار وبلغت القلوب الحناجر وتظنون بالله الظنونا    [033:010] When they came upon you from above you and from below you, and when the eyes grew wild and the hearts reached (بلغت balaghat) to the throats, and you were harbouring doubts about Allah.    The hearts didn't literally reach the throats.  بلغ is clearly metaphoric, and it means coming near to.  Ample other examples from the Glorious Quran on بلغ  Balagha at: www.answering-christianity.com/sunrise_sunset.htm#balagha    Let us now look at the top candidates for the body of water in Noble Verse 18:86: 1-  Lake Issk Kul: عين حمئة AYN HAME'AH in Noble Verse 18:86 means Murky and/or muddy water [1] [2] [3].  Some Muslims read it as AYN HAAMIYAH عين حامية, which means hot water [1].  This is based on Ibn Masood and Ibn Al-Zubayr's reading.  See below.  Interestingly, lake Issyk Kul, for example, which is shaped like an eye, and is murky and muddy, is also nicknamed the "hot lake" because it never freezes: ""Issyk-Kul" means "hot lake" in Kyrgyz, as it never freezes." (Source) "Issyk Kul lake is the second-largest alpine lake in the world....and though temperatures do dip significanty in the winter, the lake never freezes. The reason for this is its high salt content, which has also endowed it with its name, which translates to ‘hot lake’." (Source, 2) "About 118 rivers and streams flow into the lake; the largest are the Djyrgalan and Tyup. It is fed by springs, including many hot springs, and snow melt. The lake has no current outlet, but some hydrologists hypothesize[7] that the lake's water filters deep underground into the Chu River. The bottom of the lake contains the mineral monohydrocalcite: one of the few known lacustrine deposits." (Source) حمئة is murky and/or muddy [1] [2] [3]. "وجَدها تَغْرُب في عَيْنٍ حَمِئةٍ، وقرأَ ابن مسعود وابن الزبير: حاميةٍ", translates as "He found it setting in a body of water that is HAME'AH حمئة , is read by Ibn Masood and Ibn Al-Zubayr as: HAAMIYAH حاميةٍ"    Why حمئة and not حاميةٍ: The hotness of the lake here is symbolic, which is perhaps why Allah Almighty chose حمئة and not حامية, which the latter literally means "hot".  So حمئة is symbolically hot, and it is actually murky and/or muddy.  And Allah Almighty always Knows Best. Lake Issyk Kul is indeed both murky and muddy [2]: (Click on image) Lake Issyk Kul here gives us a beautiful natural description on what the body of water that Dhil Qarnayn ذي القرنين  and his army reached was like.  It could very well be indeed lake Issyk Kul itself.  Or it could be a similar body of water with similar features.  Only Allah Almighty Knows.    2-  The Black Sea: Late Dr. Mustafa Mahmoud, may Allah Almighty rest his soul and grant him Paradise, - Ameen, - gave old Islamic maps (video) that date 1000+ old that estimate that Dhil Qarnayn reached all the way north, near the North Pole, where the sun is always up, and reached the Black Sea for sunset, the body of water that is dark and murky.  The Black Sea is also not very far from the northern parts of Russia and the North Pole: (Click to play video and to enlarge pictures) "We made no cover...." was never mentioned for sunset.  Only to "where the sun is up...." in Noble Verse 18:90, which further supports that "We made no cover...." is indeed talking about the Northern territories near the North Pole.  See ample pictures of the sun never sets at the North Pole. They also almost spoke unintelligibly: "...people who almost spoke unintelligibly" (18:93) لايكادون يفقهون قولا.  See the references below about the Vikings' language, and similar people of the North, when they were Barbarians.  Historians precisely say they spoke unintelligibly [1]. At the top of the North Pole, the sun never sets, and shown in this video.  I also quoted the scientific sources from Wikipedia.  Also in the lands near by, the sun almost never sets either, and I quoted sources for that as well, and also showed pictures of the "polar night" skies on these lands.  See ample pictures.    *** Thousands of Miracles: In either case or in any case regarding Noble Verse 18:86's body of water, the Glorious Quran is the Divine and Miraculous Book of Allah Almighty.  The Holy Book is filled with thousands of Numerical and Scientific Miracles.  We have listed them here.  So it should be of no surprise to anyone, at all, to see the Glorious Quran's description of the sun's rising and setting to be scientifically accurate, and very beautiful.

     

6. Again, Allah Almighty referred to the actual rising and setting points of the sun on earth.  The Glorious Quran says there are many rising and setting points [2] of the sun on earth.
     
     

     

   The sun never ceases nor disappears [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]:

   
   (Play video file: [1] [2])

   

   Prophet Muhammad: The sun is in constant orbit always rising on people while setting on others.

   عن ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما ان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم سئل :هذه المغارب اين تغرب ؟ وهذه المطالع اين تطلع ؟ فقال صلى الله عليه وسلم هي على رسلها لا تبرح ولا تزول , تغرب عن قوم وتطلع على قوم ,وتغرب عن قوم وتطلع , فقوم يقولون غربت ,وقوم يقولون طلعت

   "Ibn Abbas narrated on Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, that the Prophet was asked: Where does the sun go after all of these sunsets? And where does it come from after all of these sunrises? The Prophet, peace be upon him, replied: It is in constant motion. It doesn't stop nor disappear. It sets on people and rises on others, and it sets on people and rises on others. So people would say it has risen while others say it has set."

   Sources:

   1- Jami'a Al-Usool li-ibn Al-Atheer.
   جامع الأصول لابن الأثير

   2- Musnad Al-Imam Abi Is'haq Al-Hamadani
   مسند الامام ابي اسحاق الهمداني

   3- Al-Ijaz Al-Ilmi Fe Al-Sunna Al-Nabawiyyah, Dr. Zaghloul Al-Najjar, Page 132.
     

   Allah Almighty in the Glorious Quran said that earth is:        -  Spherical: "egg-shaped" [1].        -  Is rotating around itself.        -  Is moving in space in curvy orbits [2].        -  Is in constant motion.        -  Is suspended in space.        -  Is swimming in space.        -  Is traveling through the constantly expanding universe [3].        -  The sunsetless North Pole miracle in the Glorious Quran [4].  At the top of the North Pole, the sun never sets, and I showed the video for that, and also quoted the scientific sources for that. Also in the lands near by, it almost never sets either, and I quoted sources for that as well, and also showed pictures of the "polar night" skies on these lands.        -  The Glorious Quran also speaks about many earths [5] and not just earth.        -  The Glorious Quran predicts 11 planets in our solar system [6].

   www.answering-christianity.com/egg-shaped_earth.htm

       
     

7. The Glorious Quran speaks about the SUN TRAVELING IN SPACE IN ITS ORBIT [2].
     
8. The Glorious Quran in multiple Noble Verses spoke about the earth being SPHERICAL, TRAVELING IN SPACE, ROTATING AROUND ITSELF, and IS IN CONSTANT MOTION [1].
     
9. If the sun were to set in a body of water, then it would have to rise back again from that place.  And no where does it say that it would set again in another pool of water (i.e., bouncing back and forth).
     
     
10. Allah Almighty never declared that Dhul-Qarnayn reached the ends of the earth.  No mention of ends of the earth in the entire Glorious Quran.  Unlike the Bible, for example, where it talks about earth's "four corners", the Quran has no such phrases.
      
    Allah Almighty never Said that Dhul-Qarnayn had reached the "ends of the earth" where the sun supposedly rises and sets.  The Glorious Quran says clearly that the earth is spherical [2].  Also on the contrary, it is the Bible that says that:
      

    1. The earth has ends.

    2. It is standing on pillars that prevent it from shaking.

    3. GOD Almighty will shake the earth to throw the people into space.

    4. It has four corners.

    Please visit: The Bible declares that the earth is flat [2].

    Clearly, the Glorious Quran is in no scientific blunder regarding the shape of the earth, and the solar system.  In fact, there are ample Noble Verses that clearly and indisputably state:

    Allah Almighty in the Glorious Quran said that earth is:        -  Spherical: "egg-shaped" [1].        -  Is rotating around itself.        -  Is moving in space in curvy orbits [2].        -  Is in constant motion.        -  Is suspended in space.        -  Is swimming in space.        -  Is traveling through the constantly expanding universe [3].        -  The sunsetless North Pole miracle in the Glorious Quran [4].  At the top of the North Pole, the sun never sets, and I showed the video for that, and also quoted the scientific sources for that. Also in the lands near by, it almost never sets either, and I quoted sources for that as well, and also showed pictures of the "polar night" skies on these lands.        -  The Glorious Quran also speaks about many earths [5] and not just earth.        -  The Glorious Quran predicts 11 planets in our solar system [6].

    Ample vocabularies from seven encyclopedic Arabic dictionaries about earth in the Glorious Quran.  Please visit:
      

    Earth is spherical [2].
      

    Detailed Analysis from Lisan Al-Arab (this alone is 10 big books) and 7 other dictionaries proving the Scientific Miracles in the Holy Quran in Great Details.
      

    The Overwhelming Scientific and Numerical Miracles in the Glorious Quran.
      

    See also the 1000s of examples of the Glorious Quran's Stunning Numerical and Scientific Miracles.
      
    Allah Almighty Said that He will show the latter generations these Miracles to prove that the Quran is from Him.

Possible Geographical and Astronomical Significance:

I also believe that since Allah Almighty speaks also in plural about the sunrise and sunset points of the sun on earth, then it is possible that Allah Almighty here referred to geographical locations that have astronomical alignment significance.  The sun and the earth orbit each other in an S-shaped or number 8 orbit:

This is also all demonstrated in good details in the following video file and articles:

www.answering-christianity.com/egg-shaped_earth.htm
www.answering-christianity.com/detailed_meanings_of_scientific_words_in_verses.htm
www.answering-christianity.com/ac20.htm#links

This is why the sun doesn't orbit around the earth in one straight line.  This is due to earth's axle tilt and change of orbit.  So the sunset and sunrise points (plural) in the Glorious Quran could be astronomical points.  This might be similar to the location of Mecca, and the location of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, where Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, was taken up to Heaven from that rock (before the Dome was built above it).

Consider the following moon's orbit Miracle in the Glorious Quran.  Notice below "...until it ends up looking like حتى عاد...".   Where does it astronomically begin and end up عاد?
  

Again, Where does the moon astronomically begin and end?  Read ample Noble Verses, analysis, quotations from scientific sources, and so much more in this article.

  
Again, read the ample Noble Verses, analysis, quotations from scientific sources, and so much more, after the Abstract table, in this article.

Also, a Muslim brother recently on this website's blog posted two links of a detailed article:

Quick Note:

The sun never ceases nor disappears [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]:

(Play video file: [1] [2])

Prophet Muhammad: The sun is in constant orbit always rising on people while setting on others.

عن ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما ان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم سئل :هذه المغارب اين تغرب ؟ وهذه المطالع اين تطلع ؟ فقال صلى الله عليه وسلم هي على رسلها لا تبرح ولا تزول , تغرب عن قوم وتطلع على قوم ,وتغرب عن قوم وتطلع , فقوم يقولون غربت ,وقوم يقولون طلعت

"Ibn Abbas narrated on Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, that the Prophet was asked: Where does the sun go after all of these sunsets? And where does it come from after all of these sunrises? The Prophet, peace be upon him, replied: It is in constant motion. It doesn't stop nor disappear. It sets on people and rises on others, and it sets on people and rises on others. So people would say it has risen while others say it has set."

Sources:

1- Jami'a Al-Usool li-ibn Al-Atheer.
جامع الأصول لابن الأثير

2- Musnad Al-Imam Abi Is'haq Al-Hamadani
مسند الامام ابي اسحاق الهمداني

3- Al-Ijaz Al-Ilmi Fe Al-Sunna Al-Nabawiyyah, Dr. Zahloul Al-Najjar, Page 132.
  

www.answering-christianity.com/egg-shaped_earth.htm

  
  
Question:

Did Prophet Muhammad know think that the earth was spherical or flat?

Answer:

In this Hadith, above, he certainly seems to have known this fact very well.  And this Hadith is even older than Sahih Bukhari.  It is important to know that Imam Bukhari and others have declared that they have discarded thousands of Hadiths:

www.islamic-awareness.org/Hadith/bukhari.html

  
This is to keep their volumes as simple and manageable as possible.  So it is quite possible that the Prophet spoke about the earth being spherical, and the Glorious Quran certainly did, and people just dismissed them as nonsense.  I have covered your question in great details at:

www.answering-christianity.com/egg-shaped_earth.htm
www.answering-christianity.com/ac20.htm#links
www.answering-christianity.com/detailed_meanings_of_scientific_words_in_verses.htm

Also, Allah Almighty in the Holy Quran declares that the earth is:

  
Having said all of that, let us now pay close attention to the following important Arabic key-words in Noble Verses 18:83-110 where they are thoroughly analyzed in this section and throughout the article:

1. بلغ

2. وجد

3. عندها

4. تغرب في عين

5. مطلع الشمس وجدها تطلع

6. لم نجعل لهم من دونها ستر

Let us analyze Noble Verse 18:86,90:

Yusuf Ali Translation:

[018:086]  Until, when he reached (بلغ) the setting of the sun, he found it (وجدها) set in a spring of murky water (تغرب في عين): Near it (the water) he found (ووجد عندها) a People: We said: "O Dhul-qarnain! (thou hast authority,) either to punish them, or to treat them with kindness."

Again, the Quran also speaks in plural about rises and
settings of the sun.  See below.

[018:090]  Until, when he came to the rising of the sun, he found it rising on a people for whom We had provided no covering protection shade against from under the sun (لم نجعل لهم من دونها ستر).

I colored them so that it would be easier for you to locate them and to follow through.

Now while below we will find ample detailed analysis that I've provided from Arabic, but the following points are very important to keep in mind:

  
1-  The Arabic word balagha بلغ (reached) is discussed in great details in the article.  For example:

  
This Noble Word is key because it is used for time determination.  Below, I've proven with many Noble Verses and proofs that balagha بلغ (reached) indisputably means he reached the time of sunset.

2-  In the Glorious Quran, wajada وجد (found) has multiple meanings, which among them is "to see", as the Noble Verses, below, clearly and indisputably reveal.  Wajada وجد here means that the sun disappeared from Dhul-Qarnayn's naked eye, especially since the neighborhood was mountainous (18:93).  As Dhul-Qarnayn was looking at the sun, he saw it disappearing inside or behind a murky body/pond/lake/sea of dark/murky water.

Now, since the Iron Gates were near the city of Bukhara in modern-day Uzbekistan, and it is well known that the waters there are murky, then there is strong evidence that suggest that Dhul-Qarnayn reached a lake, or a body of water, which is in a MOUNTAINOUS AREA as the Glorious Quran states, at sunset:

And of course, as I mentioned below, if the sun were to literally set inside a pool of water, then it would have to rise back again from that location and set into another body of water, which the Glorious Quran makes no mention of, and then rise back again from that body of water and set again in Dhul-Qarnayn's body of water, and so on.  This never happened, and nor did the Glorious Quran mention it.  The sun simply does not bounce back and forth between the east and the west on earth, and nor does the moon.  The Noble Verses also do not say that the Dhul-Qarnayn went to the east or the west of the earth.  No east nor west were mentioned in any of the Noble Verses, and as I mentioned below, neither does the Glorious Quran mention that there are ends of the earth.  On the contrary, the Glorious Quran, as I also mentioned below, clearly and indisputably Declares that the earth is Spherical, Round, is Suspended and orbiting in Space, and is rotating around its own axle.  See the ample Noble Verses and ample Arabic Analysis for the proofs, in the link.

Now as to wajada's (وجد) meanings throughout the Glorious Quran:

1. In Noble Verses 43:22-24, 31:21, 26:74, 21:53, 18:93, 12:65, 10:78, 7:44, 7:28, 5:104 and 3:37 the pagans used this word to say "we saw our fathers do idol worship".  The English translations use the word "found", but the context of the Noble Verses clearly speak about these people were doing what they saw their fathers do in the past.
     
     
   Unknown to Allah Almighty?
       

2. In Noble Verses 93:7-8 and 38:44, Allah Almighty used this Word  وجد  to State that He Himself "He Saw".  Again, the English translations use the word "found", but the context of the Noble Verses clearly speaks about Allah Almighty seeing the deeds.  Allah Almighty Knows everything, and hence, He doesn't have to go out His Way to find things.  Finding something means that it was missing from you, or it was unknown to you.  Nothing is missing from Allah Almighty, nor is anything unknown to Him, not even an atom of things:
   
   [010:061] ..... Nor is hidden from thy Lord (so much as) the weight of an atom on the earth or in heaven. And not the least and not the greatest of these things but are recorded in a clear record.
   
   [034:003] The Unbelievers say, "Never to us will come the Hour": Say, "Nay! but most surely, by my Lord, it will come upon you;- by Him Who knows the unseen,- from Whom is not hidden the least little atom in the heavens or on earth: Nor is there anything less than that, or greater, but is in the Record Perspicuous:
   
   [099:007] Then shall anyone who has done an atom's weight of good, see it!
   
   [099:008] And anyone who has done an atom's weight of evil, shall see it.
     
   So clearly, وجد in the Glorious Quran was used in some Noble Verses to mean to see.  Using the word "found" in the meaning of physically and literally finding the sun's actual setting place is inaccurate, especially again when there is no mention of TWO POOLS in the Glorious Quran as I explained above.
     
   This video clip is for Main Section #2, below, "2-  "balagha" is metaphoric and "yudrik" is literal.":

   
   (Click to play clip)

   Notice how the leader and the soldiers were shouting "ADRIKOOHUM !!" (derived from yudrik),
   which means "go chase them down and bring them back".  It literally means go and physically reach
   them, while balagha, on the other hand, is used for time and metaphors.

3-  In the Noble Verse, endaha عندها (near it) is referring to the spring of the murky water.  Both the sun (الشمس) and the spring (عين) are feminine.  They are not masculine.  عندها is also feminine, and the context of the Noble Verse clearly suggests that Dhul-Qarnayn found settlers near the spring at sunset.

4-  As for تغرب في عين (disappear in a murky water), the following points make it quite clear.  This point is also discussed in great details throughout this article:

5-  As to مطلع الشمس وجدها تطلع :

مطلع الشمس means where the sun is up, and تطلع means "rising".  This had been thoroughly discussed in great details above.
 

6-  The following Noble Words are further discussed in this table, below:

Another Important Point:

Allah Almighty never Said that Dhul-Qarnayn had reached the "ends of the earth" where the sun supposedly rises and sets.  In fact, no where in the entire Quran is "ends of the earth" mentioned.  The Glorious Quran, on the contrary, says clearly that the earth is spherical [2].  Also on the contrary, it is the Bible that says that:

1. The earth has ends

2. It is standing on pillars that prevent it from shaking.

3. GOD Almighty will shake the earth to throw the people into space.

4. It has four corners.

Please visit: The Bible declares that the earth is flat [2].  Also read the article for ample more proofs, Noble Verses and details.

Clearly, the Glorious Quran is in no scientific blunder regarding the shape of the earth, and the solar system.  In fact, there are ample Noble Verses that clearly and indisputably state:

1. The earth is spherical.

2. The earth is suspended in space.

3. The earth is in constant rotation around itself.

4. The earth is moving in space.

5. The earth was expanded and our water was then produced from it.

6. Our sun is traveling at high speed in space.

Please visit:

So why did Allah Almighty Choose "he found saw it (وجدها)" and not رآها (saw it):

I certainly can't speak on behalf of Allah Almighty, but I could give you few possibilities as to why would the use of وجدها would be most appropriate:

1-  Dhul-Qarnayn seems to have been following the path of the sun.  On a cloudy day or in mountainous areas, the sun during the day, or the moon during the night, could disappear either behind the thick clouds or the mountains.  A traveler 1000s of years ago, who had no compass to guide him through the North and South Poles' magnetic fields, could easily get lost.

Behind Mountains:

2-  So the use of the word وجدها in this case, if the case was true, is more accurate then just رآها (saw it), because وجدها now becomes more encompassing to the situation, and is more accurate and descriptive.

What about the people who had no cover from the sun in Noble Verse 18:90?

(لم نجعل لهم من دونها ستر)

Let us look at Noble Verse 18:90:

Yusuf Ali:

[018:090]  Until, when he came to the rising of the sun, he found it rising on a people for whom We had provided no covering protection shade against from under the sun (من دونها ستر).

‏18:90 حتى اذا بلغ مطلع الشمس وجدها تطلع على قوم لم نجعل لهم من دونها ستر

The following key Words are analyzed in great details below:

1-  لم = did not.

2-  نجعل  = caused it to be, evolved it. 

3-  لهم = to them, for them.

4-  من = from.

5-  دونها = under it.  See this detailed article for ample details and proofs on the ample uses of this Noble Word throughout the Glorious Quran.  I also used many reputable Arabic dictionaries, including the Encyclopedic 10-Book Lisan Al-Arab dictionary, to demonstrate and prove this Noble Word's meanings.  Click on the link for the details.  So the sun was never physically near the people, nor near Dhul-Qarnayn and his army.

6-  ستر = (atmospheric) cover, shade.

1-  دونها, which clearly means "under it" [1] [2].  So the sun was never physically near the people, nor near Dhul-Qarnayn and his army.  Throughout the Glorious Quran, Allah Almighty used certain words in many Noble Verses that spoke about being physically close to something.  The following Noble Words clearly and indisputably prove this:

2-  نجعل, as I demonstrated with the ample Noble Verses above, means that Allah Almighty Creates, Develops and/or Makes a creation through the process of (1) Evolution, (2) Natural development of a creation, or (3) A process of engagement, mixing and/or development through two or more creations being combined or put together; similar to a chain reaction.

Therefore, the Noble Words and Verses are clearly and indisputably speaking:

1. About the land(s) and all of the people that lived in it was not given an-enough atmospheric cover from the sun.
     

2. About the people and Dhul-Qarnayn and his army were all under the sun and not physically anywhere near it.  Otherwise, Allah Almighty would've used any of the Noble Words above, as He, the Almighty, Had used them countless times throughout the Glorious Quran.  A simple search on these Noble Words shows that there are 93 Noble Verses that Allah Almighty used them in throughout the Glorious Quran.

  
So in a nutshell, Noble Verse 18:90 is saying the following:

1. When Dhul-Qarnayn and his army took off during the night, in the mountainous area that they were in (18:93), they kept on going until they reached sunrise.
     

2. They saw a community (قوم) of people who were living in a land that possibly had no shade nor cover from the sun's very-hot rays, contrary to the shades that the mountains provided the other communities in the area.
     

3. It is also possible that the people were also suffering from drought.
        

4. Again, Allah Almighty Said that Dhul-Qarnayn saw the people under the sun (دونها), as we are all always under the sun when it is up in the sky during the day.
     

5. If the sun were to literally rise on the people, then its blazing lights would've fried Dhul-Qarnayn, his army, and the community of people that they reached.

Again, please visit:

1. The earth has ends.

2. It is standing on pillars that prevent it from shaking.

3. GOD Almighty will shake the earth to throw the people into space.

4. It has four corners.

Please visit: The Bible declares that the earth is flat [2].

Clearly, the Glorious Quran is in no scientific blunder regarding the shape of the earth, and the solar system.  In fact, there are ample Noble Verses that clearly and indisputably state:

Ample vocabularies from seven encyclopedic Arabic dictionaries about earth in the Glorious Quran.  Please visit:
  

1. The earth has ends.

2. It is standing on pillars that prevent it from shaking.

3. GOD Almighty will shake the earth to throw the people into space.

4. It has four corners.

Please visit: The Bible declares that the earth is flat [2].

Clearly, the Glorious Quran is in no scientific blunder regarding the shape of the earth, and the solar system.  In fact, there are ample Noble Verses that clearly and indisputably state:

Ample vocabularies from seven encyclopedic Arabic dictionaries about earth in the Glorious Quran.  Please visit: