Surah Al Kahf Tafseer

اتُونِي زُبَرَ الْحَدِيدِ

I will erect between you and them a barrier. Give me Zubar of iron,

Zubar is the plural of Zubrah, which means pieces or chunks of something.

This was the view of Ibn Abbas, Mujahid and Qatadah.

These pieces were like bricks or blocks, and it was said that each block weighed one Damascene Qintar or more.

حَتَّى إِذَا سَاوَى بَيْنَ الصَّدَفَيْنِ

then, when he had filled up the gap between the two mountain-cliffs,

means, he put the blocks on top of one another, starting at the bottom, until he reached the tops of the mountains, filling the width and height of the gap.

The scholars differed about the precise width and height.

قَالَ انفُخُوا

he said:�Blow;��

means, he lit a fire until the whole thing was burning hot.

حَتَّى إِذَا جَعَلَهُ نَارًا

then when he had made them (red as) fire,

قَالَ اتُونِي أُفْرِغْ عَلَيْهِ قِطْرًا

he said:�Bring me Qitran to pour over them.��

Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, `krimah, Ad-Dahhak, Qatadah and As-Suddi said:

it was copper.

Some of them added that it was molten.

This is similar to the Ayah:

وَأَسَلْنَا لَهُ عَيْنَ الْقِطْرِ

And We caused a fount of Qitran to flow for him. (34:12)

So it resembled a striped cloak