upon it. _And he poured the molten brass upon the heated iron, so that it entered between its pieces and the whole became one mass._ And they (_namely, Yájooj and Májooj_) were not able to ascend to its top _by reason of its height and smoothness_; nor were they able to perforate it _by reason of its hardness and thickness_. _Dhu-l-Ḳarneyn_ said, This (_namely, the barrier, or the gift of the ability to construct it_) is a mercy from my Lord: but when the promise of my Lord, _as to the eruption of Yájooj and Májooj shortly before the resurrection_, shall come _to be fulfilled_, He will reduce it (_namely, the barrier_) to dust; and the promise of my Lord concerning _their eruption and other events_ is true. And We will suffer some of them, on that day (_the day of their eruption_), to pour tumultuously among others: and the trumpet shall be blown _for the resurrection_, and We will gather them (_namely, all creatures_) together in a body, _in one place_. And We will set hell, on that day, _near_ before the unbelievers, whose eyes have been veiled from my admonition (_the Ḳur-án_), _and who, being blind, have not been directed by it_, and who could not hear _what the prophet recited unto them, by reason of their hatred of him; wherefore they believed not in him_. (xviii. 82-101.) _ABRAHAM, ISHMAEL, ISAAC._ _Remember_ when Abraham [Ibráheem] said to his father A´zar (_this was the surname of Terah_), Dost thou take images as deities?[211] Verily I see thee and thy people to be in a manifest error.—(And thus, _as We showed him the error of his father and his people_, did We show Abraham the kingdom of the heavens and the earth, and [We did so] that he might be of [the number of] those who firmly believe.) And when the night overshadowed him, he saw a star (_it is said that it was Venus_), [and] he said _unto his people, who were astrologers_, This is my Lord, _according to your assertion_.—But when it set, he said, I like not those that set, _to take them as Lords, since it is not meet for a Lord to experience alteration and change of place, as they are of the nature of accidents_. _Yet this had no effect upon them._ And when he saw the moon rising, he said _unto them_, This is my Lord.—But when it set, he said, Verily if my Lord direct me not (_if He confirm me not in the right way_), I shall assuredly be of the erring people.—_This was a hint to his people that they were in error; but it had no effect upon them._ And when he saw the sun rising, he said, This is my Lord. This is greater _than the star and the moon_.—But when it set, _and the proof had been rendered more strong to them, yet they desisted not_, he said, O my people, verily I am clear of the [things] which ye associate _with God; namely, the images and the heavenly bodies_. _So they said unto him, What dost thou worship? He answered_, Verily I direct my face unto Him who hath created the heavens and the earth, following the right religion, and I am not of