Harmony of the Verses

Having finished the previous story, whose outcome was travelling over land and sea in pursuit of knowledge, the surah now relates the story of a brave and righteous man who was engaged in jihad and in the struggle against corrupters. The story of learning comes first because of the higher rank of knowledge, for knowledge is the foundation of all felicity and the mainstay of every affair. The sentence “And they ask you about Dhū al-Qarnayn” is conjoined to “And those who disbelieve dispute with falsehood”.(3)(4)