They said ‘O Dhū’l-Qarnayn truly Gog and Magog read Ya’jūj wa-Ma’jūj or Yājūj wa-Mājūj these two are non-Arabic names of two tribes and are therefore indeclinable are causing corruption in the land plundering and oppressing us when they come forth to attack us. So shall we pay you a tribute some form of payment a variant reading for kharjan is kharājan on condition that you build between us and them a barrier? an obstruction so that they will not be able to reach us.