4-110 Muhammad ibn al-Hassan ibn Ahmad ibn al-Walid - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Muhammad ibn al-Hassan al-Saffar quoted Ahmad ibn Aba Abdullah, on the authority of Al-Hassan ibn Mahboob, on the authority of Hisham ibn Salim who quoted someone on the authority of Abi Ja’far al-Baqir (MGB) as having said,

“Indeed the Blessed the Sublime God did not appoint any of the Prophets after Noah as kings on the Earth except for four: Zul-Qarnayn (the one with two horns) whose name was Ayash; David (MGB); Solomon (MGB); and Joseph (MGB). And Ayash ruled over the areas between the East and the West. David (MGB) ruled over the area between the Shamat and Astakhr. This was the same as Solomon’s (MGB) territory. Joseph (MGB) ruled over Egypt and the surrounding deserts. His reign did not extend elsewhere.”The compiler of the book - may God be pleased with him said, “This is the way this tradition has been narrated, but I do not think that Zul-Qarnayn was a Prophet. Rather, I believe that Zul-Qarnayn was a good servant of God who liked God. God also liked him. He worked for the sake of God. So God also helped him. The Commander of the Faithful (MGB) has said, ‘Also you have a Zul-Qarnayn amongst you (meaning himself). Zul-Qarnayn was given the rule by God as He made Saul (i.e. Talut) the King as the Honorable the Exalted God says, ‘Their Prophet said to them: "(Allah)hath appointed Talut as king over you..."’ Talut was a king and it is allowed to bring his name among the Prophets since he was like them, although he was not a Prophet. As it is allowed for Satan which is not an angel to be named amongst the angels as the Honorable the Exalted God says, ‘Behold! We said to the angels, "Bow down to Adam": They bowed down except Iblis . He was one of the Jinns…”’ ”