Stories of the Qur'an

The story of the Musa (peace be upon him) and Al-Khadir

The story of the Musa (peace be upon him) and Al-Khadir

Musa (peace be upon him) delivered a sermon that was so impressive to his folloers one day, that they said to him “Is there anyone who is more learned and wise then you?” Musa replied that there was not, he thought that since Allah gave him the Torah and gave him the ability to perform miracles that there was no one wiser than him. However, soon after Allah reveled to Musa that no one man knows everything and that there was a man more wise than Musa himself.  Musa asked Allah to let him meet this person; he also asked for a sign of the person’s identity.

 So Allah told Musa to put a live fish inside of a container with water in it, and that when the fish disappeared he would find the man. Soon after Musa set off with a young man (who carried the container) to find the man, one night on the journey while Musa was asleep the young man saw the fish jump out of the container and into the river, when Musa woke up the young man forgot to tell him about this and they continued on their journey. It wasn’t until they were tired and worn out that the young man remembered and told Musa about the fish, hearing this Musa told the man that this was exactly what they were looking for and they both retraced there steps until they came back to the river. When they came to the river they saw a man sitting he wore a hood that partially covered his face. The man was called Al-Khadir, the guide.

And (remember) when Moses said to his boy-servant: "I will not give up (traveling) until I reach the junction of the two seas or (until) I spend years and years in traveling."

But when they reached the junction of the two seas, they forgot their fish, and it took its way throught the sea as in a tunnel. So when they had passed further on (beyond that fixed place), Moses said to his boy-servant: "Bring us our morning meal; truly, we have suffered much fatigue in this, our journey."

He said: "Do you remember when we betook ourselves to the ock? I indeed forgot the fish, none but Satan made me forget to remember it. It took its course into the sea in a strange (way)!"

(Moses) said: "That is what we have been seeking." So they went back retracing their footsteps.

Then they found one of Our slaves, unto whom We had bestowed mercy from Us, and whom We had taught knowledge from Us.  (Surah 18: 60-65)

 

Musa asked the man if he would follow him and gain some knowledge from him. The man replied that Musa did not have the patience to learn from him. So Musa said that Allah would give him the patients to learn from him. The man then said that Musa could follow him if he agreed not to ask any questions.

So Al-Khadir and Musa traveled, until they reached a ship that Al-Khadir scuttled (put holes in). Musa going back on his promise asked “have you scuttled the ship in order to drown the people in it?” Al-Khadir then said “Did I not tell you that you would not have patience with me?”

So Musa Apologized and they moved on, until they came across a boy and Al-Khadir killed him and Musa exclaimed “Did you kill a innocent boy, who has not killed anything?” and Al-Khadir said did I not tell you that you would not have patience with me. So Musa said “I forgot, if I say anything again you can stop teaching me.” So they went on again until they came to a town where they asked for food, but the people of the town refused to give them food. As they left the town they found a wall that was broken down Al-Khadir then fixed the wall and Musa said “You could have taken wages for fixing the wall.” Al-Khadir then said “This is the parting between me and you, I will give a interpretation of  that which you couldn’t hold your patience. The ship was that of poor people who worked at sea, a king was coming after them who took hold of every ship he came upon so I damaged the ship. The boy was the son of belivers and I feared that he would oppress them with disbelief and rebellion. So I intended that the lord would change him for them for one better in righteousness and near mercy. The wall was that of two orphan boys, there was a large fortune beneath it and their father was a righteous man, and the lord intended the fortune to be theirs when they became big and strong.”

 

He said, "Indeed, with me you will never be able to have patience.

And how can you have patience for what you do not encompass in knowledge?"

 [Moses] said, "You will find me, if Allah wills, patient, and I will not disobey you in [any] order."

He said, "Then if you follow me, do not ask me about anything until I make to you about it mention."

So they set out, until when they had embarked on the ship, al-Khidh r tore it open. [Moses] said, "Have you torn it open to drown its people? You have certainly done a grave thing."

 [Al-Khidh r] said, "Did I not say that with me you would never be able to have patience?"

 [Moses] said, "Do not blame me for what I forgot and do not cover me in my matter with difficulty."

So they set out, until when they met a boy, al-Khidh r killed him. [Moses] said, "Have you killed a pure soul for other than [having killed] a soul? You have certainly done a deplorable thing."

 [Al-Khidh r] said, "Did I not tell you that with me you would never be able to have patience?"

[Moses] said, "If I should ask you about anything after this, then do not keep me as a companion. You have obtained from me an excuse."

So they set out, until when they came to the people of a town, they asked its people for food, but they refused to offer them hospitality. And they found therein a wall about to collapse, so al-Khidh r restored it. [Moses] said, "If you wished, you could have taken for it a payment."

[Al-Khidh r] said, "This is parting between me and you. I will inform you of the interpretation of that about which you could not have patience.

As for the ship, it belonged to poor people working at sea. So I intended to cause defect in it as there was after them a king who seized every [good] ship by force.

And as for the boy, his parents were believers, and we feared that he would overburden them by transgression and disbelief.

So we intended that their Lord should substitute for them one better than him in purity and nearer to mercy.

And as for the wall, it belonged to two orphan boys in the city, and there was beneath it a treasure for them, and their father had been righteous. So your Lord intended that they reach maturity and extract their treasure, as a mercy from your Lord. And I did it not of my own accord. That is the interpretation of that about which you could not have patience." (Surah Khaf 66-80)

 

 And that is the story of Musa and Al-Khdir.