Stories Of The Quran
Part | 02
By: Ibn Katheer
Translated by: Ali As-Sayed Al- Halawani
The Story of: Moses And Al-Khadir
Moses remarked
‘’That is what we have been seeking. So they went back retracing their footsteps’’, till they reached the rock. There they saw a man covered with a garment (or covering himself with his own garment). Moses greeted him. Al-Khadir replied saying: “How do people greet each other in your land?” Moses said: “I am Moses.” He asked: “The Moses of Banu Israel?” Moses replied in the affirmative and added: “May I follow you so that you teach me of that knowledge which you have been taught.”
Al-Khadir replied: “Verily! You will not be able to remain patient with me, O Moses! I have some of the knowledge of Allah which He has taught me and which you do not know, while you have some knowledge which Allah has taught you which I do not know.” Moses said: “Allah willing, you will find me patient and I will not disobey you in aught. So both of them set out walking along the seashore, as they did not have a boat. In the meantime a boat passed by them and they requested the crew of the boa(. to take them on board.
The crew recognized Al-Khadir and took them on board without fare. Then a sparrow came and stood on the edge of the boat and dipped its beak once or twice in the sea. Al-Khadir said: “O Moses! My knowledge and your knowledge have not decreased Allah’s knowledge except as much as this sparrow has decreased the water of the sea with its beak.” Al-Khadir went to one of the planks of the boat and plucked it out.
Moses said: “These people gave us a free lift but you have broken their boat and scuttled it so as to drown its people.” Al-Khadir replied: “Didn’t I tell you that you will not be able to remain patient with me.” Moses said: “Call me not to account for what I forgot.” The first (excuse) of Moses was that he had forgotten. Then they proceeded further and found a boy playing with other boys. Al-Khadir took hold of the boy’s head from the top and plucked it out with his hands (i.e. killed him).
Moses said: “Have you killed an innocent soul who has killed none.” AI-Khadir replied: “Did I not tell you that you cannot remain patient with me?” Then they both proceeded till when they came to the people of a town, they asked them for food, but they refused to entertain them. Then they found there a wall on the point of collapsing. Al-Khadir repaired it with his own hands. Moses said: “If you had wished, surely you could have taken wages for it.”
Al-Khadir replied: “This is the parting between you and me.” The Prophet (Muhammad (Peace be upon him)) added: “May Allah be Merciful to Moses! Would that he could have been more patient to learn more about his story with Al-Khadir.” (Sahih Al-Bukhari)
Allah the Almighty says:
‘’And as for the wall, it belonged to two orphan boys in the tow’’,
As Suhaili said: they were Asram and Sarim sons of Kashih.
‘’And there was under it a treasure belonging to them’’, i.e.
the treasure was gold, or some kind of knowledge. However, the most likely view is that it was some kind of knowledge inscribed on a golden board. Al-Bazzar said: I was told by Ibrahim Ibn Sa’id Al-Jauhari after Bishr Ibn Al-Mundhir ufter Al Harith Ibn ‘Abdullah Al- Yahbasi after ‘Iyad Ibn `Abbas Al-Ghassani after Ibn Hujairah after Abu Dharr as saying: “The treasure mentioned in Allah’s Book (the Glorious Qur’an) was a solid golden board where it was inscribed: I wondered at the one who affirmed faith in the Divine Decree and then he exerted himself; and I wondered at the one who remembered Hell-Fire and then he laughed; and I wondered at the one who remembered death and then he became heedless of the meaning of ‘There is no god but Allah.'” The like was narrated by Al-Hasan Al-Basri, ` Umar the freed slave of `Afrah and Ja`far As-Sadiq.
Allah’s Saying:
‘’And their father was a righteous man’’,
i.e. their seventh or tenth grandfather. However, this proves that the righteousness of the father benefits his own children and their children.
Allah’s Saying:
‘’as a mercy from your Lord’’,
this is a textual proof that Al-Khadir was a Prophet and that he did not do anything out of his own desire but as ordered by Allah the Almighty.
Al-Khadir’s Name, Lineage and Prophethood: Is He Still Alive?
The real name, lineage and status of Al-Khadir are controversial. This can be added to the very important question: is he still alive?
Al-Hafiz Ibn `Asakir said: He is said to be Al-Khadir son of Adam. Ibn Qutaibah said: His name was Balya -or Aylya -Ibn Malakan Ibn Faligh Ibn `Abir Ibn Shalikh Ibn Arfakhshdh Ibn Sam Ibn Noah (Peace be Upon him).
Isma`il Ibn Abu Uwais said: His name was Al-Mu`amir Ibn Malik Ibn `Abdullah Ibn Nasr Ibn Lazd.
Others said: He is Khadrun Ibn `Amyaiyl Ibn Al-afiz Ibn AI-`Iys Ibn Ishaq Ibn Prophet Ibrahim (Peace be upon him). There are so many other views pertaining to his name and lineage.
Imam Al-Bukhari said: I was told by Muhammad Ibn Sa’id Al-Asbahani after Ibn Al-Mubarak after Mu`amir after Hammam on the authority of Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said: “Al-Khadir was named so because he sat over a barren white land, it turned green with plantation after (his sitting over It).”
Qabisah narrated on the authority of Ath-Thauri after Mansur after Mujahid as saying: Al-Khadir was named so because everything around him used to turn into green when he stands for prayer. It was stated earlier that Moses and Yusha` (Peace be upon them) went back retracing their footsteps, till they reached the rock. There they saw a man covered with a green garment (or covering himself with his own garment). Moses greeted him. Al-Khadir replied saying: “How do people greet each other in your land?” Moses said: “I am Moses.” He asked: “The Moses of Banu Israel?” Moses replied in the affirmative and added: “May I follow you so that you teach me of that knowledge which you have been taught… etc.”